GIFT  OF 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 


HEARING 

BEFORE 

COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 
UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGRESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 

H.  R.  14461 

A  BILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZENS 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  BY  THE  TEMPORARY 

SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 

FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 

MONDAY,  JANUARY  3,  1921 


PART  1 

Printed  for  the  uee  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration 


^T>. 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING   OFFICE 
2W11  1921 


committep:  on  immigration. 

LeBARON  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island,  Chairman. 

WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,  Vermont  THOMAS  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 

BOIES  PENROSE,  Pennsylvania.  JOHN  F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 

THOMAS  STERLING,  South  Dakota.  WILLIAM  H.  KING,  Utah. 

HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California.  WILLIAM  J.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 

HENRY  W.  KEYES,  New  Hampshire.  PAT  HARRISON,  Mississippi. 

WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey.  JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 

Henry   M.   BARur,   Cleric. 


it 


^"^ 


T3 


e:mek(ienoy  boiigration  legislation 


MONDAY,   JANUARY   3,    1921. 

United  States  Senate. 
Committee  on  iMMKiKATUtN. 

^yal<hingto)l,  D.  C. 
The  committee  met  at  10.80  a.  m.,  pursuant  to  call,  in  room  235, 
Senate  Office  Buiklina-.  Senator  LeBaron  B.  Colt  presiding. 

Present:    Senators   Colt    (chairman).   Dillingham.   Keyes.   Edge, 
Nugent,  Harris,  Harrison,  and  Phelan,  members  of  the  committee. 
The  committee  had  under  consideration  the  following  hill : 

[H.  U.  144(51,  Sixty-sixth  Consi'ess,  thiiil  session.] 

AN    ACT   To    provide   for    the   protection    of   the   citizens    of   the    United    States    by    the 
temporary  suspension  of  immisration.  and  for  other  purposes. 

lie  if  en(ntt'il  hii  the  Scnide  (Did  House  of  Rei)re;;eiit(itires  of  the  I'liited 
J^ttitcH  of  Aiiieiiea  in  ('oiii/re.^ft  osstemftled.  That  as  used  in  this  act — 

The  term  "  United  States  "  means  tlie  United  States  and  aiiy  \vat(-rs,  terri- 
tory, or  other  place  snl).ie(*t  to  the  .inrisdiction  tliereof  except  the  Isthmian 
Canal  Zone  and  the  Philippine  Islands:  ])nt  if  any  alien,  oi'  any  alien  seaman, 
leaves  tlie  Canal  Zone  or  any  insular  possession  of  the  I'nited  States  and  at- 
tempts to  enter  any  other  place  under  the  jurisdiction  of  tlie  I'nited  States  noth- 
\nii  contained  in  tliis  act  shall  he  consti-ued  as  pei-mittin.si'  him  to  entcn-  under  any 
otiier  conditions  than  those  applicable  to  all  aliens,  or  to  all  alie;i  seamen, 
respectively  : 

The  term  "  innuiL;ration  act  "  means  the  act  of  February  .1,  1917,  entitled 
"An  act  to  regulate  the  ininugration  of  aliens  to,  and  the  re.sidence  of  aliens  in. 
the  Uinted  States";  and  the  term  "  immigration  laws"  includes  such  act  and 
all  laws,  conventions,  and  treaties  of  the  United  States  relating  to  the  immi- 
gration, exclusion,  or  expulsion  of  aliens;  and 

The  word  "  alien  "  includes  any  person  not  a  native-born  or  naturalized  citi- 
zen of  the  United  States,  but  this  definition  shall  not  be  held  to  include  Indians 
of  the  United  States  not  taxed  nor  citizens  of  the  islands  under  the  .iurisdiction 
of  the  U^nited  States. 

Sec.  2.  Except  as  otherwise  ])rovided  in  this  act,  from  sixty  days  after  the 
passage  of  this  act,  and  until  the  expiration  of  fourteen  montlis  next  after  its 
passage,  the  immigration  of  aliens  to  the  United  States  is  prohibited,  and  during 
such  time  it  shall  not  he  lawful  for  any  alien  to  enter  the  United  Stiites  from 
any  foreign  port  or  ])lace,  or,  having  so  entered,  to  remain  within  the  United 
States. 

Sicc.  3.  (a)  Section  2  shall  not  apply  to  otherwise  admissible  aliens  lawfully 
resident  in  the  United  States,  nor  to  otherwise  admissible  aliens  of  the  follow- 
ing status  or  occupations,  when  complying  with  the  requirements  of  this  sec- 
tion and  with  all  other  provisions  of  the  immigration  laws : 

(1)  Government  oflieials,  their  families,  attendants,  seiwants,  and  employees; 

(2)  Travelers  or  temporary  sojourners  for  pleasure  or  business  who  may 
enter  the  United  States  during  the  time  of  su.spension  of  immigration  for  a 
period  not  exceeding  six  months  each,  which  period  may  be  extended  in  individ- 
ual cases  by  the  Secretary  of  State ; 

(o)  Bona  tide  students  who  may  enter  the  United  States  solely  for  the  pur- 
pose of  study  at  educational  institutions  particularly  designated  by  them ;  and 

8 


4  EMKPGrSNCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

iil)(»n  Rraduiifioii.  coiuiiletion.  or  discontinnanct'  of  studios  tlioy  shall  not  be 
entithMl  to  ri'iiiain  in  tlio  United  States; 

(4)   Ministers  of  any  relifrious  denomination. 

(I)  I  An  alien  liflonuiii;;  to  one  of  the  classes  or  jK'rsons  enumerated  in  subdi- 
vision (a)  shall  be  peiniitted  to  enter  the  United  States  only  upon  presentation 
of  a  valid  passport  or  oilier  ollicial  document  in  the  nature  of  a  passjtort  (here- 
inafter referred  to  as  a  passport)  satisfactorily  estal)lishinj;  his  identity, 
nationality,  and  to  wliich  of  the  classes  so  enumerated  he  belonj^s,  together  with 
a  signed  and  certified  photograph  of  the  bearer  attached.  A  wife,  or  a  female 
child  under  twenty-one  years  of  age,  or  a  male  child  under  sixteen  years  of 
age,  may  be  included  in  the  passi)ort  of  a  Inisband  or  parent,  but  a  photograph 
of  eadi  must  be  attached  to  the  i)assport.  Each  male  child  sixteen  years  of  age 
or  over  must  carry  a  separate  passport. 

(c)  lOach  sucli  i)assport  must  be  visged  by  an  American  consulate,  or  a  diplo- 
matic mission  if  specially  authorized,  in  tlie  country  from  which  the  holder 
starts  on  his  trip  to  the  United  States,  and  if  such  country  is  not  the  country 
to  which  he  owes  allegiance  the  passport  must  also  be  vis6ed  by  a  diplomatic 
or  consular  officer  therein  of  his  own  country.  In  all  cases  the  passport  must 
also  be  viseed  l)y  an  American  consulate,  or  the  diplomatic  mission  if  specially 
authorized,  in  the  country  from  which  the  alien  eml)arks  for  the  United  States, 
or  if  he  comes  by  land,  the  country  by  which  he  enters  the  United  States. 

(d)  Each  alien  coming  within  the  provisions  of  this  section,  except  a  duly 
accredited  government  othcial,  must  furnish  to  the  American  diplomatic  or  con- 
sular officer  who  visees  the  passport  in  the  foreign  country  from  which  he  starts 
«m  his  trip  to  the  United  States,  and  to  the  American  authorities  at  the  port  of 
entry  or  elsewhere  in  the  United  States,  a  written  declaration  setting  forth: 
(1)  The  date  and  place  of  the  bearer's  birth;  (2)  the  nationality  and  race  of 
his  father  and  mother;  (3)  the  place  of  the  bearer's  last  foreign  residence  and 
the  other  places,  if  any,  where  he  has  resided  within  the  past  live  years,  and 
what  has  been  his  occni)ation  during  that  period;  (4)  if  he  has  ever  been  in 
this  country,  the  dates  and  o1).iects  of  his  visits  and  the  places  and  addresses- 
where  he  resided  or  sojoui'ned ;  (5)  the  date  set  for  his  departure  for  the 
United  States,  the  port  of  embarkation,  and  the  name  of  the  ship  on  which  he 
is  to  sail,  if  he  goes  by  water;  (G)  names  and  addresses  of  persons  acquainted 
with  the  applicant  in  the  country  from  which  he  starts  and  in  the  United  States, 
if  any;  (7)  the  expected  duration  and  object  of  his  proposed  visit  to  this  coun- 
tx'y.  the  documentary  or  other  proofs  of  such  objects  submitted,  and  the  place 
or  places  in  the  Unite<l  States  where  he  expects  to  sojourn  or  reside;  (8)  that 
the  bearer  knows  and  understands  the  provisions  of  the  immigration  laws,  ex- 
cluding certain  classes  of  aliens  from  the  United  States,  and  is  cei'tain  that  he 
does  not  fall  within  any  of  sucli  classes;  (9)  that  the  bearer  understands  that 
if,  on  arrival  at  a  port  of  the  United  States,  he  is  found  to  be  a  member  of  a 
class  excluded  by  the  immigration  laws,  he  will  be  deported  if  practicable,  or, 
if  for  any  reason  deijortation  should  be  found  to  be  impracticable,  will  be  held 
in  detention  in  an  inunigration  station  or  other  place  of  confinement,  and  that 
he  is,  with  full  understanding  thereof,  assuming  all  risks  involved  in  a  possible 
return  trip  in  consecjuence  of  being  rejected  under  such  law. 

(e)  A  wife  or  minoi-  child  who  din  s  not  expect  to  reside  with  the  hu.sband  or 
father  in  tlie  United  States  must  carry  a  sej)arate  declaration. 

(f)  Each  declaration  must  be  atiirmed  (tr  sworn  to  before  a  consular  officer, 
or  a  diplomatic  officer  of  the  Ignited  States  if  specially  authorized,  and  signeil 
in  triplicate,  and  a  i)h(»togi'ai)h  of  the  declarant  must  be  attached  to  each  copy 
with  an  impression  of  the  oflicial  seal.  The  declaration  nnist  be  made  at  least 
two  weeks  before  the  diite  of  intended  departure,  except  in  cases  of  extraordi- 
nary emergency.  One  copy  of  tlu>  declaration  nuist  be  filed  in  the  embassy, 
legation,  or  consulate  by  which  the  passport  is  first  viseed,  one  copy  forwarded 
immediately  to  the  conunissioner  of  immigration  or  inspector  in  charge  at  the 
port  of  entry  by  whicli  the  declarant  expects  to  enter  the  United  StaH's  and  one 
copy  fastened  to  the  passport  of  the  declarant  in  such  a  way  that  it  may  be 
removed  upon  liis  departure  from  the  United  States.  The  copy  last  mentioned 
must  l)e  presented  with  the  passi)ort  to  the  official  at  the  poi-t  of  entry  into 
this  country  who  t'xamines  i)a.'^sports,  and  to  the  inunigration  ofik-ial  who  in- 
spects the  holder,  and  to  such  other  officials  in  the  ITnited  States  as  may  be 
authorized  to  inspect  such  documents. 

Sec.  4.  (a)  xV  citizen  of  the  United  States  twenty-one  years  of  age  or  over, 
who  is  a  resident  of  the  United  States,  may,  under  regulations  prescribed  by 
the  Secretai'y  of  I.iabor,  apply  to  him  for  permission  to  bring  into  the  United 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  5 

States  or  send  I'oi-  an  otherwise  adniissihle  wife,  pai'ent,  .grandparent,  unmarried 
son  or  brother  under  twenty-one  years  of  age,  unmarried  or  widowed  daughter. 
or  sister,  grandson  under  sixteen  years  of  age  whose  father  is  dead,  or  unmar- 
ried or  widowed  granddaughter  wliose  father  is  dead :  and  any  alien  who  lias 
declared,  in  the  manner  provided  by  law,  his  intention  to  become  a  citizen  of 
the  United  States,  and  who  is  a  resident  of  the  United  Slates,  may  make  like 
application  in  reference  to  an  otherwise  admissible  husband  or  wife,  unman-ied 
son  under  twenty-one  years  of  age.  or  unmarried  or  widowed  daughter ;  but  no 
application  may  be  made  under  this  paragraph  in  the  case  of  any  relative  by 
adoption. 

( !))  If  the  Secretary  of  Labor  is  satisfied  that  the  entry  into  the  United  States 
of  such  relative  would  not  be  in  violation  of  the  innnigration  laws,  and  that 
such  relative  is  likely  to  prove  a  desirable  resident  of  the  United  States,  he  may 
issue  a  permit  to  the  applicant,  under  such  regtUations  as  he  may  prescribe, 
which  shall  authorize  the  immigration  officers  at  the  port  of  entry  to  examine 
such  relative  upon  arrival  at  such  port.  Thereafter  the  right  of  such  relative 
to  admission  shall  Ite  as  provide  d  by  the  innnigration  laws,  except  that  it  shall 
not  be  subject  to  the  act  entitled  "An  act  to  prevent  in  time  of  war  departure 
from  and  entry  into  the  United  States  contrary  to  the  public  safety,  approved 
May  22,  191S,"  or  to  the  provisions  of  any  proclamation,  order,  rule,  or  regula- 
tion made  thereunder,  and  except  that  the  literacy  test  may,  in  the  discretion 
of  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  be  waived  in  the  case  of  such  rehitive. 

Sec.  5.  Nothing  in  section  2  shall  be  held  to  prevent  the  importation  of 
skilled  labor  under  the  conditions  prescribotl  in  the  fourth  proviso  to  section  3 
of  the  immigration  act  nor  to  the  importation  of  persons  employed  as  domestic 
servants. 

Sec.  6.  The  joint  resolution  approved  October  19,  1918,  entitled  "  Joint  resolu- 
tion authorizing  the  readmission  to  the  United  States  of  certain  aliens  who  have 
been  conscripted  or  who  have  volunteered  for  .service  with  the  military  forces 
of  the  United  States  or  cobelligerent  forces,"  is  hereby  amende<l  by  adding 
thereto  a  proviso  readintr  as  follows:  ''I'roviihd,  That  if  any  such  alien  sliall 
on  arrival  at  a  port  of  the  United  States  be  found  to  be  afflicted  with  a  loath- 
some or  contagious  disease,  such  alien  shall  not  be  readmitted  until  he  shall  have 
been  treated  in  hospital  and  the  disease  i-educed  to  noncontagious  stage."  , 

Sec.  7.  During  tlie  period  of  suspension  provided  for  in  section  2  otherwise 
admissible  ahens  who  have  reside<l  continuously  in  the  Domiriion  of  Canada, 
Newfoundland,  the  Republic  of  Cuba,  or  the  Republic  of  Mexico  for  at  least  one 
year  may  be  tempoi-arily  admitted,  for  a  period  not  exceeding  six  months,  from 
such  countries,  under  such  rules  governing  entry,  inspection,  temporary  stay, 
and  departure  as  may  be  prescribed  by  the  Commissioner  (Teneral  of  Immigra- 
tion, with  the  appi'oval  of  the  Secretary  of  La.bor. 

Sec.  8.  Any  alien  who  at  any  time  after  entering  the  United  States  is  found 
to  have~been  at  the  time  of  entry  not  entitled  under  this  act  to  enter  the 
Unite<l  States,  or  to  liave  remained  therein  for  a  longe)-  time  than  permitted 
under  section  3  or  section  7,  shall  be  taken  into  custody  and  dei)orted  in  the 
manner  provided  for  in  sections  19  and  20  of  the  immigration  act. 

Sec.  9.  The  provisions  of  sections  IS  and  20  of  the  inunigrati(»n  act  assessing 
a  penalty  for  failure  or  refusal  to  accept,  to  detain,  or  gtiard  safely,  to  return, 
and  to  transport  to  foreign  destination  aliens  excluded  or  expelled  from  the 
United  States,  or  to  pay  maintenance  and  deportation  expenses  of  aliens,  or  for 
making  any  charge  for  the  return  of  exchnled  or  expelU'd  aliens,  or  for  taking 
any  security  for  the  payment  of  such  charge,  or  for  taking  any  consideration 
from  aliens  to  be  returned  in  case  of  landing,  or  for  bringing  to  the  T'nited 
States  any  deported  aliens  within  a  year  from  date  of  deportation  without  tlie 
consent  of  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  shall  apply  to  :ind  be  enforced  in  connection 
with  the  provisions  of  this  act  relating  to  the  exclusion  or  expulsion  of  aliens. 

Skc.  10.  Willfull.v  tti  give  false  evidence  or  sw»-ar  to  any  false  statement  in 
connection  with  the  enforcement  of  this  act  shall  constitute  jM-rjury  as  such 
offen.se  is  defined  in  section  IG  of  the  innnigration  act;  and  the  provisions  of 
secti(ms*  16  and  17  of  the  innnigration  act.  prescril)ing  methods  of  procuring 
evidence  concerning  aliens,  and  defining  offenses  and  prescribing  piniishments 
therefor,  shall  apjily  to  and  be  enforced  in  connection  with  the  provisions  of 
this  act. 

Sec.  11.  Any  person  who  .substitutes  any  name  for  the  name  written  in  any 
document  herein  required,  or  any  photograph  for  the  photograjth  attached  to 
any  such  document,  or  forges  or  in  any  manner  alters  any  such  document,  or 
falsely  personates  any  jierson  named  in  any  such  document,  or  issues  or  utters 


0  KMKR(iKN('\     IMMKiltATION    LECJISLAl  lo.N . 

any  forp'd  or  frinulnlent  (Iik-uiiu'IiI,  m-  incsrtiis  to  an  inmii^inint  inspector  or 
ntluM-  (JovtMiuut'iit  oHiciiil  ;ii\.v  forfiod  or  triindnlfnt  (locnnu-ni,  iunl  any  jierson 
other  than  tho  one  to  whom  there  has  been  duly  issneil  any  <locuinent  pre- 
scribed by  this  act  \vh(t  presents  to  an  innniy,rant  inspe(lor  or  other  (lovern- 
nieni  odicial  any  such  docunient.  siiall  i)e  jiuilty  of  a  felony  and  upon  convic- 
tion tliereof  shall  in  cases  where  no  other  penally  is  rerpii red  by  law  be  lhie<l 
in  a  sum  not  exceediti^  .Sl.(Mi<»  or  be  imiirisoncd  for  a  tci-ni  of  not  more  than 
tlve  years',  or  both. 

Si:r.  12.  The  Commissioiier  <  General  of  Inimim-ation  shall,  with  the  approval 
of  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  i.ssue  such  re.iiidatioiis,  nof  inconsistent  with  law,  as 
may  be  deemed  necessary  and  iippropriate  to  place  this  act  in  fidl  force  and 
()]H  lation  (except  that  re.iiulations  tor  the  visein^  of  passjiorts  under  s(H-tion  8 
shall  be  made  by  the  Secretary  of  State).  Such  retrnlations  shall  include  special 
rules  for  the  ai»!'lication  of  this  act  to  the  cases  of  aliens  cominy;  to  the  United 
Siatis  frou!  or  thn  u.nh  contijiuous  foreitiu  territory,  and  to  the  ca.s-es  of  aliens 
eutevin.ir  a<ross  the  land  boniKbii^ies  for  temjorary  stay  or  at  fri^iuent  in- 
tervals: al.so  special  rules  to  insur;-  that  tlu-  prcMisions  of  this  act,  of  the  immi- 
;;ration  act,  or  of  any  law,  con\ention,  or  treaty  relatin;r  to  immigration  shall 
not  be  \iol<iied  by  aliens  arriving:  iit  ports  of  the  Unite<l  States  employed  on 
vissels  as  seamen,  and  that,  at  the  satue  time,  the  enfon-emeiit  of  sucli  laws 
shall  not  iutirfere  with  the  operation  of  the  act  apjiroved  March  4.  ]Oir»,  en- 
titled ""An  act  to  promote  the  welfare  of  American  seamen  in  the  merchant 
marine  of  the  United  States,  to  abolish  arrest  and  imprisonment  as  a  penalty 
for  desertion,  and  to  secure  the  abropition  of  treaty  provisions  in  relation 
thereto,  and  to  i)romote  safety  at  sea." 

Skc.  13.  The  provisions  of  this  act  are  in  adtiition  to  and  imi  in  substitution 
for  the  provisjoiis  of  the  inunigration  lav.s. 

The  CiiAiii.MAX.  The  committee  will  come  to  or'ler.  Tlii.s  com- 
mittee  at  its  hist  meeting  adjourned  until  to-day  for  tlie  purpose  of 
havinir  hearings.  These  hearings  were  to  be  had  mainly  upon  the 
Johnson  bill,  which  provides  for  a  temporary  suspension  of  immi- 
gration.  ;ts~I  understand  it.  the  real  issue  before  the  committee  at 
the  i:)resent  time  is  one  of  a  temporary  suspension  of  immijrration — 
pendino;  ;>•  fidl  investigation  of  the  wdiole  subject  of  immigration — 
with  the  idea  in  the  future  of  passing  some  permanent  or  construc- 
tive legislation  after  a  thorough  investigation  of  the  whole  matter 
in  view  of  present  \Yorld  conditions. 

In  order  that  the  testimony  may  be  limited  at  this  time.  I  desire 
to  say  to  those  j)resent  that,  as  I  understand  it,  although  I  am  only 
one  member  of  the  committee,  the  testimony  to  be  introduced  at 
these  hearings  should  be  confined  to  the  emergency  proposition ;  that 
is.  to  the  proposition  of  suspending,  temporarily  or  for  a  year,  all 
immigration. 

In  dealing  with  an  emergency  question  of  that  cliaiacter  we  would 
naturally  look  at  its  effects  from  the  economic  standpoint :  How 
would  the  sus[)ension  of  iTnmigration  affect  the  business  of  the  coun- 
try ^  Then,  in  dealing  with  the  question  of  emergency  legislation 
or  a  suspension  of  immigration,  you  would  naturally  look,  secondly, 
to  the  menace  that  is  threatening  this  country  with  regard  to  immi- 
gration. 

As  to  the  flood  of  immigration,  which  it  has  been  represented  is 
about  to  |)our  in  upon  us  from  Europe,  the  committee  have  desired, 
and  do  desire  now,  to  ascertain  data,  facts,  and  information  upon 
that  subject.  That  information  would  naturally  ilivide  itself  into 
two  ))roj)ositions :  First,  the  extent  and  character  of  the  immigration 
for  the  year  ending  June  1.  IDjJO.  but  more  esj^ecially  the  number 
of  immigrants,  their  character,  during  the  months  following  the  1st 
of  July,  or  from  the  1st  of  Julj',  1920,  down  to  the  present  time  or 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  7 

down  to  the  31st  of  December,  1920.  The  committee  desires  to  have 
data  really  upon  the  proi^osition  of  how  much  increase  there  has 
actually  been  during  the  last  four  or  five  months,  and  from  what 
countries  the  immioTants  have  come.  That  is  one  class  of  data. 
Secondly,  the  committee  desires  information  as  to  the  truth  of  the 
reports  oi  the  number  of  immigrants  from  foreign  countries  who 
purpose  to  come  to  this  country — that  is,  whether  the  statements 
that  have  been  ^i yen  out  of  the  number  who  purpose  to  come  from 
Italy  or  from  Russia  or  from  various  European  countries  are  cor- 
rect; in  other  words,  Avhat  is  the  true  situation  with  regard  to  the 
alleged  threatened  flood  of  immigration. 

Having  ascertained,  first,  the  facts  with  regard  to  the  threatened 
flood  of  immigration,  and,  secondly,  the  actual  number  of  immi- 
grants who  have  come  i)i  down  to  the  1st  of  December.  19'2U,  and 
especially  the  so-called  increase  during  the  last  three  or  four  months, 
the  committee  would  be  prepared  to  judge  of  the  emergency  char- 
acter of  the  situation;  and  then,  before  any  final  decision  upon  the 
question,  of  course  the  committee  would  feel  bound  to  look  into  its 
economic  effect  upon  the  country. 

At  the  last  meeting  of  the  committee,  when  this  general  subject 
was  before  us,  a  strong  desire  was  expressed  to  hear  Representative 
Johnson,  or  to  invite  Mr.  Johnson  to  be  present  at  this  meeting,  with 
a  view,  if  he  was  willing,  that  he  should  express  before  the  committee 
his  thoughts  upon  this  subject.  The  committee  would  be  very  glad, 
therefore,  to  hear  from  Mr.  Jolnison,  chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Immigration  and  Naturalization  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
and  the  author  of  the  bill. 

STATEMENT  OF  HON.  ALBERT  JOHNSON,  A  REPRESENTATIVE  IN 
CONGRESS  FROM  THE  STATE  OF  WASHINGTON. 

Representative  Johnson.  Senator  Colt  and  gentlemen  of  the  com- 
mittee, I  desire  to  be  brief  and  to  deal  entirely  with  Avhat  I  consider 
the  emergency  condition,  and  to  answer  such  questions  as  I  can.  At 
the  outset  I  desire  to  remind  Senators  of  the  attempts  to  enact  a 
permanent  law  relative  to  passports.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
both  the  House  and  the  Senate  passed  a  bill,  or,  rather,  enacted  a 
law,  assuming  that  there  would  come  peace,  providing  for  an  exten- 
sion of  the  war  passport  situation  in  so  far  as  it  applies  to  aliens. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Johnson,  if  I  may  add  right  here,  I  have 
received  information  that  may  possibly  be  helpful  to  a  solution  of 
this  emergency  problem,  and  that  is  that  the  (iovernment  of  Italy 
would  issue  aii  order  shortly,  if  it  has  not  been  already  issued,  deny- 
ing passports  to  all  emigrants;  in  other  words,  suspending  emigration 
from  Italy,  with  a  view  of  entering  into  cooperation  with  the  United 
States  to  the  end  that  Italy  might  supply  such  immigrants,  peoples 
of  such  classes,  as  this  country  might  desire. 

That  opens  up  quite  a  broad  (piestion,  viewing  immigration  from 
an  international  standpoint — and  it  is  really  an  international  ques- 
tion— considering  it  from  a  world  standpoint.  It,  of  course,  might 
be  possible  that  through  the  State  Department  arrangements  could 
be  entered  into  Avhereby  foreign  nations  would  not  permit  any  more 
immijrrants  to  come  to  this  countrv  than  the  United  States  desired. 


8  EMEllGENCY   IMMIGEATiON    LEGISLATION. 

sujoplyinp^  none  at  all  or  only  such  classes  as  conditions  here  war- 
ranted. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Maj-^  I  add  to  what  the  chairman  has  said 
that  I  think  there  is  now  a  provision  of  the  law  enabling  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  to  enter  into  agreements  with  foreign 
nations  with  respect  to  such  matters?  When  the  immigration  com- 
mission were  in  session  in  1909-10,  I  had  interviews  with  govern- 
mental officers — for  instance,  of  Hungary — and  at  that  time  they 
expressed  a  very  strong  desire  to  enter  into  some  sort  of  an  arrange- 
ment Avith  this  country  that  would  govern  the  flow  of  emigration 
from  that  country,  they  at  that  time  not  wanting  to  lose  an  undue 
proportion  of  their  citizens.  On  my  return  I  called  the  attention  of 
the  administration  to  this  matter,  liut  nothing  was  ever  done  about 
it.  But  I  think  the  right  exists  on  the  part  of  the  Government,  even 
outside  of  diplomatic  relations,  to  enter  into  such  arrangements. 

The  Chairman.  Of  course,  quite  a  number  of  immigrants  have 
come  from  Italy,  and  immigration  from  Italy  has  increased.  But 
I  have  direct,  and  I  might  say  very  positive,  information  that  the 
Italian  Government  has  already  issued  such  an  order  as  I  mentioned 
a  few  moments  ago.  How  that  may  affect  this  matter  I  do  not  know, 
and  I  am  only  mentioning  this  matter  with  a  view  to  hearing  it  dis- 
cussed and  getting  information  thereon. 

Representative  Johnson.  The  rumor  has  run  all  over  Italy,  and 
other  countries  as  welK  that  the  United  States  would  suspend  all 
immigration  by  January  1,  1921.  That  rumor  created  great  excite- 
ment throughout  Italy,  and  some  semiofficial  statements  by  the 
Italian  Government  were  made  along  the  lines  the  chairman  has 
mentioned.  But  in  the  meantime  a  representative  of  the  Govern- 
ment of  Italy  is  here,  spending  much  time  around  steamship  offices 
in  New  York,  and  he  is  begging  that  the  time  allowance  of  this  bill, 
which  is  60  days,  be  made  six  months,  in  order  to  permit  Italy  to 
send  to  this  countr}'^  those  of  its  people  alreadv  in  line  for  passports. 
This  would  rather  indicate  that  Ital^'^  could  not  shut  the  movement 
off  quickly. 

I  started  to  say  a  minute  ago  that  one  law  passed  by  the  Congress 
was  to  the  effect  that  the  war  passport  suspension,  in  so  far  as  ap- 
plying to  aliens,  should  operate  until  the  4th  of  March  next.  That 
law  has  not  been  operative  for  the  reason  that  the  provisions  of  the 
w^ar-passport  matter  continue  to  operate  until  we  have  a  declaration 
of  peace.  I  think  this  situation  alone  creates  an  emergency  concern- 
ing immigration  for  the  reason  that  some  day,  soon,  we  will  have 
a  declaration  of  peace,  and  no  passport  laws.  But  I  think,  Mr. 
Chairman  and  gentlemen  of  the  committee,  that  the  passport  system 
is  here  to  stay.  I  think  further  that,  even  as  a  temporary  matter, 
that  it  is  a  mistake  to  have  such  a  law  operate  partly  under  the  De- 
partment of  Labor  and  partly  under  the  State  Department,  because 
of  the  confusion  that  necessarily  ensues. 

I  think  the  argument  that  this  temporary  suspension  bill  might 
serve  to  end  the  United  States  as  an  asylum  for  political  refugees 
falls  for  the  reason  that  under  the  passport  system  a  refugee  is  unable 
to  get  a  passport  from  certain  countries.  Our  consular  agents  in  all 
parts  of  central  Europe  have  only  the  right  to  refuse  these  in  certain 
cases,  and  not  in  cases  that  fall  under  the  immigration  laws  them- 
selves. 


EMEEGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  9 

That  is  to  say.  the  consular  agent  declines  to  give  his  vise  to  a  man 
whom  he  determines  is  a  political  disturber  or  a  revolutionist.  But 
he  can  not  refuse,  under  the  instructions  that  the  Department  of 
Labor  gives  to  him,  to  refuse  to  give  his  vise  to  an  alien  ^vho  is  physi- 
cally deficient,  nearly  blind,  or  suffering  from  some  other  disability 
of  the  kind.  He  must  let  him  go  on  to  the  United  States  and  try 
it  out  at  the  gates  of  Ellis  Island. 

Senator  Phelan.  The  ])ower  is  in  the  Government,  under  war 
legislation,  to  prevent  the  issuance  of  passports? 

Representative  Johnson.  I  think  so. 

Senator  Phelan.  And  a  consular  agent  may  refuse  to  vise  a  pass- 
port to  some  he  thinks  unfit  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  I  think  so,  but  State  and  Labor  Depart- 
ments have  agreed  upon  regulations  by  which  one  does  not  usurp 
the  other. 

The  particular  bill  now  before  your  committee  is  just  what  it  has 
been  designated  at  this  table,  a  temporary  measure ;  and  I  have  sin- 
cere hopes  -that  we  can  combine  the  good  features  in  the  so-called 
Dillingham  bill  and  in  the  so-called  Sterling  bill,  and  even  add  to 
those  certain  features  of  the  proposed  constructive  plan  that  were 
stripped  from  this  emergency  bill — taken  out  because  an  emergency 
existed. 

This  bill  at  one  time  had  a  voluntary  registration  plan,  but  any- 
thing that  contained  a  constructive  idea  we  thought  would  require 
too  long  consideration  to  meet  the  existing  emergency.  This  bill  is 
not,  as  it  is  called  so  often,  an  absolute  suspension.  It  is  extremely 
liberal.  I  have  one  complaint  from  a  consular  agent,  in  Greece  or  in 
Italy,  and  I  am  not  sure  which  at  the  moment,  that  the  real  charge 
against  this  suspension,  bill,  so  called,  is  that  it  admits  dependents. 
You  will  notice  that  the  bill,  while  it  suspends  immigration,  turns 
right  around  and  lets  citizens  who  are  in  the  United  States  send  for 
their  blood-line  relatives.  In  other  words,  Tony,  the  barber,  may 
send  for  his  grandmother,  a  person  who  is  likely  to  be  not  only  a 
liability  to  Tony  but  to  the  United  States.  The  bill  provides  that  if 
Tony  wants  to  send  for  his  grandfather  or  his  grandmother  or  his 
mother  or  his  father,  he  may  make  arrangements  so  to  do  with  the 
Department  of  Labor  here. 

Senator  Harrison.  And  you  think  that  ought  to  be  eliminated? 

Representative  Johnson.  I  thonght  so  at  one  time,  that  we  ought 
to  have  a  suspension  in  that  regard,  but  after  carefully  going  into 
the  matter  I  found  that  it  was  too  hard  to  do,  too  abrupt  a  proce- 
dure. 

The  Chairman.  The  caption  of  the  bill  is  that  it  is  a  temporary 
suspension. 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  its  main  purpose. 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  While,  of  course,  you  will  admit  relatives  of  those 
who  are  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  I  agree  with  vou  that  this 
hearing  relates  to  the  emergency,  yet  you  are  so  familiar  with  this 
whole  subject  that  if  you  will  deal  with  the  emergency  situation  I 
will  appreciate  it.  I  am  only  s[)eaking  as  one  member  of  the  com- 
mittee, but  I  Avould  like  to  hear  from  you  on  that  subject. 


10  EMERGENCY    IMMKJKATION    LEGISLATION. 

Kopreseiitativo  Johnson.  All  ri<rHt.  I  want  to  put  in  the  record 
the  reports  of  the  consulur  a<rents.  This  data  was  furnished  nie  un- 
der date  of  December  4.  1920,  bein<r  rej)orts  from  our  consular  a«rents 
who  have  to  deal  with  applications  for  passj)orts  in  Austria,  (ier- 
many,  France,  (Jreece.  lti\\y,  Xetherlands.  Poland,  and  elsewhere. 

The  CuAinMAN.  "^'ou  deal  with  that  nuitter  in  your  majority  re- 
port, of  course  { 

Representative  rIoiiNsoN.  A  portion  of  it  is  in  the  nia  jority  report, 
but  it  is  a  statement  to  the  Committee  (m  Immi«rration  and  Naturali- 
zation of  the  Mouse  of  Representatives  from  the  State  Department. 

Senator  KixiE.  How  lon<r  is  that  report  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  About  12  or  15  cablefrrams. 

Senator  Ei)<;e.  Will  you  refer  to  it  briefly  while  we  are  sittinjr  here 
in  committee,  so  we  may  have  it  in  mind  ( 

Rej)resentaiive  Johnson.  Here  is  a  rei)ort  from  Italy,  for  instance. 
I  mijiht  say  that  some  of  these  reports  have  been  assailed  as  some- 
what oifensive.  but  they  are  from  our  own  State  De[)ai"tment.  from 
the  consular  agents.  AVe  asked  for  statements,  and  we  offer  what  we 
have  received. 

(The  report  referred  to  by  the  witness  is  here  printed  in  full  in  the 
record,  as  follows:) 

State  Dkpaktmext  Reports  CoxcEKxixd  Pkospective  I.m.mirgatiox. 

I'EPAKTMENT    OK    StATE. 

CoNsi'EAK  Service. 
Wa-shirif/ton,  December  .},  1920. 
Mv  Dear  Mr.  John.sox  :  In  aceonlaiuv  with  your  rnniest  of  this  morning  it 
gives  nie  great  pleasni'e  td  send  you   herewith  paraphrases  of  statements  in 
regard   to   innuigratioii   received   from   orticers  of   this   (Tovernment    who   have 
visited  the  countries  mentioned.     I  hope  you  will  find  the  data  of  value  in  con- 
nection with  the  presentation  of  your  bill  to  Congress. 
A'ery  sincerely,  yours, 

Wilbur  J.  Carr. 
Hon.  Albert  .Tohnson, 

ClidiniKiii  Committee  on  Immiyrntion. 

House  (if  l}e]ire><entfitlve-'<. 


Viemtii. — Sixty  per  cent  of  the  present  emigrants  are  of  tlie  .lewish  race,  20 
per  cent  are  of  the  German  race,  and  20  per  cent  of  other  races.  Tlie  favorite 
occupation  of  tliese  emigrants  is  merchant  or  clerk. 


Tunis. — Mostly  poverty-stricken,  often  illiterate,  SUdliiWis  and  Maltese 
laborerjj  and  families,  migrating  to  better  their  condition:  day  laborers,  me- 
chanics, masons,  joiners,  and  similai'  worl<ers  and  dependents. 

\ 

CEK.MAXY. 

lierlin. — It  is  estimated  that  2,<K)0,(KX)  (Jernians  desire  to  emigrate  to  the 
United  States  if  passport  restrictions  are  removed. 

The  Germans  who  i)roceed  to  the  United  States  are  not  of  tiu'  most  desirable 
class,  due  to  tlie  fact  tliat  military  service  is  at  jiresent  in  most  cases  an  absolute 
])ar.  Most  of  those  who  receive  permissicm  to  leave  for  the  United  States  are 
tlie  aged  parents  of  American  citizens  or  minor  children.  The  wives  of  declar- 
ants who  are  now  permitted  to  proceed  are  almost  always  of  the  lower  classes. 


emergexc;y  immigration  legislation.  11 

The  Poles,  Austriaiis,  and  nationals  of  the  different  new  Russian  States  wlio 
apply  for  vises  are,  as  a  ru'e,  of  the  most  undesirable  type  nf  enujirant.  They 
are  usually  tra«leis,  who  (tnly  increase  the  nuni])er  of  middlemen,  or,  if  they 
work,  usually  so  into  sweatshops. 

oiti'.Kci;. 

Athens. — A  .ureal  majority  of  the  enii.^rants  to  the  United  States  from  this 
district  are  of  the  ])easant  class  and  represent  a  l<»vv  form  of  unskilled  labor. 
A'ery  few  of  them  have  any  trade.  Frnm  this  number  should  be  excltided  a 
certain  proportion  v.ho  have  been  in  the  United  States  and  other  countries  and 
who  have  tliere  learned  a  trade,  and  who  have  rai.sed  themselves  in  the  social 
scale  to  beinji  proprietors  of  small  shops,  etc. 


Cdtaiiid. — A  larj;e  proportiiai  of  aliens  from  tins  district  ?;oing  to  the  United 
State  are  inimicjii  to  the  iiest  interests  of  the  Americ;ui  (government.  This  is 
not  due  to  any  liol.shevist  or  counnunist  tendency  on  their  part,  but  to  their 
standard  of  livinji'  and  their  characteristics,  which  render  them  uuassimilahle. 

Practically  all  the  emi^'rants  from  this  district  are  of  the  peasant  class.  For 
the  most  part  they  are  small  in  stature  and  of  a  low  order  of  intelligence.  The 
men  have  all  been  engaged  in.  agriculture  and  belong  largely  to  the  class  which 
furni.shes  the  unskilled  day  laborers  in  the  United  States. 

Florcuct'. — The  only  really  effective  way  of  eliminating  those  ininncal  to 
American  intertsts  fx-om  aliens  coming  to  America  from  a  country  so  honey- 
combed with  socialistic  ideas  ami  jictivities  of  every  degree  iis  Italy  would  be 
to  suspeiul  emigration  altogether. 

I'urUi. — According  to  reports  of  steamship  agents,  the  present  unrest  in  Italy 
and  the  recent  seizure  of  all  nu'tallurgical  (>stahlishments  by  the  workmen  have 
had  a  serious  effect  upon  the  popuhition.  an  increasitig  number  of  which  desire 
to  emigrate  as  socai  as  steamship  accommodations  can  be  found.  Agents  state 
that  To  i»er  cent  of  tiiose  asking  for  tickets  desiie  to  go  to  the  United  States. 

NETHERI.AXDS. 

Kottcrdaiii. — The  great  mass  of  aliens  i)assing  through  Rotterdam  at  the 
present  time  are  Russian  Poles  or  I'olisli  Jews  of  the  usual  ghetto  type.  Most 
of  them  are  more  or  less  directly  and  frankly  getting  out  of  Poland  to  avoid  war 
conditions.     They  are  tiltliy,  un-Ainericai>.  and  often  dtingerous  in  their  habits. 

poi..\Nn. 

Warxair. — ('oncerning  the  general  charjicteristics  of  aliens  emigrating  to  the 
United  States  from  Poland  and  the  occupation  or  trade  followed  by  them  reports 
indicate  such  to  be  substantially  as  follows: 

(a)  Physically  deficient : 

(1)  Wasted  by  disease  and  lack  of  food  sui)piies. 

(2)  Reduced  to  an  imprecedented  state  of  life  during  the  iteriod  of  the  war 
as  the  result  of  oppression  and  want. 

(3)  Present  existence  in  scpnilor  and  tilth. 

(b)  Mentally  deficient: 

(1)  Illy  educated,  if  not  illiterate,  and  ton  fre(|uently  with  minds  so  stulti- 
fied as  to  admit  of  little  betti>rnient. 

(2)  Abnormally  twisted  b(>cause  of  (a)  reaction  from  war  .strain,  (b)  shock 
of  revoluticmary  disorders,  (c)  the  dullness  and  stultification  resulting  from 
past  years  of  opi»ression  and  abuse. 

((.')   Economically   undesirable: 

(1)' Twenty  per  cent  is  given  as  a  round  and  generous  estimate  of  produc- 
tive laborers  among  i)resent  applicants  for  visees.  This  estimate  is  meant  to 
include  workers,  or  those  who  may  be  expected  to  become  workers,  from  both 
sexes.  The  remaining  percentage  nmy  b(>  expected  to  be  a  drain  on  tlie 
resources  of  America  for  y{>ars. 

(2)  Of  the  ">(>  percent  nf  emigrants  frnni  Poland  who  may  be  termed  efficients, 
40  per  cent — of  the  total  innnber  of  inunigrants — ^will  enter  trade  as  a  tniddle- 
man,  not  a  producer.     These  will  thrive  on  the  efforts  of  their  associates. 

(3)  The  productiA-e  labor,  small  percentage  as  it  is.  will  be  found  in  America 
in  the  sweatshops  in  the  large  centeis  of  population.     It  is  decidedly  not  agri- 


12  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

cultural,  hut  uihiui  in  cluuiuUn-.     In  this  report  female  applicants  iis  house- 
wives, etc.,  are,  of  course,  ternied  as  efficients. 
((/)   Socially  un(lesiral)le : 

(1)  Ki{ihty-fiv(>  (o  ninety  per  cent  lack  any  couception  of  patriotic  or  national 
spirit,  and  the  niajorty  of  this  percentage  is  mentally  incapahle  of  acquiring  it. 

(2)  Seventy-five  per  cent  or  upward  will  congrejiate  in  the  large  url)an 
centers,  such  as  New  Yorli  or  Baltimore,  and  add  to  undesirable  congestion, 
already  a  grave  civic  problem. 

(3)  Immigrants  of  similar  class  are  to  be  found  already  in  the  United  States 
who,  taken  as  a  class  and  not  individually,  have  proved  unassimilable. 

(4)  All  Europe  is  experiencing  in  the  reaction  from  the  war  a  corruption  of 
moral  standards.  This  may  even  be  most  noticeable  in  Germany.  The  intro- 
duction of  these  lowered  standards  can  not  fail  but  have  its  evil  influence  in  the 
United  States. 

(e)  At  the  moment,  90  per  cent  may  he  regarded  as  a  low  estimate  of  the 
proportion  representing  the  Jewish  race  among  emigrants  to  America  from 
Poland. 

(/)  The  unassirailability  of  these  classes  politically  is  a  fact  too  often  proved 
in  the  past  to  bear  any  argument. 

EXTKACTS    FJ{OM    KKPOKTS    OF    OFFICERS    WHO    HAVE    VISITED    POI.ANU. 

Report  of  March  3. — A  large  number  of  people  are  endeavoring  to  proceed  tt> 
the  United  States  regardless  of  travel  and  other  difficulties.  The  majority  of 
these  people  belong  to  the  undesirable  classes ;  that  is,  tliose  who  are  prone  to 
congregate  in  the  large  cities,  and  from  whom  the  present  type  of  political  and 
labor  agitators  are  drawn.  These  do  not  belong  to  the  good  classes  of  agricul- 
tural and  factory  workers. 

Report  of  April  6. — Approximately  100,000  persons  are  desirous  of  immedi- 
ately leaving  Poland  for  the  purpose  of  coining  to  the  United  States.  Ninety- 
five  per  cent  of  these  persons  are  of  the  very  low'est  classes  of  the  country  and 
are  considered  to  be  thoroughly  undesira'ile.  Many  of  these  per.sons  have 
trachoma  and  other  quarantinal)le  diseases  and  come  from  typhus-infected 
areas.  They  are  filthy  and  ignorant  and  the  majority  are  verminou.s.  Persons 
who  come  in  contact  with  these  prospective  emigrants  are  obliged,  owing  to 
their  insanitary  conditi(m,  to  take  the  greatest  precautions  to  avoid  contami- 
nation. There  is  a  grave  menace  to  other  parts  of  Europe  because  persons 
from  typhus-infected  areas  travel  to  European  ports.  The  strictest  quarantine 
regulations  should  be  observed  for  emigrants  from  Poland. 

To  permit  large  numbers  of  such  pei'sons  with  such  characteristics  to  enter 
the  United  States  is  believed  to  be  a  dangerous  policy,  inasmuch  as  it  is  im- 
possible to  determine  the  attitude  of  these  persons  toward  orderly  government 
owing  to  the  present  political  and  social  unrest  in  this  part  of  Europe.  There 
appears  to  be  under  the  present  serious  circumstances  no  ad«'<iuate  reason  for 
the  voyage  to  the  United  States  of  other  than  commercial  men  and  of  wives 
with  or  without  yoinig  children  whose  husbands  are  already  in  this  country. 

Report  of  April  JO. — Outbreak  of  cholera  this  spring  and  summer  anticipated. 
Typlius  situation  is  a  mena-ce  to  travel. 

Report  of  May  15. — Typhus  conditions  have  shown  little,  if  any.  improve- 
ment. Some  organizations  interested  in  sending  certain  classes  of  I'olish 
citizens  to  Unit<>d  Stales  are  objecting  to  quarantine  restriction>s,  and  are 
endeavoring  to  avoid  these  regulations  through  transshipment  through  other 
countries.  Some  emigrants  are  objecting  to  certain  sanitary  provisions,  such  as 
removal  of  beards  and  clipping  of  hair. 

Report  of  May  11. — One  inunigrant  aid  society,  which  has  offices  in  I'oland,  is 
said  to  be  i)lanning  to  sen<l  250,000  emigrants  of  one  race  alone,  the  Jewish,  to 
the  United  States  within  the  next  three  years. 

The  increase  of  emigration  from  Poland  raises  two  important  questions  for 
the  United  States — first,  public  health,  and,  .second,  public  safety.  ^Many 
bolshevik  sympalliizers  are  in  Poland.  It  is  diflicult  through  vise  control  to 
keep  out  the  undesirables. 

I'cport  of  ./iDic  2S. — Ueports  indicate  34  HSS  cases  of  ty])hus  in  (Jalicia  and 
I'oland  in  11)10.  43,480  in  IDIT.  07,0,S2  in  1918,  232,200  in  1919  and  the  lir.st  two 
months  of  1920.  40..")00.  Typhus  situation  in  Poland  shows  little  inq)rovement 
despite  activ(>  canqiaign  against  it.  Kefugees  from  infected  regions  in  Russia 
are  constantly  pouring  into  PoL-iihI.  irncontirmed  report  shows  that  8  per  cent 
of  the  i)()pulation  of  the  city  of  /itnmir,  T^krnine.  died  of  tyjilius  li(>tween  Jan- 
uary and  April.  1920. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  13 

Report  of  July  11. — All  emigrants  who  pass  through  Danzig  are  decidedly  in- 
I'erior  type,  physically,  mentally,  and  morally,  and  because  of  their  insanitary 
habits  constitute  a  menace  to  the  health  of  all  Avith  whom  they  corae  in  contact. 

Report  of  July  ii.— Crowds  collecting  in  Warsaw  for  the  purpose  of  procuring 
necessary  papers  to  enable  them  to  emigrate  are  alleged  to  be  a  menace  to  the 
health  of  Warsaw. 

It  is  alleged  that  one  of  the  reasons  for  the  remarkable  increase  in  the  number 
of  intending  emigrants  from  Poland  to  the  United  States  may  be  found  in  the 
activities  of  representatives  at  Warsaw  of  American  immigrant  aid  societies, 
who  are  reported  to  have  aided  the  emigrants  to  obtain  passports,  to  have 
arranged  for  special  care  on  trains  to  ports  of  departure,  to  have  negotiated 
w'ith  steamship  companies  for  ships  to  intermediate  ports,  and  si^ecial  trains  to 
connect  with  the  trans-Atlantic  liners. 

Report  of  October  l.—lt  is  estimated  that  350,000  Polish  subjects  of  the 
Hebrew  race  alone  ai-e  anxii>us  to  proceed  to  the  Unite<l  States  for  the  purpo.se 
of  joining  relatives  or  for  other  reasons.  Another  estimate  places  the  figure 
of  those  who  will  aetempt  to  reacli  the  United  States  during  the  next  three 
years  at  5,000,000.  Crowds  estimated  at  6,000  have  at  times  waited  before 
the  Warsaw  consulate  to  obtain  vises.  It  is  impossible  to  overestimate  the 
peril  of  the  class  of  emigrants  coming  from  this  part  of  the  world,  and  every 
possible  care  and  safeguard  should  be  use<l  to  keep  out  the  undesirables. 

RUMANIA. 

Bucharest.- — Possibly  10  per  cent  of  applicants  are  Rumanians  from  Transyl- 
vania or  the  Old  Kingdom.  The  remainder  are  Jews,  mostly  from  Bessarabia 
and  Bukovina,  practically  all,  except  women  and  children,  being  petty  mer- 
chants or  salesmen.  It  should  also  be  noted  that  the  proportion  of  men  emigrat- 
ing is  increasing  and  that  not  a  few  are  probably  fugitives  from  Ukrainia  who 
have  managed  to  obtain  Rumanian  passports.  Ninety  per  cent  of  applicants 
are  .Tews  of  both  sexes  and  all  age^ 

SWITZERLAND. 

Berne. — The  stagnation  of  industry,  the  general  economic  situation,  and  the 
enormous  increase  in  taxation  consequent  on  the  expenses  incurred  during  the 
war,  together  with  fear  of  social  unrest,  is  sufficient  to  account  for  the  desire 
of  the  Swiss  agriculturist,  laborer,  or  business  man  to  seek  relief  bej'ond  the 
sea. 

TURKEY. 

Cotistantinople. — The  emigrants  from  this  part  of  the  vroi^C  are  exclusively 
raw  laborers,  waiters,  and  servants  who  are  intellectually  incapable  of  being 
dangerous.  Never  having  enjoyeci  thfe  right^^to  participate  in  governing  them- 
selves, they  are  politically  colorless  and  ^?tftitrolling  them  is  largely  a  matter 
of  making  sure  that  they  cap  pass  the'literacy  test  and  the  physical  examination 
In  order  that  they  may  not  incur  the  expense  of  a  journey  to  the  United  States 
only  to  be  deported. 

Senator  Edgc.  Those  telegrams  from  the  consular  agents  are  in 
response  to  what  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  They  are  reports  made  to  the  State  De- 
partment from  time  to  time  b}'  the  consular  agents. 

Senator  Edge.  I  understand  that,  but  were  they  in  response  to  a 
special  request  for  the  consular  agents  to  report  at  tliis  particular 
time  because  of  this  legislation,  or  an^^thing  of  that  kind? 

Representative  Johnson.  No;  not  quite.  I  sent  a  note  down  there 
about  the  1st  of  December  and  asked  for  such  reports  as  they  had, 
and  they  sent  me  paraphrases  from  their  reports,  under  a  letter 
dated  December  4,  1920,  and  our  bill  came  up  in  the  following  three 
or  four  days. 

Senator  Edge.  Those  reports  were  already  in  their  files, 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes;  these  w^ere  available  at  that  time. 
On  December  11,  1920,  I  had  an  additional  set  of  reports,  which  is 


14  EMKRGENCV    IMMKiHATlON    LE(;iSI.ATl()X. 

here  in  the  Congressional  Record,  dealino:  with  the  ar-tual  numhers 
desirinfj  to  proceed  to  the  T"^nitod  States,  covering  refugees,  former 
enemy  soUliers,  and  citizens  generally — for  instance,  of  Belgrade. 
(The  data  offered  by  the  witness  is  here  printed  in  full  in  the 
record,  as  follows:) 

Dki'aktmkni   ok  Htatk, 
\V(t\hiii(/ton,  Dcccniber  11,  1920. 
The  Hon.  Aijjkkt  Johnsox. 

Cliainnan  Ctiiiiitiitfcc  i>}i   I niniif/rotioii. 

House  of  UeprcHcniativefi 
My  Dkak  Mk.  Johnson:  In  conipliiince  with  your  request,  I  jini  sendiuf;  liere- 
witli  additional  extracts  from  reports  concerning  inunif,'rjition  wliich  Iiave  just 
reached  tlie  department  from  officers  of  this  Government  who  iiave  visited  the 
countries  mentioned. 

Very  sincerely,  yours, 

Wii.HKK  .T.  Cark. 

CZECHOSLOVAKIA. 

Pni(/uc. — II  is  estimated  that  there  are  5,000  persons  wlio  intend  to  apply  for 
vises  durinji  the  montli  of  Decemher.  There  are  also  many  thousands  of  persons 
in  the  surrounding:  co\intries  desirous  of  i)roceeding  to  the  United  States  who 
have  heen  advised  to  make  theii-  applications  in  the  country  of  orifriu.  Applica- 
tions for  vises  are  increasing-  at  the  rate  of  .5,000  each  quarter.  At  this  rate 
25,000  persons  will  he  ai)plying  for  vises  during  the  .Tune  (luarter.  The  niuiiher 
of  persons  desirous  of  emigrating  is  increasing  I'apidly  owing  to  the  present 
unsettled  conditions.  The  majority  of  these  persons  are  aged  parents,  wives, 
and  children  of  pensons  already  residing  in  the  United  States.  The  occupation 
of  most  of  the  prospective  emigrants  is  farming,  but  they  are  going  to  the 
mining  and  manufacturing  disti-icts  of  Pennsylvania.  The  destination  of  these 
persons  should  undoubtedly  be  restricted. 


London. — The  non-British  aliens  who  obtain  vises  consist  chiefly  of  Poles 
and  Polish  Jews,  who  have  large  families,  and  generally  are  engaged  in  the 
garment  trade.  They  are  an  undesirable  class  of  innnigrant,  as  they  live  almost 
entirely  in  large  cities,  particularly  New  York. 


Cutduia. — Approximately  10.000  persons  have  obtained  vises  and  are  now 
waiting  opportunity  to  emigrate  to  the  United  States.  It  is  estimated  100,000 
or  more  persons  want  to  come  to  America.  During  the  spring  and  summer 
applications  for  vises  will  increase,  with  requests  estimated  at  3,000  per  month. 

N(if>t<'-'<- — It  is  estimated  that  76,000  iiersons  are  awaiting,  ojtportunity  to  emi- 
grate to  the  Uiuted  States.  Any  further  increase  is,  of  course,  contingent  on 
tiie  augmentation  of  the  number  t)f  steamshiiis  to  facilitate  departure.  There 
appears  to  l)e  no  ]iossiliility  of  a  decrease  in  enrgration  during  1021. 

I'aJcnno. — There  are  ."iO.UOO  emigrants  who  have  already  procured  vises  wait- 
ing to  deiiart  from  Pidermo,  but  many  are  discouraged  from  seeking  visfs  at 
this  time  because  of  steamship  accommodation  and  winter  weather.  During 
the  following  spring  and  sununer  it  is  estimated  that  there  will  be  between 
four  and  five  othu.sand  applications  per  montli.  Owing  to  the  limited  capacity 
of  Sicilian  endgrants  for  only  manual  labor  and  their  failure  to  assimilate 
proi)erly,  which  is  evid(>nce<l  by  those  returning  to  their  native  land  un- 
Americanized.  the  admission  of  this  i'las><  will  tend  to  lower  the  American 
standard. 

NKTHKKLANnS. 

Rottcrdd in-.— At  all  times  there  are  awaiting  in  barrat-ks  on  an  average  of 
2,500  i)(>rs(Mis  who  desire  to  sail  to  tlie  I'nited  States.  This  number  is  con- 
stantly increasing,  conung  generally  from  Lithuania,  Czechoslovakia,  Poland. 
Rumania,  Switzerland,  Austria,  Hungary,  ami  llie  Netherlands.  Rotterdam  is  a 
large  clearing  house  for  these  countries. 


EMERGEXCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  15 

Sliipp  'if-  <'<'noeiiis  are  luakiiij,'  prepai'ations  for  a  larpre  increase  in  innnigra- 
tlon  after  the  tiist  of  the  yeai'.  This  increase  is  helieved  to  l)e  inevitable,  par- 
ticularly if  restrictions  against  Germans  and  Austrians  are  removed. 

SEBBIA. 

lU'ltintilr. — It  is  estimated  that  5,000  persons  desire  to  proceed  to  the  United 
States  within  the  next  six  months.  There  are  many  nioi'e  perstjns.  who  are 
Russian  refugees  and  fni-mer  enemy  sMdiers. 

SPAIN. 

YahncUi. — Emigi'ants  from  this  district  apparently  without  undesirable  ten- 
dencies, but  apjtear  to  have  no  infent'ou  of  becoming  American  citizens. 

Viyo. — Spanish  press  reports  are  discouraging  to  emigration,  as  tliey  ai-e 
pointing  out  the  bad  labor  conditions  in  the  United  States. 


Cou.sf(iiiti)ioi)le. — While  there  is  at  the  present  time  no  congestion  of  persons 
waiting  transportation  to  America,  there  are  thousands  <»f  Russians  recently 
evacuated  from  the  Crimea  hoping  to  procure  permission  to  make  the  journey. 
There  are  also  some  25,000  persons  of  local  lower  clas.ses  who,  if  they  can 
procure  funds,  contemplate  to  emigrate  to  this  country.  There  are  doubtless 
many  more  than  this  number  in  the  interior  who  are  unable  to  make  the  journey 
at  this  time,  due  to  abnormal  conditions. 

The  almost  unrestricted  innnlgration  under  the  present  regulations  of  able- 
bodied  persons  will  make  dangerous  complications  in  the  labor  conditions  of 
the  United  States.  Not  only  would  it  aifect  the  United  States,  but  in  addition 
it  will  deprive  the  Neai-  Ea.st  of  its  raw  labor  supply,  and  therefore  retard  by 
years  the  rehabilitation  of  countries  and  affect  the  economic  situation  of  the 
world. 

Seventy-tive  per  cent  of  present  api>licants  are  fleeing  from  taxation  and  war 
conditions.  Their  obvious  intention  is  to  engage  in  petty  businesses  upon 
arrival  in  this  country,  being  petty  middlemen  by  profession.  Existing  local 
conditions  would  force  these  people  to  work  into  the  ranks  of  labor  if  they 
were  not  permitted  to  emigrate.  They  should  be  obliged  to  remain  at  home 
and  assist  in  repairing  the  destructi(»n  \\rought  by  war,  if  world  conditions  are 
to  be  improved. 

American  prestige  abroad  has  been  seriously  injured  by  the  travel  of  natur- 
alized but  unassimilated  persons  of  foreign  origin.  ^  One-third  of  the.-^e  Ameri- 
cans are  uuable  to  speak  English  intelligently  and  are  u.sually  the  ones  who  are 
wrongly  involved  in  cases  requiring  protection. 

Trieste. — It  is  contemplated  that  there  will  be  no  material  change  in  the  num- 
ber of  applications  in  the  following  few  months.  De.spite  iiresent  system  of 
consular  control,  it  is  impossible  to  prevent  labor  agitators,  criminals,  and  other 
undesirables  from  obtaining  vises. 

Malta. — The  class  of  emigrants  belong  to  .skilled  and  unskilled  workmen.  The 
skilled  workmen  come  mostly  from  the  British  dockyards ;  the  others  are 
largely  farm  laborers,  cabmen,  and  small  traders. 


Warsaic. — It  is  estimated  that  persons  waiting  for  visSs  at  the  present  time 
will  be  in  excess  of  400  per  diem.  At  least  .3-50,000  Polish  .Tews  and  Poles  are 
preparing  to  ijroceed  to  the  United  States  during  the  current  year.  Some  esti- 
mates place  the  total  at  500.000  and  1.0(K),000  as  the  number  of  persons  who 
may  emigrate.  This  is  due  to  filtration  of  persons  from  the  newly  acquired 
territory  of  Poland. 

T,he  emigration  of  this  number  depends  upon  their  ability  to  obtain  fluids 
from  American  relatives  or  associates,  steamship  accommodations,  etc.  The  per 
<liem  rate  of  jiersons  seeking  to  leave  Poland  will  probably  increase  in  the  im- 
mediate future. 

Restriction  of  emigration  from  Poland  is  highly  desirable  because  of  the 
unassimilable  character  of  the  large  majority  of  the  emigrants  and  because  of 
the  inunediate  danger  of  their  carrying  contagious  diseases  now  prevailing  in 
that  country. 


16 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


Numerous  euii^rauts  .show  sif?ns  of  mental,  physical,  and  moral  depreciation, 
probably  due  to  hardships  encountered  duriug  the  past  six  years  of  the  war. 
Such  emigrants  should  not  be  admitted  to  the  United  Statesuuless  guaranties 
are  given  by  responsible  relatives  for  their  care  and  maintenance. 

GEBMANY. 

Berlin. — A  conservative  estimate  furnished  by  the  German  Government  indi- 
cates that  2.000,000  Gorman  citizens  desire  to  emigrate  to  the  United  States. 
There  is  no  present  indication  that  such  a  movement  would  be  restricted.  Many 
applications  have  been  withheld  because  of  the  present  understanding  that  vis6s 
can  only  be  obtained  in  cases  of  urgent  necessity,  and  men  who  have  been  in 
the  military  service  are  not  acceptable.  If  vis^  regulations  are  relaxed  there 
will  be  innnediately  a  great  increase  in  applications. 

Poor  living  conditions,  high  taxes,  and  unemployment  are  reasons  why  these 
millions  desire  to  leave  Germany.  Among  the  present  applicants  are  many 
refugees  from  Poland  and  Lithuania,  who  become  traders  and  are  not  pro- 
ducers. 


I  present  also  a  tabulated  list  showing  typical  consular  offices,  with  esti- 
mated number  of  vis6s  applied  for  and  granted  during  the  months  of  October 
and  November,  etc. : 


Place. 

Number 
vis6s 

applied 
for  in 

October. 

Number 

vis4s 
granted 

in 
October. 

Number 
vis6s 

applied 
for  in 

Novem- 
ber. 

Number 
vis^s 

granted 
in 

Novem- 
ber. 

Notes. 

4,790 

1,178 
5,761 
2,600 

220 
596 

4,768 

1,442 
6,682 
2,563 

210 
647 

1,118 
534 

483 

811 

6,762 

664 

4,751 

1,098 
5,813 
2,120 

170 
233 

4,752 

1,052 
5,954 
2,108 

163 
232 

1,365 
742 

458 

817 

7,574 

598 

5,000  applications  expected  in  month  De- 

cember,   with   increasing   volume   to 
Jime  estimated  at  25,000. 
Estimated  ^^■4  applications  for  next  6 

months,  3,000  per  month. 
76,000  persons  waiting  opportunity  to 

emigrate. 
4,000  to  5,000  applications  per  month  fore- 

casted for  next  spring  and  summer; 
50,000  waiting  transportation. 

Possibilitv  of  curtailment  because  of  re- 

ported   labor    conditions    in    United 
States. 
Do. 

Constantinople 

Trieste    * 

535 
502 
837 

748 
445 
803 

25,000  local  inhabitants  and  many  Rus- 
sian refugees  hope  to  emigrate. 
No  immediate  material  change  in  num- 

Belgrade  

ber  of  applicants. 
5,000   applicants  estimated   in  next   6 

Warsaw     

months;  possibility  of  mauy  Russian 
refugees  and  former  enemy  soldiers. 

Increase  of  per  diem  rate  of  400  applica- 
tions predicted:  350,000  persons  now 
preparing  to  emigrate. 

2,000  OOO  desirous  of  emigrating,  but  re- 

805 

895 

stricted  by  present  vis^  regulations. 

(The  following  is  also  from  a  statement  by  Mr.  Johnson  in  the  Con- 
gressional Kecord:) 

I  desire  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  about  1,250  immigrants  who  arrived 
to-day  on  the  White  Star  Liner  Adriatic  have  been  sent  to  Hoffman  Island  because 
of  an  outbreak  of  typhus  among  them. 

At  Gloucester,  N.  J.,  11  aliens  have  been  taken  from  the  steamship  Haverford 
and  sent  to  the  detention  station  suffering  with  typhus. 

The  French  senate  is  considering  closing  the  doors  of  that  Republic  to  immi- 
grants owing  to  the  spreading  of  a  mysterious  disease  known  as  malady  No.  9, 
which  is  a  form  of  cholera  and  with  which  tens  of  tliousands  of  Polish  and 
Russian  refugees  to  Paris  have  suffered  the  past  year.  French  police  say  that 
thousands  of  these  imnn'grants  are  crossing  the  French  border  daily,  intending 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  *  17 

to  go  to  America  despite  the  fact  that  they  have  not  obtained  American  vises  to 
their  passports.    In  Paris  they  are  sleeping  as  many  as  20  in  a  room. 

Those  wlio  speali  of  desirable  immigration  should  note  that  no  aliens  are  com- 
ing aimlessly  to  the  United  States  from  Norway,  Sweden,  and  Denmark.  Laws 
of  these  comitries  forbid.  Those  who  come  to  the  United  States  from  these 
countries  come  with  .just  such  guaranties  as  House  bill  14461  provides. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Spain,  by  recent  royal  decree,  insures  each  Spanish 
emigrant  to  the  amount  of  3,000  pesetas  (about  $600)  against  risks  of  death  or 
permanent  disability  while  the  emigrant  is  proceeding  to  his  destination  aboard 
ship.  Immigration  of  men  from  Spain  to  the  United  States  is  increasing  rapidly, 
and  Canada  is  closing  her  gates  to  immigrants  by  various  methods. 

In  the  meantime,  while  we  are  splitting  hairs  over  the  method  of  suspension, 
the  Connnunist  Party  of  America  has  flooded  the  country  with  the  most  vicious 
circular  it  has  yet  put  out.    It  calls  for  sti-aight-out  revolution. 

Kepresentuti\e  Johnson.  Xotin<^  the  consular  reports  as  to  the  sit- 
uation in  (lerniany.  I  desire  to  cjill  the  attention  of  Senators  to  the 
fact  that  when  the  passport  re<ruhttion  dies  we  will  be  left,  while  pre- 
paring a  general  immigration  bill,  without  means  to  stay  a  possible 
great  migration  from  Germany.  Tiie  best  reports  indicate  that  a 
great  number  of  i)resent  (lerman  citizens  would  like  to  migrate  to  the 
United  States. 

Now,  gentlemen  of  the  committee,  coming  down  to  th^  immediate 
emergency,  I  would  like  to  have  permission  to  put  into  the  record 
some  papers  which  AA^ere  sent  to  me  by  Mr.  Frederick  S.  Bigelow,  asso- 
ciate editor  of  the  Saturday  Evening  Post,  which  publication  sent  to 
Central  Europe  a  newspaper  correspondent  who  published  an  article 
in  that  perioctical  on  November  6  last  entitled  '^  The  Goal  of  Central 
Europe."  The  TTnited  States  is  the  goal.  That  article  needs  to  be 
read  by  everyone.  Mr.  Kenneth  Koberts,  who  wrote  that  article,  is  in 
Poland  again  and  will  publish  shortly  an  additional  article.  Further- 
more, a  special  representative  of  the  State  Department,  Mr.  McBride, 
is  about  to  return  from  P^urope.  and  I  think  will  be  here  in  time  to 
appear  before  your  committee. 

Mr.  Bigelow  says  in  a  telegram  under  date  of  December  31.  1920, 
to  me: 

See  AVilliams's  im[M)rtant  dispatch  in  to-day's  Ledger  on  fears  of  French 
press  that  if  central  European  and  oi'iental  aliens  now  in  France  are  barred 
out  of  America  the  dregs  of  Europe  will  remain  in  France. 

He  asked  me  to  present  the  article  to  this  committee.    It  follows : 

[Philadelphia  Tublic  Ledger,  Dec.  ai,  1920.] 

FRANCE     IS     STIRRED     OVEK     IMMIGRATION REFUGEES     FROM     ORIENT     AND     CENTRAL 

EUROPE  HELD  THERE  AS  RESULT  OF  TTNITED  STATES   PUTTING  UP  BARS AMERICANS 

ALSO   PROBLEM— THOUSANDS    ARRIVINCi    TO   LTAE    "  ALMOST   GRATUITOUSLY  "    AS   RE- 
SULT OF  EXCHANGE  RATE. 

(Hy  Wythe  Williams.) 

Paris,  December  30,  1920. 

The  year  of  suspended  immigration  just  adopted  by  the  United  States  is 
expected  to  provoke  such  serio\is  internal  conditions  in  France  that  the  Govern- 
ment probably  will  take  similar  prote<'tive  measures. 

To-day  it  is  a  matter  of  innnediate  attention  for  the  authorities  how  to  dis- 
pose of  the  thousands  of  emigrants  and  refugees  who  have  joined  the  exodus 
from  central  Europe  and  the  Oi-ieut  en  route  for  America.  Virtually  every 
large  city  in  France  is  crowded  with  itinerant  peoples,  whom  the  newspapers 
refer  to  as  "  the  dregs  of  Europe."  and  the  news  from  the  United  States,  to- 
gether with  the  refusial  of  passports,  has  left  them  at  a  standstill  in  western 
Europe. 

26911— 21— PT  1 2 


18  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

With  Italy  overcrowded  and  a  labor  crisis  in  England,  France  Las  become 
more  and  more  like  the  Ellis  Island  of  Europe.  As  the  French  always  have 
prided  themselves  on  their  national  hospitality,  there  never  has  been  much  of 
a  ban  on  immigration.  But  now  the  cities  of  Paris,  Marseille,  and  Bordeaux 
are  asking  for  quick  action. 

The  Frencli  authorities  want  a  strict  surveillance  of  all  borders  and  a  law 
prohibiting  imniigi-ation  until  the  industrial  and  economic  conditions  of  the 
world  are  more  settkxl.  It  has  been  suggested  that  a  strict  medical  examina- 
tion he  given  all  who  pass  the  frontiers  and  that  information  concerning  their 
financial  .status  be  recorded  correctly. 

Witli  tlie  franc  worth  less  than  six  cents  at  to-day's  exchange,  it  is  pointed 
out,  with  increasing  discomfort  to  the  French,  that  crowds  are  pouring  in  from 
lands  where  currency  is  measured  in  pesetas,  pounds,  florins,  and,  above  all, 
dollars,  enabling  them  to  live  in  France  "  almost  gratuitously "  while  thti 
French  are  burdened  l)y  post  war  taxation.  A  recent  census  of  strangers  in 
Paris  gives  the  list  of  Americans  having  taken  residence  as  totaling  22,000,  and 
they  are  only  a  part  of  the  colony  which  assumes  few  of  the  taxation  obliga- 
tions of  France's  citizens,  but  which  adds  to  the  housing  and  apartment  prob- 
lem of  the  cities. 

If  immigration  restrictions  are  to  be  established  it  is  proposed  not  to  over- 
look these  "  de  luxe  "  individuals,  and  to  present  the  regular  luxury  taxes  along 
with  their  cards  of  identity.  But  this  has  been  suggested  before  and  always 
answered  with  argument  that  Americans  or  others  who  have  the  advantage 
of  the  exchange  spend  about  three  times  as  much  as  they  would  normally,  and 
while  they  do  not  produce  much  they  bring  gold  and  leave  it  here,  which, 
according  to  economists,  gives  a  proportionate  stabilizing  impulse  to  exchange. 
Thus  it  probably  will  be  long  considered  before  tourists  have  taximeters  ap- 
plied to  their  pocketbooks. 

Gentlemen,  if  the  French  pre.ss  views  with  alarm  the  vast  numbers 
of  aliens  that  it  characterizes  as  "  the  dregs  of  Europe  "  which  now 
crowed  her  leading  cities  and  is  fearful  that  France  instead  of 
America  may  become  the  catch  basin  for  the  permanent  reception 
of  these  undesirables,  is  not  that  the  strongest  and  most  impartial 
evidence  that  our  Senate  should  pass  without  delay  the  bill  for  the 
suspension  of  immigration  now  before  it? 

Xext  I  present  advance  sheets  of  an  editorial  to  appear  in  the 
Saturday  Evening  Post  this  week,  on  January  8.  It  is  a  concise 
argument  in  favor  of  immediate  temporary  suspension  of  immigra- 
tion, and  is  as  follows : 

NO    ADMITTANCK. 

The  bill  framed  by  Mr.  Albert  Johnson,  cliairman  of  the  House  Conunittee 
on  Immigration,  whicli  will,  if  it  becomes  law,  largely  shut  off  the  inflow  of 
aliens  for  a  period  of  one  year,  is  one  of  the  most  important  pieces  of  legis- 
lation that  is  likely  to  come  l)efore  the  present  Congress. 

Among  the  heartiest  supporters  of  Mv.  .Tohnson's  measure  are  the  labor  ih- 
tere.sts.  The  main  rea.son  for  their  backing  is  obviou.s.  Tbe  commodity  they 
have  for  sale  is  the  work  of  their  hands;  and  their  desire  to  have  the  i»rice 
of  that  commodity  maintained  at  a  time  when  other  prices  are  melting  away 
is  just  as  reasonable  and  just  as  natural  as  the  wish  of  their  employers  for 
increased  protective  tariffs  on  the  goods  they  manufacture.  The  protection  of 
labor  by  an  act  temporarily  shutting  out  alien  workers  woultl  probably  exer- 
cise a  marked  tendency  to  counteract  unemployment  during  the  period  of  defla- 
tion through  which  we  are  now  passing.  Such  a  measure  would  l)e  heartil.y 
applauded  by  one  of  tbe  most  numerous  and  most  powerful  elements  in  the 
country ;  but  that  is  by  no  means  the  strongest  argument  that  can  be  urged  In 
favor  of  the  Johnson  bill. 

The  di.squieting  fact  is  that  we  are  confronted  by  a  grave  emergency.  Accord- 
ing to  reports  submitted  to  the  Department  of  State,  null  ions  of  intending  im- 
migrants of  the  poorest  and  most  refractory  sort  are  almost  literally  standing 
in  line  at  European  seapoits  waiting  for  ships  to  bring  them  over.  Their 
menace  is  not  distant,  b\it  immediate;  and  self-protective  action  must  likewise 
be  immediate  if  our  national  interests  are  to  be  safeguarded. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATION   LEGISLATION.  19 

If  the  World  War  can  teach  us  anything  it  should  have  taught  us  the  folly 
of  throwing  open  our  sea  gates  to  all  the  peoples  of  the  Old  World  ou  farci- 
cally easy  terms.  It  used  to  be  one  of  our  proudest  boasts  that  we  welcomed 
the  downtrodden,  the  oppressed,  the  poverty-stricken,  the  fit  and  the  unfit  to 
a  land  of  freedom,  of  plenty,  of  boundless  opportunity.  Our  hindsight  tells  us 
that  this  boast  was  fatuous.  The  exploiters  of  cheap  labor  and  the  incurable 
sentimentali.sts  stand  almost  alone  in  their  continued  allegiance  to  our  policy 
of  the  past.  All  thinking  men  who  have  no  ax  to  grind,  no  nest  to  feather, 
are  becoming  aware  that  if  we  are  to  shape  our  national  destines  with  the 
smallest  regard  for  common  prudence  we  must  pick  and  choose  our  future  immi- 
grants, and  admit  only  such  as  show  some  signs  of  bt'ing  the  stuff  of  which 
good  Americans  can  eventually  be  made.  This  picking  and  choosing  should  be 
done  in  accordance  with  a  new  body  of  laws,  painstakingly  considered  and 
laboriously  worked  out  by  practical  men  in  the  light  of  past  experience  and  of 
present  world  conditions. 

Mr.  .Johnson's  liill  Is  designed  to  give  ('oiigivss  leisui-e  in  whicii  to  accomplish 
the  vast  amount  of  constru<'tive  work  that  nmst  be  ilone  i)efore  we  <an  hope 
to  write  into  our  statute  books  a  wise  immigration  fode.  Inasmuch  as  such 
a  body  of  laws,  to  be  reall.v  effective,  should  require  tliorongli  investigations 
of  intending  immigrants  at  ports  of  embarkation  and  at  many  foreign  centers 
of  emigration,  a  somewhat  formidable  organization  of  expei't  ofiicials  will  have 
to  be  built  up  before  the  highest  stanrhird  of  choosing  can  be  enforced. 

The  short  closed  season  provided  for  in  the  .lohnson  bill  would  be  of  the 
highest  value  in  allowing  time  for  the  gi'adual  building  up  of  an  adequate 
foreign  immigration  service.  Moreover,  siu-h  a  breathing  sjiace  woidd  afford 
a  welcome  opportunity  to  find  out  what  we  can  do  with  those  aliens  who 
have  as  .vet  shown  no  willingness  to  exchange  their  imjiorted  political  and 
social  idea.'^,  feuds,  tongues,  and  conditions  of  life  for  those  of  the  land  that 
is  to  be  their  future  home.  It  would  serve  also  as  a  training  season  for  those 
patriotic  citizens  who  are  endeavoring  to  work  out  jtractical  programs  for 
intensive  courses  in  Americanization. 

It  is  futile  to  deny  that  our  future^  ininiigrati<iu  policies  are  a  paramount 
issue.  In  late  years  the  character  of  those  who  have  iieen  coming  to  us  from 
over.seas  has  unmistakably  deteriorated.  Our  innnediate  and  imperative  need 
of  a  system  of  social  and  political  quai'aiitine.  over  and  above  all  old-fa.shioned 
immigrational  restrictions,  is  too  self-evident  to  require  argument. 

The  .Johnson  bill  appears  to  be  the  first  step  toward  future  safety.  It  merely 
authorizes  the  posting  of  "No  .Vdmittance  "  signs  on  every  froutier — a  warning 
off  of  strangers  until  we  shall  have  set  our  house  in  order.  ma<le  a  new  set 
of  rules,  and  arranged  to  have  the  premises  properly  policed. 

Retiirnino;  to  the  reports  of  tlie  consular  ;i<zents,  it  is  a  fact,  and  so 
shown  in  one  of  these  reports,  that  in  France,  Paris,  in  the  poorest 
districts,  they  are  frreatly  disturbed  by  the  number  of  innniofrants 
that  have  flowed  in  from  Poland  and  Central  Europe,  orif^inallj^  in- 
tendin<j  that  w^hen  they  got  across  the  boundary  line  to  come  to  the 
United  States,  but  either  throuojh  poverty  or  failure  of  the  machin- 
ery of  the  great  charitable  oroanization  which  is  attemptino-  to  lift 
up  and  assist  in  this  migration,  they  have  been  unable  to  carr}'  out 
their  plan  to  come  here.  At  this  point  I  will  put  into  the  record  the 
third  set  of  reports  received  by  me  from  Mr.  Wi]l)ur  J.  Carr,  Director 
of  the  Consular  Service,  Department  of  State. 

(The  papers  referred  to  by  the  witness  are  here  printed  in  full 
in  the  record,  as  follows:) 

Dki'aktmext  ok  State, 
Wa.shiuf/toH,  December  31,  1920. 
My  Dear  Mk.  .Iohxsox  :  lu  compliance  with  your  telephonic  request,  I  take 
pleasure  in  sending  you  herewith  paraphra.ses  of  statements  concerning  the  sub- 
ject of  immigration  which  have  been  received  recently  from  officers  of  this  Gov- 
ernment who  have  visited  the  countries  and  places  mentioned. 
Very  sincerely,  yours, 

Wii.iUK   .1.   Carr. 
The  Hon.  At.bert  .Iohnsox. 

Chairman  Committee  on  Immigration, 

Hovse  of  Reprexentntirex. 


2U  li.MKlUlKXCV    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

AUSTRIA. 

Vicuna. — Spurious  foreign  passjiorts  lia\>'  b»'»'n  Inuiid  in  the  posst'ssinn  nf  uii- 
iiuthorizcd  individuals. 


C»tH'iili(i{/cii. — Tilt'  iniiiiltei-  of  persons  who  liavc  hocii  .uranlcd  vises  l)y  the 
United  Slates  in  the  present  year  plus  those  estimated  for  the  remaining  por- 
tion will  amount  to  about  0,500.  There  is  a  very  heavy  travel  from  Poland  by 
way  of  Danzijr  and  tl-e  P.altic  States  to  the  East.  It  is  estimated  that  each  ship 
sailing,'  from  ('openliaf,'en  to  the  United  States  carries  from  200  to  HOO  I'oles 
who  are  practically  all  of  the  .Tewish  race.  The  travel  is  practically  only  lim- 
ited by  the  capacity  of  the  vessels,  and  the  ojiinion  has  been  expressed  that  this 
pas.senger  movement  could  easily  be  doubled  if  sullicieni  accommodations  were 
afforded. 


Pon-s.— There  are  at  iiresent  some  3,000  eastern  Europeans  in  Paris  waiting 
an  opportunity  to  emigrate  to  the  Uuiietl  States.  It  is  impo.ssible  to  estimate 
the  number  from  other  sources  wiio  wish  to  g<j  to  America.  Emigi-ation  of 
French  nationals  to  the  United  States  is  now  very  limited.  The  applicants  are 
at  present  undesirables  from  eastern  Europe  wlio  have  been  refused  entry  into 
England  and  against  whom  there  is  an  increased  agitation  demanding  restric- 
tive measures.  The  restriction  of  immigration  of  such  classes  ajtpears  to  be 
desirable.  Representatives  of  some  of  the  emigrant  aid  organizations  are  over- 
zealous  in  their  efforts  to  assist  certain  classes  of  emigrants.  From  time  to 
time  it  lias  been  discovered  that  dangerous  and  undesirable  per.sons  are  among 
the  groups  waiting  to  proceed  to  tl:e  United  States. 


Fatras. — The  general  characteristics  of  emigrants  from  this  district  is  tur- 
bulent but  not  morally  deficient.  In  many  instances  they  are  lacking  in  the  sense 
of  law  and  order  and  of  submission  to  legal  authority  as  stich.  For  many  gen- 
erations they  have  been  accustomed  to  military  repression  and  a  general  mal- 
administration in  a  civil  sense  that  has  made  them  distrustful  of  all  governing 
classes. 

For  this  reas(jn  numbers  of  them,  before  they  have  been  able  to  appreciate 
the  difference  betv.-een  American  administration  of  law  and  ju.stice.  would 
naturally  be  inclined  to  .sympathize  with  agitators  advocating  ;u-med  resistance 
to  due  process  of  law. 

The.se  circinnstances  make  it  especially  necessary  to  examine  carefully  for 
any  signs  of  unusual  disrespect  for  law  and  order,  and  this  is  especially  true 
of  those  originating  in  Albania,  where  for  generations  the  inhabitants  have 
grown  more  or  less  accustomed  to  taking  the  law  into  their  own  hands. 

Saloniki. — A  large  proportion  of  the  emigrants  fivun  this  district  are  small 
peasant  farmers  unable  to  prosper  at  home  owing  to  the  unsatisfactory  jiolitical 
and  economic  condition  in  the  Balkans.  While  the  majority  of  this  class  is 
Christian,  there  has  been  a  very  noticeable  increase  in  the  Musselmen  emigrants 
in  the  postwar  period.  These  enngrants  are  unskilled  but  iiracticed  artisans 
used  to  doing  all  for  themselves  on  their  small  farm  i>lats.  They  are  not  over- 
intelligent,  but  their  almost  total  lack  of  education  nnikes  them  appear  more 
stupid  than  they  are.  A  smaller  proportion  represent  a  not  too  de.s.irable 
cla.ss  of  .iourneymen  arti.sans  more  or  less  skilled  in  their  trades.  These  are 
young  hachelors  who  make  periodic  visits  to  the  United  States  for  a  few  years 
with  the  intent  to  save  their  money  to  return  to  their  mttive  village  an(l  live 
in  idleness  until  it  is  .sjtent.  when  they  go  again.  This  class  has  more  education 
and  forms  susceptible  material  fol-  subversive  socialistic  pmpagamMi.  Barbers, 
wheelwrights,  carpenters,  waiters,  fishermen,  blacksmith.s.  metal  workers, 
tobacco  pickers,  etc.,  make  up  this  class.  The  proportion  of  educated  persons 
is  very  small  and  is  drawn  principally  from  the  Jewish  population  of  the  city 
of  Saloniki. 

Socialist  propaganda  of  a  decided  bolshevist  color  has  made  considerable 
.strides  in  Macedonia  during  the  past  year.  Gradual  relaxation  of  the  present 
emigration  restrictions  by  Balkan  Governments  has  increased  the  present 
movement  of  persons  to  the  United  States. 


EMERGKNCY   IM.MIORATIOX   Li:(MSLAT10N.  21 


HUNGARY. 


Budapest.— AUeuH  emigrfiting  from  this  district  appoar  to  be  of  no  special 
class,  occupation,  or  trade. 


JUGOSLAVIA. 

Zagreb. — Emigrants  from  tliis  district  are  of  a  desii-al)le  class,  being  bard- 
working  peasant  farmers  free  from  taint  of  bolshevism.  anarchism,  and  other 
undesirable  traits.  Later  when  the  restriction  is  removed  from  those  having 
served  in  the  Austro-Hnngarian  army  the  class  will  become  less  satisfactory, 
many  having  been  prisoners  of  war  in  Russia. 

NETHERLANDS. 

Rotterdam. — Rotterdam  is  the  princir)al  outlet  for  emigration  from  Holland, 
the  Baltic  States,  Luxemburg,  Finland,  Lithuania.  Lettland.  Germany,  Poland, 
and  Switzerland,  as  well  as  a  large  outlet  for  emigration  from  Czecho.slovakia. 
Hungary.  Austria,  Rumania,  and  the  Ukraine  and  other  near  eastern  countries. 

Something  like  nine-tenths  of  the  emigrants  leaving  this  port  for  the  United 
States  are  Poles  or  come  from  Poland,  and  of  these  at  least  nine-tenths  are 
Polish  Jews.  The  proportion  of  these  people  infected  with  disease  is  very 
large,  but  perhaps  the  worst  featui-e  of  their  sanitary  condition  is  that  most 
of  them  are  infected  with  lice  and  other  vermin,  which  become  a  highly  dan- 
gerous menace  to  tlie  health  of  the  United  Statesin  view  of  the  typhus  situation 
in  Poland.  All  of  them  are  first-class  carriers  of  smallpox,  now  raging  with 
iniusual  virulence  in  Poland  and  north  Europe,  and  all  of  them  also  are 
potential  carriers  of  cholera,  which  also  is  spreading  through  Russia  and 
adjacent  countries. 

Politically  most  of  these  people  are  refugees.  They  are  largely  withont 
any  political  principles  or  convictions,  are  entirely  without  patriotism,  and 
are  usually  evasive,  dishonest,  and  incapable  of  appreciating  any  responsi- 
bility toward  any  government.  A  large  proportion  of  the  young  men  are  anxious 
to  get  out  of  Europe  to  avoid  military  service,  and  a  large  proportion  of  the 
families  represent  relatives  accompanying  them.  A  very  large  pro]iortion  of 
this  entire  movement  is  "  assisted  Immigration."  i.  e..  the  emigration  of  relatives 
of  people  now  in  the  LTnited  States  who  sail  either  on  tickets  furni.shed  by 
such  relatives  in  the  United  States  directly  or  purchased  with  money  furnished 
from  the  United  States. 

Educationally  the  great  mass  of  these  people  can  just  manage,  largely  as  a 
matter  of  instruction  received  immediately  before  their  departure  or  on  route, 
to  sign  their  names  and  scrape  through  under  the  tests  applie<l  by  the  immitrra- 
tion  authoritie.?  in  the  United  States.  IMost  of  them,  while  not  avowed  anarchists 
or  other\Ai.se  within  the  scope  of  the  immigration  laws,  are  by  habit  and  tradi- 
tion against  all  laws — for  law  to  most  of  them  has  represented  oppression.  These 
same  observations  apply  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  to  other  emigrants  passing 
through  the  port.  The  great  mass  represents  a  movement  of  tax  ridden  or 
otherwise  oppressed  European  peoples  to  get  out  of  Europe — to  the  Ignited 
States,  if  possible,  but  in  any  event  out  of  Europe. 

There  are  on  hand  in  Rotterdam  hotels,  l)arr;icks,  detention  sheds,  quarantine 
stations,  and  similar  establishments  an  average  of  about  2.500  people  all  the  time 
waiting  their  turn  to  go  to  the  United  States.  Departures  will  average  .some- 
thing like  2,000  people  weekly.  The  number  sailing  would  be  Increa.sed  at  once 
if  steamship  accommodations  could  be  had.  Most  of  them  sail  direct  for  New 
York  by  Holland-American  Line  boats  but  an  increasing  number  are  proceedina 
by  Avay  of  England  and  the  British  steamship  lines.  All  these  lines  are  prepai-- 
ing  for  vastly  increased  business.  Shipping  interests  in  this  tield  are  preparinc 
to  tap  new  districts  for  passengers  in  /he  spring.  All  of  them  are  preparinu.- 
additional  hotel,  barrack,  and  quaj-antine  station  facilities  and,  in  short,  show 
that  they  expect  greatly  increased  business.  This  course  on  their  part  is  founded 
upon  reports  they  receive  from  their  agents  in  all  the  ronntries  they  draw  ujion 
for  their  business.  Letters  and  inquiries  received  in  this  part  of  Europe  sliow 
that  many  people  are  preparing  to  go  to  the  United  States  in  the  spring  or  as 
soon  as  they  can  secure  steamer  accommodations  or  the  money  necessary  for  the 
trip.  It  is  notorious  all  over  Europe  that  as  soon  as  war  restrictions  are  re- 
moved there  will  be  a  perfect  flood  out  of  Germany  and  .\ustria  for  the  United 


22  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

States  while  the  nuiiiher  of  peopU'  who  wouUl  leiive  Russia  were  tliey  Jihlt^  to 
enter  the  United  States  is  limited  only  by  all  possible  future  transportation 
facilities. 

Most  of  the  people  from  the  near  eastern  and  southern  European  countries  are 
of  the  small  tradesman,  peddler,  or  sweatshop  employment  class.  The  fact  that 
they  are  larsiely  assisted  by  relatives  iu  the  I'liitcd  Slates  indicites  their  low 
financial  state  while  rej^ulations  are  now  shutting  out  many  people  of  consider- 
able means  whose  eMii,i.M-:iti(>n  would  be  purely  voluntarily,  i.  e,,  in  no  wa.v  assisted 
by  relatives  on  the  other  side.  The  "  assisted  "  classes  constitute  so  large  a 
proportion  of  the  emigration  now  moving  because  of  their  ability  to  invoke  and 
use  the  influence  and  assistance  of  relatives  or  organizations*  here  or  in  the 
United  States  to  enable  them  to  secure  passage  on  steamers  for  the  United  States 
whereas  the  unassisted  or  voluntary  emigrant  is  usually  without  that  assistance 
and  is  unable  to  compete  with  them  for  accoininodiitioiis.  At  the  pi'esent  time  and 
under  present  regulations  we  are  mostly  getting  people  fit  for  no  other  work  than 
tliat  of  laborer  or  work  of  the  lowest  grade,  many  of  them  in  fact,  narrowly 
escaping  the  provisions  of  the  law  against  being  liable  to  become  public  charges 
and  that  only  ou  the  basis  of  assistance  from  relatives  in  United  States.  The 
worst  cl.-iss  of  emigrants  from  Europe  at  the  present  time,  eliminating  tlie  que.s- 
tion  of  bolshevism  or  political  undersirability,  is  of  the  assistetl  clas.ses — the 
relatives  of  Polish  Jews.  Poles,  Rumnniaus,  Lithunnians,  Letts,  and  so  on,  who 
are  enabled  to  reach  the  United  States  through  the  direct  financial  assistance  of 
sucli  relatives. 

It  is  quite  apparent  tliat  the.  proposed  law  proliibiting  all  emigration  to  the 
United  States  for  a  period  of  say  two  years  except  of  relatives  of  persons  already 
in  the  United  States  will  have  the  immediate  effect  of  increasing  the  number  of 
undesirables  going  to  the  United  States  since  it  will  render  available  for  such 
classes  that  i»roi)ortion  of  the  stejim.ship  accommodations  available  or  .soon  to  be 
available  which  would  be  talven  by  other  and  more  desirable  classes.  It  would, 
in  fact,  confine  emigration  from  this  part  of  Europe  almost  solely  to  tlie  undesii'- 
able  classes.  On  the  other  hand  tliere  is  no  probability  that  it  would  actually 
reduce  the  number  of  emigrants  going  to  the  United  States  for  there  is  every 
reason  to  anticipate  that  the  number  of  emigrants  departing  for  the  Unite<l 
Stats  in  the  next  six  months  is  to  be  limited  solely  by  the  steamship  accommoda- 
tions available  and  the  demand  for  accommodations  promi.ses  to  be  so  strong  as 
to  fill  the  ships  with  this  class  of  assisted  and  undesirable  elements  alone  if  such 
a  law  were  enacted. 

Six  persons  on  one  steamer  were  found  to  have  in  their  possession  false  pass- 
ports. Out  of  the  six  bearers  of  such  papers  five  were  young  Poles  of  military 
age  who  had  evidently  purchased  their  papers  in  the  hope  of  evading  military 
service. 

POLAND. 

Warfidir. — It  is  estimated  that  for  the  past  10  days  the  I'oUowing  repre- 
sentative percentage  figures  indicate  the  classes  of  persons  to  whom  emergency 
passports  have  been  issued  from  the  Warsaw  district :  ]\Iinor  children  and  adults 
contemplating  joining  parents,  15  per  cent;  wives  contemplating  joiiung  hus- 
bands, or  vice  versn,  13  per  cent;  parents  contemplating  joining  children.  10  per 
cent;  brothers  or  sisters  contemplating  joining  brothers  or  sisters,  4.5  per  cent; 
persons  joining  distant  relatives,  16  per  cent ;  persons  having  other  comiections, 
1  per  cent. 

A  perusal  of  these  figui'es  would  seem  to  suggest  the  limiting  of  imnugration, 
at  least  temporarily,  to  persons  mentioned  in  class  2  and  minor  children  men- 
tioned in  cl.iss  1.  and  in  cbiss  1  to  persons  joining  naturalized  American  citizens. 

KUMANIA. 

Bucharest. — The  majority  of  prospective  emigrants  are  tailors,  salesmen,  and 
refugees  from  Bessarabia  and  contiguous  territory  whose  personal  charac- 
teristics are  such  as  to  make  them  inimicable  to  this  (rovernment. 

RUSSIAN  CAUCASUS. 

Tiflis. — It  is  estimated  that  1,000  persons  are  desirous  of  proceeding  to  the 
United  States  from  this  district.  Armenian  applicants,  who  are  not  included, 
may  greatly  excecii  (bis  estimaie.  The  bolshevik  advance,  accompanie<l  by 
evacuation  of  lociil   inlialiitants,  is  likely  to  considerably   increase  emigration. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  23 

The  majority  of  applicants  are  undesirables,  having  lost  all  habits  of  industry, 
are  affected  moi-e  or  less  by  bolshevism.  They  do  not  have  the  moral  quaUfica- 
tions  for  American  citizenship.  This  is  particularly  applicable  to  the  majority 
of  Armenians,  Persians,  and  Hebrews.  The  United  States  Government  should 
severely  restrict  immigration  from  this  district. 


Santander. — Most  of  the  emigrants  from  this  district  go  to  the  United  States 
as  result  of  letters  from  friends  there  telling  of  high  wages  paid  or  go  to  join 
members  of  families. 

Seville. — The  reason  for  the  average  emigrant  going  to  America  is  the  re- 
ported opportunity  for  employment  usually  communicated  to  him  from  a  friend 
in  the  United  States. 

Vigo. — A  certain  society  is  active  in  stimulating  emigration  to  the  United 
States.  However,  it  is  not  this  or  any  other  organization  in  Spain  which  is  re- 
sponsible for  the  heavy  emigration  movement  to  the  United  States.  It  is  believed 
that  the  emigration  from  Spain  to  the  United  States  is  stimulated  by  persons  in 
this  country,  mostly  former  immigrants  from  Spain  who  have  prospered.  They 
usually  remit  money  to  friends  or  relatives  to  pay  for  the  passage  of  one  or 
more  persons.  These  remittances  are  usually  forwarded  by  the  so-called  immi- 
grant banks  of  New  York  and  other  cities.  The  so-called  Spanish  boarding 
houses  in  this  country  are  also  fermenters  of  immigration. 


Beirut. — It  is  anticipated  that  there  will  be  no  material  increase  in  immigra- 
tion this  winter,  but  probably  considerable  increase  during  next  spring  and 
summer.  It  has  been  estimated  that  90  per  cent  of  the  Syrian  population  suffer 
from  trachoma  or  some  loathsome  di-sease.  Practically  all  of  the  Syrian  emi- 
grants are  engaged  in  small  commercial  enterprises  and  are  not  laborers.  The 
unrestricted  immigration  of  persons  from  Syria  to  the  United  States  will  no 
doubt  be  inimical  to  the  best  interests  of  the  Government.  It  is  advisable  to 
continue  strict  application  to  vis6  control. 

Senator  DiLLiNOHAivr.  Isn't  it  true  that  one  of  the  requirements  of 
the  hnv  is  that  the  representatives  of  steamship  companies  shall  have 
a  physician  examine  those  who  wish  to  come  to  this  country  and  be 
responsible  for  their  acceptance  here,  and  that  that  has  caused  a 
crowded  condition  at  the  ports  of  embarkation^ 

Representative  Joi-insox.  I  do  not  know  about  that. 

Senator  Dillingham.  That  is  my  understandino;. 

Representative  Joiixsox.  I  am  told  that  prospective  emip;rants  are 
brought  to  certain  ports  of  embarkation  and  there  are  kept  in  stock- 
ades, 2,500  at  a  time.  I  am  told  that  at  Danzitr  the  ])overty-stricken 
come  from  100  miles  around,  and  that  there  they  are  recjuired  to  take 
baths,  and  that  when  they  come  out  of  the  baths  they  can  not  get  their 
clothing  or  their  money. 

Senator  Dillingham.  The  present  law  requires  a  medical  examina- 
tion to  be  made,  under  the  direction  of  the  steamship  companies,  at 
the  ports  of  embarkation,  and  that  if  they  bring  a  diseased  person 
across  the  ocean  and  that  person  is  rejected  by  our  board,  the  steam- 
ship company  is  compelled  to  return  him  at  its  own  expense. 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Do  you  know  whether  or  not  that  examina- 
tion at  the  ports  of  embarkation  has  resulted  in  a  large  aggregation 
of  intended  emigrants  that  have  been  rejected  through  such  examina- 
tion at  such  ports? 

Representative  Johnson.  I  doubt  if  to  any  gi-eat  extent  they  are 
left  at  those  ])orts. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  think  a^ou  are  mistaken  al)out  that. 


24  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

Representative  Johnson.  T  liave  not  investigated  that  subject. 

Senator  Dillingham.  T  have  invcstijjated  it  to  some  extent  and 
think  that  is  true,  to  a  limited  dep:ree  at  least. 

Representative  Johnson.  I  desire  to  discuss  present  unemployment 
in  the  United  Statx?s.  I  have  secured  from  leading  newspapers  and 
other  sources  some  estimates  of  the  pi-esent  stat<»,  of  unemployment. 
One  telegram  is  from  the  department  of  lal)or  and  industry,  Harris- 
bur^,  as  to  the  situation  in  Pennsylvania.  On  January  1  that  de- 
])artment  writes  that  in  a  district  in  Pennsylvania  Avhich  comprises 
Northampton,  Lehifrh,  Bucks,  Montfjomery,  Philadelphia,  Delaware, 
and  Chester  Counties  the  number  of  unem])loyed  was  70,000;  and 
they  divide  that  number  up  by  trades,  and  the  unem])loyed  common 
labor  in  that  district  was  ll.()00.  Then  they  found  that  in  the  dis- 
trict comprisinof  Allegheny  County,  Pittsburgh,  the  number  of  un- 
employed was  12,500,  of  which  common  laljor  represented  4,000. 

Senator  Harrison.  When  Avas  that? 

Representative  Johnson.  January  1,  1921.  They  say  "We  have  a 
shortage  of,  approximately,  500  miners."  Personal  inquirj^  made  by 
myself  in  the  Harrisburg  vicinity  with  regard  to  a  possil)le  coal  short- 
age convinced  me  that  an  abundance  of  coal  was  being  held  there 
and  that  the  miners  are  on  short  time  at  many  points.  Further  re- 
ports as  to  unemployment  show:  At  Denver,  10,000;  at  Providence, 
R.  L,  and  vicinity,  23,000;  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  26,000;  at  Omaha, 
10,000 ;  at  Kansas  City,  15,000 ;  at  Newark,  N.  J.,  41,000 ;  at  St.  Louis, 
35.000;  at  Detroit,  154,000.  A  later  report  from  a  newspaper  says 
that  in  Detroit  the  number  of  unemployed  as  of  the  first  of  this 
January  compared  vrith  January  one  year  ago  was  184,000. 

Senator  Dillingham.  To  what  cause  do  you  attribute  that  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  I  attribute  it  to  a  tightening  up  in  the 
automobile  industry  and  to  conditions  existing  in  the  rubber-tire  in- 
dustry, together  with  an  influx  of  alien  population  into  Detroit  be- 
cause there  wages  were  high  and  they  thought  they  would  remain 
high. 

Senator  Dillingham.  But  over  the  country  generally  what  is  the 
cause? 

Representative  Johnson.  To  overproduction,  on  the  one  hand,  and 
to  excess  of  common  labor,  on  the  other. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Isn't  it  because  so  many  factories  have  closed 
throughout  the  country? 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes;  but  they  have  not  closed  because 
they  wanted  to. 

Senator  Edge.  Following  Senator  Dillingham's  suggestion,  the 
whole  point  seems  to  be  about  common  labor.  Have  3^011  filed  with 
the  committee  actual  reports  of  the  total  number  of  immigrants  that 
have  come  in  since  the  end  of  the  j^ear,  June  30,  1920,  for  the  whole 
period  or  for  any  number  of  months,  so  that  we  can  make  a  com- 
parison ? 

Representative  Johnson.  I  can  do  so.    I  have  that  right  here. 

Senator  Edge.  Will  you  read  that  to  the  committee  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  July,  1919.  arrived  at  Ellis  Island, 
83,959;  in  August,  86,500;  in  September,  98,400;  in  October,  101,000. 
November  figures  will  show  that  many,  and  December  still  more,  I 
think. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  25 

The  Chairman.  You  were  speaking;  a  moment  ago  about  unem- 
ployment. 

Eepresentative  Johnson.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  If  one  reads  of  business  conditions  in  this  country 
he  Avill  reach  the  conchision  that  the  stage  of  unemployment  which  is 
going-  on  Avill  increase,  is  that  your  opinion  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  Let  me  ask  you  this,  bearing  on  the  subject  of  im- 
migration :  Isn't  it  true  that  adverse  conditions  in  this  country  oper- 
ate automatically  to  check  immigration? 

Representative  Johnson.  That  would  be  true  under  ordinary  con- 
ditions, and  if  it  were  not  for  the  extraordinary  situation  existing  in 
Europe  as  the  result  of  the  war  it  might  be  expected  to  hold  good 
in  the  future. 

The  Chairman.  I  am  not  dealing  with  extraordinary  conditions 
but  dealing  with  the  present ;  you  might  say  with  world  conditions 
at  present.  To  begin  back  with  the  panic  of  1857  and  coming  up 
to  the  reaction  in  1873  and  the  years  following,  the  depression  of 
1893-94,  and  notably  the  panic  of  1907,  do  not  these  statistics  show 
at  the  start  that  immediately  after  you  reach  a  stage  of  unemploy- 
ment here  in  the  United  States  and  that  condition  becomes  known 
abroad  immigration  falls  off  verv  largely?  In  other  words,  in 
1907-08  it  fell  down  from  1,100,000  to  700,000  or  800,000.  Immigra- 
tion goes  doAvn  immediately  following  a  stage  of  unemployment 
here.  The  proposition  has  a  bearing  upon  this  flood  in  Europe  ready 
to  overwhelm  us  in  a  waj^  it  is  said — and  I  am  not  speaking  lightly 
of  it,  because  there  is  a  great  deal  to  be  said  about  it — but  isn't  it 
true  that  this  period. of  unemployment  will  act  as  a  retardation  or 
check  upon  immigration  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  I  agree  with  the  Senator  that  that  has 
been  the  situation  in  the  past,  but  I  think  we  may  safely  say  that  we 
are  facing  unusual  and  different  conditions  at  the  present  time. 

The  Chairman.  Does  not  that  have  a  distinct  bearing,  perhaps 
not  a  controlling  bearing  but  a  distinct  bearing,  upon  the  emergency 
here? 

Representative  Johnson.  Not  entirely,  for  the  reason  that  accord- 
ing to  my  best  information  all  of  central  Europe  is  so  disturbed 
and  so  much  of  its  population  on  the  move,  and  conditions  there  are 
so  much  worse  than  they  possibly  can  be  here,  even  with  unemploj^- 
ment  among  our  present  citizens,  that  great  numbers  will  continue 
to  come  in  if  they  are  permitted  so  to  do. 

The  Chairman.  Then,  upon  that  proposition — and  you  will  excuse 
me  for  interposing  a  question,  ])lease — how  can  you  explain  the 
number  of  men  who  go  home,  the  number  who  leave  the  United 
States,  amounting  to  more  than  a  third — yes,  nearly  one-half — of 
those  who  have  come  into  the  Ignited  States  during  the  past  few 
months  ? 

Senator  Edge.  Does  that  apply  during  the  last  four  or  five  months? 

The  Chairman.  It  does.  And  isn't  it  true.  also,  there  having  been 
set  up  in  Europe  a  number  of  neAv  Republics,  that  these  new  Govern- 
ments are  going  to  exert  all  the  pressure  they  can  to  retain  their 
nationals  in  order  to  develop  their  countries?  Isn't  the  spirit  of 
nationalism  waking,  and  will  not  it  operate  to  keep  those  men  in  their 


26  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

own  countries?  And,  even  further,  will  not  it  have  the  effect  of 
driving  some  of  the  aliens  away  from  America  that  we  now  have, 
even  naturalized  citizens,  and  cause  tlicm  to  go  back  to  their  native 
countries?  And  do  not  all  these  things  tend  to  this,  that  there  may 
not  be  the  flood  of  immigration  that  you  speak  of;  that  there  are 
certain  tendencies  which  are  offsetting  the  possible  fear  that  millions 
of  immigrants  are  coming  to  our  shores  from  the  different  European 
countries?  Then  again,  on  that  proposition,  when  you  find  that 
there  was  no  increase  in  November  over  October,  when  you  consider 
those  who  Avent  home — or  at  least  there  is  a  difference  of  only  1,000 
or  2,000  here  two  years  after  the  armistice — and  especially  in  the  last 
two  or  three  months,  if  the  state  of  things  reported  from  Europe 
exists  why  is  it  that  more  have  not  come  in  and  a  different  condition 
does  not  now  exist?    Mind  you,  that  deals  with  the  emergency. 

Kepresentative  Johnson.  You  will  bear  in  mind  that  since  steam- 
ship transportation  became  available  to  any  degree,  steerage  rates 
have  advanced  from  $80  for  so-called  fourth-class  accommodation,  to 
$120  or  $130 — just  for  ordinary  steerage  accommodations.  That  in 
itself  should  be  a  deterrent  to  people  who  have  depreciated  money. 
On  top  of  that  we  have  the  passport  system  at  present,  the  fee  for 
the  viseing  and  registration  being  $10  in  our  money,  a  verj^  consider- 
able sum  to  many  of  those  people.  Yet  those  who  have  come  into  the 
United  States  in  numbers  ranging  from  70,000  to  100,000  per  month 
since  July  1,  1920,  have  met  not  only  all  these  expenses,  but  the  great 
expense  of  travel  from  their  towns  to  some  port  and  the  cost  of  wait- 
ing for  ship. 

Senator  Edge.  Would  not  these  conditions  give  us  a  better  class 
of  immigrants? 

Representative  Johnson.  I  want  to  call  attention  to  the  third  State 
Department  report,  from  consular  agents,  dated  December  31,  1920, 
discussing  that  very  phase,  and  discussing  the  assistance  given  pros- 
pective immigrants  by  their  relatives  here  in  the  United  States,  some 
of  them  receiving  tickets  for  transportation.  On  that  point  I  think 
one  of  the  principal  arguments  for  this  bill  is  that  it  permits  a  citizen 
here,  if  he  desires  to  bring  his  blood  relatives  from  Poland,  we  will 
say,  to  make  the  arrangements,  to  receive  the  permit,  so  that  if  she 
starts  at  all  there  is  every  likelihood  that  the  relative  may  come 
through  without  the  distressing  tie-up  that  happens  daily  at  Ellis 
Island. 

Now,  an  argument  that  has  been  made  against  this  bill  is  that  it 
shuts  off  common  labor  and  admits  dependents,  but  my  experience 
is  that  the  most  of  the  dependents  who  get  to  Ellis  Island,  illiterate 
or  otherwise,  are  admitted  by  some  kind  of  bargain  made  there. 
Senator  Harrison.  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ? 
Representative  Johnson.  That  is  to  say  that  the  relatives  put  up 
bond.,  or  give  a  guaranty  of  the  cost  to  put  an  illiterate  child  in  school ; 
so  that  if  they  do  come  as  relatives  our  present  immigration  laws, 
supposed  to  be  somewhat  restrictive,  are  really  not  so. 

The  Chairman.  Would  our  present  immigration  laws,  so  far  as 
desirables  and  undesirables  are  concerned,  be  restrictive  if  there  were 
proper  machinery  to  enforce  them  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  Well,  in  that  connection  I  might  say  to 
the  Senator  that  at  this  very  time  the  House  Committee  on  Appro- 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  27 

priatioiis  is  cutting  the  Immigration  Service  appropriation  probably 
one-half,  and  any  member  of  either  the  House  or  the  Senate  can  go 
to  Ellis  Island,  or  to  Hoffman  Island,  Avhere  the  quarantine  stations 
are,  and  Avill  come  away  a  little  bit  sorry  and  ashamed  that  if  we  do 
have  these  people  down  there  at  our  gates,  they  can  not  be  taken  care 
of  better. 

The  Chairman.  You  would  not  suspend  immigration  because  the 
House  Appropriations  Committee  does  not  give  money  enough  for 
the  service,  would  you  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  Oh,  no.  But  I  think  we  should  take  care 
of  those  who  come  here,  and  also  make  arrangements  to  direct  im- 
migrants to  other  ports  other  than  the  one  at  Ellis  Island. 

If  you  will  permit  me  to  say  it,  the  principal  newspapers  and  per- 
sons who  will  oppose  a  temporary  suspension  of  iramigration  for  one 
year  or  for  six  months  have  always  opposed  any  restrictions  on  im- 
migration to  the  United  States,  and  probably  always  will  oppose 
any  restrictive  measure.  We  are  always  met  by  the  same  opposition. 
There  have  been  for  years  efforts  to  restrict  immigration,  and  it 
always  comes  down  to  the  little  evasive  cry,  keep  out  the  bad  and 
let  in  the  good. 

The  Chairman.  There  are  two  schools,  (1)  those  who  want  un- 
restricted immigration,  and  (2)  those  who  want  restrictions.  But 
isn't  there  a  middle  ground  between  absolute  suspension  and,  per- 
haps, certain  restrictions  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  There  has  been  that  situation,  but,  Mr. 
Chairman,  it  is  my  firm  belief  that  if  we  go  on  in  the  United  States 
each  year  encouraging  the  feeling  that  we  must  have  some  more 
common  labor  other  than  our  own,  more  serf  labor,  the  time  will 
come  when,  if  House  and  Senate  try  to  act,  it  will  be  too  late,  because 
we  will  have  become  so  dependent  upon  that  serf  labor  and  bound  to 
listen  to  the  appeals  of  those  who  use  that  labor  or  thrive  on  it  in 
some  form  or  other.    That  is  the  nub  of  the  whole  problem. 

This  is  an  emergency.  I  am  constrained  to  believe  these  reports 
which  come  through  our  State  Department  agents,  speaking  in  a 
general  way  of  conditions  in  Central  Europe.  People  there  are 
disturbed.  The  farmer  is  not  growing  crops.  The  eyeglass  maker 
or  the  watchmaker  in  the  town  is  losing  business,  and  he  sells  out 
for  anything  he  can  get  and  migrates.  A  disturbed  people  become 
restless  and  want  to  move.  The  armies  take  certain  of  the  men  and 
hold  them,  and  they  prey  on  the  others  who  become  dissatisfied  and 
want  to  move. 

I  want  to  say  that  this  bill  is  not  aimed  at  any  race  or  at  any  people 
of  any  hemisphere ;  it  is  aimed-  at  all  peoples. 

Senator  Edge.  Do  not  you  think  the  standard  of  living  or  the 
standard  of  ambition  of  common  labor  in  America  is  naturally  get- 
ting higher  all  the  time  and  making  it  necessary  to  continue  admit- 
ting, not  serf  labor,  but  common  labor? 

Representative  Johnson.  Only  because  Americanized  labor  re- 
fuses to  work  side  by  side  with  the  un-Americanized  labor. 

Senator  Edge.  You  would  not  want  in  any  way  to  stifle  the  am- 
bition or  discourage  the  ambition  of  so-called  common  labor  to  im-- 
prove  its  condition,  would  you? 


28  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

Representative  Johnson.  Oh,  no.  But  it  must  be  inevitable  if  we 
study  the  history  of  other  countries,  that  in  our  own  country  we  will 
in  time  have  labor  that  will  not  get  much  schooling.  We  have 
children  of  our  own. 

Senator  Diij.ixgiiam.  You  were  drawn  away  from  the  (juestion 
of  connnon  lal)or  conditions  in  this  country.  I  want  to  brin<r  you 
back  to  that  subject  with  the  sug:o:estion  that  the  best  writers  that 
I  have  read  in  the  last  six  months  state  that  when  the  armistice 
was  signed  we  were  short  4,00().00()  laborers.  That  is.  short  of  the 
demand  made  by  the  manufacturers  of  the  country :  taking  all  classes, 
trades  of  every  kind,  that  tliere  was  a  shortage  of  about  I.OOO.ono  men 
in  the  labor  market  at  that  time.  It  was  also  admitted  at  that  time 
that  there  had  been  underproduction  in  this  country,  and  that  that 
was  one  of  the  reasons  for  high  prices  of  commodities.  Since  that 
time  there  has  come  a  depression  in  the  manufacturing  establish- 
ments of  the  country,  and  all  over  the  country  they  are  dismissing 
men,  so  that  at  the  present  time  it  is  unquestionably  true  that  there 
is  a  large  number  of  unemployed  in  the  country.  But  I  am  lookin*^ 
forward  six  months,  to  a  time  when  things  will  readjust  themselves 
and  industry  in  the  country.  I  hope,  will  have  revived  and  prosperity 
will  again  come  to  us.  I  will  be  glad  to  hear  you  on  the  question  of 
the  situation  we  will  be  in  at  that  time. 

Representative  Johnson.  I  never  had  any  faith  in  the  crv  last 
year  that  we  were  4.000,000  short.  I  hope  the  mills  and  factories  of 
the  United  States  will  have  started  up  full  blast  before  long,  and  I 
would  be  the  last  man  to  giAe  out  a  pessimistic  statement  when  every- 
body is  striving  to  get  the  countrj'  on  its  feet  and  all  of  the  Avheels 
going.  But  these  reports  I  have  secured  are  the  result  of  efforts  made 
by  big  newspapers,  and  I  believe  the  reports  to  be  conservative. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  think  anybody  will  admit  that  unemploy- 
ment exists  at  this  time. 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes;  and  much  of  it.  My  opinion  of 
what  was  the  matter  was  slowed-up  production  at  very  high  costs. 
High  prices  naturally  resulted,  and  high  prices  slowed  down  buving 
and  the  demand  for  labor.  Now  the  Avarehouses  are  simply  bursting, 
and  freight  cars  from  Baltimore  to  Boston  are  lying  idle  on  every 
sidetrack.  In  my  own  part  of  the  country,  on  the  North  Pacific  coast 
and  Alaska,  Avhen  I  went  home,  imagine  my  surprise  to  find  that  all 
of  the  canners  had  their  warehouses  full  of  cans  that  they  had  pur- 
chased at  war  prices.  They  now  have  fish  to  pack  in  cans,  but  which 
they  can  not  sell  at  the  price  paid  for  the  cans.  What  is  the  result? 
That  industry  is  gone,  and  will  be  gone  for  a  year  or  so ;  and  so  it  is 
with  other  industries. 

Now,  gentlemen  of  the  committee,  I  know  we  all  try  to  look  at  this 
matter  through  great  big  spectacles.  No  one  wants  to  look  at  it  from 
the  standpoint  of  New  York  City  alone,  or  Boston,  or  Baltiinore; 
but  perhaps  when  we  see  articles  "in  the  great  magazines  and  in  the 
metropolitan  press  we  forget  the  communities  of  10,000  people,  where 
the  working  people  have  been  encouraged  to  buy  homes  and  become 
citizens  and  have  representation  from  their  number  on  the  city  coun- 
cils; and  we  should  not  forget  the  disturbance  it  makes  in  a  well- 
organized  community  of  10,000  or  20,000  to  have  come  in  all  of  a 
sudden  an  arrav  of  newlv  arrived  alien  common  lal)or,  to  cut  the 


EMERGENCY   IMMTGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  29 

wages  20  per  cent  or  ^^0  per  cent  or  whatever  it  may  be.  That  will 
upset  any  little  community,  and  even  big  communities.  I  believe  a 
knowledge  of  that  fact,  having  seen  those  conditions  arise,  so  many 
of  our  people  have  seen  it  in  all  localities  where  immigration  has 
come  in  in  recent  years,  is  Avhat  has  made  the  present  tremendous  de- 
numd  for  a  susj^ension  of  immigration. 

I  think  that  when  these  figures  are  stripped  of  those  going  back, 
and  so  on,  that  our  gross  immigration  for  the  fiscal  year  now  running 
is  likely  to  be  around  800,000.  And  I  think  the  result  and  the  feeling 
would  be  about  the  same  if  the  gross  were  only  about  500,000.  I 
think  it  is  true  that  if  the  steamships  can  be  had  and  the  poor  people 
on  the  other  side  can  raise  the  money  by  selling  everything  they  have, 
and  Avith  this  unrest  continuing  for  the  next  year  or  two  years,  that 
there  will  be  a  great  influx  of  immigration ;  and  I  believe  the  United 
vStates  can  do  as  much  for  the  rehabilitation  of  those  countries  to  let 
it  be  known  that  we  have  had  to  suspend  immigration  as  bj^  anything 
we  could  do.  I  have  been  told  by  responsible  persons  who  have 
visited  those  countries  that  one  of  the  reasons  wh}-  they  are  not 
getting  upon  their  feet  better  is  that  the  whole  people  have  got  into 
this  midling  movement;  they  want  to  move,  and  they  are  coming  here 
if  possible. 

Senator  Edge.  Why  do  you  think  those  countries  have  not  put 
an  embargo  on  people  leaving  their  shores  'i 

Representative  Johnson.  Some  have  done  it  by  putting  them  in 
army  service.  But  I  have  reports  from  Spanish  countries  that  they 
actually  encourage  some  of  their  people  to  leave,  and  Spain  furnishes 
immigration  insurance  to  people  coming  out  of  that  country. 

Senator  Edge.  You  have  studied  this  question,  and  I  would  like  to 
know  what  the  reason  is  that  a  country  wants  to  get  rid  of  its  people. 

EepresentatiA  e  Johnson.  It  must  be  because  they  think  they  will 
be  a  disturbing  factor  in  the  country  and  against  the  Government. 

Senator  Edge.  Assume  that  we  try  to  keep  out  undesirables,  'W'hy 
do  you  think  Spain  or  any  other  country  would  want  to  lessen  its 
population,  especially  the  countries  in  central  Europe,  wdiere  there 
was  such  a  large  war  waste? 

Representative  Johnson.  I  suppose  because  in  central  European 
countries  the  new  Governments  are  feeble,  money  is  of  little  value, 
crops  bring  a  small  return,  and  Governments  are  holding  together 
with  great  difficulty.  One  prominent  international  traveler  told  me 
he  had  doubt  if  Czechoslovakia  or  the  Polish  Government  could 
endure  owing  to  the 

The  Chairman  (interposing).  Isn't  it  true,  as  a  general  proposi- 
tion, that  the  European  countries  are  discouraging  emigration? 
Isn't  that  true  of  Jugoslavia,  Czechoslovakia,  and  Poland,  barring  a 
small  minority,  which  might  be  a  disturbing  influence?  If  you  will 
look  at  the  governmental  regulations  of  Italy  and  Greece  and  other 
countries  you  will  see  that  in  this  period  of  reconstruction  and  of 
self-independence  they  want  to  retain  their  men. 

Representative  Johnson.  If  that  is  so,  they  can  refuse  to  give 
them  passports. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  I  ask.  would  you  think  that  a  solution  of 
this  emergency  problem — and  I  like  to  confine  myself  to  that,  be- 
cause we  are  not  dealing  with  the  larger  problems,  as  to  which  we 


30  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

all  admit  something  must  be  done,  and  this  immigration  problem 
is  a  broad  one — would  you  think  there  would  be  any  solution  in  the 
Government  refusing  passports,  assuming  that  it  will  do  it? 

Representative  Johnson.  That  would  help  some. 

The  Chairman.  Jugoslavia  and  other  countries? 

Representative  Johnson.  It  would  all  help.  But  while  we  would 
be  waiting  for  them  to  do  that,  Canada  has  practically  suspended 
immigration  by  requiring  immigrants  to  have  $250 ;  and  England  is 
practically  doing  it,  and  France  is  practically  doing  it. 

Senator  Phelan.  Do  not  countries  consider  that  having  emi- 
grants help  at  home  by  sending  money  to  their  people  is  a  good 
thing? 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Phelan.  And  therefore  they  do  not  discourage  emi- 
gration ? 

Representative  Johnson.  I  think  that  is  correct. 

iSenator  Phelan.  Isn't  it  true  that  Italians  who  went  back  during 
the  war,  finding  conditions  in  Italy  bad,  are  returning  to  the  United 
States? 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes.  The  steamship  America  on  last 
Friday  arrived  at  the  port  of  New  York  with  2,010  Italian  immi- 
grants.   That  was  on  the  last  day  of  the  old  year. 

Senator  Phelan.  And  the  Italian  Government  has  an  agent  here 
opposing  this  immigration  legislation.  Do  I  understand  you  to  say 
that  the  Italian  Government  has  here  what  you  might  say  is  practically 
an  agent  in  the  United  States  interesting  himself  in  that  matter? 

Representative  Johnson.  In  the  United  States  there  is  such  an 
agent,  who  is  the  counselor  for  the  emigration  at  the  Italian  Em- 
bassy, and  he  begged  me  that  this  bill  be  not  made  effective  for  six 
months. 

Senator  Phelan.  That  must  be  because  it  is  to  the  advantage  of 
Italy  to  have  their  nationals  come  here. 

Representative  Johnson.  Apparently  so.  Emigration  from  Italy 
has  gone  on  for  many  years,  and  it  has  not  depopidated  that  countr3^ 
Many  of  them  return  to  Italy  and  also  to  Greece  and  spend  a  year 
or  so  and  then  come  back  affain. 

Senator  Xugent.  I  have  read  in  the  newspapers  statements  to  the 
effect  that  Spain  is  a  seething  mass  of  anarch}^  and  tluit  the  (lovern- 
ment  is  assisting  many  of  its  people  to  come  to  this  country.  I  de- 
sire to  be  informed  whether  or  not  you  have  any  knoAvledge  of  that 
matter. 

Representative  Johnson.  That  statement  was  made  on  the  floor  of 
the  House  by  Rei^resentative  Knutson,  who  had  lately  returned  from 
Germany  and  European  coimtries.  He  made  that  positive  state- 
ment, not  before  our  committee,  but  in  the  House.  ^ 

Senator  Nuoent.  I  have  read  something  to  that  effect  in  reputable 
newspapers. 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes:  and  I  think  it  is  so.  This  particu- 
lar report  which  I  have  put  into  the  record  has  something  from  Se- 
ville. 

Senator  Edge.  All  these  passports  have  to  be  vised  l)y  our  Ameri- 
can consuls  throughout  Spain. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  31 

Eepresentative  Johnson,  I  have  the  regulations  here.  The  con- 
sul can  not  refuse,  except  in  political  cases ;  then  he  must  have  infor- 
mation. 

Senator  Nugent.  Anarchy  is  considered  one  branch  of  politics  in 
some  countries,  isn't  it? 

Representative  Johnson  (continuing).  Yes;  but  since  the  war  we 
have  not  the  secret  service  we  had  during  the  war,  and  these  consular 
agents  are  not  fully  informed. 

The  Chairman.  1  can  not  get  rid  of  this  emergency  idea.  I  do  not 
want  you  to  feel  that  I  am  prejudiced,  but  I  want  full  information 
on  the  subject.  In  November  34,000 — and  probably  a  good  many  of 
them  were  Italians — went  home  and  133,000  came  in.  If  the  condi- 
tions in  Europe  are  as  you  describe,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  number 
that  go  home  rather  carries  out  my  theory  that  they  are  going  back 
to  help  build  up  their  country;  while  your  theory  is  that  disturbed 
conditions  in  Europe  are  such  that  we  are  going  to  be  flooded.  This 
is  emergency  legislation,  simplj^  to  give  time  to  pass  some  con- 
structive legislation.  What  danger  are  we  running  if  we  do  not  put 
on  an  embargo  for  six  or  eight  months  until  we  can  frame  a  bill? 
You  say  millions  will  come.  Then  I  would  ask  about  the  transpor- 
tation problem ;  isn't  it  impossible  with  all  the  ships  that  yon  can  get 
and  that  would  carry  immigrants,  to  bring  into  this  countrv  more 
than  1,250,000  a  year? 

Representative  Johnson.  No  ;  if  you  will  permit  me,  I  am  inclined 
to  think  that  under  pressure  and  under  very  much  poorer  steerage 
conditions  than  have  existed  in  15  years  past,  that  ships  can  bring, 
and  without  restrictive  measures  will  bring,  to  the  United  States 
2,000,000  immigrants  for  the  year  beginning  January  1. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  think  transportation  facilities  are  going 
to  increase  in  the  next  two  or  three  months? 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes;  and  already  are  increasing,  as  I 
can  prove.  I  think  that  the  departure  of  44,000  in  July,  42,000  in 
August,  67,000  in  September,  and  78,000  in  October — and  the  num- 
bers which  did  arrive  were  double  that  and  more — resulted  in  leav- 
ing in  the  United  States  an  excess  of  people  that  we  should  not  have 
here.  It  is  the  better  fellow  that  is  going  back  and  the  wrong  man 
that  is  coming  in  and  remaining  here. 

Senator  Harris.  You  spoke  of  the  warehouses  being  overcrowded, 
and  that  is  true  over  the  country.  With  the  reductions  in  our  exports 
and  the  crowded  condition  of  warehouses  and  with  the  unemploj^ed 
to-day,  how  long  do  you  think  it  will  be  before  we  will  be  able  to  get 
rid  of  the  surplus  of  unemployed  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  Of  the  present  unemployment? 

Senator  Harris.  Yes. 

Representative  Johnson.  Well,  I  should  suspect  that  certain  men 
would  be  emploj^ed  at  seasonal  occupations,  but  I  think  there  will  be 
a  great  excess  of  labor  for  a  year  and  a  half.  We  found  a  way  to 
find  labor  all  during  the  great  war  activities,  and  they  have  not  all 
flowed  out  of  the  country. 

The  Chairman.  You  spoke  of  Canada.  Did  not  Canada  make  an 
exception  of  labor  and  house  service?  As  I  understand  it,  the  new 
order  of  the  council  is  that  they  require  $250  for  each  immigrant, 


g2  KMKKGENC!Y    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

but  if  the  immigrant  is  going  to  the  farm  or  the  maid  is  going  to 
the  househokl,  he  or  she  is  not  required  to  have  any  money. 

Representative  Johnson.  That  may  be  so;  T  do  not  know  about 
that. 

Senator  Dillin(!Iiam.  I  think  that  is  true.    1  have  seen  the  order. 

Representative  Johnson.  But  of  all  the  immigrants  that  came  into 
the  itnited  States  up  to  June  30,  1920,  only  2.1  per  cent  were  farmers 
and  J5  per  cent  were  farm  laborers.  It  is  not  famn  labor  that  is 
coming.  You  will  see  that  that  was  merely  a  trifle  of  the  whole. 
It  is  not  household  servant  labor.  Those  2,000  Italians  that  came  on 
Friday  are  scattering  throughout  the  United  States,  but  going  to 
cities  every  time. 

They  came  because  they  understood  that  there  are  higher  rates  of 
pay  here.  Poor  pay  there  is  high  pay  here.  They  will  not  go  out 
to  tlie  farm  to  find  the  job.  but  will  pile  in  on  other  citizens  in  the 
cities,  adding  to  the  troubles  from  lack  of  housing  facilities,  as  .well 
as  other  difficulties.  Ten  years  ago  Ave  had  13,000,000  unnaturalized 
people  in  this  country,  and  our  average  naturalization  has  been  only 
200,000  persons  per  year. 

Senator  Nugent.  Isn't  it  true  that  there  are  more  than  5,000,000 
of  people  who  are  unable  to  read  or  write  or  understand  the  English 
language  in  the  United  States  at  this  time  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes ;  that  is  correct. 

Senator  Nugent.  They  hold  themselves  aloof  in  the  cities. 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  Isn't  it  true  that  of  the  alien  class  not  liable  to 
conscription,  470,000  waived  their  disability  and  entered  the  Army 
of  the  United  States  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes;  and  that  is  greatly  to  their  credit. 

Senator  Nugent.  And  there  are,  approximately,  300  foreign-lan- 
guage newspapers  published  in  the  United  States. 

Representative  Johnson.  I  have  forgotten  the  number. 

Senator  Nugent.  And  of  those  between  20  and  30,  I  think  it  was, 
during  the  war  absolutely  advocated  the  doctrine  of  overthrow  of  our 
Government. 

Representative  Johnson.  I  think  so. 

The  Chairmax.  There  are  eleven  hundred  and  some  odd  periodi- 
cals in  foreign  languages  published  in  the  United  States,  but  of  those, 
350  are  Avhat  we  call  newspapers. 

Representative  Johnson.  I  think  so. 

Senator  Nugent.  That  was  my  understanding. 

The  Chairman.  According  to  one  estimate  of  a  statistician,  only 
2^  per  cent  preached  disloyalty. 

Representative  Johnson.  And  if  any  of  their  peo]>le  Avere  thrown 
into  jail  for  preaching  dislo5'alty,  we  are  hearing  from  it  to  this  day. 

Senator  Phelan.  Do  steamship  companies  stimulate  immigration 
to  this  country  ? 

Representative  Johnson.  The  report  from  Rotterdam  indicates 
that  steamship  companies  are  stimulating  it,  and  that  they  are  mak- 
ing arrangements  for  additional  facilities,  Rotterdam  being  one  of 
the  outpouring  ports  for  all  that  section. 

Senator  Phelan.  Don't  you  think  a  plan  by  which  an  inspection 
would  be  made  on  the  other  side  would  be  helpful? 


EMEKGEXCY   I^MMIGEATION   LEGISLATIOX.  33 

ReiDresentative  Johxsox.  Such  a  plan  was  offered  in  one  bill  but 
not  thoroughl}'  perfected.  This  bill  at  one  time  had  a  voluntary 
registration  system,  intending  to  open  a  registration  system  begin- 
ning with  first  entry  into  the  United  States. 

Senator  Hakkisox.  Have  you  told  the  committee  what  feiitures 
were  cut  out  in  the  House  ? 

Representative  Johxson.  No;  there  were  few.  But  the  period  of 
suspension  was  shortened  from  tw^o  years  to  one  year.  The  bill 
specifies  who  are  covered  thereby  and  specifies  the  exemptions  and 
carries  out  the  war  passport  system.  There  are  some  provisions  as 
to  visitors  between  Canada  and  Mexico.  This  bill  provides  a  sus- 
pension to  serve  in  the  present  emergency. 

Senator  Phelax.  What  is  the  condition  as  to  Canada  and  Mexico? 

Representative  Johxsox.  Aliens  who  are  now  admissible  and  who 
have  resided  continuously  in  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  Newfound- 
land, the  Republic  of  Cuba,  or  the  Republic  of  Mexico  for  at  least 
one  year  may  be  temi^orarilj^  admitted  for  a  period  not  exceeding 
six  months,  which  is  renewable  on  application. 

The  Chairmax.  That  would  not  allow  Mexicans  to  come  over 
unless  they  passed  a  literacy  test  ? 

Representative  Johxsox.  No  ;  and  pay  a  head  tax  also. 

The  Chairmax.  That  is,  they  must  conform  to  the  provisions  of 
the  present  law  ? 

Representative  Johxsox.  Yes.  The  House  committee  has  gone  on 
record  that  under  no  circumstances,  if  the  law  is  to  be  made  for  the 
United  States,  should  broad  exemptions  be  made  for  one  State  or 
group  of  States,  or  for  any  j^articular  industry.  It  can  not  be  made 
that  way  or  it  falls  down.  The  great  trouble  our  committee  had  in 
presenting  such  a  bill — even  though  this  was  carried  by  about  7  to  1 
in  the  House — 295  to  41 — was  that  we  found  an  increasing  tendency 
upon  the  part  of  our  people  to  have  common,  household,  or  factory 
labor,  serf,  if  you  please;  and  so  many  of  the  States  had  come  to 
the  point  that  while  they  want  that  labor  to  be  always  working  they 
do  not  Avant  them  to  become  naturalized  citizens.  The  appeals  that 
I  receive  in  the  committee  room  for  a  much  longer  period  of  naturali- 
zation are  numerous,  but  I  am  firm  in  the  conviction  that  the  United 
States  makes  a  mistake  to  increase  the  number  of  people  in  the 
United  States  that  do  not  take  part  in  elections  by  ballot  and  take 
part  in  the  Government  as  we  do.  It  is  fatal  in  the  long  run.  When 
3'ou  find  great  nests  of  them  in  the  cities  and  in  the  smaller  places 
not  coming  into  naturalization,  not  invited  and  not  helping  in  the 
government,  we  can  not  be  surprised  that  they  join  communist  parties 
and  that  they  believe  when  they  are  told  that  they  can  take  part  by 
direct  action. 

The  Chairmax.  In  the  part  of  the  country  I  come  from  the  politi- 
cal leaders  get  hold  of  those  people. 

Representative  Johxsox.  That  may  be  true  of  some  places. 

Senator  Phelax.  What  is  the  head  tax  ? 

Representative  Johxsox.  $8. 

Senator  Phelax'^.  That  applies  to  all? 

Representative  Johnsox.  Yes,  sir;  $8  for  ever3^one — man,  wife, 
and  child. 

26911— 21— PT 1 3  -K 


34  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

Senator  Harrison.  You  spoke  of  an  interest  in  some  countries  to 
pfet  rid  of  the  undesirable  element.  Don't  _you  think  the  best  invest- 
ment the  ITnited  States  could  make  would  be  not  only  to  not  allow 
them  to  come  in  but  fjet  rid  of  that  kind  who  are  in? 

Rej)i-esentative  Johnson.  I  do.  But  in  rep;ard  to  deportation,  the 
United  States  (Tovernment  bends  backward  to  be  fair  to  all  people. 
All  that  we  have  de]iorted  in  10  years  has  been  27,000,  I  })elieve. 

Senator  Piielan.  This  applies  to  all  alike. 

Representative  Johnson.  Yes.  I  am  very  much  oblifjed  to  you, 
Mr.  Chairman  and  frentlemen. 

The  CiiAiRiMAN.  The  committee  is  A^ery  much  oblifijed  to  you,  Mr. 
Johnson. 

Mr.  Siegel,  who  represented  the  minority  in  the  House  committee 
and  filed  a  minority  report,  is  unable  to  be  here  to-day,  but  can  be 
here  to-morrow  or  next  day.  The  committee  are  quite  anxious  that 
he  should  also  be  present  and  that  we  hear  him.  The  applications 
for  hearinii:  naturally  divide  themselves  into,  perhaps,  economic 
objections  and  racial  objections.  I  think  it  will  serve  to  shorten  the 
hearino;  if  we  can  take  up  the  Mexican  labor  situation  next. 

Senator  Harrison.  Is  it  the  intention  to  fix  any  date  for  the  clos- 
ino;  of  these  hearings  ? 

The  Chairman.  I  do  not  want  to  act  without  tlie  sanction  of  the 
committee.  There  are  some  people  who  are  attending  here  at  great 
inconvenience  and,  of  course,  would  like  to  be  heard  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, and,  at  the  same  time,  I  know  the  situation  confronting  Sena- 
tors and  the  condition  of  public  business  and  how  difficult  it  is  to 
remain  very  long  in  session.  The  question  is  whether  we  should  not 
have  an  afternoon  session  to-day  and  then  come  back  to-morrow 
morning  at  10.30. 

Senator  Harrison.  What  T  was  driving  at  was  whether  we  could 
fix  a  day  for  closing  the  hearings  and  then  decide  whether  or  not 
we  would  report  out  the  bill. 

The  Chairman.  I  think  that  is  a  very  proper  suggestion,  but  I  do 
not  believed  we  could  do  that  to-day.  I  have  tried  to  indicate  that  this 
is  an  emergency  matter  and  that  the  testimony  should  be  limited  to 
that,  and  therefore  the  hearings  ought  to  be  comparatively  short. 

Senator  Harrison.  I  thought  we  might  take  action  for  each  group 
to  select  a  representative;  and  if  we  fix  a  time  to  close  the  hearing 
that  could  be  arranged  better.  If  we  go  along  for  three  or  four  weeks 
it  will  be  too  late  to  pass  anything  in  the  Senate. 

The  Chairman.  If  I  have  anything  to  do  with  it,  it  will  not  go 
along  in  that  way. 

Senator  Harrison.  How  many  want  to  be  heard? 

The  Chairman.  I  do  not  know  exactly.  As  suggested,  we  might 
have  one  or  two  representatives  of  each  class.  Suppose  I  call  Mr. 
Knox  at  this  time,  representing  the  Arizona  Cotton  Growers'  Asso- 
ciation. 

Senator  Fletcher.  The  Miami  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  people 
of  that  community  have  a  representative  here  who  wants  to  be  heard 
very  briefly  on  the  question  of  permitting,  temporarily,  at  least  for 
six  months,  the  Bahama  Islands  peoide  in  order  to  cany  on  their 
vegetable  growing  operations.  In  addition  to  that  the  Tampa  people 
have  a  delegation  here,  some  six  or  eight  who  would  like  to  be  heard, 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  35 

or  some  one  or  more  representatives  of  them  at  least,  on  the  question 
of  admitting  the  Cubans,  who  are  skilled  in  the  cigar  industry. 
These  gentlemen  are  all  here  and  at  j^our  service,  and  if  you  will 
signify  when  you  can  hear  them,  I  shall  be  giad. 

Senator  PIarris.  I  suggest  that  at  2.30  we  resume  and  then  hear 
Senator  Fletcher's  people. 

The  Chairman.  Without  objection,  the  committee  will  now  recess 
until  2.30  p.  m.,  when  we  will  hear  the  gentlemen  in  accordance  with 
Senator  Harris's  suggestion. 

(Thereupon,  at  12  o'clock  noon  the  committee  recessed  until  2.30 
o'clock  p.  m.) 

AFTER  RECESS. 

The  committee  resumed  at  2.30  o'clock  p.  m.,  pursuant  to  recess. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  come  to  order.  Senator 
Fletcher  has  a  statement  to  make. 

Senator  Sterling.  Mr.  Chairman,  since  I  am  oobliged  to  leave  the 
room  in  a  moment  I  would  like  to  call  attention  to  an  article  ap- 
pearing in  the  New  York  Herald  of  January  3  entitled :  "  Can  see 
no  enormous  exodus  from  Europe  to  America  this  year — New  York 
Herald  correspondents  find  no  basis  for  Wallis's  statement  that 
15,000,000  are  now  planning  to  emigrate  from  continent  and  British 
Isles  to  the  United  States,"  etc.  And  while  I  have  not  gone  over  the 
article  carefully,  I  think  it  would  be  well  that  it  be  considered,  and 
I  offer  it  for  the  record. 

The  Chairman.  Is  it  the  sense  of  the  committee  that  this  article 
be  put  into  the  record  ? 

(It  was. the  sense  of  the  committee  that  the  article  in  question 
be  placed  in  the  record,  and  it  is  here  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

[New  York  Herald,  Jan.  3.] 

CAN  SEE  NO  ENORirOUS  EXODUS  FROM  EUROPE  TO  AMERICA  THIS  YEAR — NEW  YORK 
HERALD  CORRESPONDENTS  FIND  NO  BASIS  FOR  WALXIS'S  STATEMENT  THAT 
15,000.000    ARE    NOW    PLANNING    TO    EMIGRATE    FROM     CONTINENT    AND    BRITISH 

ISLES   TO  THE  UNITED   STATES GERMANS   FAVOR   SOUTH    AMERICA  ;    POVERTY   AND 

EXCHANGE     OBSTACLES MOVEMENT     FROM     FRANCE     IS     EXPECTED     TO     SHOW     A 

DECREASE    AND    FEWER    THAN     400,000     .TEWS    ARE    HEADED    WESTWARD,     WHILE 
STEAMSHIP  FACILITIES  ARE  LACKING  TO  CARRY  GREAT   HORDES. 

Estimates  made  by  F.  A.  Wallis,  United  States  Commissioner  of  Immigra- 
tion af  tlie  port  of  New  Yorli,  that  l.'),000,000  Europeans  were  preparing  to 
emigrate  to  the  United  States  are  not  borne  out  by  individual  surveys  by 
European  correspondents  of  the  New  Yorlv  Herald. 

Mr.  Wallis  estimated  that  Italv  was  preparing  to  send  .'i.OOO.OOO  of  her 
people  to  the  United  States  and  Germany  S.000.000.  and  that  5.000.000  European 
emigrants  were  already  packed  ready  to  leave  their  old  homes  for  America. 

Since  that  the  House  of  Representatives  has  passed  a  bill  prohibiting  immi- 
gration for  one  year.    The  Senate  is  expected  to  act  shortly  on  the  measure. 

The  New  York  Herald  correspondents  found  that  many  p]uropeans  wanted 
to  emigrate,  but  that  the  totals  by  no  means  reached  the  proportions  visual- 
ized by  Mr.  Wallis.  Meanwhile  two  factors  check  this  tide.  They  are,  first, 
the  position  of  European  exchange,  which  makes  it  impossible,  because  of  their 
poverty,  for  a  grear  majority  of  these  would-be  emigrants  to  pay  for  a  steaniy 
ship  ticket  or  to  pass  the  United  States  immigration  requirements,  and,  second, 
the  lack  of  steamship  facilities. 

The  principal  steamship  agent  in  Berlin  says  that  from  the  eight  chief 
north  European  emigration  ports  the  steamship  companies  have  facilities  for 
tran.sportiug  no  more  than  350,000  steerage  passengers  in  a  year.     Also  it  was 


36  EMERGEXCY   IMMTGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOTST. 

found  tbfit  hatred  of  the  United  States  was  turninj;  thousands  of  Germans  to 
South  America,  and  that  the  German  exodus  to  the  United  States  would  he  rela- 
tively small. 

French  emigration  experts  estimated  that  fewer  than  400,000  European 
Jews,  chiefly  from  Ressara^m,  Poland,  and  the  Ukraine,  which  form  the  bulk 
of  the  emigration  tide,  were  headed  this  way. 

CONGESTIOX    NOW    IX    OKKXrAN    POKTS — T'MTED    STATKS    HATRKD    AFKKCTS    HOME 

CHOICE. 

(By  Raymond  Swing.) 

New  York  Herald  Bureau, 

Berlin,  •Jminary  2,  1921. 

Even  in  the  event  1.1,000,000  Europeans  are  anxious  to  emigrate  to  the 
United  States,  only  an  inconsiderable  proportion  of  this  numl)er  could  be 
transported  there  for  several  years  to  come,  is  the  view  of  men  who  are  in  a 
po.sition  to  know  the  emigration  and  sliipping  situation  in  northern  and  central 
Europe. 

It  was  said  tliat  there  were  50,000  steerage  passengers  in  Rotterdam  await- 
ing transijortation  to  America,  and  that  prol)ably  there  were  a  third  of  that 
numl)er  in  Antweri)  awaiting  a  chance  to  leave  there  for  tlie  United  States. 
This  is  the  only  emigrant  congestion  reported  liere. 

The  highest  estimate  placed  on  possible  emigration  from  central  Europe  to 
the  United  States  was  that  by  an  official  of  the  American  State  Department 
here,  who  said  that  the  emigration  problem  had  reached  a  stage  where  nearly 
3,000,000  of  the  "most  undesirable  peoples  of  Europe"  might  be  dumped  into 
America. 

Meanwhile,  the  Holland-America  and  the  Red  Star  lines  are  booking 
steerage  passengers  from  their  European  ports  of  call  to  the  United  States  for 
vessels  leaving  these  European  ports  late  in  February.  The  eiglit  north 
European  ports  from  which  emigrants  go  to  America  are  Rotterdam,  Antwerp, 
Copenhagen,   Stockholm,   Chiistiania,  Hamburg,   Bremen,   and   Danzig. 

"All  told,  not  two  dozen  stejimship?*  touching  at  these  ports  are  availalile 
for  steerage  passengers,  and  these  vessels  are  able  to  transpoi't  not  more 
than  .3.50,000  such  steerage  passengers  in  a  year,"  INIr.  Peters,  the  leading 
American  steamship  agent  in  Berlin,  told  The  New  York  Herald  corre- 
spondent. "All  the  lines  from  Europe  to  America  probably  would  not  be  able 
to  transport  more  than  a  million  and  a  half  of  these  passengers  a  year." 

The  congestion  in  Rotterdam  and  Antwerp  is  due  almost  exclusively  to  the 
exodus  of  Polish  .Tews  reaching  Holland  through  Germany,  he  said. 

"  In  these  countries,  where  living  conditions  are  severe'  and  where  there 
is  constant  danger  of  war,  tliere  may  be  millions  of  persons  who  wish  to 
emigrate,"  he  continued,  "  but  the  deflated  currency  make  travel  impo.ssible 
for  them,  and,  furthermore,  there  is  not  enough  tonnage." 

A  steerage  ticket  from  Rotterdam  to  Ninv  Y''ork  costs  7,000  German  marks, 
and  a  man  with  a  family  needs  nearly  .50.000  marks  to  reach  the  other  side  of  the 
Atlantic.  The  currency  east  of  Germany  is  more  worthless  than  that  ot  Ger- 
many. 

"  Emigration  being  economically  possible,  5,000,000  or  6,000,000  Germans 
might  leave  the  fatherland  in  the  next  10  years."  said  Dr.  .Tung,  president 
of  the  German  Emigration  Bureau.  "  \Yhile  it  is  impossible  to  make  an 
estimate  of  tli(>  inunher  that  will  actually  go  to  America,  I  do  not  believe  that 
more  than  l.dOO.OtMl  or  at  most,  2,000,000,  will  cross  the  Atlantic.  Of  these  I 
believe  a  great  majority  will  go  to  South  America. 

"The  chief  exodus.  I  think,  will  be  from  Russia  and  the  Balkans.  At  least, 
the  desire  of  the  people  there  to  emigrate  is  more  general  than  it  is  in  Ger- 
many. Inderd.  the  feeling  of  many  Germans  against  America  still  survives  to 
deter  them  from  a  choice  of  the  United  States  as  their  future  home.  This  I 
find  in  many  letters  of  inquiry  addressed  to  me.  "  Even  when  the  passport 
jparrier  is  removed  I  do  not  expect  a  great  ('migration  movr-ment  from  Ger- 
many to  the  United  States.  The  Germans  who  go  tlH>re  will  be  chiefly  those 
who  have  relatives  in  America  who  will  help  them  with  tickets." 

About  10,000  Germans  have  gone  to  South  America  since  the  signing  ot  the 
armistice. 

Steamship  companies  are  perhaps  more  careful  now  than  ever  before  in 
accepting  emigiants  for  the  Uniied  States  owing  to  the  requirements  of  the 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  37 

United  States  immigration  laws  and  the  certainty  that  if  these  emigrants  are 
l)arreti  the  steamsliip  lines  will  have  to  bring  them  back  to  Europe. 

Strong  efforts  are  being  made  to  keep  radicals  and  anarchists  ont  of  the 
United  States,  but  according  to  innuigration  officials  here  this  is  next  to  im- 
possible, as  applications  for  passports  can  not  be  investigated  carefully  enough 
to  bar  all  undesirables. 

Meanwhile  grafters  are  preying  upon  ignorant  persons  who  would  leave 
European  ports  for  America.  These  men  assert  that  they  can,  for  a  fee,  assist 
an  emigrant  to  get  a  passport.     Some  of  them  are  reaping  a  rich  harvest. 

MERE   FANCY,   IS   FRENCH   VIEW — .lEWS    TURNING    TO    P^i-K.-sflNE. 

(By  Lawrence  Hills.) 

.\i;w    V()i;k    Hkham)   ISikkai'. 

/V/r/.s'.  Jo  11 11(1  ry  2. 
Immigration  authorities  and  (tfticials  of  iuniiiiirant  slielt<"r  organizations 
here  consider  the  estimate  by  Ellis  Island  authorities  of  l.">,on<).();i(>  Europeans 
being  bound  for  America  as  a  wild  flight  of  fancy.  Indeed,  they  expresses! 
doubt  whether  one-tenth  of  this  number  of  immigi-ants  wouhl  try  to  enter 
the  United  States  during  the  next  live  years.  Even  of  .lewish  emigrants, 
which  is  adniitteilly  the  largest  group  to  go  from  European  countries,  far 
fewer  are  expected  to  go  to  America  during  the  next  12  months  than  went 
there  last  year.  It  was  said  that  fewer  than  400,0(»n  .Tews  from  all  countries 
were  prei)aring  to  leave  the  Old  World  for  America  when  they  were  able  to 
get  their  passage  there.  The  exodus  of  Jews  is  piincipally  from  Bessarabia, 
Poland,  and  the  Ukraine. 

Jacques  Shapiro,  head  of  the  Hebrev>-  Sheltering  Immigr;:ut  Aid  Society,  with 
headquarters  at  IG  Rue  de  la  Mariiek.  told  a  reporter  for  rhe  New  York  Herald 
that  the  Jewish  iunnigrant  problem  had  assumed  a  new  asiiect  since  the  opening 
of  Palestine  to  the  Jews. 

"  ^^'e  had  envisaged  a  million  Jews  seeking  refuge  in  the  United  States 
from  persecution,"  he  said.  "  but  now  it  is  certain  tliat  a  majority  of  those  in 
the  T'kraine  will  go  to  Palestine  as  soon  as  the  Ukriiine's  borders  are  opened. 
Not  a  single  Jew  will  be  left  in  the  Ukraine  once  the  migraticm  connnences 
toward  the  Near  f^ast.  Already  our  society  is  arranging  to  send  -li),(K)'J  Jewish 
children  who  were  ori)lianed  in  the  I'kiaine  ixigioins  ftran  tiie  Ukraine  to 
eifhei'  Palestine  or  to  Argentina." 

Mr.  Shapiro's  bureau  is  taking  care  of  on  an  a.vera.ue  .")i)L!  iiev.  immigranr 
ca.ses  daily,  he  said.  90  per  cent  of  which  arrive  in  Palis  without  funds 
and  with  only  the  most  meager  informatioi!  ivgardiisg  tiieir  !(>!aiives  in  the 
United  States,  who  are  exi)ected  lo  i>ro\ide  f«.r  them.  Most  of  (he<e  endgrants 
succeed  in  leaving  French  ports  within  a  month  after  they  arrive  here.  How- 
ever, Ml'.  Shapiro  estimates  that  the  number  of  Jews  going  to  New  York  by 
way  of  France  certainly  will  iKtt  be  more  than  8.(X)0  a  wt^k,  with  less  than 
that  number  now  tiwaiting  passage,  their  passports  having  been  visaed,  their 
tickets  obtained,  and  everything  in  order  for  them  to  go  to  America, 

Emigration  from  the  jxirts  of  southern  France  is  r.oi  an  hnp::rtaiir  factor 
either  from  the  standpoint  of  Jews  or  other  nationalities.  The  consulates  in 
:Marseille  and  Bordeaux  report  long  lines  of  ineii  and  women  making  in- 
quiries there  every  day,  but  the  laws  governing  the  entrance  of  aliens  into  the 
I'liited  States,  and  particularly  the  tinancial  rciiuirements,  discourage  thou- 
sands of  these  prospective  emigrants  from  trying  to  get  to  .\merica. 

The  French  are  not  likely  to  leave  tlieir  own  country  in  large  numbers. 
Alexander  ii.  Tliackara.  .Vmerican  consul  general  here,  said,  a  majority  of 
Frenchmen  who  go  there  making  the  trip  for  business  rather  than  to  make 
tln'ir  home  there. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  consulates  in  Palermo  and  Naples  rep^>rt  a  constant 
increase  in  the  number  of  requests  for  vise  of  passport.s,  most  of  the  applicants 
ct)nung  from  the  Balkans,  while  Greek  emigration  was  said  ti)  be  less  than  it 
was  before  the  war, 

Polish  and  Lithuanian  emigration  is  moving  chietly  through  Danzig  and  Lem- 
berg,  where  the  emigrant  agencies  are  thronged  every  day,  but  through  other 
European  gateways  the  foreign  exchange  rate  situation  permits  only  a  small 
peii'entage  of  emigrants  to  America  t<i  actually  leave  Europe, 

(iermany  has  been  cited  as  one  of  tlie  countries  ready  to  i»r(!vide  2,(XK),000 
emigrants,  chiefly  .Tewish,  but   .Tewisli   leaders  here  ca.ll   attention  to  the  fact 


38  K.MKIUiKXrV    IM.MKiHATloX    J  EGISI.ATIOX. 

rliat  tho  totiil  Jewish  ixtpuhition  nf  ili.-  world  is  ciiily  iihout  112,."»(M>,(>iK),  iiicliulinK 
rlioso  ;iln':i»l.v  in  tlit>  riiitod  Slates. 

In  s(»  far  as  Austria,  Hungary,  and  Serbia  are  coneerned,  inunigration  ofti- 
cials  lierc  say  tliat  it  would  be  sale  to  say  that  praftically  the  entire  )toiiulations 
"  lire  anxious  to  K<>  to  America  or  anywhere  else  whore  tliey  could  get  food, 
Init  they  will  not  be  able  to  get  out  of  Ii^urope  for  many  years  to  come." 

The  i'aris  police  assert  there  are  at  least  150,fX)0  foreigners  now  In  this  city 
who  had  intended  to  go  to  America,  but  are  unable  to  find  the  neeessary  funds, 
oi-  else  have  been  rejected  by  the  eujbarkation  inspectors, 

MoltK   lllUroNS  (,()IN(;    HOMh:   FUOM     I'M  III)   STATKS   THAN    AKK   CO-MIXt.    W  KSTU  AK1>. 

Nkw  VoiiK  Hkkai.d  I*>Liu;Ar. 

IjOVilon,  .ftiiinarji  2. 

There  is  no  arciii  iiuuinii  tide  troiii  llir  Uritisli  isles  striving  to  reach  the 
United  States.  Altlmugli  the  last  otlicial  iigures  lor  the  nine  months  e:iding 
September  oO,  lUi'O,  give  1(»4,441  eiiiigraiits,  of  whom  (55,252  were  Rritish,  sail- 
ing for  the  I'nited  States,  there  was  during  this  ))eriod  a  return  immigration 
into  the  British  isles  of  9(),530. 

Since  then  reports  from  American  consuls  indicate  there  has  b> en  a  further 
heavy  falling  oft"  of  applications  for  passports.  Meanwhile  steamship  companies 
are  held  up  for  steerac'e  acconmiodatloiis.  bur  this  is  due  largely  to  liu.ssian, 
F'olish,  and  IJaltic  .lews  and  for  Scaiidinnviaii  i)assengers  tlirough  England 
from  northern  Europe. 

While  no  figures  are  available  regarding-  these  transients,  it  is  estimated  there 
are  several  hundred  tliousand  of  them.  Although  British  ports  are  thus  sharing 
the  pressure  wiiidi  is  l)eing  placed  on  Antwerp  and  Amsterdam  by  tliese  refu- 
gees from  Bolshevism  and  starvation,  the  .solid,  industrious  English-speaking 
iiterntes,  who  oftentimes  are  skilled  workers  of  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland, 
are  not  leaving  home.  Excepting  the  Irish  and  to  a  lesser  degree  the  Scotch, 
they  have  never  been  emigrants:  and  it  was  with  a  distinct  shock  that  the 
House  of  Couunons  rect-ntly  heard  Premier  Lloyd-George  say  that  the  economic 
situation,  with  more  than  a  million  workers  in  excess  of  what  there  were  before 
the  war,  might  necessitate  emigration.  However,  the  premier  was  careful  to 
specify  that  it  would  be  emigration  with  the  Empire,  and  thus  the  workers 
would  not  be  lost  to  Great  Britain. 

Tlie  reduction  in  the  number  of  British  applications  for  passports  reported 
this  autunm  and  winter  is  regarded  as  strictly  seasonal.  The  coal  strike 
marked  the  beginning  of  hard  times  and  to-day  thousands  of  able-bodied  men 
are  parading  the  streets  of  London  demanding  work.  Labor  authorities  esti- 
mate that  more  than  a  million  and  a  half  persons  are  absolutely  out  of  work 
and  that  5,0(»0,000  workers  are  working  on  reduced  time  in  England  to-day. 

American  machinvm  a  favtor. — Aside  from  the  real  falling  oft'  of  business, 
there  are  two  reasons  for  the  unemployment  here.  The  million  more  workers 
than  in  1913,  of  wliom  Premier  Lloyd  George  si)oke,  typities  the  slackness  that 
has  come  aftcsr  the  superhuman  efforts  made  during  the  war,  in  which  millions 
of  men  fought  and  during  which  industry  was  carried  on  at  a  pitch  never 
before  known.  The  industrial  pitcli  was  raise<l  by  the  inclusion  among  the 
worlvers  of  women  and  of  persons  who  hitherto  had  belonged  to  the  large  leisure 
middle  class.  Also  it  was  aided  by  the  introduction  of  American  machine-tool 
methods.  Before  the  war  there  were  comparatively  few  factories  in  England 
with  machine  tools,  hotised  in  modem  )>uildings,  and  employing  efllcient  meth- 
ods. England's  gi-eatness  in  manufacturing,  and  particularly  in  the  small  plants 
manufacturing  textiles  and  the  engineering  trailes,  rested  on  faithful,  [ilodding, 
underpaid  British  labor.  The  laws  permitted  free  importations,  manufacture 
was  clieap,  and  the  product  of  this  manufacture  was  distiibutetl  and  sold 
throughout  tlu;  world  by  a  banking  and  .sliipping  system  founded  on  generations 
of  special  training. 

This  was  the  industrial  elTiciency  Germany  began  to  challenge  successfully  in 
3913.  To-day  hardly  a  stone  of  that  prewar  industrial  edifice  is  intact,  but 
unemployment  has  resultetl,  and  to-day  out-of-^vork  doles  from  the  imperial 
treasury,  the  subsidization  of  unemployment  insurance,  and  direct  dealings 
between  the  Government  and  the  coal  and  other  strikes  are  accepted  as  a 
matter  of  course. 

Meanwhile  the  Germans,  with  their  low  prices  and  depreciated  currency,  are 
winiung  temporary  victories  over  the  British  in  machinery  and  electrical  mar- 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  39 

kets  and  are  making  headway  in  Russia  in  tlmt  world's  next  great  Eldorado 
for  traveling  salesmen. 

And  if  Germany  can  not  keep  up  this  competition  there  is  a  new  factor  in 
the  world's  markets.  It  is  a  tall,  gaunt  figure,  with  unending  natural  resources 
and  a  wealth  not  essentially  impaired.  He  is  commencing  to  catch  up  with  his 
domestic  demands,  and  has  a  huge  ne^^■  fleet  of  merchant  ships  to  play  with. 
That  is  the  intelligent  Briton's  view  of  "  ITncle  Samuel."  They  recognize  him 
as  a  rival,  and  there  is  not  the  slightest  disposition,  either  among  statesmen  or 
prospective  emigrants,  to  help  him  with  British  brawn  to  rival  the  homeland. 

Ireland  would  aid  Uncle  Sain.—The  one  exception  is  Ireland.  They  would  be 
glad  to  help  "Uncle  Sam,"  but  .iust  now  they  are  supremely  concerned  with 
"  dark  Rosaleen."  Walking  into  tli«'  office  of  F.  J.  Dumont,  American  consul  in 
Dublin,  the  first  thing  that  greets  the  eye  on  the  stair  landing  is  a  bilingual 
proclamation  informing  all  Irishmen  that  they  can  not  leave  Ireland  without 
obtaining  the  approval  of  the  minister  of  the  interior  of  the  "  Irish  Republic." 
It  is  signed  by  the  Dail  Eireann.  Mr.  Dumont  said  he  had  never  seen  it  and 
never  would. 

"  It  is  off  my  part  of  the  hall,"  he  said. 

Mr.  Dumont  lives  in  the  worst  n<»  man's  land  in  Europe  to-day,  in  Sackville 
Street,  Dublin.  ,    .      ,      r„x. 

But  that  little  proclamation  has  kept  thousands  of  Irishmen  in  Ireland.  The 
Sinn  Fein  believes  that  England  hysterically  conspires  to  encourage  Irish  emi- 
gration to  make  Ireland  a  vast  cattle  ranch,  and  would  let  the  Irish  go  wiiere 
they  can.  The  Sinn  Fein  plans  include  the  development  of  small  agricultural 
holdings  first  and  then  the  development  of  industrialism  in  order  to  support  a 
population  of  8,000,000,  which  Ireland  had  a  hundred  years  ago,  instead  of 
4,500,000,  which  she  has  to-day. 

Lately,  however,  there  has  been  a  heavy  increase  in  the  number  of  male 
emigrants  as  compared  with  women. 

There  is  little  appreciable  change  in  Scotch  emigration,  which  is  running,  as 
usual,  about  15,000  a  year,  representing  the  best  type  of  skilled  laborers,  ship 
builders,  domestic  servants,  and  housewives.  Glasgow,  Scotland's  largest  port, 
has  few  refusals  of  passport  applications.  In  Birmingham  and  Livei-pool,  repre- 
senting the  Midland  manufacturing  district,  where  the  depression  due  to  unem- 
ployment and  loss  of  savings  has  been  great,  emigration  has  shown  an  increase. 

Reports  from  Wales  indicate  the  same  effects  there  as  a  result  of  the  reduc- 
tion in  mining,  although  Cardiff  shows  a  heavy  proportion  of  non-British  appli- 
cations for  passports,  these  applicants  being  seamen  of  nationality  other  than 
British. 

There  is  one  element  which  is  probably  working  strongly  against  British 
emigration  to  the  United  States,  and  that  is  prohibition. 

Persons  here  coming  in  contact  with  prospective  emigrants  report  that  many 
of  them  will  go  to  Canada  and  Australia  because  of  their  inability  to  get  their 
accustomed  beer  and  spirits  in  the  United  States. 

IMMIGRATION    FLOOD   REPORT    IS    EXPLODED — GEX.    DV   PONT    SAYS    TALK    OF    MILLIONS 
COMING  TO  L'NITED  STATES  IS  WITHOUT  FOUNDATION. 

In  Statements  issued  yesterday  by  T.  Coleman  du  Pont,  chairman  of  the  board 
of  directors  of  the  Inter-Racial  Council,  and  by  Miss  Frances  A.  Kellor,  vice 
chairman,  the  proposed  legislation  restricting  temporarily  the  flow  of  immi- 
gration to  this  country  is  criticized.  Gen.  du  Pont  maintains  the  bill  that  passed 
the  House  and  is  now  before  the  Senate  "  fails  to  apply  scientific  principles  to 
immigration,"  barring  for  a  year  or  more  able-bodied  laborers  who  will  be  needed 
by  the  country's  incfustries  as  soon  as  there  is  a  recovery  from  the  present 
slump,  but  at  the  same  time  admitting  thousands  of  dependent  relatives  of 
aliens  already  here. 

He  says  an  adequate  staff  enforcing  the  present  restrictions  would  remove  the 
dangers  of  ultraradicals  getting  into  the  country  without  enacting  further  legis- 
lation. If  the  present  laws  excluding  applicants  on  mental,  moral,  physical, 
political,  economic,  industrial,  and  educational  grounds  are  not  enforced  fully, 
what  benefit  will  further  laws  be?  he  asks. 

The  Italian  Government,  in  view  of  the  proposed  legislation,  is  sounding  the 
State  Department  with  a  proposal  voluntarily  to  withhold  vis§s  from  the  pass- 
ports of  Italians  intending  to  emigrate  to  America,  according  to  Miss  Kellor, 
and  at  the  same  time  is  making  treaties  to  direct  its  emigration  to  Brazil  and 
other  countries,  where  it  feels  its  nationals  will  be  more  cordially  received. 


40  EMERGENCY   IMMKJRATION   LECJISLATION. 

Geii.  l)u  Tout  .sta(i>s  tliat  lalk  of  Ironi  ir),0(),O,()00  to  25,000,000  linmi},'rjintK  for 
tliis  fount ry  in  the  next  few  years  is  witiioiit  foiiiMlatioii.  If  would  tai<e  eif?ht 
and  a  half  years  to  transport  l.l.OtKKOOO  he  said,  even  if  Kuro|)ean  coiuitrio.s 
were  willing  to  spare  that  much  of  their  man  power,  which  they  are  not.  Inuni- 
gration  records  for  1020  have  not  l)oi-ne  out  the  predictions  made  hy  l^ahor  De- 
partment ollicials,  he  s-aid,  and  in  the  loose  talk  of  millions  wauling  to  come 
here  little  attention  is  given  to  repoi-ting  the  thousands  who  go  hack  every  year. 
He  continued  : 

"A  campaign  of  insull  and  hostility  to  the  foreign  horn  is  under  way.  and  it 
is  making  Americanization  etfort  almost  futile.  It  is  doing  more  tn  stir  up 
imrest  among  the  foreign  horn  than  any  other  factor.  The  foreign  Ixjimi  do  not 
realize  that  it  is  only  a  small  section  of  the  native-horn  i)opulation  that  is 
raising  this  cry  against  the  'foreigner'  and  everything  foreign.  They  hear 
themselves  in  puhlic  meetings  accused  of  all  the  evils,  and  they  read  that  they 
are  the  cause  of  all  the  troubles  that  beset  the  country.  It  is  time  that  calmer 
counsel  prevailed.  If  we  must  discuss  immigration  and  the  foreign  l)orn,  then 
let  us  discuss  them  dispassionately  and  without  attacking  a  lai'ge  number  of 
our  own  people  who  were  born  abroad  oi-  whose  i)arents  were  immigrants. 

"The  interracial  council  is  not  oi)posed  to  limiting  tlH>  vohnne  of  emigration 
to  America  if,  after  a  conscientious  and  liberal  minded  investigation,  that  step 
is  found  to  he  in  keeping  with  the  best  interest  of  the  nation. 

"  Such  an  investigation  sliould  be  instituted  at  once  and  carried  out  under 
the  direction  of  a  nonpartisan  commission  which  will  look  over  the  field  botii  in 
America  and  in  Europe,  studying  the  subject  from  all  of  its  angles,  scientifi- 
cally, with  a  view  to  evolving  constructive  policies.  Immigration  is  too  im- 
portant a  subject  to  permit  of  our  rushing  pell-mell  into  a  program  of  restric- 
tion without  proper  consideration  of  the  consequences  of  our  legislation. 

"The  council  recommends  principles  of  legi.slation  which  will  consider  selec- 
tive immigration  as  one  important  aspect,  and  yet  but  a  single  aspect,  of  immi- 
gration. It  suggests  legislation  that  will  provide  for  the  effective  distribution 
of  immigrants,  an  intelligent  policy  of  assimilation,  the  establishment  of  ))roper 
facilities  for  those  entitled  to  naturalization,  who  in  large  number  find  very 
great  difficulty  in  securing  the  privilege  they  have  earnestly  earned.  All  these 
should  be  integral  parts  of  a  single  policy. 

"  We  can  not  continue  to  interpiet  immigration  in  terms  of  prejudice  and 
intolerance.  It  is  a  question  for  patient  study  and  investigation,  for  it  is 
clo.sely  bound  up  not  only  with  our  industrial  prosperity  hut  with  our  civic  and 
social  development  as  well." 

The  Chairman.  Senator  Fletcher  has  a  statement  to  make. 

Senator  Flktchior.  Mr.  Chairman,  may  I  state  that  Mr.  G.  S. 
Fletcher  appears  for  the  Florida  East  Coast  Growers'  Association, 
and  I  have  a  tele^jraTn  from  the  Florida  East  Coast  Growers'  Asso- 
ciation (Inc.)  as  follows: 

Our  Mr.  G.  S.  Fletcher  left  to-day  for  ^\'ashingtoll.  \\\]\  arrive  Sunday 
morning,  registering  Hotel  Raleigh.  He  h;is  stuiction  from  .Miami  Cliamher 
of  Commerce,  Rotary  Club,  and  growei'S  of  lower  east  coast  of  Florida  to  extend 
his  best  efforts  in  securing  amendment  to  inunigrati(»n  lull  now  before  the 
Senate  relative  to  Bahama  lal)or  being  admitted.  Your  assistance  to  Mr. 
Fletcher  will  be  liighly  appreciated. 

I  will  ask  to  file  that  teleo;ram  with  the  se^'retary  of  this  com- 
mittee, Mr.  Chairman. 

And  then  I  woidd  call  the  attention  of  the  committee  to  an  amend- 
ment which  I  offer  to  the  hill,  referrinoj  to  the  Bahama  Islands: 

On  page  9,  line  1.  after  the  woi-d  "Cuba,"  insert  the  following:  "Bahama 
Islands." 

I  will  fih'  this  proposed  amendment  with  the  committee. 

Xow,  Mr.  Fletcher  desires  to  l)e  heard  on  this  subject,  oentlemen. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  41 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  G.  S.  FLETCHER,  MIAMI  CHAMBER  OF 

COMMERCE,  MIAMI,  FLA.  ^ 

'  Mr.  Fletcher.  Mr.  Chairman,  we  have  a  very  peculiar  situation  I 
on  the  east  coast  of  Florida,  a  situation  which  I  think  is  not  paral-  ' 
leled  anywhere  in  the  United  States. 

The  CHAiLiarAX.  Mr.  Fletcher,  the  Johnson  bill  calls  for  the  tem- 
porary suspension  of  immigration. 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  I  understand  that  you  oppose  it  in  its  present 
form;  that  is,  you  oppose  the  Johnson  bill? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  And  therefore  you  will  give  your  reasons  for  op- 
posing the  bill  in  its  present  form  ? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes,  sir.  And  our  reasons  are  as  follows  :  The  first 
crop  of  vegetables  on  the  east  coast  of  Florida  was  put  in  approxi- 
mately 25  years  ago.  and  it  was  grown  by  the  labor  from  the  Bahama 
Islands,  and  the  last  crop  was  grown  and  harvested  by  the  same 
labor  from  the  Bahama  Islands.  It  takes  approximately  six  months 
to  grow  and  harvest  this  vegetable  crop,  commencing  the  first  of  De- 
cember and  finishing  the  first  of  May,  and  it  is  utterly  impossible 
for  us  to  get  any  other  class  of  labor  to  do  this  work  than  the  Bahama 
Island  laborers. 

NoAv.  they  get  over  there  in  the  Bahama  Islands  about  75  cents  a 
day  for  their  work.  We  ])ay  them  $2.50  to  $H  a  day.  They  come  over 
to  Florida  and  work  for  us  for  six  months  and  make  more  money 
during  that  six  months  than  they  make  in  the  Bahama  Islands  dur- 
ing a  whole  year,  and  the  1st  of  May,  when  their  work  here  is  fin- 
ished, 99  per  cent  of  them  go  back.  They  would  not  stay  here;  they 
go  back  home.  Hence  we  can  not  get  labor  from  any  other  section  of 
the  country  to  come  there  for  just  the  six  months — that  is.  the  spring 
of  the  year — when  the  laborers  in  the  different  sections  of  the  coun- 
try are  preparing  their  own  little  farms.  Their  expenses  in  coming 
down  there  and  staying  for  just  those  six  months  would  be  approxi- 
mately $200.  Hence  they  have  never  come,  and  the  labor  from  the 
Bahama  Islands  does  not  come  in  competition  with  any  other  labor. 
In  fact,  if  we  shoidd  fail  to  get  this  labor  from  the  Bahama  I.slands 
the  vegetable  business  will  go  out  of  business.  It  is  utterly  impos- 
sible for  us  to  get  any  other  labor  to  come  down  there  and  do  this 
work.  We  have  tried  it.  When  Ave  ha\'e  tried  to  get  other  labor  they 
said.  "  We  can  not  come  doAvn  and  Avork  for  six  months."  Xoav.  these 
islands  being  only  1-iO  to  150  miles  from  Miami,  furnish  us  all  the  / 
labor  that  Ave  want,  and  this  arrangement  is  satisfactory  to  them  and  / 
satisfactory  to  us.  ^ 

NoAv.  I  have  been  in  the  business  there  for  11  or  12  years,  and  I 
have  never  heard  of  anyone  of  them  causing  any  trouble.  They  are 
law-abiding  people.  The}'  do  not  sympathize  with  the  unions.  There 
are  no  radicals  among  them. 

Now.  I  wish  to  say.  Mr.  Chairman,  that  Avithout  these  laborers,  the^ 
farmers,  the  bankers,  and  the  merchants  Avill  suffer  the  loss  of  millions  I 
of  dollars.  /^ 


42  EMERGHNCV    1  MM  Kil'.ATlOX    l.E(MSLATIOX. 

Senator  Dilli>;(;ham.  Let  Jiie  ask  you  this  question?  What  is  the 
extent  of  that  gardening  iniUistry? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Why,  we  liave,  sir,  about  12,000  acres,  and  we  have 
to  have  anywhere  from  4,000  to  6,000  of  these  laborers  from  the  Ba- 
hama Ishmds  to  carry  on  this  work. 

Senator  Joiixson.  That  is  the  total  acreage  of  j^our  State  devoted 
to  that  i 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes;  on  the  east  coast  of  Florida,  in  the  three 
counties  of  I'alm  Beach,  Brevard,  and  Dade. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  j^ou  have  how  many  men  coming  there 
from  the  Bahama  Islands? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  About  5,000  to  6,000.  It  will  average  that.  But  I 
would  like  to  impress  this  fact  upon  you,  that  it  is  utterly  im])ossible 
I  to  get  any  other  laborers  to  do  this  class  of  work. 

The  Chairman.  What  nationality  are  they? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  They  are  British  subjects.  And  their  labor  comes 
in  competition  with  other  labor,  and  without  their  labor  this  business 
can  not  exist. 

Senator  Fletcher.  Will  a^ou  explain,  Mr.  Fletcher,  the  nature  of 
that  business,  please? 

Mr.  Fi^TCHER.  Yes,  sir.  Xow,  this  could  be  classed  as  expert  labor 
for  the  simple  reason  that  it  takes  men  who  have  had  years  of  experi- 
ence in  planting,  cultivating,  and  harvesting  this  crop  to  do  this  work, 
and  particular!}'  to  harvest  the  crops  so  that  they  are  fit  for  the 
market.  For  instance,  after  we  have  spent  thousands  and  thousands 
of  dollars  to  make  a  crop,  then  if  that  crop  is  not  harvested  properly, 
it  is  a  loss.  Those  fruits  can  only  be  picked  and  are  only  marketable 
at  a  certain  stage.  And  this  labor  from  the  Bahama  Islands  knows 
at  a  glance  when  the  tomato  is  read}'^  to  be  picked. 

Consequently  it  is  expert  labor  in  that  line.  It  would  be  impos- 
sible to  take  a  laborer  who  had  never  worked  in  that  business  down 
there  and  have  him  put  to  work  at  harvesting  a  crop.  If  such  a 
thing  were  done,  it  would  mean  that  the  crop  would  be  lost,  that  the 
man  who  grew  it  would  suffer  loss  by  reason  of  the  lack  of  expe- 
rience of  the  laborer  who  was  not  an  expert  in  that  particular  line. 

Senator  Dillingham.  These  men  are  all  Negroes  who  come  from 
the  Bahama  Islands? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes;  they  are  all  Negroes.  And  they  come  without 
their  families.  We  call  them  Nassau  Negroes.  I  have  never  seen 
two  dozen  Nassau  women  on  the  east  coast  of  Florida,  and  that  is 
for  this  reason,  that  they  leave  their  women  home. 

Senator  Johnson.  How  do  you  get  them  there  ? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  They  come  across  from  the  Bahama  Islands  to  the 
east  coast  of  Florida  themselves. 

Senator  Johnson.  AVithout  any  solicitation? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes ;  and  they  have  been  coming  here  for  25  years. 

Senator  Johnson.  Isn't  there  any  means  of  contracting  with 
them? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  No,  sir:  we  do  not  contract  with  them.  They 
come  across  themselves. 

Senator  Johnson.  Don't  you  deal  with  any  particular  individual 
that  farms  them  out? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  No,  sir;  they  come  across  on  the  boats  of  them- 
selves. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  43 

Senator  Johnson.  That  is,  from  4,000  to  6,000  of  them  come  across 
of  their  own  accord? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes,  sir ;  they  come  across  of  their  own  accord. 

Senator  Johnson,  and  when  thoy  come  across  they  are  taken  up 
on  those  farms  ? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes;  and  a  man  that  has  been  coming  for  years 
and  years — say  he  has  been  coming  across  for  10  years — why,  he  will . 
bring  other  men  with  him,  and  so  they  know  where  to  go  to  get  this 
work. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  your  dealings  are  with  them  individually 
and  not  with  somebody  that  takes  care  of  bringing  them  over? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes.  sir;  our  dealings  are  with  them  individually. 
In  other  words,  we  are  not  allowed  to  deal  with  them  in  any  other 
way;  we  deal  with  them  individually. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Haven't  you  plenty  of  colored  laborers  in 
Florida  to  do  this  work? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  No,  sir;  less  than  1  per  cent  of  our  labor  is  what 
we  call  American  labor. 

Senator  Nugent.  These  laborers  that  you  are  speaking  of  come 
over  from  the  Bahama  Islands  on  steamships? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes,  sir;  on  steamboats. 

Senator  Nugent.  Do  the  steamship  companies  do  anything,  to  your 
knowledge,  to  induce  these  people  to  come  ? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  No,  sir;  the}'  do  not.  These  Bahama  Island  la- 
borers have  been  coming  here  for  25  years,  and  they  look  forward 
to  the  time  when  they  are  going  to  come  over  here  to  engage  in  the 
work  of  harvesting  these  crops. 

Senator  Dillingham.  "What  other  crops  than  tomatoes  do  you 
raise  ? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Well,  that  is  the  principal  crop.  I  will  say  that 
out  of  the  12,000  acres  there  will  be  11,000  acres  that  are  in  tomatoes. 
The  rest  is  in  eggplant,  beans,  and  so  forth,  but  that  is  a  compara- 
tively small  amount. 

The  Chairman.  You  stated,  Mr.  Fletcher,  and  perhaps  Senator 
Nugent  did  not  hear  your  statement,  the  difference  in  the  wages  that 
were  paid  them  here  over  what  they  get  at  home.  Will  you  repeat 
that  statement  of  the  wages  they  get  in  Florida  as  compared  with  the 
wages  they  get  at  home  ? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  They  get  75  cents  a  day  at  home,  and  here  we  pay 
them  from  $2.50  to  $3  a  day  for  their  work. 

Senator  Nugent.  There  is,  however,  a  corresponding  increase  in 
the  cost  of  living,  I  suppose  ? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  How  long  do  they  remain  here? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Thej^  always  go  back  home  about  the  1st  of  May. 
The  crops  are  picked  by  that  time,  and  then  they  leave  for  home. 

The  Chairman.  They  remain  from  three  to  six  months? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Yes,  sir;  from  three  to  six  months. 

The  Chairman.  Do  any  percentage  of  tliem  remain  permanently  ? 

Mr.  Fletcher.  Not  more  than  1  per  cent. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  all,  thank  you. 

Senator  Fletcher.  Mr.  Chairman,  there  is  a  delegation  from 
Tampa  here  that  wishes  to  be  heard  on  the  subject  of  modification 


44  EMERGENCY    IMAIIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

of  this  bill  so  as  to  except  Cuba  from  it.  We  ought  to  permit  Cuban 
labor  to  come  in  for  the  reason  that  Cuban  labor  is  needed  in  the 
ci<2:ar  manufacturing  industry.  And  these  gentlemen  are  here  repre- 
senting that  industry,  and  I  will  not  endeavor  to  make  a  statement 
for  them,  but  will  let  them  go  into  the  facts. 

In  addition  to  Avhat  the  gentlemen  Avill  have  to  say,  T  would  like 
to  say  that  I  have  received  a  few  telegrams  from  citizens  in  Florida 
who  can  not  be  here  at  this  time,  and  I  have  also  a  set  of  resolutions 
passed  by  the  Rotary  Club  of  the  city  of  Miami.  If  there  is  no  ob- 
jection, Mr.  Chairman,  I  would  like  to  have  the  telegrams,  as  well 
as  the  resolutions  of  the  Rotary  Club  of  Miami,  placed  in  the  record, 
the  resolutions  of  the  Rotary  Club  being  particularly  in  connection 
with  the  statement  of  Mr.  Fletcher,  and  these  telegrams  l)eing  in 
connection  with  the  statements  of  the  delegation  from  Tampa. 

(The  telegrams,  as  well  as  the  resolutions  presented  by  Senator. 
Fletcher,  are  here  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

.fAf  KSONVILLK,    Fl.A.,    .1(1111(011/    ,?.     Iil21. 

Senator  Duncan  U.  Fletcher. 

Utiited  States  Seriate.  Washington,  D.  C: 
The  imniijiration  bill  now  before  tlie  Senate,  if  jiassed  witliont  aniendnient, 
will  do  great  damaj,'e  to  the  cisar  industry  of  Florida.  Many  factories  at 
Tampa,  Key  West,  Miami,  St.  Augustine,  and  .Jacksonville  will  be  unable  to 
continue  operations  if  the  supply  of  skilled  labor  they  usually  draw  fi-oni  Cuba 
is  stopped.  Cuba  is  the  only  source  from  which  this  labor  can  be  obtained, 
and  alien  skilled  labor  entering  from  Cuba  do  not  come  into  competition  with 
unemployed  American  laboi'ers.  Several  thousand  .skilled  toliacco  workers  who 
normally  work  in  Florida  factories  are  now  in  Cuba  temporarily  on  account  of 
a  strike  existing  in  factories  at  Tampa  since  April.  These  workers  will  return 
soon  as  strike  is  ended,  which  may  not  be  for  some  months.  It  is  vital  to  the 
industry  that  residents  of  Cuba  engaged  in  tobacco  trade  be  exemi)t  from 
operation  of  law.  » 

Geo.  W.  Hakdee. 

Harry  B.  Hoyt. 


.Jacksonville.   Fi.a..  .J((iii((irii  J.   li>2J. 
Senator  Duncan  U.  I^'uetcher. 

Senate  Office  Building,  W'ashinf/toii,  D.  V.: 
We  note  from  Associated  Press  you  favor  an*  amendment  to  pending  inmii- 
gration  bill  permitting  immigrants  from  Cuba  and  near-by  islands,  and  we  con- 
sider it  of  highest  importance  to  Florida  industries  that  boiui  fide  residents  of 
such  neighboring  islands  be  not  includtd  in  Ibe  iir()iM>sed  strict  iiniilations  on 
immigrants. 

A.  W.  COCKREL,  Jr.. 
J'rcsitlcnt  .liichsi^iiville  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
Frank  C.  Groovkk. 
I'rcxideiit  JiK-kximriUe  Rotanj  Clidi. 


.Jacksonville,  Fi.a.,  ■/aiiKari/  .2.  I'.riJ. 
Senator  Duncan  I'.  Fletcher. 

Senate  Office  Iliiihlinn.    \\'((shiiigti))i.   /).   ('.: 
In  my  opinion  it  wouid  b(»  great  benefit  to  the  fruit  Jiiid  truck  growers  of  the 
east  coast  and  to  the  cigar  industry  in  Key  West.  Tamjia.  and  .Jacksonville  to 
have  l)ona-tide  residents  of  Cul>a  and  Hahamas  exempted  from  pending  immi- 
gration bill,  and  I  hope  you  will  fnicceed  in  your  fight  on  that  line. 

.\RTnru  T.  Wn.i.LVMs. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATIO^ST   LEGISLATION.  45 

Jacksonville,  Fla.,  January  2,  1921. 
Senator  Duncan  U.  Pletchp;r. 

Senate  Office  BniUlivg,  Washiiif/ton,  D.  C: 
Our  people  here  seem  very  nnich  opposed  to  passage  of  proposed  iinmigration 
bill.  The  cigar  industry  of  this  State  would  be  severely  crippled  by  such 
legislation,  in  addition  to  our  general  objection  to  the  bill.  I  believe  you  will 
do  us  a  big  local  service  if  you  will  oppose  bill.  Please  advise  nie  your  con- 
clusions. 

Aethur  Y.  Milan, 
President  Jacksonville  Kiwanis  Club. 


Miami,  Fla.,  December  31,  1920. 
Hon.  Duncan  U.  Fletcher, 

Washington,  D.  C: 
Our  Mr.  G.  S.  Fletcher  left  to-day  for  Washington.  Will  arrive  Sunday 
morning,  registering  Hotel  Raleigh.  He  has  sanction  from  Miami  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  Rotary  Club,  and  growers  of  lower  east  coast  of  Florida  to  extend 
his  best  efforts  in  securing  amendment  to  immigration  bill  now  pending  before 
the  Senate  relative  to  Bahama  labor  being  admitted.  Your  assistance  to  Mr, 
Fletcher  will  .be  highly  appreciated. 

Florida  East  Coast  Growers"  Association  (Inc.) 


Resolution  of  the  Rotary  Club  of  the  city  of  IMiami  with  reference  to  Hou.se 
of  Representatives  bill  No.  14401,  entitled  "An  act  to  provide  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  citizens  of  the  I'nited  States  by  the  temporary  suspension  of 
immigration,  and  for  other  purposes." 

Whereas  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  has  passed  bill 
No.  144G1,  the  effect  of  which,  if  passed,  will  prevent,  GO  days  after  its  passage 
and  for  a  period  of  one  year,  any  aliens  from  coming  into  the  United  States, 
Avhich  l)ill  is  now  pending  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States ;  and 

AVhereas  there  have  been  engaged  in  Dade  County,  Fla.,  as  common  laborers 
upon  our  farms,  groves,  and  in  city  work  during  the  last  two  years  an  average 
of  5,000  colored  natives  of  the  Rahama  Islands,  an  English  possession;  and 

Whereas  owing  to  the  lack  of  other  common  laborers  the  prosperity  and 
progress  of  the  city  of  Miami  and  of  Dade  County  depends  and  will  eiepend 
to  a  large  extent  upon  the  labor  performed  by  the  feaid  natives  of  the  Bahama 
Islands ;  and 

AVhereas  the  marvelous  growth  of  this  city  and  county  are  such  as  to  make 
it  practically  certain  that  the  labor  of  Bahanra  natives  will  be  in  greater 
demand  each  year  from  this  time  forward;  and 

Whereas  these  common  laborers  in  large  numbers  return  each  year  to  their 
homes  in  the  Bahama  Islands  after  the  cropping  season  in  Florida  anvl  come 
again  to  this  State  for  the  following  season's  cropping;  and 

Whereas  because  they  are  not  American  <>itizens  said  natives  of  the  Bahama 
Islands  after  returning  to  their  homes  will  be  unable  to  return  to  this  city  and 
county  GO  days  after  the  said  bill  becomes  a  law;  and 

Whereas  should  these  workers  be  i^ermitted  to  enter  the  United  States  they 
would  not  come  in  competition  with  any  ot  tlie  labor  of  the  United  States,  as 
their  places  have  not  been  filled  vid  can  not  be  filled  except  by  the  same  class 
of  conmion  labor,  of  which  there  is  great  deficiency  throughout  the  United 
States;  and 

Whereas  there  is  little,  if  any,  immigration  from  the  Bahanra  Islands  to  the 
United  States,  excopring  comnion  laborers,  to  be  engaged  upon  the  farms, 
groves,  and  public  work  of  this  city  and  <'ounty ;  and 

Whereas  the  intent  and  purpose,  of  the  jiassage  of  an  act  such  as  the  one 
under  contemplation  is  simjily  to  prevent  a  surp'tis  of  labor:  Therefore  be  it 

Rcsolrrcl  hi/  the  Rotary  Club  of  Miami — 

First.  That  if  said  act  is  passed  we  strongly  urge  that  the  Bahama  Islands 
be  excepted  from  its  opeiatiou.  so  that  the  alien  workers  who  have  heretofore 
been  engaged  upon  the  farms,  groves,  and  public  works  of  this  city  and  county 
and  who  are  now  in  the  Bahama  Islands  may  be  able  to  return  to  the  State, 


46  EMERGENCY   IMMIGrATTON   LEGISLATION. 

iiiid  sii  tlial  additional  workers  who  may  desire  to  enter  this  country  to  enjiage- 
in  eonunon  hdior  in  tne  Slate  of  Floriiia  may  do  so.  We  i)eiieve  this  is  neees- 
sary  in  order  that  we  may  meet  the  re<iuireiiients  of  a  comnninity  that  lias  in 
tlie  hist  few  years  attained  wonderful  iwoportions  and  tlie  future  ;;rowth 
of  which  depends  to  a  lar^e  extent  upon  lar^e  incrc'.-ises  of  common  labor  fi-om 
the  r>;ihama    Islands. 

Second.  That  our  Senators  and  our  Kepicsenta fives  in  ('onj;ress  lie  re(pieste(l, 
witli  all  tlie  viiior  and  ability  at  their  eommand,  to  use  their  best  elTorts  to- 
have  the  act  amended  so  as  to  exclude  the  Uahaiira  Islands  from  the  operation 
of  the  propo.sed  act. 

Third.  That  copies  of  these  resolutions  be  sent  to  Senators  Fletcher  and 
Trammell  and  to  our  Kepre.sentatives  in  Congress  and  that  copies  of  the  fore- 
jroinii'  lie  jiiven  to  tlie  press  of  the  city. 

Passed  bv  thi>  Rotary  Club  of  the  city  of  Miami  on  the  30th  dav  of  December^ 
1920. 

John  W.  Clausskn,  Secretary. 

Senator  Fletcher.  ]\Ir.  K.  I.  McKay  is  a  lawj^er  of  Tampa,  and 
he  will  make  a  statement. 


STATEMENT   OF  MR.  K.  I.  McKAY,  ATTORNEY  FOR  THE  CIGAR 
MANUFACTURERS'  ASSOCIATION  OF  TAMPA,  FLA. 

Mr.  McKay.  My  name  is  K.  I.  jSIcKay ;  I  am  attorney  for  the 
Cigar  JNIannfactiirers'  Association  of  Tampa,  Fla.,  and  will  speak 
in  the  interest  of  that  organization.  Mr.  Sparkman  is  the  head  of  a 
delegation  from  the  board  of  trade,  and,  of  course,  the  board  of 
trade  is  interested  generally  in  the  situation,  the  same  as  all  the  citi- 
zens and  all  the  business  interests  of  the  city. 

This  important  question  is  not  on]j  of  interest  to  Tampa,  and  is 
not  only  confined  to  Tampa,  because  there  are  a  number  of  factories 
at  Key  West,  St.  Augustine,  Jacksonville,  and  Miami  that  will  suf- 
fer equally  with  Tampa;  but  Tampa  is  the  principal  place  Avhere 
cigars  are  made,  and  therefore  this  question  is  of  more  importance  to 
us,  perhaps,  than  to  any  other  section  of  the  State. 

I  will  briefly  set  forth  the  importance  and  the  purpose  of  the 
amendment  we  are  going  to  ask  this  committee  to  recommend.  Now, 
in  this  connection  it  is  necessary  to  outline  the  extent  of  the  cigar 
industry  in  Tampa  and  the  number  of  men  we  require  in  this  work,, 
and  the  conditions  that  exist  at  the  present  time,  and  also  the  im- 
portance of  the  industry  as  a  source  of  revenue  to  the  Government. 

The  industry  has  been  in  existence  in  Tampa  for  35  years.  It  has 
grown  to  a  considerable  size,  and  during  the  last  four  years  has  ex- 
panded very  rapidly.  We  now  have  constantly  employed  in  the 
factories  approximately  15,000  workers  of  all  classes.  We  have 
about  10,000  cigar  makers.  We  have  ftbout  225  wrapper  selectors; 
they  are  the  people  who  classify  the  leaves  and  grade  them  accord- 
ing to  texture  and  shape  and  size — that  is,  the  leaves  that  go  onto  the 
cigars. 

There  are  about  500  packers  who  grade  the  cigars  after  they  are 
made,  according  to  color.  They  pile  them  up  into  about  IGO  differ- 
ent colors,  and  they  grade  those  cigars  and  put  them  in  jMickages  in 
the  boxes  so  they  will  present  a  beautiful  and  uniform  appearance 
when  they  are  placed  on  the  market. 


EMEEGEXCY   IMMIGEATIOX   LEGISLATION.  47 

In  adition,  there  are  certain  skilled  laborers  who  blend  the  tobacco, 
who  take  the  tobacco  grown  in  one  field  or  plantation  and  blend  it 
with  that  from  other  fields  or  crops,  in  order  to  produce  a  good  burn 
and  flavor.  They  are  the  chefs  of  the  industry.  There  are  also 
wetters  and  dryers,  who  are  experts  in  their  trades,  and  there  are 
in  addition  from  3,000  to  3,500  strippers,  banders  and  clerks  or  mis- 
cellaneous employees,  who  are  really  skilled  laborers,  but  not  so  highly 
skilled  as  the  others.  This  latter  class  of  labor  can  be  supplied  locally. 
The  stripping  and  banding  is  largely  done  by  women,  and  it  does 
not  take  such  a  long  time  for  them  to  learn  their  trades. 

But  the  cigar-making  trade,  by  the  Spanish  hand  method,  which 
is  emploj'ed  m  the  factories  in  Tampa,  is  something  that  has  to  be 
learned  hj  these  people  in  their  youth,  while  their  fingers  are  sup- 
ple and  before  their  hands  have  been  twisted  or  hardened  by  manual 
labor. 

The  Chairman.  Do  they  come  in  competition  with  American 
skilled  labor? 

Mr.  jSIcKay.  They  do  not  come  in  competition  with  American 
skilled  labor,  because  the  cigar  factories  in  the  North,  I  suppose  to 
the  extent  of  about  95  per  cent,  make  their  cigars  by  the  suc- 
tion-table method ;  the  wrappers  are  cut  out  and  they  are  spread  out 
on  a  little  table  that  has  an  air  suction  underneath  that  extends  them. 
The  fillers  are  made  in  molds,  and  the  girls  roll  them  out.  Now, 
that  method  of  making  cigars  will  not  do  in  our  high-class  industry. 
That  method  will  not  do  in  making  cigars  as  we  make  our  cigars. 

There  are  in  Tampa  normally  about  30,000  people  who  are  em- 
ploj^ed  in  the  cigar  industr}^,  or  dependent  upon  those  who  are  en- 
gaged in  that  industry;  that  is,  the  workers  and  their  families. 
About  15,000  of  them  are  customarily  employed  in  the  factories. 
And  of  that  15,000  I  would  say  that  approximately  20  per  cent  are 
Italians,  about  20  per  cent  are  Spanish,  about  55  per  cent  are  Cubans, 
or  of  Italian,  Spanish,  or  Cuban  parentage,  and  the  other  5  per  cent 
are  Americans  and  other  nationalities  who  have  learned  the  trade. 
That  indicates  that  the  trade  is  not  popular  Avith  the  average  Amer- 
ican workman,  because  it  is  a  sedentary  occupation,  and  such  an 
occupation  does  not  appeal  to  the  average  laborer  that  has  been 
raised  in  this  country,  who  would  rather  follow  an  occupation  that 
takes  him  out  in  the  open,  if  he  is  going  to  be  a  laborer. 

Now,  a  large  percentage  of  these  people  learned  this  trade  in  Cuba, 
"where  it  originated,  and  it  has  been  the  custom  since  1885.  when  the 
industry  was  founded  in  Tampa,  for  these  peoj^le  to  go  back  and  forth 
between  Tampa  and  Cuba.  They  will,come  to  Tampa  and  work  there 
for  a  while,  and  then  they  will  go  back  to  Cuba  for  a  while,  and  per- 
haps work  in  Havana,  and  go  l)ack  and  forth.  That  is  caused  by  the 
changing  conditions  in  the  trade,  by  the  demand  for  labor  in  the 
different  places.  It  is  only  a  30-hour  run  from  Tampa  to  Havana. 
They  have  their  friends  and  their  families  over  in  Cuba,  and  when 
times  are  good  and  monej^  is  plentiful  they  will  go  over  to  Cuba  and 
visit  their  friends.  They  are  temperamental  people.  We  have  got 
to  keep  them  satisfied.  We  get  along  ver}^  well  with  them.  They 
are  law-abiding  as  a  general  thing,  and  we  have  very  little  trouble 


48  EMERGEXCY    l.M.MIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION, 

with  them,  and  if  they  are  treated  with  proper  consideration  they 
make  very  desirable  and  industrious  citizens  in  our  community. 

Now,  the  weekly  pay  roll  in  the  factories  is  approximately  $eiO0,000. 
That  money  is  put  into  circulation  in  our  city  and  is  of  benefit  to  all 
our  business  institutions.  Our  chief  industry  is  the  cigar-making 
industry.  The  welfare  of  the  merchants  and  the  various  other  lines 
of  industr}^  is  largely  dependent  upon  the  continuation  of  the  cigar- 
making  industr}'  in  Tampa. 

Since  1900,  and  up  to  1919,  both  years  inclusive,  the  cigar  industry 
in  Tampa  has  paid  to  the  United  States  Government  $19,'297,323, 
that  being  the  amount  paid  into  the  internal-revenue  otlice  at  Tampa, 
and  the  customhouse  has  produced  $32,496,579,  or  a  total  of 
$51,793,902. 

Our  production  of  cigars  started  in  1900  at  147,848,000  per  annum, 
and  in  1919  our  production  was  422,795,819. 

It  is  the  judgment  of  the  members  of  this  association  that  the  cigar 
industry  in  Tampa  is  going  to  grow,  and  it  is  going  to  require  more 
men,  and  it  is  going  to  pay  more  revenue  to  the  Government,  and  that 
the  Government  can  safely  count  on  $6,000,000  a  year  from  now  on 
as  the  revenue  and  import  duty  paid  at  Tampa. 

We  have  an  unfortunate  situation  there.  About  every  10  years  a 
strike  comes  on.  This  j'ear  in  April — that  is,  in  April  of  1920 — the 
factories  were  working  to  capacity,  the  wages  being  paid  were  the 
highest  ever  paid  in  the  industry,  the  highest  ever  paid  any  place  in 
the  world  where  the  cigar  manufacturing  industry  is  engaged  in 
extensivel}^  the  hours  were  satisfactory;  and  there  was  apparently 
no  reason  for  dissatisfaction  or  disturbance.  However,  the  strike 
was  called,  and  the  sole  demand  was  for  the  "  closed  shop."  They 
made  no  complaint  nor  demand  as  to  the  hours  of  labor,  the  wages, 
or  the  working  conditions.  And  that  strike  has  continued  until  this 
time,  although  the  factories  having  closed  down  at  first  when  they 
were  compelled  to  on  account  of  the  strike  have  opened  their  doors 
and  invited  the  laborers  to  return. 

A  census  was  taken  in  the  week  beginning  the  20th  of  December, 
and  it  was  found  that  3.277  workers  had  actually  returned  to  the 
factories  and  Avere  actually  at  work.  I  should  say  that  these  fac- 
tories remained  closed  until  in  July,  1920,  when  they  were  reopened 
and  offered  employment  to  the  laborers. 

Some  exceptionally  skilled  workers  earn  as  much  as  $100  to  $125 
per  week,  although  the  average  earning  per  worker  is  substantially 
less.  Their  earnings  depend  largely  upon  their  skill  and  diligence. 
They  are  paid,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  hundred  workers,  on  the 
piecework  basis,  and  fix  their  own  hours  of  labor.  They  have  made 
no  complaint  as  to  Avages.  hours  of  labor,  or  working  conditions. 

Xow,  this  demand  for  closed  shop  could  not  be  met  by  the  manu- 
facturers for  very  obvious  reasons,  and  the  stand  of  the  manufac- 
turers was  approved  by  the  board  of  trade,  by  the  Rotary  Club,  and 
other  civic  and  business  organizations  of  the  city,  and  the  citizens 
of  the  city  have  stood  firmly  behind  the  manufacturers.  The  strikers, 
however,  to  further  their  purpose  have  induced  about  5,000  of  those 
who  are  normally  employed  in  the  factories  to  go  to  Cuba  and  to 
other  places  in  order  to  handicap  the  manufacturers.  They  have 
])aid  their  way,  sent  them  away,  in  many  instances  paying  their 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  49 

transportation  on  condition  that  they  would  go  a  distance  of  not 
less  than  300  miles  and  remain  away  until  after  the  termination  of 
the   strike.*     Many    have   gone    and    engaged    in    other    industries. 

The  result  is  that  now  we  have  a  demand  for  approximately  15,000 
people  in  our  factories,  and  we  have  less  than  3,500  at  work,  and  less 
than  2,500  are  in  the  city  remaining  on  strike  who  could  go  to  work, 
and  that  leaves  us  with  a  shortage  of  from  5,000  to  7,000  work- 
ers, if  everybody  in  the  city  capable  of  working  in  the  factories  should 
return. 

These  people  who  have  gone  to  Cuba  went  there  in  the  hope  of  find- 
ing emjjloyment,  because  the  factories  were  operating  there  at  that 
time.  However,  since  the  moratorium  was  declared  in  Cuba  on 
October  1,  1920,  the  cigar  factories  of  that  country  have  been  work- 
ing with  short  forces,  many  of  them  having  closed.  Because  of  the 
prohibitive  tariff  on  tobacco  recently  adopted  b}^  Great  Britain,  and 
the  unsettled  condition  of  European  exchange,  manj^  of  the  Cuban 
factories  will  not  reoj^en  in  the  near  future,  as  Europe  is  the  chief 
consumer  of  Cuban  cigars,  and  so  these  people  are  out  of  employ- 
ment ;  they  can  not  come  back  to  the  United  States ;  they  haven't  the 
means  of  paying  their  way ;  and  they  have  got  to  dig  up  the  money 
to  pay  their  way  back  to  the  United  States  in  some  way,  through 
some  kind  of  labor  which  they  may  find  in  Cuba,  and  we  are  pre- 
cluded, under  the  present  immigration  law,  from  aiding  them  to 
come  in  unless  they  can  get  a  permit  from  the  Secretary  of  Labor. 

The  result  is  that  half  of  our  normal  operating  force  is  in  Cuba, 
and  many  of  th^i  have  their  families  in  Tampa,  having  gone  to 
Cuba  leaving  their  families  behind  in  Tampa,  and  we  have  got  to  get 
those  people  back,  for  our  industry  will  be  destroyed. 

The  CHAiR:\tAN.  Do  they  remain  permanently  in  Tampa?. 

Mr.  McKay.  Yes,  sir;  they  remain  permanently  in  Tampa.  In 
other  words,  it  is  more  or  less  of  a  shifting  population;  there  is  a 
small  percentage  that  is  going  back  and  forth  all  the  time.  They 
are  an  industrious  class  of  people,  they  work  steadily,  although  I 
must  confess  that  a  great  number  of  them  are  not  very  provident, 
spending  their  money  as  fast  as  they  make  it,  but  they  do  spend  it  in  a 
legitimate  waj^ 

Senator  Nugent.  Perhaps  that  is  one  of  the  reasons  why  the 
Eotary  Club  adopted  these  resolutions. 

Mr.*  McKay.  I  will  confess  that  they  are  necessary  to  our  business 
prosperity. 

Senator  Nugent.  Are  the  men  that  went  to  Cuba  Americans? 

Mr.  McKay.  They  are  aliens,  mostly  Cubans. 

Senator  Nugent.  You  say  their  families  are  still  in  Tampa  ? 

Mr.  McKay.  Yes;  a  great  many  left  their  families  in  Tampa. 

Senator  Nugent.  What  wages  are  paid  to  the  white  people  engaged 
in  this  business  in  Tampa  ? 

Mr.  McKay.  They  are  practically  all  white  people. 

Senator  Nugent.  I  will  qualify  that  in  this  way :  What  wages  are 
paid  to  Americans  engaged  in  this  business  in  Tampa? 

Mr.  IMcKay.  They  receive  the  same  wages  as  the  others. 

2G911— 21— PT  1 i  • 


50  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Senator  Nugent.  What  is  it,  about? 

Mr.  McKay.  They  are  paid  by  the  thousand,  dependin^^  on  the  size 
of  the  cigar  and  the  quality  of  the  goods,  ranging  anywhere  from 
$15  for  the  \evy  cheapest,  up  to  as  high  as  $50  and  $00  and  $70  a 
thousand. 

Senator  Nugent.  Are  these  Cubans  paid  the  same  price? 
Mr.  McKay.  Yes,  sir.  We  have  this  regulation  there  in  the 
factories.  After  the  strike  of  1910  the  board  of  trade  got  the  manu- 
facturers and  workers  together  and  made  arrangement  for  the 
workers  to  select  delegates  from  among  themselves,  and  the  w^orkers 
got  together  and  selected  a  committee  of  four  members  and  the  manu- 
facturers selected  a  committee  of  three,  and  the  four  workmen's 
representatives  and  the  three  representatives  of  the  manufacturers 
went  to  every  factory  in  the  association,  which  is  composed  of  78 
factories,  and  regulated  the  sizes  and  prices  by  agreement,  we  paying 
them  so  much  a  thousand  for  making  a  cigar  a  certain  length  and 
so  big  around,  etc.,  and  then  in  case  of  dissatisfaction  there  was  the 
right  of  appeal  given  them.  Any  workingman  wdio  was  dissatisfied 
had  a  right  to  call  on  that  committee,  and  they  would  inspect  the 
work  and  the  prices  that  were  being  paid,  and  when  there  was  a 
disagreement  the  board  of  trade  was  called  in  to  settle  it  by  arbitra- 
tion. That  had  worked  for  10  years  satisfactorily  until  this  de- 
mand for  closed  shop  was  made ;  they  couldn't  find  any  other  reason 
for  striking. 

Senator  Nugent.  I  understand  from  your  statement  that  Ameri- 
cans will  not  engage  in  this  occupation  to  any  great  extent;  that  is,, 
they  will  not  engage  in  it  to  as  great  an  extent  as  these  Cubans  Avill? 

Mr.  McKay.  Yes;  that  is  true.  It  is  a  very  difficult,  hard  occupa- 
tion— it  ife  a  sedentary  occupation — and  it  is  difficult  for  an  American 
to  accustom  himself  to  such  labor.  The  Cubans  are  of  small  physique,^ 
and  the}''  like  that  kind  of  work  because  it  does  not  require  much 
exertion. 

Senator  Nugent.  So  if  you  are  not  in  position  to  acquire  this- 
Cuban  labor  the  cigar  industry  in  Tampa  will  be  seriously  affected? 

Mr.  McKay.  Yes;  w^e  can  not  get  help.  There  is  not  enough  of 
such  labor,  outside  of  these  Cuban  workers,  to  do  the  work.  There 
are  not  enough  cigar  workers  in  the  United  States  acquainted  with 
the  Spanish  hand  method  of  making  cigars  to  supply  the  needs  of 
Tampa  alone,  even  if  all  the  factories  were  closed;  and  if  we  can  not 
get  these  people  back  from  Cuba,  we  can  not  do  the  Avork. 

Senator  Johnson.  How  long  have  these  people  been  with  you? 

Mr.  McKay.  For  35  years.  It  was  first  begun  back  35  years  ago, 
and  some  of  them  came  over  then,  and  since  then  the  colon}'  has 
growm. 

Senator  Johnson.  But  these  w^orkers  still  remain  alien? 

Mr.  McKay.  Some  of  them  have  been  naturalized.  I  can  not  tell 
you  the  percentage  of  these  people  who  have  been  naturalized. 

Senator  eloiiNSON.  Are  the  majorit}'  of  those  that  have  gone  back 
to  Cuba  aliens? 

Mr.  McKay.  I  would  say  yes.  Senator. 

Senator  Johnson.  How  do  you  expect  to  get  them  back  ? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  51 

Mr.  McKay.  Well,  they  can  make  their  own  way  over;  they  have 
to  make  enough  money  to  meet  the  immigration  law  requirements. 

Senator  Johnson.  Do  .you  assume  that  others  will  come  in  their 
places  or  that  these  same  people  will  return  ? 

Mr.  McKay.  I  think  the  same  people  will  return,  largely.  Know- 
ing these  people  as  I  do,  I  know  that  90  per  cent  of  them  would  like 
to  come  back  to  work.  They  have  been  dominated  by  a  few 
agitators  and  leaders,  and  they  have  left,  and  they  desire  to  stay 
away  until  the  conditions  are  settled  and  they  can  come  back  and 
start  in  again,  but  they  don't  care  to  come  back  so  long  as  conditions 
lire  unsettled. 

Senator  Johnison.  What  do  you  mean  by  "when  conditions  are 
settled  "  ? 

Mr.  McKay.  Well,  there  is  a  small  organization  of  perhaps  100 
leaders  that  has  kept  this  strike  alive. 

Senator  Johnson.  That  is,  you  mean  until  the  strike  is  settled? 

Mr.  McKay.  Yes,  sir;  until  the  strike  is  settled. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  then  when  this  strike  is  settled  you  ex- 
pect these  same  men  who  have  been  here  for  these  many  years  with 
us  and  who  still  are  aliens  to  return  here,  come  back  here  to  their 
jobs? 

Mr.  McKay.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  if  they  do  not  come,  you  want  others  to 
come  in  their  places? 

Mr.  McKay.  Well,  we  want  the  door  open.  We  occupy  a  peculiar 
position  toward  Cuba. 

Senator  Johnson.  Do  you  know  there  is  an  exception  in  this  bill 
with  reference  to  Cuba? 

Mr.  McKay.  Yes,  Senator ;  but  that  would  not  meet  the  situation, 
because  it  only  allows  us  to  bring  them  in  for  six  months. 

Senator  Johnson.  Yes,  sir;  that  is  correct. 

Mv.  McKay.  Now,  I  have  a  suggestion  to  make,  and  that  is  this: 
That  in  order  that  Cuba  may  not  be  used  as  a  means  by  which  unde- 
sirable aliens  may  be  admitted,  I  have  roughly  drafted  an  amend- 
ment to  the  bill,  which  I  will  give  to  Senator  Fletcher,  and  which  I 
will  ask  him  to  put  into  proper  form.  This  is'  an  amendment  to 
section  2,  reading  as  follows : 

Provided,  That  this  act  shall  not  apply  to  aliens  \vho  have  formerly  heen 
admitted  to  the  United  States,  and  who  are  temporarily  in  the  Republic  of 
Cuba,  or  to  aliens  who  have  been  bona  tide  residents  of  the  island  Cuba  for  one 
year  prior  to  the  passage  of  this  act. 

Now,  the  Cuban  people  are  law-abiding,  and  they  are  not  of  the 
class  that  this  act  is  aimed  at,  as  I  understand  it,  and  if  a  man  has 
established  his  residence  in  Cuba,  and  been  there  for  a  3'^ear  prior  to 
the  passage  of  this  bill,  and  such  a  person  attempts  to  come  into  the 
United  States,  we  are  not  apt  in  such  case  to  get  anyone  from  the 
Island  of  Cuba,  whether  he  has  ever  been  in  this  country  or  not 
before,  who  will  cause  us  an}'^  mischief,  and  those  people  will  not 
come  in  competition  Avitli  American  labor. 

Senator  Nugent.  Well,  under  j'our  amendment  any  person  who 
has  resided  in  Cuba  one  year  will  be  entitled  to  admission  into  this 
countrv? 


52  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Mr,  IMcKay.  Provided  he  complies  with  the  other  requirements- 
of  the  immifrration  law;  yes,  sir. 

Senator  Nugent.  I  know,  but  your  amendment  is  restricted  to 
Cuba  only. 

]\Ir.  McKay.  Yes. 

Senator  Nugenx.  I  understand  from  your  statement  that  the  peo- 
ple that  you  are  particularly  desirous  of  securinf^  for  work  in. 
Tampa  are  Cubans? 

Mr.  McKay.  Yes;  the  people  we  are  particularly  desirous  of  se- 
curin*;  for  our  work  in  Tampa  are  Cubans,  and  some 

Senator  Nugent.  That  being  true,  why  do  you  prcfiwse  this  amend- 
ment, which  provides  that  any  alien  who  has  resided  in  Cuba  for 
the  period  of  a  3'ear  shall  be  exempt  from  the  operation  of  this 
bill? 

Mr.  McKay.  Well,  when  the  Republic  of  Cuba  was  established 
there  was  a  laAv  put  into  effect — and  I  don't  know  Avhether  it  is  a  part 
of  the' Constitution  of  the  Republic  of  Cuba  or  not — which  gave  ta 
residents  who  had  formerly  owed  allegiance  to  the  Spanish  Crown 
the  option  of  coming  in  as  citizens  of  Cuba  within  a  certain  specified 
time,  and  I  know  that  there  are  some  who  Avere  careless  and  negligent 
in  this  matter,  and  their  status  as  citizens  of  Cuba  is  undefined,  and 
they  would  probably  have  difficulty  in  establishing  their  citizenship, 
although  they  belong  to  the  class  of  people  that  have  been  coming- 
here. 

Senator  Nugent.  But  under  jour  proposed  amendment  a  Russian 
or  a  German  or  an  Austrian  or  an  Englishman  or  a  man  of  any 
other  nationality,  who  had  resided  in  Cuba  for  a  period  of  one  year, 
would  be  exempt  from  the  operation  of  this  act. 

Mr.  McKay.  I  don't  think  it  is  possible  to  have  any  such  result, 
because  there  are  very  few  objectionable  aliens  in  Cuba  now,  and 
under  this  proposed  amendment  they  must  have  resided  there  for  one 
year  before  this  bill  goes  into  effect,  and  therefore  it  Avould  exclude 
any  objectionable  alien  from  coming  in  through  Cuba. 

Senator  Johnson.  Isn't  your  amendment  made  more  for  the  pur- 
pose of  ending  the  strike  ? 

Mr.  McKay.  No  ;  if  the  strike  ended  to-morrow  we  would  have  ta 
make  arrangements  to  get  those  people  back  from  Cuba. 

Senator  Nugent.  Do  you  think  this  strike  will  be  settled  until 
such  time  as  the  closed-shop  principle  is  settled  or  agreed  upon? 

ISIr.  McKay.  The  strike  is  practically  settled  now.  We  can  not 
yield  closed  shop  to  those  people.  We  have  been  operating  under 
the  open-shop  principle  for  35  years  satisfactorily,  and  tliey  had  no 
complaint  whatever  to  make  of  the  conditions  under  Avhich  tliey  have 
worked  nor  of  the  wages. 

Now.  I  have  preparell  a  memorandum,  Mr.  Chairman,  in  which  I 
have  set  forth  a  numlier  of  these  points,  and  I  would  like  to  present 
it  to  the  committee. 

The  CiiAiiorAN.  Will  3'ou  file  that  with  the  reporter? 

Mr.  McKay.  Yes,  sir;  I  will  file  this,  and  I  thank  j'^ou.  Senator, 
for  the  opportunity  of  addressing  this  committee. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


53 


(The  brief  filed  by  Mr.  K.  I.  McKaj^  is  here  printed  in  full  in  the 
record,  as  follows:) 


HKIEF   OK   K.    I.    M  KAY,    ATTOUiM';Y    1  Ult   THIO    ClUAK    il  A.\  L.l' ACTt'KERS"    ASSOCIATION    OF 

TAMPA,    FLA. 

The  ciaiir  iiidustiy  of  Tampa  was  founded  in  the  year  1885  by  two  cigar 
uianufiictiiring  tirms  that  moved  to  Tampa  from  Key  West  on  account  of  con- 
stantly recurring  hibor  troubles  at  that  place.  From  these  two  factories  the 
industry  has  groM  n  until  at  present  there  are  approximately  3U0  factories  in 
oi)eratlon  in  the  city  of  Tampa  and  immetliate  vicinity.  Many  of  these  factories, 
however,  are  small  and  employ  only  a  few  workmen.  All  of  the  larger  factories 
are  members  of  this  association. 

The  Cigar  Manufacturers'  Association  of  Tampa  is  a  voluntary  association 
organized  to  deal  with  problems  affecting  the  industry  as  a  whole. 

The  membership  of  the  association  is  made  up  of  the  following  firms: 

Solis  Alvarez. 
Fi-ancisco  Arango  &  Co. 
Abana  Cigar  Co. 
M.  Alvarez  &  Co. 
IM.  Amo  &  Co. 
Arguelles.  Lopez  &  Bro. 
Kamon  Alvai'ez  &  Co. 
P>erriman  Bros. 
Dulin  &  Co. 
Diaz,  liaphael  &  Co. 
Demmi  Cigar  Co. 
.Felipe  De  Soto  &  Co. 
Andres  Diaz  &  Co. 
Rafael  Espina  &  Co. 
p]vcry  Day  Cigar  Co. 
Jose  Escalante  &  Co. 
Fernandez  Bros.  &  Co. 
Sobrinos  Fernandez  &  Co. 
Garcia  &  Vega. 
Perfecto  Garcia  &  Bros. 
F.  Garcia  &  Bros.  (Inc.). 
Guerra,  Diaz  &  Co. 
Maximo  Grahn  &  Son. 
Henriquez  Cigar  Co. 
Hygiene  Cigar  Co. 
Havatampa  Cigar  Co. 
Havana-American  Cigar  Co. 
Thomas  Leon  &  Co. 
Jose  Lovera  Co. 
La  Vista  Cigar  Co. 
Jose  M.  Lopez. 
Loi)ez,  Alvarez  &  Co. 
F.  Lozano  Son  &  Co. 
Celestino  Lopez. 
J.  'M.  Martinez  Co. 
Jose  Maseda  &  Co. 
Morgan  Cigar  Co. 
St.  Minitol  Cigar  Co. 
F.  Benjamin  &  Co. 

These  firms  manufacture  approximately  95  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of 
cigars  made  in  the  city  of  Tampa  and  employ  approximately  95  i^er  cent  of 
the  labor  engaged  in  the  industry  at  this  place. 

.    The  total  investment  of  the  members  of  this  a.ssociation  in  their  enterprises  is 
approximately  .$20,000,000. 

More  than  90  per  cent  of  the  labor  employed  in  the  cigar  industry  of  Tampa 
is  Latin  or  of  Latin  descent,  chiefly  Spanish.  Cuban,  and  Italian.  The  Italian 
element  of  tlie  labor  employeil  in  the  industry  is  approximately  20  per  cent  of 
the  whole,  the  Spanish  element  is  approximately  20  per  cent  of  the  whole,  the 


Big  4  Cigar  Co. 

M.  Bustillo  &  Co. 

Cueata  Key  &  Co. 

Corral,  Wodiska  &  Co. 

Maximo  Cueto. 

F.  Capitano  &  Co. 

Mulero  Cerra  Co. 

Marsicano  Cigar  Co. 

Newman  Cigar  Co. 

Y.  F.  O'Halloran  &  Son. 

Preferred  Havana  Tobacco  Co. 

A.  M.  Perez. 

Marcelino  Perez  &  Co. 

S.  Perez  &  Bro. 

Pent  &  Wright. 

Pride  Cigar  Co. 

Salvador  Rico  &  Co. 

F.  Rodriguez  &  Co. 

Salvador  Rodriguez  &  Co. 

E.  Regensburg  &  Sons. 
J.  W.  Roberts  &  Son. 
AVm.  J.  Seidenberg  &  Co. 
El  Sidelo  Cicrar  Co. 

L.  Sanchez  &  Co. 
M.  Stachelberg  &  Co. 
A.  Santaella  &  Co. 
South  Florida  Cigar  Co. 
San  Luis  Cigar  Co. 
San  Martin  &  Leon  Co. 
Sanchez  &  Haya  Co. 
Salvador  Sanchez  &  Co. 
Tampa  Best  Cigar  Co. 
Tampa-Cuba  Cigar  Co. 
Tampa  Token  Cigar  Co. 

F.  Torres  &  Co. 
(.^elestino  Vega  &  Co. 
M.  Valle  &  Co. 
Wolff  Bros.  Cigar  Co. 


54  EMKKGKNCiV    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

('ul)aii  eleiiK'iit  is  iiiJinoxiiiiateiy  55  i)er  cout  of  the  whole,  and  I  he  reiuainiiig 
5  jier  cent  is  made  up  of  Americans  and  persons  of  other  nationalities  who 
liave  learned  the  trade. 

A  huKO  percentaj^e  of  the  Spanish  and  Caban  element  learm-d  the  trade  in 
Cuba,  where  the  manufacture  of  cijxars  is  largely  engaged  in.  and  many  of 
rhis  element  who  learned  the  trade  elsewhere,  liave  at  times  followed  it  in  Cuba. 
There  are  a  number  of  factnr.es  at  Key  West,  wliich  is  an  inter)Mediate  point 
on  the  steamboat  line  bet^^een  Tam]>a  and  Habana.  There  are  also  cigar 
factories  located  at  Miami.  St.  Auiiu,stine,  and  Jaclcsonville,  but  Tampa  is  the 
principal  i)lace  in  Florid;,  where  citrars  are  made,  Key  West  being  the  next 
in  importance. 

It  is  customary  with  ;'.  cerlaln  element  of  tlie  lobacco-working  .population 
of  Tampa  to  make  frequent  changes  of  residence.  Many  of  them  will  work  in 
tlie  factories  at  Tampa  for  a  few  months  and  then  go  to  Key  West  or  Habana, 
afterwards  returning  to  Tampa.  Such  frequent  shifting  of  residence  is  in- 
Jluenced  by  changing  conditions  and  tlie  varying  demand  for  labor  at  the 
different  places  where  the  trade  is  followed,  but  the  city  of  Tampa  has  an 
average  pcjpulation  of  approximately  30,000  persons  who  are  directly  or  in- 
directly engaged  in  the  cigar  industry,  or  dependent  upon  those  engaged  in  the 
trade  for  thi-ir  support,  the  total  number  of  workers  of  all  classes  normally 
employed  in  the  Tampa  faclories'being  approximately  15.000. 

A  very  large  percentage  of  th(>  workers  in  the  cigar  factories  of  Tampa  is 
alien,  not  over  10  per  cent  of  the  foreign-born  workers  having  become  natural- 
ized citizens. 

There  is  no  source  from  which  labor  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  cigar 
industry  of  Tampa  can  be  obtained  except  Cuba,  and  aliens  conung  from  Cuba 
to  be  employed  in  the  Tampa  factories  do  not  enter  into  competition  with 
American  .skilled  or  unskilled  laborers.  If  the  C'uban  supply  of  labor  to  the 
Tampa  factories  is  cut  off,  it  will  not  result  in  giving  employment  to  unem- 
ployed American  laborers,  but  wili  merely  result  in  destroying  or  .so  handicap- 
ping the  industry  that  it  can  not  be  continued. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1920  substantially  all  of  the  cigar  factories  of 
Tampa  were  working  to  their  full  capacity  and  there  was  an  unprecedented 
demand  for  their  product.  Labor  was  scarce  and  every  available  qualified 
person  had  opportunity  for  employment.  The  wages  being  paid  were  the 
highest  in  the  history  of  the  industry,  and  the  highest  paid  at  any  place  in  thi^ 
world  where  the  cigar  manufacturing  industry  is  engaged  in  extensively. 

About  the  1st  of  April,  1920,  a  number  of  labor  unions  existing  amongst  the 
workers  in  the  Tampa  factori<  s  combined  and  made  a  demand  upon  this  asso- 
ciath)n  for  "  clo.sed  sh(«p  " ;  i.  e.,  that  the  members  of  this  association  would 
agree  not  to  give  employment  to  any  workers  in  their  factories  who  were  not 
members  of  the  unions.  For  obvious  reasons  this  demand  was  refused.  This 
action  of  this  association  was  approved  by  the  board  of  trade.  Rotary  Club, 
and  practically  every  other  civic  and  business  organization  of  the  <'ity.  No 
complaint  was  made  by  the  unions  as  to  wages,  working  conditions,  or  hours 
of  labor,  the  sole  and  only  demand  being  for  "  close(T  shop."  Upon  this  de- 
mand being  refused,  the  unions  called  a  strike  in  the  factories  of  half  the 
members  of  this  association,  and  thereupon,  as  a  measure  of  self-protection, 
the  rem;iining  factories  closed  down.  All  of  these  factories  remained  closed 
until  July  S,  1920,  when  they  reopened  and  olTered  employment  to  all  qualified 
workers,  regardless  of  membership  or  nonmembership  in  any  labor  union,  and 
at  the  same  scale  of  wages  and  under  the  same  working  conditions  that  ex- 
isted prior  to  the  calling  of  the  strike,  with  the  exception  of  a  readjustment 
in  the  manner  of  paying  the  wrapper  .selectors,  which  affected  not  more  than 
185  employees. 

Since  the  strike  was  called  in  April,  1921),  a  large  number  of  persons  who 
had  been  employed  in  the  factories  have  left  the  city  of  Tampa,  many  of  them 
going  to  Cuba  in  search  of  employment  in  the  cigar  factories  at  that  place,  and 
the  unions,  for  the  purpose  of  handicapping  tlie  employees,  induced  a  large 
number  of  woi'k<'rs  who  were  not  radical  union  sui)porters.  to  leave  the  city, 
in  many  instances  jiaying  their  triinsportation  on  condition  that  they  would  g« 
a  distance  of  not  less  than  300  miles  and  i-emain  away  until  after  the  termina- 
tion of  the  strike. 

The  records  of  the  Peninsular  &  Occidental  Steamship  Co.,  which  operates  a 
steamship  line  between  Tampa  and  Habana.  show  that  from  April  1  to  De- 
cember 1,  1920.  L939  second-class  passengers  left  Tampa  for  Habana,  and  during 
the  same  period  3,859  second-class  passengers  left  Tampa  for  Key  West.    A  large 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION, 


55 


number  of  those  going  to  Key  West  subsequently  went  to  Cuba,  but  it  is  not 
practicable  to  make  an  accurate  estimate  of  the  number  doing  so,  but  sub- 
stantially all  of  the  second-class  passengers  leaving  Tampa  on  the  Peninsular  & 
Occidental  boats  were  tobacco  workers  who  were  leaving  in  search  of  employ- 
ment at  Key  West  and  Habana.  It  is  conservatively  estimated  that  between 
four  and  five  thousand  persons  who  up  to  April  I,  1920,  were  employed  in  the 
cigar  industry  of  Tampa  are  now  in  Cuba,  having  gone  there  by  direct  or 
indirect  routes,  and  practically  all  of  tbem  are  aliens  and  will  not  be  able  to 
return  to  the  United  States  if  the  proposed  law  is  enacted.  Many  have  left 
their  families  in  Tampa,  and  these  families  may  become  public  charges  if  the 
working  members  are  not  permitted  to  return  and  care  for  them.  In  addition, 
not  less  than  2.000  persons  previously  employed  in  the  Tampa  factories  have 
gone  to  other  places  in  search  of  employment,  and  many  of  them  have  engaged 
in  other  trades  and  will  not  return. 

Since  the  moratorium  was  declare<l  in  Cuba  on  October  1.  1920,  the  cigar 
factories  of  that  country  have  been  working  with  short  forces,  many  of  them 
having  closed.  Because  of  the  prohibitive  tariff  on  tobacco  recently  adopted 
by  Great  Britain  and  the  unsettled  condition  of  European  exchange,  many  of 
the  Cuban  factories  will  not  reopen  in  the  neai-  future,  as  Europe  is  the  chief 
consumer  of  Cuban  cigars.  The  result  is  that  there  are  apiu'oximately  12,000 
unemployed  skilled  tobacco  ^^()rkers  in  Cuba  at  the  present  time,  about  40 
per  cent  of  whom  have  gone  to  Cuba  from  Tampa  by  direct  or  indirect  routes 
since  the  present  strike  in  Tampa  began.  Many  of"  these  people  are  without 
the  funds  with  which  to  return  to  the  United*  States  immediately,  although 
they  know  that  they  can  readily  obtain  employment  in  the  factories  of  Tampa 
at  high  wages  if  they  can  get  here  and  would  come  at  once  if  they  had  the 
means.  Some  who  have  the  means,  although  not  in  sympathy  with  the  strike, 
will  not  return  to  Tampa  until  the  strike  is  over  from  fear  of  insult,  intimida- 
tion, and  violence  from  the  strikers.  The  present  immigraticm  law  prohibits 
the  members  of  this  association  from  aiding  any  of  these  workers  to- return  to 
this  country,  and  therefore  it  will  not  be  practicable  for  those  who  have  left 
Tampa  and  gone  to  Cuba  and  who  desire  to  return  to  do  so  until  they  can 
obtain  the  money  required  for  transportation  and  to  meet  the  requirements 
of  the  present  immigration  law,  and  it  may  be  months  before  many  of  these 
workers  can  return. 

Aside  from  the  present  unusual  condition,  many  of  the  Tampa  tobacco 
workers  have  families  and  friends  living  in  Cuba,  and  as  the  distance  is  short 
and  the  co.st  of  travel  comparatively  small,  when  they  are  employed  and  making 
good  wages  in  the  Tampa  factories,  they  make  fre<iueiit  visits  to  Cuba,  and 
should  this  privilege  be  withdrawn  many  would  become  dissatistied  and  return 
to  Cuba  permanently,  or  at  least  until  the  restrictions  of  the  jiroposed  innnigra- 
tion  law  are  withdrawn. 

A  census  of  the  various  factories  in  this  association  was  taken  by  three 
reputable  citizens  of  Tampa  during  the  week  lieglnning  December  20.  and  it 
was  found  that  3,277  workers  were  actually  at  work  in  58  factories,  the  re- 
maining factories  being  closed  down  for  annual  inventory  oi-  because  of 
inability  to  obtain  employees  in  sufficient  number  to  justify  operation.  In- 
quiry was  also  made  of  the  owners  as  to  the  number  of  workers  required.  The 
dat-a  so  gathered  is  as  follows : 


Vumber- 

- 

Number- 

-• 

At 
work. 

Re- 
quired. 

Short- 
age. 

At 
work. 

Re- 
quired. 

Short- 
age. 

Francisco  Aranpo  &  Co 

AbanaCijrar  Co 

46 

30 

36 

14 

49 

37 

91 

30 

8 

8 

104 

70 

10 

180 
60 

350 
20 

200 
75 

250 
85 
15 

1.50 

700 

500 
25 

134 

30 

314 

6 

151 

38 
159 

55 

7 

142 

590 

430 

15 

Diaz.  Raiihacl  &  Co 

Pemmi  Cis-'ar  Co 

36 

53 

4 

152 

18 
145 

20 
153 

10 

2g 

16 
32 
lo9 

200 
150 
100 
500 

48 
450 
200 
350 
200 
120 

75 
125 
300 

164 
97 

M.  Alvarez*  Co 

Andrps  rinz  &  Co 

96 

A.  Amo  <fc  Co 

Jo«o  Kscalaiito*  Co 

Fernandez  Bros.  &  Co 

P.  Fernandez  <&  Co 

34S 

Arguelles,  Lopez  &  Bro 

Ramon  Alvarez  &  Co 

30 
305 

Berriman  Bros 

G arcia  &  Voea 

180 

F.  Benjamin*  Co 

PerfectoCaroia  *  Bros 

F.  r.arcia  *  Bros..  Iiic 

'Jucrra.  Piaz  &  Co 

Maximo  Cralin*  Co 

HcnriquczCicarCo. . ; 

Havatarapa  Ci^'ar  Co.' 

197 

Bij;  4  Cisar  Co. . . 

190 

M.  Bustillo  &  Co 

91 

CuestaRey  &  Co 

."9 

Corral,  Wodiska  &  Co 

Mulero  Cerra  Co 

93 
131 

56 


KMERGENCY   IMMIGIIATIOX   LEGISLATION, 


Number— 

Number— 

At 
work 

Re- 
quired. 

Short- 
age. 

At 
work. 

Re- 
quired. 

.■Short- 
age. 

Havana- American  Cigar  Co. 
T.  Leon  &  Co 

109 
34 
41 
14 
45 

152 
68 
13 
16 

68 
11 
26 
61 
4 
22 
37 
16 

500 
.50 
300 
125 
100 
300 
300 
15 
25 

450 
15 
40 

225 
4 
50 

200 
30 

391 

16 

259 

111 

55 

148 

132 

2 

9 

382 
4 
14 
164 
0 
28 
163 
14 

Salvador  Rodriguez  &  Co . . 

E.  Repensburg  &  Sons 

J.  W.  Roberts  &  Son 

Wm.  J.  Seidenberg  &  Co . . . 
El  Sidelo  Cigar  Co 

49 

240 
93 

107 
82 
6 
59 
89 

111 
49 
72 
34 
73 
36 
70 

275 
1,400 
180 
350 
450 
50 
150 
700 
191 
170 
225 
300 
165 
250 
350 

226 
1,160 

Jose  l.overa  &  Co 

87 

La  Vista  Cii,'ar  Co 

243 

Loi^cz,  Alvarez  &  Co 

368 

F.  Lozauo  Son  &  Co 

44 

Morgan  Ciear  Co 

M.  Stachelberg  &  Co 

A.  Santaella  &  Co 

91 

Saint  Minitol  Ci^'ar  Co 

611 

Y.  F.  O'llalloran  &  Son. .  . 
Preferred  Ha^  ana  Tobacco 
Co 

San  Luis  Ciuar  Co 

San  Martin  &  Leon  Co 

Sanchez  &  Haya  Co 

Tarapa-Cuba  Cigar  Co.. . : . . 
F.  Torrez  &  Co... 

80 
121 
153 

A.  M.  Perez 

266 

S.  Perez  &  Bro 

92 

Marcellno  Perez  &  Co 

Pent  &  Wri'At 

Celestino  Vega  &  Co 

M.  Valle&Co.. 

214 
280 

Total 

Salvador  Rico  &  Co 

F.  Rodriguez  &  Co 

3,277 

13,363 

9,986 

111  addition  to  tlie  above  requirements  there  are  the  following  factories,  mem- 
bers of  this  association,  that  are  closed  down,  either  for  inventory  or  because 
of  lack  of  labor,  viz :  Solis  Alvarez,  Maximo  Cueto,  F.  Capitana  &  Co..  Dulin 
&  Co.,  Felipe  DeSoto  &  Co.,  Rafael  E,spina  &  Co.,  Every  Day  Cigar  Co.,  Hygiene 
Cigar  Co.,  Jose  M.  Lopez,  Celestino  Lopez,  J.  M.  Martinez  Co.,  Mar.sicano  Cigar 
Co.,  Newman  Cigar  Co.,  South  Florida  Cigar  Co.,  Salvador  Sanchez  &  Co., 
Tampa  Best  Cigar  Co.,  Tampa  Token  Cigar  Co.,  Wolff  Bros.  Cigar  Co.,  which, 
under  normal  conditions,  will  require  approximately  1,000  workers,  making  a 
total  shortage  of  10,98G  workers  required  for  the  factories  that  are  members  of 
this  association.  The  remaining  cigar  factories  at  Tampa  and  vicinity  employ 
approximately  750  persons  and  appear  to  be  fully  supplied  with  workers,  as  no 
strike  has  been  called  against  them. 

There  are  at  present  unemployed  in  Tampa  and  vicinity  skilled  tobacco 
workers  who  refuse  to  work,  less  than  4,000,  which  leaves  a  shortage  of  ap- 
proximately 7,000  workers  required  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  factories  that 
are  members  of  this  association,  even  if  all  workers  in  the  city  of  Tampa 
should  immediately  go  to  work. 

There  is  no  source  from  which  this  number  of  skilled  workers  can  be  sup- 
plied except  Cuba. 

Cigar  making  is  engaged  in  at  other  places  in  the  United  States,  but  the 
process  is  different,  and  there  would  scarcely  be  enougli  skilled  workers  cap- 
able of  making  cigars  by  the  "  Spanish  hand  method  "  to  supply  the  present 
shortage  in  the  Tampa  factories,  if  all  the  other  factories  in  the  United  States 
following  that  method  should  close  and  send  their  workers  to  Tampa  in  search 
of  employment. 

The  following  statistics  compiled  by  the  secretary  of  the  Tampa  Board  of 
Trade  from  puiilic  records  show  the  importance,  as  well  as  the  growth  of  the 
cigar  industry  in  Tampa,  from  the  years  1900  to  1919,  inclusive.  These  statis- 
tics were  compiled  in  February,  1920,  before  the  strike  was  called,  and  are 
accurate: 


Years. 

Internal 
revenue. 

Customs 
receipts. 

Cigars  man- 
ufactured. 

Years. 

Internal 
revenue. 

customs 
receipts. 

Cigars  man- 
ufactured. 

1909 

$496,. 5.50 
498,110 
442,751 
510,066 
596,212 
689, 124 
851,4.50 
865,316 
731,048 
801,578 

$871.. 377 
8fi5,409 
1.250,9M 
1,31S,.531 
1..501.1S9 
l,604,S2r, 
1,701, 617 
1.6S7,609 
1,581,390 
1,891,836 

147,848.000 
147,330,000 
141,90.5,000 
167,630.000 
196, 961,. 500 
220,4:10,000 
277,062.000 
2X5,660,000 
230,681,000 
267,059,000 

1910 

$63S,.5.35 

910,4.39 

854.726 

894.879 

.««6,.5fi5 

939,223 

1,011,9S8 

1,31-1,076 

1,984,8.56 

3,408,821 

$1,377,262 
2,299,472 
l,859,n:^^ 
1,810.1.59 
1,7.S0,515 
1.801,0<y> 
l,8<i7,946 
1,0.59,663 
l,.->82,770 
1,800,  .870 

201,405,000 

1901 

1911 

293,360,000 

1902 

1912 

273,4^5,000 

1903       

1913 

1914 

2S6. 148,000 

1904 

2r)7,.«G6,000 

1905     '.   '. 

1915 

1916 

2'v5,836,000 

1906 

312,4.56,376 

1907 

1917 

.352.690,194 

1908 

1918 

368,072.628 
422.795,819 

1909 

1919 . 

EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  57 

From  tlie  foveLCoiiig  tis;nivs  it  will  Ix.^  seeii  tliar  the  internal  revenue  ollice  at 
Tampa  lias  I'rodnced  r«  venne  to  fhi'  Federal  (Jovi-rinuent  during  the  jjeriod 
covered  hy  this  coniijil'ition  amounting  to  $10,297,323,  and  the  customhouse  lias 
produced  .$32,496,579,  a  total  of  $ijl,7;)3,'J02.  and  the  remarkahle  increase  in  the 
Government  revenue  for  the  past  foui  years  should  be  noted.  Substantially  all 
of  this  revt  nue  is  deiivetl  (rom  import  duties  and  revenue  taxes  on  tobacco 
importeil  into  Tampa  and  cigars  manufactured  at  this  place  therefrom.  Under 
normal  conditions  from  this  time  on  the  cigar  industry  of  Tampa  will  pay  the 
GoveriinuiU  in  customs  duties  aiul  internal  revenue  appvoximately  .$0,000,000 
per  annum. 

Any  legislation  that  will  result  in  destroying  or  seriously  handicapping  an 
industry  that  is  so  i)roducti\e  of  revenue  to  the  Government  should  not  be 
enacted  in  th.e  absence  of  some  compelling  emergency. 

Not  only  does  the  industry  produce  i-evenue  to  the  Government,  but  in  normal 
times  it  pays  in  wages  to  the  employees  of  the  factories  an  average  of  more 
than  $300,000  per  week,  which  money  is  promptly  placed  in  circulation  in  the 
connnunity  and  so  stinnilates  all  classes  of  trade  and  industry.  Any  serious 
interference  with  the  industry  will  correspondingly  aftVct  every  class  of  busi- 
ness m  this  community. 

There  is  no  compelling  emergency  requiring  the  suspension  of  inunigration 
of  tobacco  workers  frohi  Cuba  to  Tampa.  These  aliens  do  not  enter  into  com- 
petition with  American  workmen.  Their  trade  is  peculiai'ly  their  own.  The 
piocess  followed  by  them  is  the  "  Spanish  liand  metliod."  It  is  true  th;!t  some 
of  the  factories  are  using  molds  in  making  cigar.s,  but  this  process  merely  adds 
to  the  quantity  the  iiverage  workman  can  turn  out.  and  the  same  method  of 
making  cigars  by  hand  is  employed,  except  that  tlie  filler  is  pressed  into  shape 
by  a  molding  process  after  it  is  put  together  and  before  the  wrapi)ev  is  put  on  It. 

It  is  thei-efore  respectfully  submitte<l  that  if  the  bill  in  question  is  passed 
it  is  necessary  to  include  in  it  some  exeniption  vhnt  will  permit  per^•ons  bona 
fide  engaged  in  the  tobacco  triules  aiid  the  members  of  tlieir  families  to  pass 
CO  and  from  Cubau  ports  and  ports  of  the  United  States  without  restriction, 
provided  such  aliens  do  not  come  within  any  of  the  classes  excluiled  under 
existing  immigration  laws. 

K.  I.  McKay, 
Attorney  for  the  Cigar  iiaiiutacturers'  Afisociotion  of  Tampa.  Fhi. 

The  Chaikmax.  I  called  rtttention  this  mornino;  to  the  action  of  the 
Italian  Government  in  regard  to  limiting  passports.  I  now  have  an 
official  dociTment  from  the  Acting  Secretar}^  of  State,  which  reads 
as  follows : 

.Tanuatjy  3.  1021. 
Hon.  LeBaron  B.  Colt.  « 

Cliairtuan  Committee  on.  Immujratiou.  United  States  Senate. 
SiK :  I  have  the  honor  to  inclose  for  your  consideration  copy  of  a  communi- 
cation dated  December  17,  1920,  from  the  Royal  Italian  Embassy,  reporting  that 
the  Italian  Government  has  suspended  the  issuance  of  passports  to  subjects 
emigrating  to  the  United  States,  and  will  refrain  from  issuing  such  passports 
until  informed  as  to  the  classes  of  immigrants  desired  in  this  country. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

Your  obedient  servant,  .  Norman  H.  Dams, 

Acting  Secretary  of  State. 

Then,  inclosed  with  this  letter  from  the  Acting  Secretary  of  fstate 
is  the  following  memorandum  : 

Reoia  Amuasctata  D'Italia  : 

The  charge  d'affaires  of  Italy  presents  his  compliments  to  his  excellency  the 
Acting.  Secretary  of  State  and  has  the  honor  to  inform  him  that,  according  to 
a  communication  just  received  from  the  ministry  of  foreign  affairs,  the  Royal 
Italian  Government  has  suspended  the  issue  of  passports  to  subjects  emigrating 
to  the  Ignited  States,  and  will  refrain  from  issuing  such  passports  until  informed 
as  to  the  classes  of  immigrants  desired  in  this  country. 

Senator  Fletcher.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  need  not  formally  introduce 
Congressman  Sparkman ;  he  is  known  to  all  of  you. 
The  Chairman.  Mr.  Sparkman. 


58  EMKRCKNCY    IMMIGRATION   I>E(;iSLAT10N. 

STATEMENT  OF  HON.  S.  M.  SPARKMAN,  REPRESENTING  THE 
BOARD  OF  TRADE  OF  THE  CITY  OF  TAMPA,  FLA. 

Mr.  Sparkman.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen  of  the  committee,  in 
connection  with  ex-Mayor  D.  B.  McKay,  of  Tampa,  and  Mr.  Hugh 
C.  MacFarlane,  I  represent  here  the  board  of  trade  of  the  city  of 
Tampa,  which  feels  a  deep  interest  in  this  subject,  indeed  such  an 
interest  as  induced  that  body  to  send  this  deputation  before  the 
committee  here  with  the  request  that  the  bill  in  question  be  so  modified 
as  to  permit  the  entrance  of  the  people  mentioned  by  Mr,  McKay 
into  this  country  when  the  proper  time  may  arrive  for  such  return 
by  them. 

Mr.  McKay  has  covered  this  matter  so  completely,  generally  and 
in  detail,  that  I  don't  feel  it  necessary  to  go  into  many  of  the  matters 
that  he  has  touched  upon,  I  only  wish  to  say  that  it  is  very  essential, 
in  my  judgment  and  in  the  judgment  of  the  members  of  the  board  of 
trade,  that  the  law  be  modified  in  such  a  manner  as  will  permit  these 
parties  to  return,  and  others  to  come  over  whenever  they  see  fit  and 
proper  to  do  so.  The  industry  can  not  be  carried  on  as  it  has  been 
carried  on,  and  can  not  be  carried  on  as  we  hope  to  see  it  carried  on  in 
the  future  unless  we  can  have  free  access  to  that  particular  class  of 
labor  in  the  future. 

Cuba,  I  ma}'  say,  occupies  a  unique  relation  to  the  United  States 
and  one  that  would  naturally  suggest  an  exception — indeed,  an  excep- 
tion is  already  made  in  the  bill,  but  it  is  supposed  that  that  exception 
will  not  meet  the  requirements,  will  not  meet  the  Tampa  situation 
and  the  situation  of  other  cigar-manufacturing  centers  in  the  United 
States,  particularly  in  Florida. 

We  exercise  a  kind  of  guardianship,  as  you  know,  under  the  Piatt 
amendment,  over  Cuba.  Such  guardianship  and  such  supervision  as 
would  permit  us  at  any  time  to  have  officials  in  Cuba  to  investigate 
conditions,  the  relation  of  every  man  in  Cuba  and  to  good  govern- 
ment who  might  desire  to  come  over  to  this  country;  in  fact,  we 
have  such  agents  over  there  now  who  are  hampered,  of  course,  by 
the  present  immigration  faws.  Apparently,  we  have  to  have  permit* 
from  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  from  the  Department  of  Labor,  to  per- 
mit parties  to  come  over  when  we  have  these  acute  conditions. 

Again,  the  Cuban  is  not  an  undesirable  citizen;  he  is  not  such  a 
person  as  this  bill  is  aimed  at.  He  makes  a  good  citizen.  He  is  not  a 
violator  of  laws.  And  while  many  of  them  remain  here  for  years  and 
do  not  become  naturalized,  that  is  because  of  the  fact  that  they  do  not 
take  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  politics.  They  would  just  as  soon  not 
vote  as  vote.  But  there  are  quite  a  percentage  of  them,  however, 
that  have  become  naturalized,  and  the  number  that  have  become  nat- 
uralized have  taken  such  a  step  for  the  purpose  of  voting  and  exer- 
cising other  rights  of  American  citizenship.  But,  however,  a  large 
majority  have  not  been  naturalized,  and  they  go  back  and  forth,  as 
stated  by  Mr,  McKay,  from  time  to  time,  as  they  may  see  proper  to 
do  so. 

Then,  again,  the  laborers  that  we  Avant  from  there  are  essentially 
expert  laborers.  They  would  not  come  in  competition,  as  was  stated 
by  Mr,  McKay,  with  any  other  class  of  labor  in  this  country. 

Now,  for  those  three  reasons  it  seems  to  me  that  it  would  be  very 
proper  for  this  committee  to  make  an  exception,  a  broader  exception. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATIOX.  59 

a  more  comprehensive  exception,  than  this  bill  undertakes  to  make 
at  the  present  time.  Just  what  the  amendment  should  be,  just  how 
it  should  be  shaped  in  order  to  cover  this  proposition,  I  have  not 
fully  made  up  my  mind  on.  But  Mr.  McKay  a  few  hours  ago  wrote 
out  a  tentative  amendment  which  he  read  to  tlie  committee.  That 
might  not  be  satisfactor3%  and  I  can  conceive  of  other  language  that 
could  fill  the  bill  quite  as  well  as  the  language  used  by  Mr.  McKay. 
I  want  to  suggest  to  the  committee  that  we  will  collaborate  with 
Senator  Fletcher  and  probabh^  submit  through  him  an  amendment  to 
the  committee,  or  possibly  to  the  Senate,  just  as  lie  sees  proper  to  do. 
In  other  words,  we  w^ill  trust  to  him  and  to  the  other  Senator  from 
Florida  to  take  care  of  the  matter  with  this  committee. 

Again  I  wish  to  urge  upon  the  committee  the  necessity  of  making 
an  exception  in  this  matter.  This  is  a  great  business,  a  great  indus- 
try, and,  of  course,  there  are  a  great  number  of  people  interested  in 
it.  And  the  Government  is  also  interested  in  this  business  because  of 
the  revenue  that  will  come  to  it  from  this  industry.  And  it  is  of  in- 
terest to  all  the  people  in  this  country  who  smoke,  and  I  notice  a 
great  many  around  here  to-day  in  this  meeting  who  smoke,  and  I 
know  a  great  manj^  people  in  our  section  of  the  country  smoke,  and  I 
know  they  do  in  other  parts  of  the  country.  And  I  wish  to  say  that 
there  is  not  a  cigar  in  the  country — and  I  hope  I  do  not  tread  on  any- 
body's toes  when  I  make  that  statement — that  meets  the  bill  quite  as 
well  as  the  Tampa-made  cigar.  So  I  hope  that  you  will  permit  us  to 
carry  on  the  business  as  we  did,  and  that  we  will  be  able  to  carry  on 
the  business  not  only  as  before  the  strike  but  in  a  manner  that  will 
permit  us  to  enlarge  the  business. 

If  it  were  permissible,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  would  like  to  have  either 
Mr,  McKay  or  Mr.  MacFarlane,  one  or  both  of  them,  to  address  a 
few  remarks  to  the  committee.    I  am  sure  they  would  be  quite  brief. 

The  Chairman.  Very  well. 

Senator  Fletcher.  Mr.  MacFarlane-  will  5-ou  make  a  statement  in 
addition  to  what  has  been  said  ?  Mr.  MacFarlane  is  one  of  the  fore- 
most citizens  of  Tampa-  and  he  is  tliorouo;hly  familiar  with  this  in- 
dustry, and  knows  its  history  from  beginning  to  end. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  HUGH  C.  MacFARLANE,  OF  TAMPA,  FLA. 

Mr.  MacFarlane.  Gentlemen  of  the  committee,  I  think  that  the 
subject,  as  far  as  Tampa  is  concerned,  has  been  sufficiently  covered  by 
the  gentlemen  who  have  preceded  me.  I  don't  know  that  I  have  any- 
thing that  I  could  add  to  what  they  have  already  stated.  I  think 
Col.  Sparkman  may  have  called  on  me  to  say  a  few  words  before 
this  committee,  because  the  cigar  industry  in  the  city  of  Tampa  has 
grown  up  with  me,  and  while  I  never  have  been  actively  engaged  in 
that  business,  my  associations  and  business  connections  with  the 
manufacturers  have  given  me  an  understanding  of  it  that  probabl}' 
is  not  in  the  minds  of  either,  of  the  gentlemen  who  have  already 
addressed  you. 

The  cigar  industry  in  Tampa  had  its  beginning  in  1885.  Up  till 
that  time  there  had  l)een  \  ery  few  clear  Havana  cigars  manufactured 
in  the  United  States.  You  gentlemen  must  understand  that  the  dif- 
fereiu'c  betwecni  a  eleiu-  TIa\'ann  cignr  and  a  domestic  cigar  is  that  the 


60  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   I^GISLATION. 

clear  Ilavaiiu  ci^^ar  is  nKUiiifacturc'd  entirely  l)y  hand.  There  is  no 
niachineiv  or  mold  used  in  connection  with  its  manufacture.  There 
was  no  skilled  labor  in  the  United  States  that  could  l)e  used  in  that 
industry  at  the  time  it  was  commenced,  outside  of  the  city  of  Key 
West,  which  had  in  a  small  degree  prior  to  that  time  manufactured 
clear  Havana  cigars  there.  Since  the  estal)lishment  of  the  business 
in  Tampa  it  has  grown  from  nothing  until  during  the  year  preceding 
the  one  which  has  just  passed  there  were  manufactured  in  the  city  of 
Tampa  something  over  400,()00,0()0  clear  Havana  cigars.  Mr.  McKay, 
who  first  addressed  you  in  our  behalf,  stated  the  amount  of  revenue 
that  that  had  .brought  into  the  (rovernment. 

The  American  labor  has  not  taken  kindly  to  this  industry,  and 
very  few  of  them  during  the  30  years  that  it  has  been  in  Tampa  have 
learned  the  trade,  and  we  are  almost  entirely  dependent  upon  the 
Cuban  citizens  that  have  come  to  Tampa  to  work  in  our  factories 
and  to  a  few  Italians — probably  20  per  cent  of  the  labor  employed  in 
these  factories — who  have  learned  the  trade  after  coming  to  this 
country. 

I  am  a  little  hard  of  hearing,  and  I  did  not  hear  entirely  all  that 
Mr.  McKa}'  stated  here,  but  I  think  he  made  some  mention  of  a  strike 
that  had  been  called  in  the  cigar  factories  of  Tampa  about  10  months 
ago,  and  there  was  no  trouble  about  Avages  or  working  conditions, 
but  the  employees  of  the  cigar  factories  simply  demanded  that  there 
should  be  a  closed  shop  and  nobody  who  was  not  a  member  of  the 
union  could  be  employed  in  any  of  these  factories. 

The  manufacturers  would  r^ot  accede  to  that  demand  which  had 
been  made  by  their  employees,  and  the  employees  left  the  factories 
and  remained  out  about  three  or  four  months. 

The  manufacturers  then  opened  the  shops  and  a  great  mah\^  of  the 
emploj'ees  have  been  returning,  until,  I  suppose,  at  the  present  time 
there  are  employed  in  the  factories  about  40  per  cent  of  those  who 
had  formerly  been  employed  there. 

As  a  means  of  opposing  the  opening  of  these  factories,  the  leaders 
of  the  strikers  have  been  deporting  these  workers  to  the  island  of 
Cuba.  At  that  time  the  cigar  factories  in  Cuba  had  an  abundance  of 
orders  and  they  employed  and  were  able  to  employ  nearlj'  all  the 
cigar  makers  that  were  sent  there.  Since  that  time,  however,  they 
have  fallen  short  of  orders  and  a  great  many  of  these  worlcmen  are 
anxious  and  willing  to  return. 

The  manufacturers,  cognizant  of  the  law,  of  course,  are  not  at- 
tempting and  do  not  attempt  to  make  any  contract  with  them,  and  a 
great  many  of  them  are  coming  back  at  the  present  time,  but  as  there 
are  numbers  of  them  in  destitute  circumstances  it  is  hardly  possible 
that  those  who  had  formerly  been  employed  in  the  cigar  factories 
of  Tampa  will  be  able  to  return  before  this  law  goes  into  operation, 
and  it  would  work  a  great  hardship  on  the  manufacturers  ol'  Tampa 
and  prevent  the  people  from  coming  back  who  formerly  had  been 
employed  in  the  factories,  if  there  was  not  some  exception  made  in 
regard  to  the  citizens  of  the  island  of  Cuba, 

It  has  been  considered,  and  the  business  men  in  our  locality  have 
always  felt,  that  Cuba  was  a  part  of  the  United  States,  as  far  as  the 
interchange  of  business  and  labor  was  concerned ;  and  if  there  is  any 
dependency  in  the  West  Indies,  if  there  is  any  comitry  outside  our 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  61 

own  that  the  Ignited  States  has  an  interest  in  and  has  in  the  past 
taken  a  great  interest  in,  it  is  the  island  of  Cuba.  In  fact,  I  think  we 
have  favored  it  more — I  think,  in  fact,  we  have  done  more  for  it — 
'  than  we  have  any  of  these  islands  in  the  West  Indies  or  any  of  the 
Republics  in  Central  or  South  America.  And  it  is  the  hope  that 
you  would  be  willino;  to  continue  that  guiding  hand  over  the  island 
of  Cuba  that  has  caused  us  to  come  up  here  and  ask  that  the  relations 
that  in  the  past  have  existed  between  this  country  and  the  island  of 
Cuba  should  continue,  because  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  that 
condition  of  affairs  should  exist,  and  that  the  relations  heretofore 
existing  should  continue. 

Now,  it  will  not  and  can  not  in  the  least  affect  American  labor  for 
us  to  receive  what  we  are  asking  at  this  time;  and  if  Ave  do  not 
receive  it  it  will  simply  drive  an  industry  out  of  this  country  into 
the  island  of  Cuba  and  prevent  the  collection  of  the  immense  revenue 
that  this  country  needs  so  much  at  the  present  time  from  continuing. 

I  thank  you,  gentlemen. 

The  Chatrjman.  Thank  you,  sir.  Senator  Fletcher,  do  you  have 
anv  others  that  you  wish  to  call  upon? 

Senator  Fletcher.  Maj'or  McKay,  would  vou  care  to  add  any- 
thing? 

Mr.  D.  B.  McKay.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Fletcher.  I  will  introduce,  gentlemen,  former  Mayor 
D.  B.  McKay,  of  Tampa,  Fla. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  D.  B.  McKAY,  EX-MAYOR  OF  TAMPA,  FLA. 

Mr.  McKay.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen  of  the  committee,  this 
subject  was  thoroughly  covered  by  my  brother  and  Col.  Sparkman 
and  Mr.  MacFarlane,  and  so  thoroughly  covered  that  I  don't  think 
it  is  necessarj^  to  take  up  any  more  of  your  time. 

I  would  only  say  this,  that  this  relief  which  we  are  asking  is  vital 
to  the  continuance  of  this  industry.  It  is  extremely  important  to 
us  and  absolutely  vital  to  our  city.  The  bringing  in  of  this  class  of 
labor  will  not  bring  in  labor  that  is  in  competition  with  any  other 
labor  in  this  country.  This  class  of  labor  is  not  a  class  that  will  be 
in  competition  with  any  other  labor  in  this  country,  and  it  is  certainly 
to  the  pecuniary  advantage  of  this  Government  to  permit  that  in- 
dustry to  develop ;  and  it  can  not  be  developed  if  this  class  of  labor 
is  not  permitted  to  come  in. 

We  have  paid  into  the  Treasury  of  the  United  States  a  great  many 
millions  of  dollars,  and  we  are  assured  by  the  manufacturers  who 
are  now  engaged  in  business  there,  and  by  other  manufacturers  in 
this  country  who  desire  to  move  to  Tampa  and  develop  business 
along  the  same  lines,  of  the  same  character  that  we  are  doing  there, 
that  the  cigar-manufacturing  industry  in  Tampa  will  probably  de- 
velop more  than  50  per  cent  within  the  j-ear  if  they  can  get  this 
class  of  labor  to  come  to  work. 

I  thank  you,  gentlemen. 

Senator  Fletcher.  I  believe  that  is  all.  Senator.  I  want  to 
thank  you,  Mr.  Chairman  of  the  committee,  for  your  kindness  in 
permitting  us  to  appear  before  you  and  in  permitting  all  these  gen- 
tlemen to  give  their  statements. 


62  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

The  CiTATUMAN.  Thank  you  very  much,  Senator,  for  your  present- 
ment of  this  case. 

Senator  Fletciiek.  And  I  would  say,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  "we 
could  add  any  number  of  other  thinf^s  to  Avhat  has  been  stated  so 
AA^ell  on  behalf  of  the  ve<:?etable  f!;ro\vers  of  the  east  coast,  and  these 
"[entlemen  of  the  ci<^ar  manufacturing  industry,  but  I  won't  burden 
your  record  by  briniijini;  others  in.  And  so  far,  the  statements  we 
have  presented  have  not  been  contradicted. 

The  CiiAiRiMAx.  The  subject,  Senator,  has  been  fully  and  clearly 
jDresented. 

STATEMENT  OF  CONGRESSMAN  HUDSPETH,  OF  THE  SIXTEENTH 

DISTRICT  OF  TEXAS. 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  shall  ask  the  indulgence 
of  the  committee  for  but  a  few  moments  to  suggest  an  amendment 
to  the  bill  that  I  offered  on  the  floor  of  the  House.  I  will  read  the 
amendment,  and  if  you  have  copies  of  the  bill  before  you  you  can 
see  where  the  connection  is  made. 

After  the  word  "  aliens,"  on  page  8,  line  17,  insert  a  comma  and 
add  the  following :  "  including  those  applying  for  admission  tempo- 
rarily, pursuant  to  the  last  proviso  in  section  3  of  the  immigration 
act." 

And  I  will  explain  briefly  the  purport  of  this  amendment,  gentle- 
men. As  the  chairman  of  your  committee,  Senator  Colt,  remembers, 
under  the  last  immigration  law  of  1917  the  Commissioner  of  Labor 
had  the  authority  to  suspend  the  literacy  test  and  the  head  tax  on 
immigrants  coming  from  Canada  and  Mexico.  That  is,  he  concluded 
he  had  that  authority.  If  he  had  that  authority,  then  all  this  amend- 
ment seems  to  do  is  to  give  him  that  authority  under  this  act.  And 
the  purpose  of  this  amendment  is  to  enable  the  beet  growers  of  Colo- 
rado and  the  Northwest  to  harvest  their  crop;  to  enable  the  cotton 
growers  and  the  avooI  men  of  Arizona  to  have  proper  care  for  their 
flocks  and  the  gathering  of  their  crop,  and  for  the  farmers  of  Texas 
and  the  live-stock  interests  of  Texas  to  properly  take  care  of  the 
product  of  their  farms  and  their  ranches. 

Now,  let  me  suggest  to  the  committee  that  the  class  of  people  who 
came  in  under  this  provision,  the  sus]iension  of  the  literacy  test, 
were  Mexicans,  90  of  whom  were  unable  to  read  or  write.  Now, 
gentlemen,  they  come  to  this  country  for  the  purpose  of  earning  a 
few  dollars.  Their  land  has  been  devastated  by  the  numerous  revolu- 
tions since  1910.  They  come  here  and  work  six  or  eight  months,  and 
then  they  go  back. 

Now,  in  the  hearing  before  the  House  committee  the  contention 
was  made  that  they  were  undesirable  peo])le,  not  a  good  class  of 
people,  not  people  Avho  should  be  admitted  into  the  Ignited  States  and 
to  be  made  citizens.  They  do  not  come  here  for  the  purpose  of  be- 
coming citizens,  although  many  of  them  do  stay  in  this  country. 

A  committee  was  appointed  after  the  charges  were  made  that  they 
were  l^eing  brought  across  as  serf  labor,  and  this  committee  con- 
sisted of  two  gentlemen  who  were  apjwinted  by  the  Secretary  of  Labor 
to  make  an  investigation  of  the  condition.  Tliis  committee  was  com- 
posed of  Ml-.  Grant  Hamilton  and  Mr.  A.  L.  Faulkner,  two  gentle- 
men from  the  Department  of  Labor,  and  I  have  with  me  their  report. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  63 

Senator  Harrison.  When  yva?,  that  filed.  Con<rres<=man  ? 

Congressman  Hudsreth.  That  was  filed  on  Aiigust  12,  1920,  Sen- 
ator. 

Senator  Harrison.  AVe  had  a  hearing  on  this  matter  some  time  ago. 
What  was  that  hearing? 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  I  think  it  was  on  the  same  question,  but 
prior  to  the  time  these  gentlemen  were  appointed.  I  think  it  was 
about  the  time  we  had  the  hearing  in  the  House,  Senator,  last  Januar3\ 
You  had  a  hearing  at  the  same  time. 

Senator  Harrison.  Under  the  law  is  the  discretion  now  lodged  with 
the  Secretary  of  Labor  to  permit  these  people  to  come  over  ? 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  Yes;  under  the  present  law,  and  that  is 
of  importance,  and  I  am  not  seeking  to  question  that  authorit}'. 

Senator  Harrison.  Now,  when  we  had  the  hearing  some  months 
ago,  what  was  desired  at  that  time  ? 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  At  that  time  it  was  desired.  Senator,  to 
bring  these  people  across.  The  Secretary  of  Labor  was  not  fully 
convinced  that  he  had  that  authority  under  this  act.  I  think  it  is 
due  to  your  splendid  chairman  here,  Senator  Colt,  that  he  became 
convinced  that  he  did  have  the  authority.  Xow,  if  he  did  have  the 
authority,  Senator,  in  1917,  this  amendment  leaves  it  in  the  discretion 
of  the  Secretary  of  Labor  in  great  emergencies  like  those  that  exist 
to-day  in  Texas,  Arizona,  California,  New  ^Mexico,  and  other  States — 
and  we  are  going  through  a  considerable  financial  panic  down  there — 
to  exercise  this  power.  And  it  is  necessary,  I  will  state  to  this  com- 
mittee, to  have  this  class  of  help,  because  you  caii  not  get  any  other 
kind,  Senator. 

Now,  relative  to  the  suggestion  that  we  were  not  paying  them 
a  proper  wage  for  their  labor,  I  will  ask  you  gentlemen  to  take  this 
report  of  these  two  gentlemen  that  I  referred  to  and  you  will  see 
that  they  say  that  in  Phoenix,  Ariz.,  in  the  Salt  River  Dam  project 
they  were  then  paying  them  their  $4  a  day  for  nine  hours'  work. 
And  in  the  beet  section  up  here,  which  will  be  represented  bv  Mr. 
Mandeville  and  others,  this  report  shows  that  in  one  district  inXJolo- 
rado  comprising  70.000  acres,  the  beet  crop  was  not  harvested  on 
account  of  lack  of  this  help,  and  that  they  are  now  callinir  for  5.000 
additional  laborers  in  order  to  harvest  the  beet  crop  in  Colorado. 

Mind  you,  gentlemen,  they  were  well  housed,  so  this  report  saj^s. 
They  were  well  taken  care  of.  And  it  was  contended — I  don't  know 
whether  that  was  up  before  this  committee  or  not — that  they  were 
brought  across  and  put  in  tents,  and  that  they  were  poorly  fed  and 
poorly  housed.  But  this  report  says  that  they  were  as  well  housed 
as  the  white  laborers.  And  furthermore  this  report  says  that  they 
did  not  come  in  competition  with  the  skilled  labor. 

And  it  goes  on  and  makes  an  investigation  of  the  oil  fields  of  my 
State,  and  we  don't  find  them  there  in  competition  with  the  white 
labor,  because  you  will  see  on  page  4,  where  they  refer  to  the  investi- 
gation that  was  made  in  the  Desdemona  fields,  in  the  construction  of 
pipe  lines  there  was  no  Mexican  labor  used.  In  all  the  work  re- 
quiring skilled  labor  there  were  no  Mexican  laborers  used. 

But  these  Mexican  laborers  tend  the  flocks,  and  they  pick  the  cotton. 
And,  gentlemen,  I  would  like  to  have  this  report  read  into  the  record 
as  a  part  of  my  remarks. 


64  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  be  read  into  the  record. 
(The  report  of  the  special  committee  referred  to  by  Congressman 
Hudspeth  is  here  printed  in  full  in  the  record,  as  follows:) 

United  States  DI':i>autment  of  IjAhor, 

Washington,  August  12,  1D20. 

REPORT  OF  SPECIAT.  COMMITTEE  APPOINTED  BY  THE  SECRETARY  OF  LAROR  TO  INVESTI- 
GATE COMPLAINTS  AGAINST  THE  TEMPORARY  ADMISSION  OF  ALIENS  FOR  AGRI- 
CULTURAL   PURPOSES. 

Sir:  Pursuant  to  your  appointment  of  the  undersigned  investigators  to  con- 
duct a  survey  of  tlie  labor  conditions  obtaining  as  a  result  of  the  departmental 
order  of  February  12,  1020,  and  the  sui)plt'uientary  order  (tf  .\]ii-il  "12,  1920, 
admitting  temporarily  Mexican  laborers  for  employment  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits, we  have  visited  and  made  a  study  of  the  greater  portion  of  the  country 
into  which  these  laborers  have  been  imported.  The  protests  tiled  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  Labor  and  presented  to  the  House  Immigration  Committee  against  the 
Issuance  of  these  orders  have  likewise  been  given  thorough  consideration,  and 
a  systematic  effort  made  to  determine  whether  these  protests  were  leased  upon 
a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  labor  conditions  in  the  communith^s  where 
these  protests  originated.  In  addition  to  tlie  conversation  had  relative  to  this 
subject,  you  directed  your  assistant,  Mr.  H.  L.  Kerwin,  to  provide  the  signers 
of  this  report  with  the  following  memorandum : 

"  May  8,  1920. 
"  Memorandum  for  Mr.  Grant  Hamilton  and  Mr.  A.  L.  Faulkner. 

"  In  connection  with  the  verbal  instructions  given  you  by  the  Secretary  con- 
cerning your  investigation  into  the  temporary  admission  of  Mexican  laborers 
into  the  United  States,  and  after  a  conference  with  the  Secretary  this  morning, 
he  feels  that  there  are  three  paramount  phases  of  the  situation : 

"  First.  Surplusage  of  labor. 

"  Second.  The  allegation  tliat  a  large  percentage  of  Mexican  people  coining 
into  the  States  for  agricultural  pursuits  drift  into  the  cities  and  go  into  com- 
petition with  wageworkers  there. 

"  Third.  It  is  claimed  that  the  necessity  for  the  temporary  admission  of  Mexi- 
cans for  agricultural  purposes  was  of  first  importance  to  the  agricultural  in- 
dustry of  the  border  States  because  of  the  inability  to  obtain  tlie  necessary 
help  to  plant  and  harvest  crops.  The  bureau  granted  temporary  admission  of 
this  class  of  labor,  realizing  that  any  impairment  of  the  supply  of  food  brought 
about  through  any  cause  would  affect  the  workers  and  all  our  people  and 
would  be  reflected  in  the  cost  of  living. 

"  H.  L.  Kkrwix, 
"Assistant  to  the  Secretary." 

In  proceeding  to  carry  out  these  instructions  no  effort  was  made. to  gather  an 
elaborate  array  of  statistics.  The  gathering  of  such  statistical  data  would  have 
required  a  large  field  force,  and  would  have  resulted  in  only  an  elaboration  of 
our  findings.  Our  practical  plan  was  to  make  a  i-apid  survey  of  a  wide  ter- 
ritory, tapping  those  sources  of  information  that  were  essential  to  secure 
reliable  general  information.  Approximation  based  on  first-hand  knowledge,  the 
result  of  a  visitation  of  an  extensive  area  of  the  country  west  of  the  Missouri 
River,  indicates  very  clearly  the  status  of  the  labor  situation  in  the  entire 
western  territory. 

The  purpose  of  this  investigation  originates  in  the  claims  and  counterclaims 
of  individuals  and  organizations  relative  to  the  dearth  or  sur])lusage  of  farm 
labor,  the  movements  of  INIexcan  labor  admitted  under  (he  exemption  order  of 
February  12,  1920,  and  the  supplementary  order  of  April  12.  1920.  The  inves- 
tigation involves  the  question  of  whether  the  exemption  orders  were  .instilled  by 
the  circumstances  exi.sting  in  the  farming  communities,  it  having  been  declared 
that  Mexican  labor,  in  the  absence  of  other  procurable  labor,  was  imperatively 
necessary  to  plant,  cultivate,  and  harvest  foodstuffs  in  order  that  an  increased 
acrenge  of  essential  ]iroducts  might  be  planted,  given  proper  attention,  and  pre- 
pared for  the  market. 

The  order  of  February  12,  1920,  and  the  supplemental  order  of  April  12,  1920, 
admitting  alien  laborers,  contained  specific  instructions  to  supervising  immi- 
grant inspectors  to  admit  aliens  without  enforcement  of  the  head  tax  and  the 
literacy  test  provisions  contained  in  the  immigration  laws  for  the  purpo.se,  as 
stated  in  the  order,  of  admitting  temporarily  agricultural  laborers  from  Mexico 
and  Canada  during  the  season  of  1920,  to  perform  labor  in  the  border  States 
and    Florida,    together    with   provisions    expressly    authorizing    the   sugar-beet 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  65 

growers  in  the  large  western  beet  belt  to  recruit  alien  labor  under  the  terms 
of  the  orders. 

That  this  survey  may  not  be  wholly  restricted  to  the  order  of  February  12, 
1920,  and  the  supplemental  order  of  April  12,  1920,' there  is  incorporated  in  this 
report  statistics  which  have  been  gathered  by  the  Immigration  Service  covering 
the  entire  period  of  four  years,  during  whicli  time  exceptions  have  been  author- 
ized permitting  the  entrance  of  alien  laborers  for  agricultural  work. 

In  order  that  a  comprehensive  survey  might  be  made,  your  investigators 
visited  10  of  the  Western  States,  selecting  those  cities  for  our  field  of  operation 
that  formed  the  gateway  through  whicli  these  laborers  ])assed,  and  also  those 
cities  adjacent  to  the  communities  in  which  the  IMexicans  were  emi)loyed.  This 
route  traversed  the  territory  in  which  the  great  bulk  of  western  farm  products 
are  produced,  as  well«s  covering  practically  the  larger  portion  of  that  territory 
where  sugar  beets  are  grown.  The  States  in  which  the  investigation  was  made 
are  as  follows:  Nebraska,  Colorado,  Missotiri,  New  Mexico,  Texas,  Arizona,  j 
California,  Kansas,  Nevada,  and  Utah.  ' 

Information  was  secured  from  representatives  of  the  organizations  of  labor, 
•employment  offices  and  labor  recruiters,  representatives  of  sugar  companies, 
chambers  of  commerce,  social  service  bureaus,  immigration  ofhcers  in  charge 
of  ports  of  entry,  immigration  inspectors,  railroad  employees,  farmers,  and  in 
any  other  quarter  which,  in  our  judgment,  seemed  likely  to  be  fertile  ground  for 
securing  information  bearing  upon  the  general  subject  under  consideration. 

The  rapid  expansion  of  the  sugar-beet  industry  in  the  western  country  cre- 
ated a  likewise  expanding  field  for  the  employment  of  common  or  unskilled 
labor.  Immediately  following  the  declaration  of  war  on  April  6,  1917,  the 
normal  flow  of  immigration  into  this  country  practically  ceased,  and  with  the 
mubilization  of  a  large  army  there  came  an  acute  shortage  in  labor  of  all  kinds, 
and  particularly  was  this  true  of  farm  labor.  It  is  coumion  knowledge  that 
even  before  the  war  there  was  a  distinct  drift  of  labor  from  the  farms  to  the 
cities.  This  condition  was  intensified  during  the  war  and  is  still  a  serious 
problem. 

From  the  date  of  the  declaration  of  war  to  the  date  of  this  report  it  is  uni- 
versally conceded  that  the  demand  for  labor  of  all  kinds  generally  has  been 
greater  than  the  supply.  No  data  exists  showing  the  numlier  of  men  in  this 
country  who  have  been  or  are  unemployed,  but  doubtless  the  aggregate  reaches 
<?onsiderable  proportions,  yet,  under  the  conditions  which  exist  at  the  present 
time  and  which  have  existed  for  three  years,  such  employment  statistics  as  are 
available  prove  that  there  has  been  a  very  insistent  and  continuous  demand 
foi-  common  or  unskilled  labor  and  that  wages  have  been  materially  advanced. 
Until  that  demand  is  ';upi)lie(l  it  is  self-evident  that  there  is  a  dearth  of  avail- 
able unskilled  or  conunon  labor.  Workmen  who  arc  voluntarily  unemployed 
where  opportunities  for  work  are  widespread  and  at  reasonable  remuneration 
can  not  in  reasonableness  and  good  faith  challenge  the  right  of  this  country 
to  expand  its  industry  and  its  agriculture  by  seeking  necessary  labor  where  it 
may  be  found. 

The  existing  high  prices  of  foodstuffs  are  no  doubt  affected  in  some  measure 
by  speculatoi-s  and  others  who  deal  in  necessaries  of  life.  It  is  equally 
true  that  the  farmers  are  likewise  receiving  a  substantial  advance  for  their 
products,  and  they  also  have  been  compelled  to  meet  heavy  increases  in  operat- 
ing expenses,  particularly  in  cost  of  farm  labor,  due  to  an  unprecedented  short- 
age attributable  to  attractive  remuneration  offered  workmen  in  industries  other 
than  farming. 

If  the  cost  of  living,  therefore,  is  to  recede  from  its  present  high  level,  there 
nnist  be  a  generally  sustained  effort  to  increase  production  to  the  point  ^^■here 
a  supply  of  sufficient  magnitude  is  created  to  not  only  meet  the  present  volume 
of  demand  but  to  exceed  it. 

The  sugar-beet  industry  conies  under  the  category  of  a  seasonable  industry. 
It  requires  ordinarily  four  operations — chopping  or  thinning,  first  hoeing,  second 
hoeina;,  and  chopping  off  tops  and  loading.  In  some  sections,  notably  California, 
sugar  beets  must  be  treated  at  the  refineries  witliin  a  short  period  after  pulling 
and  chopping  off  the  tops  to  prevent  deterioration,  while  in  other  sections  they 
can  be  siloed  and  the  sugar  content  preserved  for  a  considerable  length  of  time. 
Bpt^veen  the  operations  mentioned  there  is  a  period  when  no  win-k  in  the  beet 
fields  is  usually  necessary.  To  successfully  cultivate  sugar  beets  tbese  opera- 
ti(uis  must  be  performed  at  stated  and  definite  periods  in  their  growth. 

These  facts  have  frequently  been  made  the  basis  for  statements  that  there  is 
unemployed  labor  in  this  industry,  and  that  there  is  a  surplusage  of  the  char- 

2G911— 21— PT 1 5 


66  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

ac'ter  of  labor  needed  to  perform  the  necessary  work  to  bring  the  crop  to  the 
point  where  it  is  ready  for  treatment  in  the  refinery.  There  has  been  some 
idleness  in  the  beet  fields  l)etween  operations,  but  (here  has  been  also  a  \vid(»- 
spread  effort  on  the  part  of  the  sufjjar  companies  and  the  suj<ar-beet  farmers  to 
provide  wherever  i)ossible  other  farm  labor  to  take  up  the  idleness  between 
operations  in  the  process  of  irrowin^  beets.  In  numerous  sections  of  the  beet- 
growinj?  area  supplemental  work  has  been  provided  at  renumerative  wages. 
The  providing  of  continuous  employment  tends,-  of  course,  to  reduce  labor 
turnover,  and  especially  to  curtail  recruiting  exiienses. 

The  labor  employed  in  growing  beets  is  usually  compensated  under  a  con- 
tract. The  prevaiUng  price  paid  tliis  year  ranges  from  $30  to  $35  an  acre, 
according  to  locality.  Where  the  contract  price  is  $30  an  acre  the  division  of 
payments  are  as  follows :  , 

Per  acre. 

For  chopping  or  thinning $13.  00 

First  lioeing 3.  50 

Second    hoeing • 2.  50 

Pulling  and  chopping  off  tops  and  loading 11.  00 

-     The  average  acreage  assigned  to  each  laborer  for  the  season  is  10. 

In  some  of  the  beet  fields  visited,  where  labor  shortage  had  been  acute,  Mexi- 
can laborers  wei-e  being  employed  choi^ping  out  weeds,  receiving  $4  for  a  day 
of  nine  liours.  Representatives  of  sugar  companies  engaged  in  importing  Mexi- 
can laborers  have  been  offering  the  contract  price  referre<l  to  above  and  the 
going  wages  of  the  district  into  whicli  they  are  shipped  for  farm  labor  other 
than  beet  cultivation,  with  a  guaranty  that  35  cents  an  hour  shall  be  the 
minimum. 

The  urgency  for  the  production  of  sugar  has  resulted  in  a  largely  increased 
acreage  and  a  consequent  increased  demand  for  labor.  The  sugar  companies, 
lin  executing  contracts  with  the  farmers,  generally  now  agree  to  provide  the 
*f  labor  necessary  for  cultivation.  In  one  beet-gi*owing  district  about  70.000  acres 
are  under  cultivation.  The  resident  laborers  number  approximately  2,000. 
According  to  the  ratio  of  1  laborer  to  10  acres,  this  district  must  be  provided 
with  5,000  additional  laborers  to  cultivate  and  convert  the  crop  into  sugar. 
This  necessity  for  additional  labor  is  illustrative  of  the  general  situation  in 
the  beet  belt,  "with  variations  based  on  locality  and  other  conditions. 

Reverting  to  the  wage  problem,  it  was  found  that  remuneration  of  labor  in 
what  is  known  as  the  low-wage  section  of  the  South  had  appreciably  risen  over 
the  prewar  standard.  In  former  years  Mexican  labor  has  been  secured  in  this 
section  at  a  wage  rate  as  low  as  124  cents  per  hour.  In  a  communication  dated 
June  7,  1920,  the  immigration  inspector  in  charge  at  Phoenix,  Ariz.,  gives  the 
following  data  relative  to  scales  of  wages  paid  in  the  vicinity  of  Phoenix : 

"  Wages  paid  for  unskilled  white  farm  labor  is  $3  a  day  and  board  for  10 
hours  work. 

"  Local  Mexican  laborers,  for  unskilled  farm  labor,  $3  a  day  without  board 
for  10  hours  work. 

"Local  labor  (both  white  and  Mexican)  for  irrigating,  which  is  considered 
harder  work  than  ordinary  farm  labor,  35  and  40  cents  per  hour. 

"  Local  labor  for  teamsters  on  farms,  $3.50  a  day  with  board  for  white  labor 
and  $3.50  a  day  without  board  for  other  labor,  10  hours  work. 

"The  Arizona  Eastern  Railway  pays  its  section  hands  or  track  laborers  (all 
Mexicans)  34  cents  an  hour,  or  $2.72  an  S-hour  day. 

"The  Santa  Fe,  Phoenix  &  Pacific  Railway  pays  its  .section  hands  or  track 
laborers  37i  cents  per  hour,  or  $3  for  an  8-hour  day,  without  board;  track 
laborers  on  "extra  gang  at  the  rate  of  40  cents  an  hour,  or  $3.20  for  an  S-hour 
(lav.  with  time  and  a  half  for  overtime. 

"The  \tchison.  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  (coast  lines)  pays  its  section 
hands  or  track  laborers  35J  cents  per  hour,  or  $2.82  for  an  8-hour  day.  without 
board ;  track  laborers  in  extra  gangs  40  cents  per  hour,  or  $3.20  for  an  8-hour 
day,  with  time  and  a  half  for  overtime. 

"  Unskilled  labor  (both  white  and  Mexicans)  in  Phoenix  doing  pick  and  shovel 
work,  working  in  concrete,  and  in  general  roustabout  work,  receives  50  cents 
per  hour,  or  $4  for  an  8-hour  day.  ,    ,  ,  ^       ,    ,  .^  ,,     .        ,  , 

"The  State  of  Arizona  pays  its  unskilled  labor  (white  or  IVIexican)  on  road 
work  and  other  construction  work  50  cents  an  hour,  or  $4  for  an  8-hour  day. 
with  a  deduction  of  $1.20  a  day  for  board,  or  at  the  rate  of  $2.80  per  day  with 
board. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  67 

"  INIaricopa  County  pays  its  unskilled  labor  (botli  white  and  Mexicans)  on 
road  work  50  cents  an  hour,  or  $4  for  an  8-hour  day,  with  a  deduction  of  $1.25 
a  day  for  board,  or  at  the  rate  of  $2.75  a  day  with  board. 

"The  Salt  River  Valley  Water  Users'  A.ssociation  pays  its  unskilled  labor  (all 
Mexican)  doing  ijick  and  shovel  work,  cleaning  canals,  $3.50  for  an  S-hour  day, 
with  $1  per  day  deducted  for  board.  Carpenters,  electricians,  and  pipemen, 
$6  for  an  S-hour  day,  with  $1  per  day  deducted  for  board. 

"  Rates  of  wages  paid  skilled  labor  for  eight  hours'  work  in  Phoenix,  as 
follows : 

"  Plumbers J $12 

"Bricklayers 10 

"  Cai'peuters 8 

"  Members  of  the  Arizona  Cotton  Growers'  Association,  in  the  Salt  River 
Valley,  pay  the  Mexican  laborers  imported  under  departmental  exceptions  for 
agricultural  laborers  as  follows  : 

"  Chopping  cotton,  pick  and  shovel  work,  cleaning  ditches,  $3  per  day  for  10 
hours'  work. 

"  Teamsters,  $3.25  to  $3.50  for  10  hours'  w'ork.  according  to  the  efiiciency  of 
the  individual. 

"  Three  cents  per  pound  for  picking  cotton,  first  and  second  openings ;  the 
average  adult  will  pick  100  pounds ;  later  in  the  season,  when  the  cotton  is 
thinner,  the  rate  is  )-aised  to  4,  6,  7,  or  8  cents  a  pound,  and  as  high  as  10  cents 
per  pound  toward  the  last  of  the  season. 

"  Of  course,  a  man  with  a  family  always  makes  good  money  during  the  pick- 
ing season,  making  from  $40  to  $75  a  week. 

"  These  aliens  are  furnished  quarters,  wood,  and  water  fi*ee." 

Housing  conditions  for  seasonal  labor  in   the   agricultural   sections  of  the 
territory  under  consideration  are  not  altogether  ideal.    In  California  the  State 
housing  law  has  been  responsible  for  the  erection  in  labor  camps  of  habitable 
buildings  in  many  parts  of  tlie  State.     In  States  where  there  is  no  regulatory  t 
legislation  agricultural  laborers  are  housed  in  numerous  ways,  farm  outbuild-  \ 
ings  and  tents  predominating.     The  urgent  need  of  farm  labor,   hovrever,  is   ' 
acting  as  a  stimulus  to  provide  suitable  habitation  for  an  increasing  army  of 
laborers,  so  that  tliey  may  be  housed  comfortably  in  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

It  is  exceedingly  pertinent  to  state  that  the  Japanese  are  invading  the  sugar- 
beet  industiy  not  only  as  laborers  but  as  proprietors.  They  are  reported  to  be 
buying  beet  land,  as  well  as  land  in  the  cotton-growing  sections.  The  invasion 
has  not  assumed  large  proportions  as  yet,  but  tlie  future  may,  and  probably  will, 
especially  if  other  labor  is  not  available,  witness  large  numbers  of  this  oriental 
race  in  possession  of  a  considerable  proportion  of  sugar-beet  and  cotton  ai-eas 
of  tbe  country.  In  discussing  this  phase  of  the  situation  in  various  parts  of  the 
territory  visited  there  appeared  to  be  a  growing  apprehension  that  if  Mexican 
labor  could  not  be  procured  to  perform  what  is  known  as  "  squat "  labor  the 
Japanese  would  eventually  comprise  the  bulk  of  labor  necessaiy  in  this  industry. 

The  Mexicans  of  our  day,  being  descendants  of  a  race  in  whose  veins  flow  in 
dominating  measure  Indian  blood,  evince  the  same  migratory  characteristics 
that  have  always  been  a  feature  of  the  Indian  race.  Mexicans  brought  into  the 
country  under  the  exemptions  for  temporary  work  on  the  farms  have  not  all 
remained  in  the  employ  of  the  farmers.  There  have  been  a  considerable  number 
of  Mexicans  that  have  left  the  farm  and  sought  and  secured  other  employment, 
to  what  extent  is  reflected  in  the  immigration  reports.  The  great  bulk  of  the 
Mexicans  now  employed  in  the  western  territory  outside  of  the  beet  fields  and 
the  cotton  area  are  employed  on  the  railroads  in  manual  labor  required  in  con- 
struction and  rehabilitation  work. 

It  can  be  stated,  however,  that  even  though  there  has  been  a  violation  of 
their  agreement  by  the  Mexicans  in  leaving  the  farms,  there  has  been  during  the 
present  season  a  greater  demand  for  common  or  unskilled  labor  than  there  have 
been  workmen  to  supply  it. 

Every  employment  oflice  in  the  States  visited,  numbering  some  55  in  10 
States,  reported  their  inability  to  meet  the  demand  for  unskilled  labor  in  prac- 
tically all  branches  of  industry.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  in  dealing  with  the 
question  of  Mexican  labor  that  there  are  in  this  country  many  thousands  of 
Mexicans  who  are  native  born,  and  likewise  those  who  have  been  here  for  years 
and  are  naturalized  citizens,  as  well  as  large  numbers  who  are  able  to  qualify 
under  the  tests  prescribed  by  the  immigration  laws,  who  cross  and  recross  the 
border  at  varying  intervals. 


68  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

In  the  25  cities  and  towns  visited  it  was  found  tliat  the  number  of  iMexicans 
disphicing  white  men  was  nej,'li table.  The  fact  must  not  be  lost  sight  of  that 
IMexicans  in  considerable  numbers  are  members  of  local  labor  unions.  IMexicans 
are  members  of  the  United  Mine  Workers,  the  packing-hou.sc  unions,  the  vjirious 
skilled  trades,  and  federal  labor  unions  chartered  by  the  American  Federation 
of  Labor.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  to  Thoenix,  Ariz.,  it  was  report(!d  by  officials 
of  Uie  xVrizona  State  r\HltM-ation  of  Labor  that  Ibe  American  Federation  of 
Labor  had  detailed  an  organizer  into  that  held  to  organize  the  Mexicans  em- 
ployed in  the  cotton  fields  who  were  admitted  under  the  exceptions.  The  I'an 
American  Federation  of  Labor,  which  was  organized  through  the  instrumentality 
of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor,  se^^ks  to  render  sympathetic  assistance  to 
the  IMexicans.  These  agencies  afford  the  Mexicans  protection  against  exploita- 
tion.    Mr.  Gompers  is  president  of  the  I^an  American  Federation. 

At  the  time  this  report  is  being  written  there  are  still  efforts  being  made  to 
recruit  labor  for  the  beet  fields.  While  the  great  bulk  of  the  labor  has  been 
secured,  the  migratory  character  of  tJie  Mexican  makes  it  necessary  to  continue 
recruiting  labor  until  tlie  beets  are  harvested.  The  situation,  however,  is  fairly 
good,  although  our  investigation  reveals  no  impending  surplusage  of  common 
labor  in  th;s  industry  during  the  last  operations.  Our  information  justifies 
the  statement  that  there  has  been  no  surplusage  at  any  time,  and  that  the 
lateness  of  the  crop,  because  of  weather  conditions,  was  one  of  the  fortunate 
instances  that  alleviated  what  portended  to  be  a  very  serious  labor  shortage  at 
tlie  beginning  of  the  season.  Even  with  the  lateness  of  the  season,  Mexican  la- 
borers and  other  laborers  in  sufficient  numbers  were  not  secured  until  the  sea- 
son was  well  advanced. 

Referring  to  the  large  number  of  protests  that  were  filed  before  the  Immi- 
gration Conuiiittee  last  spring,  protesting  against  the  admission  of  IMexican 
laborers,  particular  attention  was  given  to  this  phase  of  the  situation.     These 
protests  stated  either  directly  or  inferentially  that  there  was  no  shortage  of 
I  common  or  iniskilled  labor  in  the  communities  where  the  protests  originated, 
■  and  that  Mexicans  admitted  uuder  the  exemption  order  of  February  12,  1920, 
:  and  the  supplementary  order  of  April  12,  1920,  were  displacing  white  working- 
i  men.     In  order  to  illustrate  the  fallaciousness  of  many  of  the  .statements  made 
in  these  protests  there  is  included  in  this  report  a  synopsis  of  an  investigation 
made  in  Texas  as  the  result  of  charges  made  that  Mexican  labor  was  dis- 
placing white  labor.     It  will  be  observed  that  the  result  of  this  investigation, 
performed  at  the  instance  of  the  complainant,  failed  to  substantiate  the  state- 
ments made.    This  report  is  indicative  of  the  general  situation,  and  shows  con- 
clusively  that   the  Mexican   laborers   referred   to  wei'e  employed   only    in    the 
capacity  of  unskilled  laborers,  and  that  they  were  not  admitted  under  the  ex- 
ceptions of  February  12  ^md  April  12,  1920.     The  report  folhnA's : 

"  FoKT  WoKTH,  Tex.,  May  29,  1920. 
"  Inspectok  in  Charge, 

"rmtiiigratiou  Service,  El  Puso,  Tex.:  • 

"  Referring  to  your  indorsement  No.  3032/1,  dated  the  7th  instant,  transmit- 
ting copy  of  bureau  telegram  dated  April  24  last,  in  re  Mexican  laborers  im- 
pcu'ted  under  departmental  exemptions  being  employed  for  labor  other  than 
agricultural,  Mr.  R.  E.  Evans,  international  president,  Oil  Field,  Gas,  and  Well 
Refinery  Workers  of  America,  stated  the  loth  instant  that  there  wa.s  an — 
'  illegal  use  IMexican  labor  in  industries  other  than  those  indicated  under  the 
ruU*  under  which  IMexican  laborers  are  imported;  that  he  had  not  .so  far  com- 
pleted a  thorough  invc^stigation ;  however,  that  he  had  found  sufficient  reason 
to  believe  the  situation  needs  a  thorough  investigation.  That  thousands  of 
Mexicans  in  the  mid-continent  oil  fields  are  being  used  to  displace  American 
laljor  on  pipe  lines  where  there  is  ample  supply  of  Anu-ricans,  who  are  .solely 
dependent  upon  this  particular  line  of  work  for  their  existence,  and  that  he  felt 
a  thorough  investigation  would  reveal  startling  facts  of  the  wholesale  violation 
of  the  p\ii'p<ise  for  which  the  emergency  rule  was  established.' 

"  jMr.  Evans  introduced  Mr.  J.  A.  Russ,  secretary  Burkburnett  Local,  Xo.  49, 
who  stated  that— 

on  April  30,  1920,  there  were  five  carloads  of  Mexicans  unloaded  at  Burk- 
bui-nett.  and  upon  inv(>stigation  with  an  interpreter  secured  at  the  IMagnolia 
found  these  Mexicans  had  been  sent  from  the  Laredo  district  to  do  work  for  the 
Texas  Co.  This  was  denied  by  the  superintendent.  However,  they  are  working 
on  the  line  that  belongs  to  the  Texas  Co.,  which  follows  the  Magnolia  8-inch 
line  (oniiiig  in  on  the  main  highway  from  Wichita  Falls.  Another  instance,  a 
12-in(li  line  being  laid  acro.ss  the  Wagnor  pool  to  block  821,  under  construction 
by  Booth  &  Flynn,  contractors.' 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 


69 


"  Mr.  Evans  arranged  meetings  with  other  heads  of  crafts  allied  with  his 
organization  with  a  view  to  gathering  data  upon  which  an  investigation  could 
be  commenced,  advising  that  Mr.  U.  IM.  Lee,  deputy,  district  No'.  5,  Fort  Worth, 
Tex.,  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics  of  the  State  of  Texas,  was  assisting  him  and 
his  associates  in  the  investigation,  and  requested  the  wi-iter  to  accompany  him 
to  Hillsboro,  Burkburnett,  and  Breckeuridge,  Tex.,  Mr.  Evans  courteously 
supplying  the  services  of  an  interpreter  and  stenographer  for  use  in  the  fields. 

"  On  the  19th  instant,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Lee,  statements  were  obtained  from 
the  Mexican  pipe-line  crew  employed  by  the  McPhearson  Contracting  Co.  in 
laying  a  gas  line  in  the  viciTiity  of  Hillsl)or(>.  Tex.  The  records  indicate  the 
status  of  the  laborers  as  follows : 

Admitted  under  departmental  exception^ 0 

Domiciled 1 

Admitted,  payment  of  head  tax 4 

Entered  without  inspection 11 

Total 16 

"  Mr.  Lee  advised  that  there  was  no  other  Mexican  labor  employed  in  the 
vicinity  of  Hillsboro,  Tex. 

"Accompanied  by  Mr.  Lee  and  piloted  by  J.  A.  Russ,  secretary  Burkburnett 
Local,  No.  49,  every  oil  lease,  refinery,  and  tank  farm  in  the  entire  district  be- 
tween Burkburnett  and  the  Red  River,  including  the  entire  BurkbuiTiett  field, 
was  visited,  resulting : 

Mexican  laborers  or  residents  found 0 

White  labor  laying  pipe  lines,  crews 3 

White  labor  engaged  in  other  vocations All. 

"  On  the  24th  instant,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Lee  and  piloted  by  Messrs.  Harris 
Campbell  and  R.  Hoyt,  members  and  organizers  of  the  Breckeuridge  local, 
Breckenridge,  Tex.,  statements  were  obtained  from  Mexican  laborers  employed 
by  Westinghouse-Church-Kerr  &  Co.  (Inc.),  engineers  and  contractors  for  the 
Texas  Co.,  working  in  the  pipe-line  crew  on  Parks  lease.  The  status  of  the 
Mexican  laborers  is  as  follows : 

Admitted  under  departmental  exception^ 0 

Admitted,  payment  head  tax 2 

Entered  without  inspection 1.5 

Total 17 

"Approximately  50  other  Mexicans  were  employed  in  performing  common 
labor  on  the  Parks  lease.  Mexican  labor  was  not  being  used  on  other  leases 
visited  in  the  Breckenridge  field. 

"  Mr.  U.  M.  Lee  to-day  informed  me  that  he  knew  of  no  other  fields  where  an 
inve.stigation  was  desired  by  this  service. 

"  Supplemental  to  this  report  you  are  advised  the  several  labor  agencies 
visited  in  Fort  Worth,  Tex.,  indicate  the  following  with  respect  to  Mexican 
laborers : 


Oregon  Short  Line 

Union  Pacific 

G.  W.  Beet  Sugar  Co. 
Rock  Island  &  Frisco. 
Santa  Fe 


Shipped.   Standing 


200 
5,000 
2,000 
8,000 


3,000 
8,000 
1,000 
1,000 
1,000 


'  Shipped. 


Texas  &  Pacific 

Pipe  lines 

Farm  laborers  (ne.xt  30  days) . 
.  i. ». 
Total 


Standing 
order. 


400 

200 

1,500 


16,100 


"  M.  H.  Jones. 
"Immigrant  Inspector." 

In  connection  with  the  foregoing  statement  it  will  be  interesting  to  refer  to 
the  statistical  record  compiled  by  Mr.  F.  W.  Berkshire,  supervising  inspector  of 
immigration  at  El  Paso,  Tox.  This  record  is  a  compilation  of  the  Mexican 
agricultural  laborers  admitted  under  departmental  exceptions  for  the  vears 
1917,  1918,  1919.  and  1920.     This  record  is  compiled  as  of  June  30,  1920.     It 


1  Mexican  labor  was  being  used  to  assemble  the  rubber  gasket  joined  pipe  line  in  the 
vicinity  of  Hillsboro,  Tex.      (McPhearson  Contracting  Co.) 

*  White  labor  was  being  used  for  ox-welding  the  joints  of  the  pipe  line  on  the  Parks 
lease,  in  the  Breckenridge  field.     (Westinghouse-Church-Kerr  &  Co.  (Inc.).) 


70 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


shows  that  dniing  the  period  mentioned  there  were  40,700  Mexican  laborers 
imiiortt'd  into  llie  I'nited  States  and  that  19,004  are  now  employed,  while  12.800 
liave  he(>n  retnrnWl  and  S.OTS  di'serted.  Included  in  the  statistical  statement  is 
tlie  iiunil)or  of  Mexicans  iini>orted  for  Government  construction  and  mining 
duriii<;  tlic  year  1!)10.  Addin.u  the  totals  of  IMexicans  imported  for  Government 
construction  and  nuniiifr  in  1919  to  the  total  nmnber  of  Mexicans  imported  dur- 
ing the  four  years  mentioned  it  is  found  that  there  has  been  a  grand  total  of 
these  laborers  imported  amounting  to  50,852.  17,1SG  having  been  returned,  while 
22.G3T  are  now  employed  and  10,091  reporteil  deserted,  with  a  death  list  of  327. 
Analyzing'  the  grand  totals,  as.suming  that  all  the  deserters  are  still  in  this 
country,  whicli  is  exceedingly  improbable,  it  is  found  that  there  are  remaining 
in  this  country  as  a  result  of  th<>  importations  some  33.000  Mexican  laborers, 
over  22,000  of  whom  are  now  employed,  with  desertions  of  approximately  11,000. 

A  reference  to  the  immigration  statistics  of  the  country  during  the  years  pre- 
ceding the  war  shows  that  a  vast  nndtitude  of  workmen,  approximating  some- 
thing like  1,000,000  a  year,  entered  this  country,  and  while  this  vast  number  did 
not  all  secure  Inbor  for  which  adequate  remunei'ation  was  received,  yet  the  great 
bulk  was  absorbed  by  the  expanding  industries  of  the  country.  In  1917,  when 
Congress  declared  war,  this  large  volume  of  immigration  ceased,  while  the 
demand  for  labor  at  the  same  time  liecame  greater  than  at  any  period  within 
the  history  of  the  United  States.  The  records  show  that  during  the  period  of  the 
war  and  since  the  signing  of  the  armistice  the  shortage  of  unskilled  or  common 
labor  has  been  very  acute. 

It  is  a  generally  accepted  fact  that  upon  the  signing  of  the  armistice  and 
returning  to  this  country  of  the  vast  Army  sent  abroad  and  its  demobilization, 
the  men  demobilized  did  not  generally  return  to  the  vocations  in  wliich  they 
were  engaged  at  the  time  they  were  called  upon  to  perform  military  service. 
In  fact,  the  authorities  claim  that  there  has  been  a  general  reluctance  upon 
the  part  of  farm  laborers  to  returu  to  the  farm.  With  the  mounting  cost  of 
living,  particularly  in  food  jn'oducts,  great  efforts  have  been  made  to  inorense 
farm  production,  but  the  supply  of  labor  has  been  difTicult  to  ol)tain  to  cultivate 
the  vast  area  necessary  to  produce  sufficient  for  the  wants  of  tl;e  people  of 
our  own  country  and  meet  the  demands  for  export. 

The  figures  given  with  reference  to  the  number  of  Mexicans  coming  to  this 
country  under  the  exceptions  appear  as  exceedingly  modest  when  the  actual 
conditions  which  obtained  at  the  time  that  the  exceptions  were  made  are  taken 
into  consideration. 

In  making  this  comparative  statement  your  investigators  are  of  the  opinion 
that  a  dire  and  imperative  need  was  met  in  making  the  exceptions  and  per- 
mitting INIexican  labor  to  enter  this  country  on  easy  terms  to  meet  the  abnormal 
demand  for  common  labor.  The  fact  that  this  country  comprises  a  large  area, 
and  that  our  industries,  particularly  agriculture,  must  expand  to  meet  an  in- 
creasing population,  makes  imperative  a  similar  increase  in  conmion  labor  to 
meet  the  demands  of  expansion. 

The  increase  of  sugar-beet  acreage  of  the  country  indicates  the  growing  de- 
mand for  labor  in  that  industry  alone.  The  following  table  is  a  sununary  of 
the  United  States  sugar-beet  acreage,  as  compiled  by  the  statistical  divisions  of 
the  sugar  companies: 


state. 


Colorado 

Michigan 

California 

Utah 

Nebraska 

Idaho 

Ohio 

Wisconsin 

lo.va 

Wyoning 

Montana 

Washington.. 

Kansas 

South  Dakota 

Minnesota 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Total... 


1920 


1919 


260,514 
153,000 
136,783 
112,000 
81,689 
56,500 
52,050 
3»,800 
19,500 
18,600 


50,315 


230,348 
138,298 
130,168 
110,200 
67,644 
54,700 
47,462 
18,800 


>  81,800 


975,751 


879,420 


1918 


141,508 
123,627 
126,989 
90,478 
46,069 
40,500 
45,376 
23,850 


172,236 


710,633 


183,600 
109,450 
190,200 
91,100 
54,194 
46,500 
30,750 
21,300 


2  45,747 


72,811 


>  Including  lo  ,va  and  Wyoming. 


'  Including  lo  .va,  Wyoming,  Oregon,  and  Nevada. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATIOIT  LEGISLATION..  71 

The  number  of  sugar-beet  refineries  in  opei-ation  this  year  will  aggregate  98. 
Utah  will  hold  lii-fet  place  by  operating  20  refineries,  Colorado  next  with  18, 
while  Michigan  will  operate  17  . 

According  to  the  generaly  accepted  estimate  that  one  laborer  is  needed  for 
each  10  acres,  the  growing  and  harvesting  of  the  1920  beet  crop  will  require 
97,500  laborers. 

In  some  quarters  there  has  been  developed  a  strong  opposition  to  imraigi-a- 
tion,  and  in  some  of  the  arguments  against  the  immigration  of  certain  aliens 
there  is  a  general  acquiescence  in  the  oppo'sition.  but  it  can  be  said  that  so 
far  as  the  Mexican  is  concerned,  he  presents  certain  economic  advantages  not 
possessed  by  other  nationalities. 

The  acreage  of  sugar  beets,  and  likewise  cotton,  is  expanding,  and  these  two 
industries  require  manuiil  laborers  in  increasing  numbers. 

Other  elements  enter  into  this  problem.  They  are  questions  of  wages  and 
conditions.  The  southern  portion  of  those  States  resting  on  the  ^Mexican 
border  has  been  known  as  the  low-wage  section.  Mexicans  coming  across 
tlie  border  in  normal  times  have  not  always  been  able  to  secure  adequate 
remuneration  for  their  labor  in  the  sections  referred  to;  but  as  the  war  creiited 
new  demands  for  labor  in  all  sections,  m  ages  of  Mexican  labor  rose  in  accord- 
ance therewith.  It  would  be  presumptuous  to  make  the  positive  statement  that 
Mexicans  in  all  parts  of  the  West  were  receiving  adequate  renunieration  for 
services  performed,  but  it  can  be  said  that  tlie  remuneration  received  by  the 
large  body  of  Mexicans  now  employed  in  the  beet  tields.  cotton  fields,  and  upon 
the  railroads  is  a  wage  which  ranges  fi-om  100  to  300  per  cent  greater  than 
before  the  wai'^  It  undoubtedly  is  true  that  in  some  localities  where  Mexicans 
are  employed  the  conditions  are  not  what  they  ought  to  be,  but  the  fact  that  ; 
there  has  been  such  an  imperative  )ieed  for  laborers  has  brought  home  to  the  j 
employers  of  this  class  of  labor  the  imperative  necessity  of  continually  improv- I 
ing  conditions,  so  that  the  laborers  employed  can  be  retained.  ' 

Another  feature  of  the  situation  is  the  illegal  entry  of  Mexicans.  It  has  been 
impossible  for  the  Immigration  Service  to  maintain  an  adequate  patrol  on 
the  Mexican  border  because  of  lack  of  funds,  thus  opening  the  way  for  illegal 
entrance.  Another  reason  assigned  for  illegal  entrance  is  that  in  the  northern 
Mexican  States,  which  were  under  the  domiiiation  of  Villa,  the  people  of  the 
comitry  became  so  impoverished  for  lack  of  food  that  it  became  necessary 
for  them  to  migrate  to  keep  from  starving.  At  one  time  during  this  year  a  large 
number  of  Mexicans  came  to  San  Antonio.  Tex.,  and  for  a  brief  peritKl  were  given 
aid  by  the  municipal  authoi'ities.  The  officials  of  that  city  are  given  authority 
for  the  statement  that  four  meals  to  each  refugee  was  the  limit  of  the  assistance 
rendered.  No  definite  statement  can  be  secured  as  to  the  number  of  illegal 
entrants  into  San  Antonio  or  any  other  place  on  the  border.  Notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  number  of  these  ^Mexicans  so  entering  reached  considerable 
proportions,  yet  the  elfect  upon  the  labor  market  was  not  appreciable. 

Without  luiderstanding  the  characteristics  of  the  Mexicans,  it  is  quite  prob- 
able that  the  uninformed  would  assume  that  all  of  the  Mexicans  coming  into  this 
country — those  who  came  in  under  the  exceptions,  those  entitled  to  come  by 
complying  with  immigration  regulations,  as  well  as  the  illegal  entrants — 
remain  in  this  country  indefinitely.  Such  is  not  the  case.  There  is  a  stream  of 
Mexicans  coming  out  of  Mexico  into  the  United  States,  and  another  stream 
returning  from  the  United  States  into  Mexico.  Of  the  returning  stream  there 
are  no  complete  records  being  kept,  neither  are  they  possible.  Your  inves- 
tigators, however,  made  observations  of  the  trains  nnuiing  south  in  sections 
near  the  border,  and  it  was  found  that  on  practically  every  trflin  running  in 
this  direction  there  were  carrie<l  IMexicans  in  less  or  greater  numbers  returning 
to  their  native  country. 

The  fact  that  Spaniards  and  Mexicans  have  been  the  pioneers  in  various  parts 
of  the  western  country  should  not  be  lost  sight  of.  There  is  a  large  population 
of  Mexicans  in  the  West  and  South  that  are  native  born,  and,  therefore,  Ameri- 
can citizens,  and  in  the  sections  of  country  whei-e  they  reside  have  made  for 
stability  of  government  and  progress,  and  while  the  Mexicans  of  the  present  day 
is  not  of  pure  Spanish  blood,  being  an  admixture  of  Spanish  and  Indian,  yet 
they  have  not  brought  to  this  country  preconceived  notions  of  erratic  govern- 
mental policies  or  attempted  in  any  way  to  impede  the  progi-ess  of  orderly  and 
representative  government. 

Summarizing  the  information  secured,  giving  due  weight  to  the  questions  in- 
volved, we  make  the  following  statements : 

That  protests  filed  against  the  admission  of  Mexican  labor  under  the  excep- 
tions could  not  be  substantiated  by  facts. 


72  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

That  though  the  restrictions  on  the  soutlieru  border  were  even  more  lux  than 
they  are  under  the  exceptions,  no  detrimental  economic  situation  would  be 
pi-escnted. 

That  our  investigation  proves  beyond  a  reasonable  doubt  that  white  men  are 
averse  to  accepting,  and  refuse  to  accept  (as  they  have  the  right  to  do),  employ- 
ment as  unskilled  or  coniinon  laborers,  except,  perhaps,  where  that  employment 
is  within  the  limits  of  towns  or  cities. 

That  at  the  time  this  report  is  submitted  the  employment  offices  in  all  of  the 
Western  States  visited  are  unable  to  supply  the  demand  for  common  labor. 

That  wages  paid  and  conditions  provided  for  common  labor,  while  perhaps  in 
many  instances  not  ideal,  yet  present  a  vast  improvement  over  the  period  pre- 
ceding the  war. 

That  our  investigation  disclosed  the  fact  that  Mexicans  are  not  displacing 
white  laborers  in  any  appreciable  degree. 

KECOit  MENDATION. 

^^'hile  we  find  that  admission  of  INIexicans  under  the  exceptions  has  thus  far 
been  necessary  and  beneficial,  both  to  them  and  to  the  United  States,  we  re- 
spectfully suggest,  as  a  safeguard  against  any  possible  undesirable  development 
through  continuance  of  this  policy,  not  only  adequate  Federal  supervision  of  the 
border  but  inspection  of  employment  to  insure  the  establishment  and  mainte- 
nance of  proper  living  and  working  conditions. 
Respectfully  submitted. 

GRANf  Hamilton, 
A.  L.  Faulkner. 
Hon.  W.  B.  WiLsox, 

Secretary  of  Labor, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  This  report  shows  that  the  ^Mexicans 
were  not  coming  in  competition  with  skilled  labor,  but  it  shows  that 
they  were  being  paid  fair  prices  in  Texas,  in  New  Mexico,  in  Colo- 
rado, and  in  Arizona,  the  minimum  wage  in  any  of  those  States  being 
$3  a  dnj. 

Now,  it  is  not  a  question,  as  I  stated  to  the  chairman  of  the  House 
committee — it  is  not  a  question,  Senator,  of  the  prices  that  the  people 
that  I  represent  pay — and  I  haA'e  700  miles  of  border  in  Texas — it  is 
a  question  of  securing  these  laborers  in  order  to  take  care  of  our 
flocks  and  in  order  to  shear  them.  Last  fall,  for  want  of  this  labor, 
there  were  90  per  cent  of  the  sheep  in  my  section  of  the  coinitry  that 
were  not  shorn. 

Senator  Xugent.  For  how  many  years  has  that  condition  existed, 
Congressman  ? 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  For  several  years. 

Senator  Nugent.  Shortage  of  labor? 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  Yes. 

Senator  Nugent.  About  how  many? 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  Well,  I  would  say  ever  since  the  war 
began. 

Senator  Nugent.  Precisely. 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  Yes.  Now,  possibly  before  that.  I  am 
not  positive  as  to  that.  Senator:  but,  anywaj',  I  know  that  that  is  so 
since  the  war  began. 

Senator  Nugent.  Now,  do  you  not  think  that  in  view  of  the  read- 
justments through  which  not  only  our  country  but  the  world  is  going, 
and  the  great  imemployment  that  now  exists  in  the  United  States, 
that  it  will  be  possible  for  ranchers  and  stockmen  through  our  section 
of  the  country  to  secure  all  the  help  they  want  without  importing 
Mexicans? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  73 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  I  don't  think  so,  Senator.  What  chiss 
of  labor  do  you  refer  to  ? 

Senator  Nugent.  The  ver}^  class  that  you  are  referring  to — farm 
laborers,  sheep  herders,  workers  of  that  class. 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  Well,  we  have  alwaj^s  had  Mexicans  as 
sheep  herders  in  Texas.  We  have  never  been  able  to  get  white  labor 
to  herd  sheep. 

Senator  Nugent.  In  my  section  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war 
we  experienced  very  little  difficulty  in  getting  a  sufficient  number  of 
laborers  to  farm  and  to  take  care  of  the  stock  industry,  and  I  was 
wondering  whether  that  same  condition  did  not  prevail  in  j^our 
section. 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  No,  sir ;  there  has  been  a  scarcity  of  that 
class  of  labor  for  several  years.  And  that  has  been  the  only  class 
of  labor,  the  Mexican  labor,  that  Ave  have  been  able  to  f^et  down  there 
to  take  care  of  our  herds.  The  Mexican  is  a  nomadic  person,  who 
takes  to  that  kind  of  work,  and  his  chief  business  is  tending  flocks. 

The  Chairman.  They  are  only  here  temporarily,  are  they  not  ? 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  This  report.  Senator,  which  I  have  intro- 
duced into  the  record  states : 

There  is  a  stream  of  Mexicans  coming  out  of  Mexico  into  the  United  States, 
and  another  stream  returning  from  the  United  States  into  Mexico.  Of  the  re- 
turning stream  tliere  are  no  complete  records  being  Icept,  neither  are  tliey  pos- 
sible. Your  investigators,  hOA^ever,  made  observations  of  tlae  trains  running 
south  in  sections  near  the  border,  and  it  was  found  that  on  practically  every 
train  running  in  this  direction  there  were  carried  Mexicans  in  less  or  greater 
numbers  returning  to  their  native  country. 

The  Chairman.  Is  it  not  a  fact  that  90  to  95  per  cent  or  more  re- 
turn to  Mexico  at  the  end  of  the  season? 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  This  report  says  that  that  is  true,  fully 
that  per  cent.  And  I  want  to  state  again  to  the  Senator  from  Idaho, 
that  I  was  up  in  your  State,  and  3^011  do  not  employ  the  same  class  of 
labor  in  connection  with  your  herds  that  we  do.  You  employ  a  great 
many  Spaniards  or  Frenchmen. 

Senator  Nugent.  Yes;  we  employ  Basques  in  the  sheep  industry. 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  We  never  have  that  class  of  labor  in 
Texas  or  Arizona ;  never  had  been  able  to  get  them.  This  is  the  only 
class  of  labor  that  we  have  been  able  to  get  for  this  work.  And  I  say 
to  you,  gentlemen,  that  they  are  not  a  detriment  to  the  country,  as 
shown  by  this  report  which  I  have  read  from.    It  says : 

The  fact  that  Spaniards  and  INIexicans  have  been  pioneers  in  various  parts 
of  the  western  country  should  not  be  lost  sight  of.  There  is  a  large  population 
of  Mexicans  in  the  West  and  South  that  are  native  born,  and  therefore  An«>r- 
ican  citizens,  and  in  the  sections  of  the  country  where  they  reside  they  have 
made  for  stability  of  goverinnent  and  progress,  and  while  the  Mexican  of  the 
present  day  is  not  of  pure  Spiinish  blood,  being  an  a<lmixture  of  Spanish  and 
Indian,  yet  they  iiave  not  brought  to  this  country  preconceived  notions  of 
erratic  governmental  policies  or  attempted  in  any  way  to  impede  the  progress 
of  orderly  representative  government. 

And  we  have  had  some  officers  in  Texas  who  were  Mexicans,  and 
who  made  splendid  citizens. 

Senator  Nugent.  Let  me  call  your  attention  to  the  fact.  Congress- 
man, that  it  is  only  during  recent  years  that  any  considerable  num- 
ber of  Spaniards  or  Basques  have  been  engaged  in  the  sheep-raising 
industry  in  our  section. 


74  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Cono:re8smiin  IIudsi'etii.  I  refer  to  the  year  before  last. 

Senator  Ni'gent.  And  jjrior  to  the  last  10  years,  or  1910,  the  men 
who  took  care  of  sheep,  as  well  as  cattle  and  horses,  Avere  very  larfi^ely 
Americans.  But  since  that  time  a  number  of  Spaniards — Basques, 
the}^  are  called — have  come  into  that  section  and  into  my  State,  and 
have  become  heavily  interested  in  the  sheep-raisin^y  industry,  and 
they  have  emploj^ed,  since  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  a  large  number 
of  their  own  people,  many  of  them  becoming  citizens. 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  Well,  from  the  price  that  I  observed  at 
the  time  that  I  was  up  there  and  the  ])rice  of  wool  at  the  present  time 
I  anticipate.  Senator,  that  you  will  have  to  get  a  cheaper  class  of 
labor.  You  are  paying  $100  a  month  for  herders,  and  for  what  they 
call  a  camp  tender  you  are  paying  $150. 

Senator  Nugent.  That  is  only  since  the  outbreak  of  the  Avar. 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  Doavu  in  our  State  we  paj^  from  $50  to 
$60  per  month  for  that  class  of  work. 

Senator  Nugent.  We  were  paying  $40  a  month  at  that  time ;  that 
is,  before  the  outbreak  of  the  war.  You  are  referring  to  what  we 
paid  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Avar? 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  Well,  you  will  have  to  get  cheaper  labor 
if  you  are  going  to  make  anj^thing  on  your  wool.  xVnd,  in  fact,  you 
can  not  now  sell  avooI  at  all. 

Senator  Nugent.  Our  sheepmen  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Avar  were 
paid  $40  a  month. 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  That  is  all  I  have,  Mr.  Chairman. 

The  Chairman.  You  have  filed  your  report.  Congressman? 

Congressman  Hudspeth.  Yes ;  I  have  filed  this  report  of  the  special 
committee  with  the  Secretary. 

Now,  I  ask  the  committee  to  consider  the  amendment  I  haA-e  pro- 
posed. NoAV,  gentlemen,  these  people  come  in  Avith  a  burro  and  a 
cart  or  a  wagon  and  perhaps  a  couple  of  mules,  and  they  stay  a  few 
months,  and  they  pick  our  cotton  and  they  herd  our  sheep  and  help 
us  shear  our  sheep,^and  then  they  go  back  to  JVIexico,  and  as  you  see 
by  this  report  which  I  read  from  "they  haA^e  not  brought  to  this 
country  preconceiA'ed  notions  of  erratic  governmental  policies  or 
attempted  in  any  Avay  to  impede  the  progress  of  orderly  and  repre- 
sentative Government."  And  none  of  them  that  I  haA^e  exer  known 
have  ever  caused  us  any  trouble  at  all. 

The  Chairman.  We  will  hear  from  Dr.  Henry  W.  Berg.  You 
are  desirous  of  leaving  on  the  next  train  for  Ncav  York,  Dr.  Berg, 
I  understand,  so  I  will  give  you  an  opportunity  to  make  your 
statement. 

Dr.  Henry  W.  Berg.  Thank  you,  Mr.  Chairman. 

STATEMENT  BY  DR.  HENRY  W.  BERG,  REPRESENTING  THE  TAX- 
PAYERS' ASSOCIATION  OF  GREATER  NEW  YORK. 

Dr.  Berg.  In  regard  to  the  discussion  of  this  bill,  the  organization 
which  I  am  representing,  the  Greater  NeAv  York  Taxpayers'  Associa- 
tion, are  very  much  interested.  This  organization  is  composed  of 
between  5,000  and  6,000  members,  and  each  one  of  those  members 
owns  in  fee  simple  one  or  more  houses.  They  have  to  keep  them  in 
repair.     They  have  to  emploj'^  labor.     And  inasmuch  as  the  chairman 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  75 

•of  this  committee  has  limited  the  discussion  to  that  portion  of  the 
economic  aspect,  which  deals  with  the  employment  of  labor  directly, 
I  want  to  say  that  the  great  hardships  that  the  population  of  almost 
the  whole  of  the  United  States  has  had  to  put  up  with  recently, 
due  to  the  insufficient  housinij,  have  been  due  chiefly  to  the  fact  that 
we  have  not  had  sufficient  labor  to  create  houses  at  a  proper  price. 
It  is  not  a  question  of  having  no  labor.  It  is  a  question  of  having 
labor  that  can  create  property  to  live  in  at  a  proper  price. 

That  leads  me  to  the  discussion  and  consideration  of  one  remark 
that  was  made  by  the  chairman,  to  whom  I  have  listened,  as  both 
of  us  have,  I  am  sure,  with  a  grea>t  deal  of  interest.  And  his  remark 
was  aimed  at  the  question  of  the  unemployment  which  now  exists. 
The  Chair  put  the  question  to  one  of  the  speakers  here  as  to 
whether  he  did  not  think  that  the  unemployment  now  existing  would 
prevent  immigration  from  the  other  side,  due  to  the  fact  that  people 
on  the  other  side  would  be  discouraged  from  coming  over  to  a  place 
where  there  was  already  a  large  amount  of  labor  unemployed.  And 
I  want  to  say  that  that  is  certainly  true,  for  it  happened  exactly 
that  way  in  1907. 

At  that  time  I  went  before  the  board  of  education  (in  1907)  and 
oi)posed  the  giving  of  a  certain  amount  of  money  for  the  normal 
increase  of  the  educational  system  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  I 
said  to  the  mayor  of  New  York  at  that  time : 

jNIr.  Mayor,  there  will  be  no  normal  increase,  for  we  have  had  no  immigration, 
and  out  of  every  100,000  people  that  come  into  this  country  as  immigrants 
through  the  port  of  New  York,  that  enter  the  United  States  as  immigrants  at 
the  port  of  New  York,  fully  40,000  remain  in  the  city,  and  as  there  is  now  no 
Immigration,  we  can  not  look  for  that  normal  increase  which  has  been  coming 
to  us  heretofore. 

And  although  the  board  appropriated  something  like  $250,000  for 
normal  increase  in  the  educational  system,  not  a  dollar  of  that  money 
was  spent.  And  I  will  say  that  the  chairman  was  perfectly  right 
in  that. 

The  Chairman.  Mr,  Witness,  not  only  was  that  substantiated  in 
1907,  but  in  other  years  when  there  has  been  a  reaction,  as  in  '95, 
in  '73  and  '74,  in  '57.  Now,  that  is  a  demonstration  of  this  proposi- 
tion :  At  such  times  immigration  has  fallen  off  materially. 

Dr.  Berg.  That  is  a  well-recognized  fact  in  economics.  It  is  not 
only  true  and  a  fact  as  a  matter  of  experience,  but  it  is  a  fact  in 
economics,  that  when  people  can  not  get  emploj^ment  in  one  place 
they  go  somewhere  else  where  they  can  get  employment. 

Now,  there  is  another  interesting  fact  in  connection  with  this  un- 
employment feature,  and  that  is  that  the  unemployment  now  exist- 
ing is  due  not  to  lack  of  work,  but  it  is  due,  gentlemen,  to  the  high 
prices  paid  for  w^ork.  In  other  words,  if  the  laboring  people  will 
work  for  lower  wages,  for  reasonable  figures  instead  of  the  highest 
possible  figures  that  can  be  obtained,  they  will  create  a  product  that 
will  be  salable  in  the  markets  of  the  world.  If  they  continue  as  they 
seem  to  wish  to  do  to  limit  the  amount  that  enters  the  country  and  in 
that  way  gain  a  quasi  monopoly  of  labor,  they  will  defeat  their  own 
purpose  in  this  way.  Such  a  monopoly  of  labor  is  always  very  dear 
and  costly  labor,  but  it  is  only  temporary,  it  only  exists  for  a  short 
while.  Very  soon  it  is  found  that  the  product  that  they  create  can 
not  compete  with  a  similar  product  created  by  the  labor  of  the  world, 


76  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

which  is  not  the  labor  of  the  United  States  alone,  but  the  labor  of 
tlie  Tvhole  civilized  world,  and  the  man  who  employed  them  last  year 
at  a  hi;Lrh  price  can  not  do  so  now.  and  if  he  can  not  get  a  lower- 
priced  labor  he  will  be  obliged  to  go  out  of  business,  because  he  can 
not  sell  the  product  that  they  create. 

Now,  if  they  will  understand  that,  if  they  will  remember  that, 
then  they  will  not  come  before  your  committee,  as  I  suspect  has  been 
the  case,  with  the  animus  behind  this  bill  being  the  attempt  to  con- 
serve for  labor  now  existing  in  the  United  States  a  monopoly. 

The  greatest  misfortune  that  could  possibly  come  to  this  great 
country  would  be  a  monopoly  of  labor.  It  would  destroy  not  only  the 
capitalists,  not  only  him  who  has  land,  but  it  would  destroy  the 
laboring  man  himself,  and  there  is  no  progress  where  there  is  no 
competition.  If  labor  is  so  limited  in  its  importation  that  there  is 
no  competition,  there  will  not  only  be  bad  labor,  but  there  will  be  no 
progress,  financial  or  economical. 

Those  are  some  of  the  truths  which  we  could  bring  before  you  if 
it  were  not  for  the  fact  that  we  have  been  limited  to  the  economic 
facts  alone. 

I  am  going  to  tell  you  one  thing,  however,  and  I  appreciate  the 
fact,  gentlemen,  that  there  are  a  gi-eat  many  people  here  who  want 
to  be  heard,  and  I  do  not  wish  to  take  up  too  much  time  with  the 
presentation  of  the  subject  I  am  discussing,  and  I  certainly  feel 
grateful  for  this  opportunity  to  come  here  before  you  gentlemen; 
but  I  want  to  say  this,  gentlemen,  that  a  curious  thing  happened 
in  1907.  The  Argentine  Republic  up  to  that  time  had  not  been  a 
factor  in  immigration.  Xow,  mind  you,  the  Argentine  Republic 
is  not  to  be  sneezed  at.  It  has  natural  resources  which  compare  very 
favorably  with  those  of  the  United  States.  It  has  gold,  it  has  silver, 
it  has  coal,  it  has  oil,  it  has  vast  pampas  and  vast  fields,  where  they 
can  create  great  agricultural  wealth,  where  they  can  grow  wheat, 
and  where  they  can  raise  live  stock,  and  they  are  a  dangerous  com- 
petitor, and  would  be  a  more  dangerous  competitor  for  the  United 
States,  if  it  were  not  for  two  reasons :  One  of  them  is  the  lack  of 
labor,  and  the  other  one  is  that  their  institutions  are  not  as  well 
and  as  systematically  defined  as  ours.  It  means  that  they  ai'e  suffer- 
ing under  the  disadvantages  of  a  constitution  incomparably  inferior 
to  that  of  the  United  States. 

In  the  Argentine  Republic  in  1911.  for  the  first  time,  the  total 
amount  of  immigration  that  entered  that  country  was  a  dangerous 
amount  from  the  standpoint  of  competition.  It  consisted  of  225.772 
people  in  one  year,  mostly  Italians  and  Spaniards. 

Xow,  if  it  be  true  that  the  United  States  dreads  immigration— is 
afraid  of  it — how  can  you  reconcile  that  dread  with  the  desire  of  the 
Argentine  Republic  not  only  to  meet  immigration  with  wide-open 
arms,  but  to  give  to  the  immigrants  advantages — support  them  prac- 
tically, the  men.  the  women,  and  the  children  for  five  days  after  they 
have  entered  that  country?  That  is  what  they  do  in  the  Argen- 
tine Republic.  And  the  Argentine  Government  believes  that  immi- 
gration is  the  salvation  of  that  country — that  it  created  the  United 
States.  And  they  bring  up  this  point  constantly  in  their  literature, 
both  in  the  Spanish  and  in  the  literature  translated  into  English : 
That  the  thing  that  has  made  the  United  States  is  the  vast  immigra- 


EMEEGE:t^CY  IMMIGRATION"  LEGISLATlOlSr.  77 

tion  ever  since  1850.  And  the  thing  that  they  hope  will  make  the 
Argentine  Republic  is  the  vast  immigration  that  they  expect  to  get 
if  the  United  States  is  foolish  enough  to  suspend  even  for  one  year 
this  great  source  of  our  wealth,  this  great  source  of  our  prosperity — 
the  people  that  come  from  the  other  side. 

The  Chairman.  Is  it  not  also  true  that  Argentina  offers  certain 
bonuses  and  inducements  to  immigrants,  and  isn't  that  also  true 
of  Brazil,  of  Chile,  and  of  some  of  the  other  countries? 

Dr.  Berg.  I  believe  it  is  particularly  true  of  Chile. 

The  Chairman".  That  they  give  large  bonuses  in  the  shape  of  land? 

Dr.  Berg.  Yes. 

The  CnAiRiMAX.  Now,  go  on.  I  don't  mean  to  interrupt  you,  be- 
cause our  time  is  short. 

Dr.  Berg.  I  want  to  say  that  if  the  United  States  continues  in  this 
attempt  to  keep  out  this  immigration,  which  has  been  the  A-ery  life 
blood  of  our  growth,  this  country  is  going  to  suffer  a  great  loss.  I 
saw  an  estimate  recently  which  was  made  of  the  number  of  people 
who  would  have  been  in  this  country  if  we  had  had  no  immigration, 
giving  the  total  amount  of  people  that  we  would  have  had  in  this 
country  from  the  natural  increase  by  birth,  excluding  the  additions 
that  have  come  to  this  country  from  immigration,  and  the  figure 
was  about  25,000,000  people  in  1916,  beginning  with  the  3,000,000 
people  that  were  in  this  coimtiy  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution  in  1776. 

The  Chairman.  Isn't  it  true  that  we  have  now  30,000,000  aliens  or 
descendents  of  aliens?     That  is  a  fair  estimate? 

Dr.  Berg.  But,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  we  have  110,000,000  people,  as 
compared  with  this  estimate  of  25,000,000  people.  And  the  wealth 
of  the  country  has  come  from  this  great  number  of  people  that  we 
have  in  this  country. 

Now,  in  regard  to  the  war  which  has  just  ended,  when  we  had  to 
send  to  the  world  battle  field  a  vast  armj^  prepared  in  six  months, 
who  fought  this  war  for  America?  It  is  true  that  the  boys  were 
Americans,  a  great  many  of  them,  but  less  than  half  were  Americans 
by  birth.  Half  and  more  than  half  were  either  aliens  who  had  come 
to  this  countiy  and  afterwards  became  citizens  or  the  sons  and 
daughters  of  former  aliens.  And  we  sent  across  the  water  an  arm}- 
that  was  the  envy  of  the  civilized  world,  and  now  we  are  fighting 
against  the  kind  of  immigration  that  gave  us  these  men. 

Senator  Johnson.  AVould  you  under  any  circumstances  limit  immi- 
gration ? 

Dr.  Berg.  I  would  limit  immigration  never,  but  I  would  regulate 
immigration.  There  is  no  reason  why  you  should  take  sick  people 
in;  there  is  no  reason  why  you  should  take  in  people  who  are  men- 
tally incompetent. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  think  there  is  no  disagreement  on  that  point 
at  all. 

Dr.  Berg.  No.  There  is  no  reason  for  dreading  to  take  them, 
however,  because  you  fear  that  there  may  be  bolshevism  introduced 
by  these  people.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  if  you  want  to  guard  this 
country  against  bolshevism — and  wo  all  want  to  do  it — the  safe- 
guard lies  in  the  multitude  of  nations.  The  ethnological  differentia- 
tion of  nations  that  w\as  planned  by  President  Wilson  was  a  very 
logical  one.  He  intended  to  keep  one  nation  balancing  against  the 
other. 


78  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION. 

But  if  YOU  liaYe  these  multitudinous  nations  as  part  and  parcel  of 
our  citizenship  you  will  never  o;et  bolshevism  into  this  country,  for 
bolshevism  needs  one  nationality  to  be  at  the  top,  to  be  supreme,  and 
the  others  to  be  forced  to  follow  that  nationality.  They  must  have 
one  nationality  in  the  majority,  and  as  lon^r  as  we  have  no  nation, 
or  as  long  as  Ave  have  no  nationality  in  the  majority  except  the  Ameri- 
can nationality,  so  long  will  this  country  be  free  from  the  danger  of 
bolshevism. 

Senator  Harrison.  Were  you  in  favor  of  the  present  immigration 
law? 

Dr.  Berg.  I  was  very  much  in  favor  of  everything  except  the 
literacy  test.  I  was  never  able  to  see  the  logic  of  the  literacy  test. 
I  find  that  bolshevism,  if  it  exists,  exists  in  those  who  can  read  and 
write  and  does  not  exist  in  those  who  can  not. 

Senator  Dillingham.  If  you  will  look  into  the  record  of  the  en- 
actment of  that  law  a'ou  will  find  that  it  was  enacted  simph^  as  a 
restrictive  measure  to  cover  certain  classes. 

Dr.  Berg.  I  appreciate  that,  and  I  want  to  call  attention  to  the 
fact  that  with  the  enactment  of  that  restrictive  measure  the  Argen- 
tine immigration  began  to  grow. 

Senator  Harrison.  How  do  the  wages  in  the  Argentine  compare 
with  the  wages  in  the  United  States? 

Dr.  Berg.  I  am  unable  to  sfive  vou  anv  exact  figures  on  the  wages 
in  the  Argentine  as  compared  with  the  wages  in  the  Lnited  States. 
And  to  show  you  that  I  intended  to  give  you  the  wages  of  the 
two  countries,  comparing  them  with  each  other.  I  went  over  to  the 
Library  during  the  intermission  and  I  find  that  we  have,  unfortu- 
nately, no  books  on  that  subject,  except  some  in  Spanish.  But  I 
am  under  the  impression  that  the  wages  in  the  Argentine  Republic 
are  about  what  they  are  normally  in  this  country — that  is,  they  are 
on  a  somewhat  lower  scale  in  actual  money,  but  when  you  compare 
the  purchasing  caj^acity  of  the  dollar  with  the  purchasing  capacity 
of  the  peso  they  are  about  the  same  in  the  Argentine  Republic  as 
they  are  here. 

Senator  Johnson.  Eliminating  the  infirm,  the  sick,  and  the  feeble- 
minded, can  you  conceive  of  any  set  of  circumstances  under  which 
immigration  ought  to  be  limited  into  this  country? 
Dr.  Berg.  Immigration  should  be  regulated. 

Senator  Johnson.  Xo  ;  I  am  not  speaking  about  immigration  being- 
regulated.    I  am  speaking  about  immigration  being  limited. 
Dr.  Berg.  Absolutely  closed? 

Senator  Johnson.  I  am  speaking  about  immigration  being  limited. 
Dr.    Berg.    Immigration   being    absolutely    limited?     You    don't 
mean  absolutely  stopped? 

Senator  Johnson.  Well,  we  will  make  the  question  in  two  forms : 
Can  you  conceive  of  any  set  of  circumstances  under  which  immi- 
gration ought  to  be  stopped? 
Dr.  Berg.  Absolutely  stopped? 
Senator  Johnson.  Yes. 

Dr.  Berg.  Xo  :  I  can  not  at  the  present  time  in  the  United  States. 
The  onlj'  country  that  can  afford  to  stop  immigration  is  a  country 
that  hasn't  got  land  enough  to  support  the  people  that  are  living 
in  it. 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATIOX.  79 

Senator  Dillingham.  May  I  interrupt  you  a  moment?  At  the 
time  that  the  Immigration  Commission  made  its  investigation  in 
1909-10  ^t  demonstrated  very  clearly  that  there  >vas  at  that  time  an 
oversui^ply  of  common  labor  in  this  country.  In  the  great  industries, 
for  instance,  in  the  steel  industry,  it  was  found  that  the  men  were 
organized  into  different  classes  and  one  would  be  given  work  this 
week  and  another  would  be  given  work  the  next  week,  and  while 
the  daily  wage  was  satisfactory  to  the  men,  when  the  end  of  the 
year  came  they  found  that  the  yearly  wage  was  only  substantially 
one-half  as  much  as  it  would  have  been  if  thej'^  had  had  constant 
employment.  Men  were  coming  in  in  that  stream  of  immigration 
from  eastern  and  southern  Europe  in  such  great  numbers  that  here 
in  America  they  were  competing  against  themselves  as  well  as 
against  native  Americans.  The  same  measure  of  restriction  was 
looked  upon  as  being  necessary,  something  that  would  decrease  that 
flow  and  save  them  from  that  killing  competition  that  was  exist- 
ing. It  was  found  by  an  examination  of  the  statistics  that  substan- 
tially one-third  of  that  particular  class  of  immigration  that  was 
coming  in  was  illiterate,  and  that  test'  was  recommended  as  a  law 
simply  as  a  restrictive  measure  and  to  decrease  the  flow  of  immigra- 
tion that  came  in  in  such  numbers  that  they  were,  in  fact,  competing 
against  themselves. 

Dr.  Berg.  And  yet  recently  we  did  not  have  enough  of  this  class 
of  labor.     It  was  a  case  of  post  hoc  procter  hoc. 

The  Chairman.  Following  out  what  Senator  Dillingham  just 
said:  In  the  last  report  they  estimated  that  the  so-called  literacy 
test — which  I  do  not  believe,  as  you  do  not  believe,  is  the  proper 
test — had  the  effect  of  preventing  the  coming  into  this  country  of 
great  numbers  of  people  in  certain  years  before  the  war  from  those 
parts  of  Europe  that  he  referred  to,  the  southern  and  eastern  parts. 
It  was  thought  best  that  we  should  not  have  such  immigration. 
The  literacy  test  attained  its  object  in  a  measure,  not  as  a  proper  test, 
but  it  just  happened  to  meet  these  needs  which  the  framer  of  that 
bill  saw. 

Senator  Dillingham.  It  was  not  put  in  for  the  purpose  of  increas- 
ing the  difficulty  of  getting  into  this  country;  it  was  not  a  difficult 
test  at  all.  It  was  not  intended  as  such.  But  it  was  looked  on  as  a 
restrictive  measure  to  reduce  the  number. 

The  Chairman.  Yes. 

Dr.  Berg.  I  would  like  to  call  your  attention,  however,  to  this  fact, 
that  had  the  labor  unions  at  that  time  not  existed,  which  I  think 
would  have  been  very  unfortunate,  because  the  labor  unions  have 
done  a  great  deal  of  good,  but  had  they  not  existed  then  this  ignorant 
labor  of  to-day  would  have  been  the  trained  labor  of  to-morrow. 
But  they  have  limited  the  number  of  men  that  could  be  trained  in 
their  factories  and  their  shops  by  their  labor  organizations.  The 
result  was  that  economic  laws  were  not  allowed  full  play.  Where%'er 
you  allow  economic  laws  to  play  out  their  role  in  full  you  have  a 
perfect  government,  and  you  never  see  any  type  of  surplus  in  the 
way  of  labor  for  much  longer  than  a  few  months. 

Senator  Johnson.  Do  I  understand  your  position  to  be  that  under 
no  conceivable  circumstances  would  you  limit  immigration,  except 
that  limitation  which  would  occur  from  sickness,  disability,  and  the 
like? 


80  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Dr.  Berg.  Yes;  I  think  I  am  williiiir  to-day  to  say  that  for  the 
United  States,  as  lonp:  as  we  have  undeveloped  natural  resources  in 
the  amount  that  "vve  have. 

The  Chairman.  Is  that  all,  Dr.  Bersr?  * 

Dr.  Berg.  Yes.  sir. 

The  Chairman.  There  is  a  witness  here  who  has  to  make  a  train, 
and  who  will  not  take  more  than  five  minutes.  That  is  Mr.  Scara- 
melli,  the  president  of  the  Italian  chamber  of  commerce. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  LOUIS  J.  SCARAMELLI.  PRESIDENT  OF  THE 
ITALIAN  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE,  NEW  YORK  CITY. 

Mr.  Scaramelli.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen,  as  president  of 
the  Italian  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Xew  York,  I  am  going  to 
present  to  you  a  short  brief,  and  if  the  chairman  will  permit.  I  will 
leave  it  with  the  secretary. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  be  filed, 

(The  statement  presented  by  Mr.  Scaramelli  is  here  printed  in 
full  in  the  record,  as  follows:) 

Italian-  CHAiiBEK  of  Commerce  in  Nfcw  York. 

Xew  York,  December  27,  *1920. 

Chairmax  of' the  Committee  on  Immigeatiox. 

United  States  Senate,  Wa^shingtoti,  D.  C. 

Sir:  The  Italian  ChamV)er  of  rommenv  in  New  I'ork.  an  organization  com- 
posed of  American  citizens,  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  for  the  purpose  of  fostering  the  welfare  and  commercial  relations  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Italy,  is  gravely  concerned  in  the  proposed  bill, 
now  before  Congress,  to  temporarily  suspend  immigration  to  the  United  States 
for  a  period  of  one  year,  and  desires  to  voice,  respectfully,  its  protest  against 
this  measure. 

Its  passage,  which  we  believe  is  prompted  by  ^i  misapprehension  of  present 
conditions,  seems  to  be  detrimental  to  the  prestige  of  this  country,  which  it 
has  borne  so  nobly  since  its  inception,  as  the  home  of  liberty,  freedom,  and  op- 
portunity. Our  protest  is  prompted  in  fairness  to  the  spirit  of  Americanism, 
and  while  some  of  us  may  have  sentimenral  reasons,  nevertheless  it  would 
indeed  be  a  sad  event  if  this  Nation  should  at  this  late  date  make  such  a  suq< 
den  and  drastic  departure. 

Let  us  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  a  large  share  of  our  present  population 
are  but  late  immigrants  to  our  shores  or  their  direct  descendants.  That  the 
remarkable  progress  of  the  past  few  decades  could  not  have  been  accomplished 
but  for  the  vast  army  of  toilers  who  came  to  this  country  looking  for  opportu- 
nity, and  who.  when  given  the  chance,  have  made  good. 

That  this  country  is  in  any  danger  of  being  engulfed  by  an  army  of  fifteen 
or  eighteen  million  emigrants  about  to  flock  to  these  shores,  as  has  been 
voiced  in  Congress,  is  beyond  the  pale  of  reason.  In  the  first  place,  there  are 
no  available  means  of  transportation  for  .such  a  number.  It  is  conservatively 
estimated  that  the  present  means  of  transportation  could  not  bring  annually 
to  this  country  more  than  a  million  .immigrants.  Further,  we  should  not  lose 
sight  of  the  fact  that  at  the  present  rate,  at  which  so  many  have  become 
alarmed  unnecessarily,  tlie  net  surplus  of  the  incoming  aliens  over  the  outgo- 
ing emigi-ants  will  be  far  less  than  a  half  million  this  year.  We  would  think 
that  long  before  that  large  number  of  people  had  reached  here,  the  opportunity 
that  they  most  seek  would  long  since  have  vanished,  and  this  movement  would 
thus  per  se  terminate. 

Labor  represents  by  far  the  largest  part  of  immigration.  Labor  is  a  com- 
modity, aiui  as  such  is  governed  by  the  law  of  supply  and  demand. 

An  oversupplied  lal)Or  market  here  would  automatically  stop  further  emigra- 
tion. This  has  bei>n  illustrated  in  more  than  one  occasion.  We  may  recall 
that  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice  at  the  conclusion  of  the  late  war  and  the 
consequent  closing  of  war  works  here  many  were  those  who  left  these  shores 
seeking  better  opportunities  abroad,  and  at  one  time  the  outgo  of  emigrants 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  81 

became  almost  alarming  and  threatening  for  the  industries  of  this  country. 
Those  that  come  now  seek  the  opportunitj'  to  better  themselves,  and  as  soon 
as  that  opportunity  no  longer  exists  there  is  little  fear  tliat  they  will  be 
encouraged  to  come'  An  excellent  and  unfailing  proof  of  this  is  the  significant 
fact  (this  is  applicable  to  Italy)  that  the  affidavits  of  emigrants  here  calling 
for  their  relatives  or  friends  abroad  have  already  decresed  40  per  cent. 

The  migratory  habit  of  humankind  has  been  a  phenomenon  as  old  as  time. 
It  is  a  natural  process  and  follows  natural  lines.  It  is  an  asset  that  should  be 
carefully  taken  care  of.  ^Yhat  we  need  to-day  is  not  prohibition  of  immigration, 
but  proper  regulation,  selection,  and  distribution  of  the  immigrants. 

In  the  United  States  to-day  we  have  a  vast  need  of  farm  labor.  The  cry 
of  the  farmers  is  continual  for  hands  to  sow  and  harvest  their  crops.  "While  we 
to-day  suffer  from  an  abundance  of  labor  in  the  cities,  especially  the  large  cities 
of  the  East,  the  farm  is  neglected.  Could  not  labor  be  deflected  to  remedy 
this  evil  rather  than  resort  to  exclusion  that  might  maintain  or  further  accen- 
tuate the  actual  scai'city  of  farm  hands? 

A  large  number  of  laborers  coming  to  this  country  may  be  classed  as  unskilled, 
of  whom  there  are  at  present  a  dearth  and  wlio  are  essential  for  the  basic 
work  necessary  to  the  building  and  maintenance  of  big  industries.  They  con- 
stitute further  an  element  that  does  not  much  come  into  competition  with  the 
native  or  skilled  labor. 

To  the  credit  of  the  Italian  immigrant,  in  whom  we  are  most  interested, 
must  go  his  share  in  the  development  of  some  of  our  great  industries,  our  great 
public  works,  and  above  all  the  railroads  and  highways.  We  can  not  deny 
that  the  rapid  growth  and  extension  of  our  railroad  system  is  in  great  measure 
due  to  the  manual  labof  of  the  Italian  immigrants,  and  this  country  could 
never  have  developed  so  fast  as  it  has  without  them.  They  have  supplied  us 
with  hands  to  do  the  "  hard  work."  the  hands  that  we  most  needed  and  lacked. 

Immigration  has  always  been  the  main  factor  in  the  development  of  trade, 
which  would  disappear  and  could  not  be  replaced  with  its  passing,  a  prospect 
not  very  encouraging,  especially  under  the  present  depressed  conditions.  Aside 
from  tile  great  maritime  traffic  maintained  by  immigration,  the  emigrant 
carries  with  him  his  habits  and  love  for  certain  goods,  which  create  a  trade 
to  supply,  and  upon  his  return  to  his  native  land  even  for  a  visit  must  be 
supplied  then  with  the  American  connnodities  he  used  here.  He  is  a  great  factor 
in  popularizing  Amei'ican  wares  abroad. 

While  we  are  opposed  to  a  suspension  of  immigration  we  are  heartily  in 
favor  of  rigid  regulation.  We  should  not  deny  admittance  to  the  clean  able- 
bodied  man  willing  to  work  who  has  courage  to  leave  his  home  and  seek  better 
opportunities  by  his  toil  far  from  his  native  land,  but  there  is  incumbent  on 
us  a  duty  to  protect  ourselves  from  the  agitator,  the  radical,  the  man  who  will 
not  labor,  but  who  lives  on  the  labor  of  others :  the  man  who  spurns  work 
and  lives  to  inculcate  his  spirit  in  the  minds  of  others. 

It  must  be  considered  that  the  war  has  left  Europe  in  a  deplorable  condition. 
At  present  many  individuals  find  their  condition  precarious  and  the  future 
dark.  To  try  to  escape  this  unhappy  outlook  is  human  nature.  But  these  con- 
ditions can  not  endui'e  much  longer.  Europe  must  sooner  or  later  find  herself, 
and  begin  anew  the  work  of  reconstruction.  Even  now  we  begin  to  see  signs 
of  a  healthier  time.  The  radical  .sentiment  is  receding  in  the  west,  and  is  by 
no  means  strong  in  the  central  or  even  tlie  eastern  i>art  of  Europe.  The  people 
are  beginning  to  work  again.  Renewecl  work  brings  renewed  opportunities 
and  lessened  fears  for  us.  The  proposed  legislation  seems  to  be  based  entirely 
upon  a  too  pessimistic  view  of  Europe's  future  and  a  lack  of  confidence  on  our 
part  in  being  able  to  cope  with  the  situation. 

Let  us  keep  in  mind  that  one  nation's  loss  is  another  nation's  gain.  It  is  in 
this  spirit  that  we  should  attack  the  situation  that  confronts  us.  What  is 
neeiled  is  a  better  understanding  with  the  foreign  nations  and  honest  coopera- 
tion. Every  prospective  emigrant  to  our  shores  should  be  thoroughly  investi- 
gated and  known  to  be  fit  before  he  is  allowed  to  embark  for  this  country.  The 
passport  system,  which  has  already  acconiijlished  much,  should  be  extended, 
and  the  consular  service  could  be  amply  empowered  for  the  work  at  hand. 
We  can  not  doubt  but  that  all  the  foreign  Governments  whose  nationals  are 
most  likely  to  seek  opportunities  liere  would  be  glad  to  endeavor  with  us  along 
these  lines  in  a  spirit  of  cooperation.  The  best  guaranty  that  they  would  need 
or  require  is  that  several  of  these  countries  have  already  concluded  treaties 

26911— 21— PT  1 6 


82  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

(as,  for  instance,  between  France  and  Italy),  or  have  under  way  (as  between 
Italy  and  Brazil  and  other  South  American  Ilepubllcs)  negotiations  for  treaties 
regarding  iraraigration.  These  treaties  contain  many  elaborate  provisions  for 
the  protection  of  the  emigrant  and  the  mutual  rights  and  interests  of  the 
countries  and  their  respective  nationals.  Thus,  in  lieu  of  the  contemphited 
policy  of  drastic  measures  and  methods,  immigration  could  be  regulated  along 
the  technical  and  objective  lines  suggested  by  the  law  of  supply  and  demand, 
and  should,  in  our  opinion,  enter  the  more  constructive  phase  of  a  conventional 
regime  by  replacing  the  pri)hibitive  measures  with  the  advantages  of  honest  and 
rational  cooperation. 

Is  it  not  within  the  realm  of  possibility  that  our  Government  could  nego- 
tiate like  treaties  with  the  other  (Governments  most  interested,  so  that  this  em- 
barrassing question  might  be  settled  in  a  calm,  deliberate,  and  equitable  man- 
ner and  to  the  best  interests  of  all  concerne<l? 

With  the  admission  here  of  only  the  proper  timber,  the  difhcult  work  of  as- 
similation would  be  greatly  lessened,  and  the  higher  standard  thus  attainable 
would  make  the  inunigrants  more  acceptable  here.  The  congregation  of  new 
arrivals  into  cities,  which  can  not  assimilate  them  quickly  enough,  has  at  times 
beeu  the  cause  of  annoyance  and  unrest  and  should  be  discourage<l.  Some  co- 
operation should  be  provided  to  distribute  them  to  places  where  they  are  most 
needed  and  secure  employments  for  which  they  are  better  titted  and  where  the 
consequent  opportunities  would  be  gi'eatest. 

We  should  extend  toward  them  a  hospitable  and  helping  hand,  to  the  end 
that,  lieneriting  l)y  our  example  and  opiwirtunities,  they  may  partake  of  our 
ways,  our  customs,  and  our  ideals,  and  eventually  become  good  and  loyal  Ameri- 
can citizens. 

Much  of  the  prejudice  now  manifest  against  immigration  is  due.  not  to  the 
quantity  but.  unfortunately,  to  the  undesirable  quality  of  ijulividuals.  Per- 
haps if  we  had  observed  a  proper  regulati<»n  for  years  past  we  might  have 
spared  ourselves  many  woes  and  at  least  part  of  the  causes  of  our  present 
apparent  dilemma. 

The  treatment  of  the  newcomer  has  not  been  in  the  past  always  as  happy 
as  it  might  have  been.  Discontent,  resentment,  and  even  lack  of  American 
spirit  has  sometimes  been  allowed  to  breed  in  the  newly  arri\ed  immigrant, 
not  because  he  was  so  by  nature  but  because  he  was  driven  by  hard  circum- 
stances. A  contented  man  always  makes  the  best  citizen,  and  this  holds  with 
equal  truth  to  the  newly  arrived  alien. 

We  are  experiencing  to-day  .-^onre  unemployment,  bu'  it  is  to  no  extent  alarm- 
ing. The  readjtistment  fTom  war  to  peace  times  wis  bound  to  bring  some 
unemployment  in  its  ^^■ake.  But  this  is  only  temporary.  The  great  business 
which  this  country  has  huitt  up  overseas  may  l)e  retarded,  as  nt  present,  but 
will  sooner  or  later  resume  again,  when  it  will  ?ieed  not  only  those  now  un- 
employed but  many  more  besides. 

There  is  to-day  in  some  quarters  an  influence  which  is  impairing  the  spirit 
of  fairness  that  usually  dominate';  our  broad-nnnded  fellow  citizens.  It  is  an 
epidennc  born  of  the  war.  and  has  not  as  yet  disappeare«l.  But  this  is  no  time 
for  it.  To-day  what  is  require<l  is  .sfober  and  considerate  legislation,  that  is 
constructive  and  not  destructive. 

We  must  meet  the  problems  that  confront  us,  including  immigration,  in  an 
unbiased  manner,  with  the  intent  uppermost  to  etteet  a  luM-manent  cure.  We 
must  above  all  avoid  too  drastic  uicasures.  This  cli  imber  considers  suspen- 
sion of  inmiigration  against  the  best  interest  of  our  country,  and  we  do  not 
doubt  that  Congress,  uiwn  furiher  consideration,  will  tin<l  it  inadvisable  to  pass 
the  present  bill. 

We  therefore  respectfully  ask  that  your  honoralde  connnittee  report  unfavor- 
ably to  the  Senate  on  the  suspension  of  imnngratiou,  and  this  organization 
hereby  pledges  its  cooperation  in  any  endeav«ir  to  better  the  control  of  immi- 
gration :;n(\  establish  such  practical  methods  ior  its  regulation,  seleetion,  and 
distribution  as  will  prove  to  the  best  advantage  of  our  country. 
Resi)ectfully, 

It.xlian  Cham»ki:  of  Commerce  in  New  York. 

Mr.  ScARAMEixi.  My  purpose  in  cominp:  before  yon.  jientlemen, 
•was  not  to  add  very  mtich  to  that  brief  which  I  have  i)resented;  it 
was  only  for  the  iniri)ose  of  «rivin<r  a  few  exphinations  to  this  com- 
mittee.    Tliat  brief  re])resents  the  sentiment  of  about  TOO  American 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  83 

iDiisiness  houses  which  are  enj^a<:^ed  in  our  class  of  trade.  When  Con- 
frress  passed  this  bill  we  business  men  got  together,  and  our  first 
thought,  our  first  idea,  was  to  find  out  AA'ho  really  was  going  to  be 
benefited  b}-  it ;  Avhether  the  people  of  this  country  were  going  to  be 
benefited  by  tMis  bill  or  not.  And  I  want  to  call  your  attention  to 
an  address  made  by  Gov.  Allen,  of  Kansas,  last  year  in  Atlantic 
City,  which  I  think  was  very  appropriate.  He  was  talking  on  the 
subject  of  capital  and  labor,  and  he  divided  the  country  into  three 
classes  of  people — capital,  labor,  and  the  people.  He  said  that 
capital  represented  about  10  per  cent  of  the  people;  that  labor  repre- 
sented about  15  per  cent  of  the  people;  and  that  the  remaining  75 
per  cent  represented  all  the  people  of  this  country  outside  of  those 
two  classes. 

Xow,  the  idea  that  came  to  us  as  business  men  was  this :  "Which  is 
the  class  that  is  going  to  be  benefited  by  this  bill?  We  agreed  that 
capital  must  employ  in  its  business  a  large  percentage  of  skilled  labor, 
and  that  capital,  therefore,  can  not  be  in  fa^Tor  of  this  suspension  of 
immigration.     So  much  for  capital. 

Xow,  the  people :  What  about  them  ?  We  went  to  work  and  sized 
it  up  in  this  vray:  This  bill  was  presented  to  Congress  and  it  was 
proposed  to  make  it  effective  for  two  years.  Then  it  Avas  changed 
to  one  j^ear.  Other  changes  were  made.  And  the  question  came  to 
our  minds  as  to  whether  or  not  Congress  at  that  time  was  not,  in 
making  these  changes,  voicing  the  sentiment  of  the  majorit}'  of  the 
people  of  this  countr3\  And  I  personally,  with  my  friends,  have 
investigated  here  and  there,  and  I  have  talked  in  the  last  month 
Avith  no  less  than  500  people,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  very  few 
most  of  these  people  that  I  have  talked  with  are  not  in  favor  of  jtlie 
suspension  of  immigration,  but  they  are  unanimously  in  favor  of 
regulation,  of  distribution,  and,  what  is  more,  the  rigid  enforcement 
of  the  present  laws  on  immigration. 

Xow,  we  have  the  third  class,  which  is  labor,  and  in  my  judgment 
that  is  the  class  that  is  most  interested  in  having  this  bill  go  through, 
because  they  feel  that  otherwise  they  will  have  more  labor  coming 
over  here,  less  work,  and  consequently  the  wages  will  be  reduced. 

Xow,  you  read  the  statements  which  are  made  in  Congress  that 
15,000,000  or  18,000.000  immigrants  are  coming  over  here.  Xow,  we 
have  statistics  to  show  that  there  are  only  75  passenger  ships  on 
which  immigrants  can  be  carried,  and  these  ships  average  a  capacity 
of  1.500  immigrants.  And  it  takes  from  45  to  50  days  to  make  a 
round  trip,  and  if  business  was  good  all  the  immigrants  that  could  be 
brought  in  on  these  available  passenger  ships  during  the  next  year 
is  between  800,000  and  900,000  immigrants.  And  the  yearly  outgo 
of  people  is  from  350,000  to  370,000.  So  you  will  have  a  balance  in 
favor  of  those  coming  in  of  between  400,000  to  half  a  million  people. 
And  counting  the  women  and  the  children  Avho  would  come  in,  you 
will  have  not  more  than  300,000  good,  able-bodied  men.  And  what  is 
the  figure  of  300,000  good,  able-bodied  men  for  next  year^  What 
damage  are  thev  uoing  to  do  ? 

And  I  would  like  to  ask  this  question  of  the  American  Feileration  of 
Labor :  li  we  were  to  ask  them  to-morrow  to  supi^ly  us  this  next  spring 
with  a  half  million  men,  skillful  labor,  such  as  is  required  for  sewer 
work,  canal  work,  railwav  work,  and  for  the  building  of  highways 


84  EMERGEXCY   IMMrCRATIOX   LEGISLATION. 

and  preliminary  ■work  out  of  the  millions  of  -workmen,  I  can  tell  you 
that  very  few  can  be  jrotten  at  any  price.  Because  skilled  labor  in 
this  country  will  not  do  that  work. 

The  Chairmax.  For  the  year  endino;  the  1st  of  July,  for  every  100 
immigrants  who  came  into  this  country  from  southern  and  eastern 
Europe  122  went  home. 

Senator  Johxsox.  What  is  the  situation  now? 

The  Chairmax.  Well,  I  was  going  to  add  this :  For  every  100  immi- 
grants that  came  in  from  northern  and  western  Europe.  25  went  home. 
Now,  I  will  admit,  as  Senator  Johnson  intimates,  that  that- is  not  the 
case  now,  that  that  is  not  the  situation  that  we  have  to-day.  But,  fol- 
lowing the  months  from  the  1st  of  July  down  to  the  1st  of  December, 
we  find  the  same  general  causes  working:  in  other  words,  we  find  a 
large  number  going  home,  though  we  do  find  an  increase,  but  we  are 
not  able  to  tell  the  nations  from  which  they  come  specifically,  after 
the  month  of  August.  The  141,000  surplus  that  came  in  in  the  year 
ending  the  1st  of  July?  largely,  almost  wholly,  came  from  Canada, 
Mexico,  and  a  very  small  part  of  the  surplus  from  Italy.  But  that  is 
not  the  problem  that  we  have  to-day.  It  is  the  increase — the  threat- 
ened flood  from  Europe. 

Mr.  ScARAMELLi.  On  this  particular  question  I  am  speaking  with 
reference  to  Italy,  and  I  am  doing  so  simply  because  I  know  more 
about  the  situation  as  it  applies  to  Italians  than  to  others.  But  we 
consider  this  question  as  one  of  merchandise ;  that  it  is  governed  by 
the  great  law  of  supply  and  demand.  A  friend  of  mine  worked  in 
my  building  before  the  war,  and  he  went  to  war.  and  after  the  war  was 
over  he  wrote  me  a  letter  in  which  he  said,  "  I  am  not  coming  back  just 
now.    Conditions  in  the  United  States  are  not  very  good." 

Xow,  we  have  statistics  concerning  the  panic  in  the  year  1907. 
From  1,221.000  immigrants  the  figure  dropped  down  in  that  year  to 
353,000.  and  the  number  of  those  going  out  averaged  from  250,000  to 
300.000.  Xow,  we  not  only  lost  900,000  which  represented  the  drop  in 
the  number  of  those  coming  in,  but  we  lost  many  others  who  left  this 
country,  and  there,  gentlemen,  we  have  an  example  of  the  working  of 
the  law  of  supply  and  demand  governing  immigration. 

Senator  Xugent.  Do  you  thinlv  that  a  desire  upon  the  part  of  a 
large  number  of  Europeans  to  escape  the  burden  of  the  payment  of 
the  war  debt  which  will  hang  over  them  for  generations  will  induce 
tremendous  numbers  of  those  people  to  come  to  this  country  ? 

Mr.  ScARAMELLi.  Senator,  it  doesn't  make  any  difference  how  bad 
we  want  to  picture  Europe.  I  am  an  American,  and  a  good  one.  But 
let  me  tell  you  that  over  there  they  are  not  starving,  they  are  eating 
and  living  well,  and  people  who  are  living  in  such  circumstances  will 
not  try  to  come  and  find  a  position  in  another  country  when  they 
know  that  the  conditions  in  that  other  country  are  bad.  Those  people 
are  going  to  stay  where  they  are. 

Senator  XroEXx.  You  don't  moan  to  say  that  that  condition  pre- 
vails generally  in  Poland  and  in  Austria  and  in  Hungary,  etc.;  that 
the  people  have  all  they  want  to  eat.  do  you  ? 

Mr.  Scara:melli.  I  have  only  the  statistics  of  1907. 

Senator  Xugext.  You  say  that  at  this  time  conditions  in  Europe 
are  such  that  those  people  luive  plenty  to  eat,  and  that  the  conditions 
there  are  not  such  as  are  portrayed  to  us.     Don't  you  know  that  it  is 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  85 

a  fact  that  to-day  the  American  people  have  been  advised  that  hun- 
dreds of  thousands,  and  even  millions  of  people  are  absolutely  starv- 
ing in  some  European  countries,  and  that  appeals  are  being  made 
in  every  town  in  the  United  States  for  assistance  for  the  children  of 
Europe  ? 

•  Mr.  ScARAMELLi.  Yes ;  we  read  that  in  the  papers;  and  Italy,  for 
instance,  has  taken  two  or  three  hundred  thousand  Austrian  chil- 
dren. But  the  conditions  are  not  such  to-day,  from  the  information 
that  I  have  gotten.  I  am  speaking,  of  course,  about  Italy.  I  don't 
find  such  facts  with  reference  to  Italy. 

Senator  Nugent.  Do  you  know  anything  about  Austria  ? 

Mr.  ScARAMELLi.  As  I  say,  as  far  as  Austria  is  concerned,  we  took 
some  children  to  Italy.  I  mean  that  Italy  took  some  children  from 
Austria  about  two  years  ago. 

Senator  Nugent.  Do  you  know  anything  about  conditions  in  Aus- 
tria at  the  present  time  ? 

Mr.  ScARAjiELEi.  Well,  at  the  present  time  I  don't  exactly  know, 
except  I  don't  think  that  they  are  starving. 

Senator  Harrison.  Do  you  know  of  any  organizations  in  this 
countr}^  that  practice  corresponding  with  people  from  the  countries 
from  which  the}'^  came  in  order  to  encourage  persons  in  those  coun- 
tries to  come  over  here? 

Mr.  ScARAMELLi.  No ;  I  do  not.  But  now  you  have  to  have  a  cer- 
tificate before  you  can  get  anyone  here,  and  it  is  sent  abroad.  This 
certificate  is  signed  by  the  consul.  Now,  those  certificates  have 
dropped  40  per  cent  in  number.  In  addition  to  that  you  have  heard 
the  statement  that  was  made  by  the  chairman,  which  I  was  aware  of, 
that  the  Italian  Government  has  stopped  passports. 

Senator  Harrison.  Senator  Dillingham  made  a  statement  before 
one  of  the  committees,  at  one  of  its  hearings,  that  at  Ellis  Island 
they  had  examined  the  various  persons  that  came  in  there,  and  it 
was  found  that  they  had  their  railroad  tickets  to  their  various  desti- 
nations, and  in  many  instances  those  fares  had  been  sent  to  the  indi- 
vidual by  their  friends  here. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  didn't  say  that  their  fares  had  been  sent 
to  them. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  money,  as  I  understand.  Do  j^ou  know 
nny  place  where  such  a  practice  is  indulged  in  here? 

Mr.  ScARAMELLi.  No ;  I  do  not. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Will  you  let  me  interrupt  for  a  moment.  I 
would  like  to  make  an  explanation.  I  want  that  statement  to  go  into 
the  record  correctly.  The  circumstance  was  this:  I  think  it  was  in 
1908  I  stood  at  Ellis  Island,  and  I  saw  the  immigrants  examined, 
and  I  noticed  that  many  of  them  had  a  ticket  from  New  York  to  the 
place  of  destination.  I  asked  the  commissioner  how  many  had  such 
tickets,  and  he  said  he  did  not  knoAv,  but  that  he  would  ascertain,  and 
he  kept  a  record  of  it  during  the  next  year,  a  record  of  all  that  came 
in,  and  79  per  cent  of  them  had  tickets  from  New  York  to  the  place 
of  destination,  and  94  per  cent  of  all  of  them  gave  as  a  reason  for 
coming  that  they  had  corresponded  with  their  friends,  men  of  their 
OAvn  race,  as  to  the  conditions  of  work  in  this  country,  and  had  come 
as  a  result  of  that,  and  were  going  to  join  their  friends.  That  was 
the  information  that  was  brought  out. 


86  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  ScARAMELLi.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  just  want  to  say  one  word  about 
the  statement  that  was  made  this  mornin'r  in  rejrard  to  the  Italians, 
that  there  were  as  many  or  more  Italians  p:oin<r  out  of  this  country  as 
came  in.  That  is  true:'  2;j().()()()  went  out  and  :^5»).0()0.  al)out.  came  in. 
But  it  was  stated  that  the  ones  that  went  out  were  <rood  and  the  ones 
that  were  comin<r  in  will  not  be  so  <rood.  Xow,  with  reference  to  that- 
I  will  say  to  you  that  so  far  as  criminals  are  concerned  the  statistics 
show  that  80  per  cent  of  the  Italian  criminals  are  American  born. 

Xow.  in  regard  to  labor.  I  own  a  large  canning  house  in  Mary- 
land, and  for  the  last  couple  of  years  I  have  not  l)een  able  to  get 
pickers  at  a  reasonable  price.  We  could  go  to  Baltimore  and  get 
a  few.  but  we  could  not  get  good  labor,  and  some  of  the  tomatoes 
would  rot  in  the  field  because  I  was  not  able  to  get  pickers-  You 
have  got  to  have  skillful  labor  to  do  that  work,  and  if  you  don't  get 
skillful  labor  you  will  lose  a  considerable  amount  in  the  picking. 

Xow.  there  is  a  60-day  clause,  as  Mr.  Johnson  this  morning  stated, 
in  connection  with  the  steamship  companies ;  that  he  heard  that  the 
60-day  clause  was  too  short,  and  that  they  were  asking  for  about  six 
months.  Xow.  there  is  a  lot  of  danger  in  that.  A  man  came  to  my 
office  and  asked  me  to  help  to  get  his  family  over  here.  They  had 
started  last  September.  He  had  engaged  room  for  them  for  Decem- 
ber sailing,  and  his  mother  and  father  over  there,  who  were  going  to 
come  over  here,  sold  all  of  their  furniture  and  their  belongings  and 
everything,  and  now  they  are  not  able  to  leave  until  February,  and 
that  means  that  they  are  obliged  to  live  with  somebody  else.  Xow, 
if  you  finally  decide  to  pass  this  bill,  a  60-day  clause  is  by  no  means 
a  long  time.    It  is  not  enough. 

Senator  Johnson.  "VMiy  can  they  not  leave  until  February  ? 

Mr.  ScARAMELLi.  Bccause  they  are  so  short  of  steamers  that  they 
can  not  be  taken  care  of  at  all. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  take  it  that  you  have  devoted  some  time  to 
the  study  of  this  question,  have  you  not  ? 

Mr.  ScARAMELLi.  Well.  some. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  would  like  to  ask  you  the  same  question  that 
I  asked  the  gentleman  who  previously  testified :  Under  any  con- 
ceivable circimistances  would  vou  limit  immigration  to  this  country 
except  for  the  reason  of  phvsical  or  mental  disabilitv.  sickness  and 
the  like? 

Mr.  SoARA^LELLi.  We  are  in  favor  of  regulating  immigration,  dis- 
tributing the  immigrants,  and  keeping  the  criminals  out. 

Senator  Johnson.  Yes :  but  with  the  exception  of  those  regulatory 
measures  concerning  criminals,  those  who  are  sick  and  deficient, 
would  you  under  any  circumstances  limit  immigration  ? 

Mr.  ScARAMELLi.  Xo:  I  would  not.  I  think  we  need  immigration. 
Let  me  suggest  to  you.  Mr.  Chairman,  that  if  you  are  going  to  do 
something  about  immigration  I  think  you  can  accomplish  more 
through  diplomatic  channels  by  asking  the  country  on  the  other  side 
to  limit  them  on  the  other  side,  without  passing  a  law. 

Senator  Johnson.  We  have  some  experience  with  a  gentlemen's 
agreement  in  our  territory. 

!Mr.  ScARAMELLi.  I  think  you  are  right. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  anything  more? 

Mr.  ScARA>rELiii.  No :  1  thank  vou. 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  87 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  W.  H.  KNOX,  MANAGER  OF  THE  ARIZONA 
COTTON  GROWERS'  ASSOCIATION. 

The  Chairman.  We  will  next  hear  from  Mr.  Knox,  manager  of 
the  Arizona  Cotton  Growers'  Association,  and  he  Avill  speak  in  regard 
to  Mexican  labor. 

Mr.  Kxox.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen  of  the  committee.  I  had 
the  privilege  of  appearing  before  this  committee  something  like  a 
year  ago  on  practically  the  same  proposition  that  we  are  talking  of 
now  to-da}':  The  temporary  admission  of  Mexican  labor  for  agri- 
cultural purposes  only.  There  was  no  legislative  action  taken  at 
that  time,  thanks  to  Senator  Colt  and  some  others.  The  Secretary 
was  convinced  of  his  ability  to  extend  this  privilege,  and  the  privi- 
lege was  extended,  and  we  have  operated  this  year,  as  we  have  for 
the  past  three  years,  bringing  in  Mexican  labor  for  the  purpose  of 
growing  and  harvesting  our  crops. 

I  wish  to  say  that  I  speak  for  the  cotton  industry  of  the  Southwest ; 
the  Imperial  Valley  of  your  State.  Senator  Johnson,  and  the  Salt 
River  and  Yiuna  Valleys,  as  well  as  the  Gila  and  the  Santa  Cruz 
Valleys  of  Arizona.  The  cotton  industry  there  has  grown  in  the 
last  five  years  from  something  like  $100,000  a  year  to  where  the 
combined  crop  this  vear  in  all  these  vallevs  will  be  worth  close  to 
$100,000,000. 

Senator  Hakrisox.  Is  that  based  on  this  reduced  price  of  cotton  ? 

Mr,  Kxox.  At  the  present  price  of  cotton  that  will  probably  be  cut 
down  to  about  $70,000,000.  If  the  price  had  stood  where  it  was  last 
spring,  the  Salt  River  Valley  alone  would  have  harvested  something 
like  $50,000,000  worth,  besides  what  would  come  from  the  Imperial 
Valley,  which  is  even  larger  than  the  Salt  RiAer  Valley,  and  in  the 
Yuma  Valley. 

This  industry  is  dependent  entirely  upon  Mexican  labor  for  its 
common  or  hand  work,  both  in  the  chopping  and  in  the  picking.  The 
district  at  one  time  belonged  to  Mexico,  and  it  was  the  white  man 
who  pushed  the  Mexican  out,  instead  of  the  Mexican  running  the 
white  man  out.  and  I  think  that  condition  will  always  exist. 

The  greatest  opposition  that  we  have  always  had  to  this  privilege 
has  come  from  the  labor  unions,  and  pursuant  to  demands  for  inves- 
tigation, as  Congressman  Hudspeth  told  you.  there  was  a  committee 
appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  Labor  to  investigate. 

I  beg  leave  to  read  certain  extracts  from  the  summary  of  the  report 
of  that  committee.  I  wish  to  say  that  both  of  these  men  were  labor- 
union  men.  One  of  them  was  for  years  walking  delegate  of  the 
American  Federation  of  Labor,  and  the  other  one  was  president  of 
the  Glass  Blowers'  Union,  and  certainly  could  not  be  accused  of 
being  particularly  friendly  to  ca]^ital:  in  fact,  they  were  appointed 
on  this  commission  because  of  their  labor  affiliations. 

In  summarizing  their  report  they  said : 

That  protests  filed  asiiinst  the  admission  of  Jh'xican  labor  under  the  excep- 
tions could  not  be  substantiated  by  facts. 

That  thoush  the  restricrions  on  tlie  southern  border  were  even  more  lax  than 
they  are  under  the  exceptions,  ni>  detrimental  economic  situation  ^\'Ould  be  pre- 
sented. 

That  our  investigation  jiroves  beyond  a  reasonable  doubt  that  white  men  are 
averse  to  accepting,  and  refuse  to  accept   (as  they  have  the  right  to  do),  em- 


88  EMERGEXCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

ployment  as  unskilled  or  coiuiuon  laborers,  except,  perhaps,  where  that  employ- 
nn'nt  is  within  the  limits  of  towns  or  cities. 

That  at  the  time  tliis  report  is  submiltetl  the  employment  offices  in  all  of  the 
Western  States  visited  are  unable  to  supply  the  demand  for  common  labor. 

That  wages  paid  and  conditions  provided  for  common  labor,  while  perhaps  in 
many  instances  not  ideal,  yet  presents  a  vast  improvement  over  the  period 
preceding  the  war. 

That  our  investigation  disclosed  the  fact  that  Mexicans  are  not  displacing 
white  laborers  in  any  appreciable  degree. 

I  do  not  wish  to  take  up  the  time  of  this  committee  in  going  into 
tliis  thing  any  further,  except  to  say  this,  that  in  our  own  case,  where 
in  1917  Ave  imported  about  2.500  ^lexican  hiborers,  in  1918  we  brought 
in  3,500,  and  in  1919  about  10.000,  and  this  year  about  20.000.  The 
actual  number  of  cards  issued  for  aliens  over  the  age  of  16  was  in 
excess  of  15,0(JO. 

Senator  Dillingham.  "Where  were  they  distributed? 

Mr.  Kxox.  They  were  distributed  in  Arizona,  all  except  one  train- 
load  that  were  sent  to  the  Palo  Verde  Valley  in  California.  They 
went  to  the  district  of  the  Salt  Riyer  Valley  and  the  Casa  Grande 
and  the  Gila  Valleys. 

Senator  Dillingham.  And  they  were  engaged  in  raising  what  ? 

Mr,  Knox.  Cotton  raising  and  picking  cotton. 

Senator  Harrison.  How  many  went  to  Texas? 

Mr.  Knox.  Xone.  There  is  a  gentleman  here  who  will  represent 
Texas.    I  am  merely  representing  Arizona  and  southern  California. 

These  men  are  now  returning.  A  letter  from  my  office  the  other 
day  said  that  the  cotton  picking  was  rapidly  coming  to  a  close,  and 
that  the  people  were  returning  yoluntarily,  so  that  there  was  no 
period  of  unemployment. 

Senator  Harrison.  Why  was  it  that  you  got  them  into  those  States 
and  the  Texas  people  did  not  get  them  into  Texas  ? 

Mr.  Knox.  It  was  a  matter  of  organization,  I  guess.  Senator. 
Our  particular  district  has  had  an  organization  of  farmers,  and  we 
haye  organized  our  work,  and  make  a  regular  effort  to  get  them. 
We  haye  operated  down  the  west  coast  exclusiyely,  and  these  people 
come  in  year  after  year,  regularly.  One  man  came  in  this  year  for 
the  fourth  time,  and  the  fact  that  he  was  satisfied  might  be  illus- 
trated by  saying  that  he  droye  out  in  a  brand  new  Ford  car  when 
he  went. 

Senator  Harrison,  What  you  want  is  the  same  amendment  that 
Congressman  Hudspeth  suggested,  about  letting  the  matter  rest  the 
same  as  it  is  now.  being  placed  within  the  discretion  of  the  Secretary 
of  Labor? 

Mr.  Knox.  Well,  we  are  absolutely  willing  to  place  our  case  be- 
fore the  Secretary  of  Labor,  and  if  we  can  not  make  out  a  case  we 
are  wililng  to  abide  by  his  decision. 

If  there  are  no  further  questions,  that  is  all  I  haye  to  offer. 

The  Chairman,  The  last  witness  to  be  called  to-day  will  be  Judge 
Sanders,  of  New  York  City.  He  desires  to  appear  to-da}',  and  what 
he  will  present  will  be  yery  short. 


EMERGEls^CY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  89 

STATEMENT  OF  JUDGE  LEON  SANDERS,  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY,  REP- 
RESENTING THE  HEBREW  SHELTERING  AND  IMMIGRANT  AID 
SOCIETY  OF  AMERICA. 

Judge  Sanders.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen.  I  represent  the 
Hebrew  Sheltering  and  Immigrant  Aid  Society  of  America.  I  want 
to  say  that  I  have  made  a  thorough  study  of  the  bill  known  as  House 
of  Representatives  bill  No.  14461,  and  of  the  report  of  the  House 
Committee  on  Immigration  and  Naturalization  thereon,  and  I  re- 
spectfully submit  the  following  reasons  for  opposing  this  legislation. 

First.  There  is  no  emergency  warranting  any  restrictive  immi- 
gration legislation  at  this  time.  There  has  been  a  great  deal  said 
about  the  number  of  immigrants  who  have  arrived  in  this  country. 
We  have  the  exact  figures,  taken  from  the  manifests  published  by  the 
steamship  companies.  These  figures  show  that  the  total  arrivals  in 
the  United  States  from  Europe,  from  January  1,  1920,  to  November 
30,  1920,  were  as  follows : 

First  class,  63,695;  second  class,  121,090;  third  class,  439,563;  a 
total  of  624,348. 

During  the  same  period,  that  is,  from  January  1,  1920,  to  Novem- 
ber 30,  1920,  inclusive,  the  departures  from  the  United  States  were 
as  follows : 

First  class,  60,159 ;  second  class,  87,187 ;  third  class,  280,165 ;  or  a 
total  of  427,501. 

Leaving  an  excess  of  arrivals  over  departures  for  the  11  months 
of  the  year  1920  referred  to  of  196,847. 

Senator  Nugent.  Excuse  me  a  moment.  Do  those  figures  relate 
to  the  country  as  a  whole  or  are  they  confined  to  the  port  of  New 
York  only? 

Judge  Sanders.  No,  sir;  those  figures  refer  to  the  country  as  a 
whole.  Those  figures  refer  to  all  arrivals  from  Europe.  Those  fig- 
ures do  not  include  Canada  or  Mexico.  I  am  speaking  particularly 
of  that  class  of  immigrants  that  there  is  so  much  talk  about  in  refer- 
ence to  the  fact  that  they  are  likely  to  overrun  the  country,  and  that 
millions  of  them  are  waiting  on  the  shores  of  Europe  to  board 
steamers  for  America. 

Senatpr  Dillingham.  Do  you  understand  that  those  third-class 
passengers,  the  figures  for  which  you  gave,  were  of  the  immigrant 
class — representing  the  immigrant  class? 

Judge  Sanders.  I  included  the  immigrant  class  in  those  figures,  be- 
cause the  figures  which  I  gave  you  include  all  of  them,  cover  them  all. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  know,  but  I  wanted  to  get  at  them  sepa- 
rately, as  distinguished  from  the  first  and  second  class  passengers. 
Do  you  understand  that  the  third  class  embraces  all  the  immigrants  ? 

Judge  Sanders.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Can  you  give  us  the  excess  of  those  arriv- 
ing over  those  departing  ? 

Judge  Sanders.  It  is  merely  a  matter  of  computation.  The  num- 
ber that  have  arrived  as  immigrants,  which  are  known  as  third-class 
passengers,  are  439,563,  and  the  number  that  have  gone  back  are 
280,165.  In  other  words,  there  is  a  difference  of  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty-nine  thousand  and  some  odd  that  have  remained  here.  That 
figure  represents  the  excess  of  arrivals  over  departures.  And  this  is 
the  great  influx  of  immigration  that  we  hear  so  much  about. 


90  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  say  that  goes  down  to  Tvhat  date? 

Judge  Sanders.  Down  to  Xovember  30.  1920.  These  are  the  exact 
figures,  sir.  and  I  challenge  any  contradiction  of  those  figures,  be- 
cause we  have  made  it  an  object  to  come  here  with  the  figures,  because 
there  has  been  so  much  said  about  figures,  and  you  know  the  old 
proverb  that  '*  Liars  can  figure,  but  figures  can  not  lie." 

Senator  Dillingham.  One  more  question  to  make  this  perfectly 
clear:  Does  that  cover  simply  the  port  of  New  York  or  all  of  the 
United  States  ( 

Judge  Sanders.  All  of  the  United  States. 

Senator  Dillingham.  It  refers  to  all  of  the  United  States. 

Judge  Sanders.  It  refers  to  all  immigrants  arriving  from  Europe. 
It  does  not  include  ^lexico  or  Canada  or  South  America. 

The  second  point  that  we  raise  is  this  :  The  present  flow  of  immigra- 
tion is  by  no  means  abnormal.  It  is  but  deferred  or  postponed  immi- 
gration. The  immigrants  who  are  coming  here  now  would  have 
come  during  the  last  six  years  had  traveling  conditions  between 
Europe  and  this  country  been  nonnal.  A  very  large  percentage  of 
those  immigrants  had  in  their  possession  for  a  long  while  either  pre- 
paid tickets  or  funds  sent  to  them  by  their  financially  able  relatives 
in  this  country  to  enable  them  to  join  them  here  when  the  war  broke 
out  and  made  the  journey,  for  the  time  being,  impossible. 

The  third  point  we  raise  is  this :  The  immigrants  coming  at  the 
present  time  are  largely  women  and  cliildren  destined  to  heads  of 
families  who  are  American  citizens  or  declarants  residinir  here.  In 
other  words,  the  bill  before  you  refers  to  declarants,  and  I  assume  by 
that  it  means  those  who  have  declared  their  intention  to  become 
American  citizens.  The  passaire  of  these  immigrants  has  been  paid 
for  by  these  relatives  who  are  also  in  a  position  to  take  care  of  them. 

Senator  Harrison.  In  that  connection  may  I  ask  a  question:  Do 
you  know  of  any  Polish  or  any  other  society  of  foreign  people  in  tliis 
country  that  practices  the  sending  of  money  to  their  relatives  or 
friends  abroad,  so  that  when  they  get  to  Ellis  Island  they  are  able  to 
show  that  they  have  this  amount  on  hand,  and  it  helps  them  to  enter, 
to  get  through  at  Ellis  Island,  and  then  they  turn  over  this  money  to 
the  society  from  which  they  received  it,  and  the  society  in  turn  sends 
it  to  some  other  immigrant  abroad,  and  it  thus  turns  over  and  over 
again?  Do  you  know  of  that  or  have  you  ever  heard  of  any  such 
practice  as  that  being  carried  on  ? 

Judge  Sanders.  I  have  never  heard  of  any  such  practice.  I  don't 
believe  there  is  any  such  j^ractice  going  on,  and  I  have  been  engaged  in 
immigrant  aid  work  for  a  period  of  nearly  1.")  years,  10  years  of  wliich 
time  I  have  been  president  of  the  Immigrant  Aid  Society,  and  I  know 
that  there  is  no  such  practice.  I  have  heard  it  talked  about,  and  I 
have  heard  it  talked  about  by  those  who  are  in  favor  of  restrictive 
legislation,  and  not  one  of  them  has  been  able  to  point  out  one  single 
instance  where  that  had  been  done. 

The  Chairman.  You  do  not  think  that  that  is  true? 

Judge  .*^anders.  I  know  it  is  not  ture. 

The  present  inmiigration  is  a  reunion  of  families,  a  rehabilitation 
of  broken-up  homes,  and.  hence,  the  greatest  case  of  constructive  re- 
lief work. 

These  statements  are  substantiated  by  the  following  facts  and 
fiofures : 


EMERGElSrCY   IMMIGEATIOX   LEGISLATION.  91 

.STATUS   OF  IMJirOUANTS'   RELATIVES. 

Thousands  of  citizens  and  declarants  in  this  country  have  signified  their  in- 
tention of  bringing  over  tiieir  relatives,  namely,  parents,  wives,  children,  brotli- 
ers,  and  sisters. 

An  analysis  made  by  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  and  Immigrant  Aid  Society  of 
America  of  30.0UU  of  these  American  citizens  and  declarants  brings  to  light  tlae 
following  facts : 

Total  wealth,  $73,888,000 ;  bought  Liberty  bonds,  and  war  savings  stamps  to 
the  amount  of  $10,589,840;  19,200  of  these  30,000  Jew.s  are  members  of  fra- 
ternal, benevolent,  and  labor  organizations;  32,550  families  comprising  97.000 
indi\iduals  are  involved.  The  average  eai-nings  of  these  30.000  persons,  are  .$62 
per  week. 

NO     FEAR     OF     VAST     IJIMIGRATION     SHOWN     BY     LATEST     REPORT     OK     COMMISSIONER 

GENERAL  OF  IMMIGRATION. 

Bill  H.  R.  14461  m  based  upon  the  enormous  assumption  that  millions  of 
people  in  eastern  Europe  are  ready  to  emigrate  to  the  United  States.  This  is 
mere  hearsay  for  which  there  exists  absolutely  no  wan-ant  in  fact. 

The  surest  guide  to  the  volume  of  immigration  into  the  United  States  is  tlie 
Annual  Report  of  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  to  the  Secretary 
of  Labor.  This  report  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  .Tune  30,  1920.  shows  the  fol- 
lowing : 

1.  The  immigration  from  eastern  and  southeastern  Europe  is  very  small. 

2.  The  immigration  from  v.^estern  Europe  is  about  eight  times  as  large  as 
that  from  eastern  and  southeastern  Europe. 

3.  The  immigration  from  western  Europe,  Canada,  Cenrtal  and  South 
America,  constitutes  88.5  per  cent  of  the  total  immigration. 

4.  The  number  of  inunigrants  from  eastern  and  southeastern  Europe  who 
left  the  United  States  during  the  fiscal  year  was  five  times  the  number  of  inuui- 
grants  who  were  admitted  into  this  country  from  eastern  and  southeastern 
Europe  during  the  same  period. 

The  total  number  of  immigrants  admitted  to  the  United  States  during  the 
fiscal  year  ending  .Tune  30.  1920,  was  430.001.  Only  28.024  (6.5  per  cent)  came 
from  eastern  Europe,  that  is,  Russia.  Poland,  Finland.  Austria,  Hungary, 
Szechoslovakia.  Roumania.  Bulgaria,  Greece.  Serbia.  Croatia,  and  Euroi)ean 
Turkey;  218,271  of  these  immigrants  (50.7  per  cent),  or  almost  eight  times  as 
manv,\'ame  from  western  Europe,  that  is.  from  France,  Italy.  Spain,  Portugal, 
Switzerland,  Germany.  British  Isles.  Sweden,  and  Norway ;  162,666  immigrants 
(37.S  per  cent)  came  from  Canada,  Central  and  South  America. 

Thus  the  number  of  inuuigrants  who  were  admitted  to  the  United  States 
during  the  fiscal  vear  ending  .Tune  30.  1920,  from  all  countries,  except  eastern 
and  southeastern  Europe,  was  401.977.  The  number  of  innnigrant  aliens  who 
left  the  United  States  for  these  countries,  was  163  372.  The  imnilgrant  alien 
population  from  these  countries  thus  increased  by  401.997—163.372—238,605. 

There  is,  therefore,  no  emergency  which  requires  our  departure  from  the 
time-honored  policv  in  vogue  since  the  establishment  of  our  Republic  of  giving 
an  asylum  to  the  (Oppressed  peoples  of  the  world  and  opportunity  to  enjoy  free- 
dom and  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  all  of  which  has  made  our  country  the  great- 
est and  most  beloved  nation  on  earth.  ^ 

ANALYSIS    OF   FIGI^RF^    OF   PRESENT    IMMIGRATION. 

In  order  to  show  how  specious  is  the  cry  of  the  alarmists,  a  detailed  analysis 
by  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  and  Immigrant  Aid  Society  of  America,  of  the  .Tewish 
immigrants  who  arrived  at  the  port  of  New  York  during  October,  1920,  has  been 
made,  and  the  following  incontrovertible  facts  have  been  ascertained  : 

1.  The  number  of  children  and  females  constitutes  somewhat  more  than  (5 
per  cent  of  the  total  number  of  immigrants. 

2.  The  number  of  adult  males  constitutes  only  somewhat  more  than  20  per 
cent  of  the  total  number  of  inuuigrants.  or.    •         i 

3.  The  number  of  male  immigrants  between  the  ages  of  IS  and  39.  is  only 
11.3  per  cent,  which  means  one  out  of  every  nine. 

The  significant  facts  brousrht  out  by  further  study  are  as  follows : 

1    INIore  than  65  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of  immigrants  arrive  here  to 

join  the  members  of  tlieir  immediate  family;  that  is.  husband,  wife,  parents, 

sons,  or  daughters. 


92 


E.MERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATIOX. 


2.  Approxiniatoly  one  out  of  every  five  immigrants  between  the  ages  of  IS  and 
39  arrives  here  to  join  his  immediate  family,  and  there  is  only  1  out  of  20 
males  who  arrives  here  without  being  destined  to  more  or  less  near  relatives. 

3.  Only  15  per  cent  of  all  Jewish  immigrants  arrive  here  without  being 
destined  to  relatives. 

The  number  of  Jewish  immigrants  who  arrived  in  this  country  during  the 
whole  year  of  1920  is  reliably  estimated  at  65,000  souls. 

THE  committee's  REPORT. 

In  the  report  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration  and  Naturalizatiou,  which 
accompanies  bill  H.  R.  14461,  on  page  6,  we  find  the  following  statement : 

"  It  is  fair  to  state,  however,  that  the  largest  number  of  .Tews  coming  to  the 
United  States  before  the  war  in  a  single  year  was  1.53,748  (1906)  ;  while  during 
the  one  month  of  October,  1920,  it  is  estimated  that  of  the  74.665  immigrants 
arriving  at  Ellis  Island  more  than  75  per  cent  were  of  the  Semitic  race." 

From  this  statement  it  is  evident  that  the  report,  instead  of  citing  the  num- 
ber of  Jewish  immigrants  for  the  month  of  October,  1920,  only  gave  the  figures 
for  the  whole  year  of  1920.  This  is  erroneous  and  not  the  facts.  Our  figures, 
carefully  compiled,  show  that  on  the  steamships  which  arrived  at  the  port  of 
New  York  in  October,  1920,  35  ships  all  told,  there  were  approximately  12,217 
Jewish  immigrants. 

We  cite  here  the  names  of  the  steamers  which  arrived  at  the  port  of  New- 
York  during  the  month  of  October.  1920. 

FIGURES    FROM    STEAMSHIP    MANIFESTS. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  steamers  arriving  at  the  port  of  New  York  in 
October,  1920,  giving  the  number  of  Jewish  immigrants  arriving  at  the  port 
of  New  York,  also  name  of  steamers  and  name  of  foreign  ports  of  embarkation : 


Steamers  (35). 


Number  of  Jewish 
pa-ssengers. 


Cabin. 


Steer- 
age. 


Total. 


12 


La  France Oct. 

Imporiatcr do. 

Frederick:  VIII Oct. 

Me^allas  Hellas do. 

Olympic Oct. 

Noordam do. 

Asia Oct. 

Aaiiitania Oct. 

G  othland Oct. 

La  Lourraine do. 

United  States do. 

New  -Vmstordam Oct. 

New  York do. 

Adriatic Oct. 

Havorford do. 

Noordam Oct. 

Kroonland Oct. 

Ryndam Oct. 

St.  Paul do.. 

Losan do.. 

Roohambenu Oct. 

Rousillion j . .  -do 

Ferdinand  Polasciano do 

Lapland j . .  -do 

Maiiretania ■ .do 

Re  D'ltalia .do  . . . . 

Philadelphia |  Oct.    25 

La  Sovia do 

Sa.xoma i  Oct.   2S 

Pannonia ;..  .do 

Oscarll I  Oct.    27 

Monj'olia ...do 

President  Wilson do 

Madonna Oct.    23 

Giuseppie  Verde do 


2i 


Total. 


Havre 

Southampton . 
Copenhagen... 

Greece 

Southampton . 

Rotterdam 

Marseille 

Liverpool 

Danzig 

Havre 

Copehnagen... 

Rotterdaim 

Southampton. 

do 

Liverpool 

Rotterdam 

Artwerp 

Rotterdam 

Liverpool 

Trieste 

Havre 

Marseillp 

Naples 

.\iitwerp 

Liverpool 

Antwerp 

Southampton. 

Havre 

Liverpool 

Trieste 

Copenhagen... 

Hamburg 

Trieste 

Afarseille 

Genoa 


180 
50 
96 
15 
15 

!40 


375  ! 
161  I 
210  I 
85  I 
116 
1,108  I 


211 
396 
100 
131 
1.248 
25 
110 
600 
350 
180 
698 
•25 
80 
415 
5.50 
275 
1.250 
354 
1.53 
693 
621 
3.50 
615 
435 
613 
150 
438 
164 
2.50 
250 
15 
95 
65 
35 

12,217 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATIOX   LEGISLATION,  93 

A  FIGURATIVE  STATEMENT. 

On  page  6  the  report  further  states : 

"  The  conmiittee  lias  coiitinnetl  the  published  statement  of  a  commissioner 
of  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  and  Aid  Society,  made  after  his  personal  investiga- 
tion in  Poland,  to  the  effect  that  '  if  there  were  in  existence  a  ship  that  could 
hold  3,0(X),fX»0  human  beings,  the  3,000.000  Jews  of  Poland  would  board  it  to 
escape  to  America.'  " 

A\'here  did  the  committee  get  this  conformation?  It  requires  no  argument  to 
show  that  this  statement  was  not  made  to  mean  that  the  3,000.000  Jews  of 
Poland  are  coming  here,  but  was  rather  a  figurative  way  of  expressing  the 
distre.ssing  conditions  in  thar  country:  and  it  goes  without  saying  that  this 
number  of  people  neither  could  nor  would  come  here.  ^loreover,  it  is  an 
established  fact  that  large  numbers  of  the  Jews  of  Poland  are  migrating  to 
Palestine. 

AX   EKRONEOIS   STATEifENT   AXD   WITHOrT  FOUXDATIOX   IX   FACT. 

We  quote  the  sections  of  the  report  headed  ''  Poland,"  on  page  10. 

(A  statement  presented  by  Judge  Sanders  is  here  printed  in  full 
in  the  record,  as  follows:) 

WARSAW. 

Concerning  the  general  characteristics  of  aliens  emigrating  to  the  United 
States  from  Poland  and  the  occupation  or  trade  followed  by  them,  reports 
indica^  such  to  be  substantially  as  follows : 

(a)   Physically  deficient. 

(1)  Wasted  by  disease  and  lack  of  food  supplies. 

(2)  Reduced  to  an  unprecedented  state  of  life  during  period  of  war  as  the 
result  of  oppression  and  want. 

(3)  Present  existence  in  squalor  and  filth. 
(?))  Mentally  deficient : 

(1)  111  educated,  if  n<>r  illiterate,  aiid  too  frequently  with  niip.d-  s)  tuiii^ied 
as  to  admit  of  little  betterment. 

(2)  Abnormally  twi.sted  because  of  (a)  reaction  from  war  strain,  (6)  shock 
of  revolutionary  disorders,  (e)  the  dullness  and  stultification  resulting  from 
past  years  of  oppression  and  abuse. 

(c)  Economically  undesirable : 

(1)  Twenty  per  cent  is  given  as  a  round  and  generous  estimate  of  productive 
laborers  among  present  applicants  for  vis§s.  This  estimate  is  meant  to  include 
workers  or  those  who  may  be  expected  to  become  workers  from  both  sexes. 
The  remaining  percentage  may  be  expected  to  be  a  drain  on  the  resources  of 
America  for  years. 

(2)  Of  the  50  per  cent  of  immigrants  from  Poland  who  may  be  termed  effi- 
cients, 40  per  cent — of  the  total  number  of  immigrants — will  enter  a  trade  as  a 
middleman,  not  a  producer.  These  will  thrive  on  the  efforts  of  their  asso- 
ciates. 

(3)  The  productive  labor.  smaU  percentage  as  it  is,  will  be  found  in  America 
in  the  sweat  shops  in  the  large  centers  of  population.  It  is  decidedly  not  agri- 
cultural but  urban  in  character.  In  this  report  female  applicants  as  house- 
wives, etc.,  are  of  course  termed  as  efficients. 

(d)  Socially  undesirable : 

(1)  Eiihty-five  per  cent  to  90  per  cent  lack  any  conception  of  patriotic  or 
national  spirit,  and  the  majoi'ity  of  this  percentage  is  mentally  incapable  of 
acquiring  it. 

(2)  Seventy-five  per  cent  or  upward  will  congregate  in  the  large  urban 
centers,  such  as  New  York  or  Baltimore,  and  add  to  undesirable  congestion, 
already  a  grave  civic  problem. 

(3)  Immigrants  of  similar  class  are  to  be  found  already  in  the  United  States 
who,  taken  as  a  class  and  not  individually,  have  proved  unassimilable. 

(4)  All  Europe  is  experiencing  in  the  reaction  from  the  war  a  conniption 
of  moral  standards.  This  may  even  be  most  noticeable  in  Germany.  The  In- 
troduction of  these  lowered  standards  can  not  fail  but  have  its  evil  influence 
in  the  United  States. 


94  K.MKRUENX'Y   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

(e)  At  the  nioiiient  TK)  iter  cent  may  be  re}rartleil  as  a  low  estimate  of  the 
proportion  represintinc  tlie  Jewish  race  among  emijn'ants  to  America  from 
Pohind. 

if)  The  unassimilability  of  these  classes  polltleally  is  a  fact  too  often  proved 
in  the  past  to  bear  any  argument. 

We  emphatic-ally  exct-pt  to  this  section  of  the  reix)rt  of  the  committee.  The 
jaeat  majority  of  immi;rrants  from  Poland  are  women  and  children  who  are 
comin'^:  to  their  liusbands  and  fathers  already  in  this  country.  Under  normal 
conditions  in  Poland  they  l>elouged  to  the  self-supiwrting  element  of  the  com- 
unniity  and  never  were  objects  of  charity,  nor  are  they  objects  of  charity  now 
any  more  than  any  other  group  of  people  stricken  by  war  conditions,  such  as 
the  Belgians,  the  French,  the  Serbians,  the  Armenians,  and  others.  The.se  im- 
migrants are  from  the  same  .stock  froni  wliich  .Jewish  immigrants  have  been 
coming  here  and  are  now  numbered  in  this  country  among  the  most  law- 
abiding,  thrifty,  and  industrious  aiul  patriotic  citizens. 

The  children  of  these  immigrants  have  made  splendid  records  in  the  public 
schools  and  the  univer.sities  of  the  country  and  rank  high  in  citizenship.  The 
family  life  of  these  immigi-ants.  their  morality,  their  general  reputation — are 
unchallenged  and  unquestionable.  Their  standard  of  living  in  this  countrj' 
is  on  a  par  with  that  of  the  average  Americari  citizen.  Their  standard  of 
wages  is  high,  and  they  are  living  in  comfort  and  are  saving  money,  as  the  re- 
ports of  savings  banks  and  the  United  States  Post  Office  Savings  Department 
conclusively  show. 

To  further  show  what  the  true  facts  about  present-day  Jewish  immigration 
are.  the  following  figures  have  been  compiled  and  are  here  presented. 

The  total  arrivals,  including  all  classes  of  transportation,  to  the  United  States 
from  January  to  December  1.  1920.  inclusive,  is  624,348.  Of  these,  the  above- 
mentioned  figure  of  65,000  for  Jewish  immigration  is  only  about  9.6  per  cent 
of  the  total. 

Of  these  65,000,  after  undergoing  the  most  rigid  examination  by  the  im- 
migration officials,  less  than  7.000  were  detainetl  for  the  board  of  special  in- 
quiry, and  it  was  found  upon  tlie  most  stringent  reexamination  by  the  im- 
migration authorities  that  only  4.V2  of  these  7.0<X>.  or  six-tenths  of  1  per  cent 
of  the  total  Jewish  immigration  for  the  11  months  of  the  year  1920.  had  to  be 
excluded  by  the  boards  of  special  inquiry. 

Not  one  of  these  4.!i2  who  were  excluded  were  debarred  from  entering  be- 
cause of  immorality,  criminal  record,  or  radical  tendencies. 

As  for  general  health  condition  of  the  immigrants,  the  exact  records  show 
that  of  the  6o.CKX>  Jewish  immigrants  who  came  here  during  the  11  months  of 
the  year  just  passed,  only  131  were  excluded  on  account  of  contagious  diseases ; 
40  liad  ringwtirm  of  tlie  nail — an  ailment  that-  is  usually  cured  after  a  week's 
treatment. 

This  splendid  record  goes  to  show  once  more  that  the  efforts  made  on  the 
part  of  certain  pullic  men  to  exaggerate  tlie  alleged  "poor"  state  of  liealth 
of  the  present-day  Jewish  immigrant  are  very  deplorable,  for  they  are  in 
direct  contradiction  with  the  records  of  the  physicians  of  the  United  States 
Public  Health  Service.  No  one  can  doubt  the  great  ability  these  medical  men 
pos.sess  and  the  great  care  they  exercise  in  determining  the  health  conditions 
of  immigrants  arriving  to  this  country. 

It  is  still  further  important  to  point  out  that  of  these  131  innnigraHts  tem- 
porarily detained,  every  one  v.-as  subsequently  admittetl  to  the  country  after 
having* undergone  treatment  at  the  hospital,  for  which  their  relatives  here  paid 
at  the  rate  of  ?2.7."  per  day,  which,  incidentally,  once  more  sh<»ws  the  ability 
and  willingness  of  tho.se  relatives  to  care  for  their  dependents,  as  these  hospital 
charges  are  much  higher  than  those  exacted  at  other  hospitals. 

Regardinir  the  <t:!tt;nenT  that  "  S"  to  W  i»er  (vnt  lack  any  conception  of  patri- 
otic or  national  spirit  and  the  majority  of  this  percentage  is  mentally  incapa- 
ble of  acquiring  it."  this  is  nothing  but  foul  and  baseless  slander.  The  records 
of  the  Seventh-seventh  Division,  which  was  composed  almost  exclusively  of 
Jewish  innnigrants  from  eastern  and  sojitheastern  Euroi>e.  refute  this  slander- 
ous statement  most  convinciusly.  Jewish  immigrants  from  eastern  and  south- 
eastern Europe  fought  most  valiantly  in  the  Great  War  and  their  graves  across 
the  sea  testify  most  elotpiently  to  their  bravery,  heroism,  and  to  their  self- 
sacrificing  devotion.  In  every  Liberty  loan  drive  these  immigrants  have  re- 
sponded -spleutlidly,  and  in  every  drive  for  funds,  whether  it  was  for  the  Retl 
Cross  or  for  some  other  relief  agency,  they  gave  most  liberally. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  95 

Maj.  Gen.  Robert  Alexander,  the  valiant'  conimamler  of  the  Seventy-seventh 
Division,  in  a  speech  delivered  in  New  York,  on  Saturday  evening.  May  10,  1919, 
said : 

"  You  all  know,  without  nie  telling  you.  that  the  Seventy-seventh  Division, 
with  which  I  had  the  great  honor  to  l)e  associated,  was  representative  of  this 
imperial  metropolis,  and  that  it  contained  in  its  ranks  representatives  of  all 
those  wlio  have  here  sought  freedom  and  citizenship  under  the  flag  wliich  I 
see  before  me.  And  fully  represented  in  the  ranks  of  that  division  was  the 
race  to  which  you  (.Te\\s)  belong.  I  can  only  say  here  that  when  I  thiuk  of 
the  conduct  of  the  boys  who  wei'o  intrusted  to  my  guidance  my  heart  swells 
with  pride  that  I  was  their  commander.  And  I  am  thrilled  to  think  of  the  fact 
that  the  principles  of  Americanism  and  the  principles  of  loyalty  to  our  coun- 
try can  so  animate  human  nature  and  humanity  in  general,  as  to  carry  them 
through  the  trials  and  the  dangers  and  the  discomforts  to  wliich  tliey  were 
necessarily  subjected,  and  triumphantly  as  they  did. 

"  I  was  fortunate  to  have  with  me  as  senior  cluiplain  of  the  division  Rabbi 
Voorsanger.  I  don't  know  how  many  of  you  know  him,  but  he  is  a  very  good 
man.  He  was  my  senior  chaplain,  and  he  had  charge,  as' part  of  his  djities,  of 
the  burials  of  tho.se  who  unfortunately  were  killed,  and  every  night  he  brought 
to  me  a  list  of  the  men  over  wlKtse  liodies  he  had  performed  that  said  duty 
during  the  day.  and  as  I  had  a  chance  to  tell  the  Tresident  of  the  United 
States  on  Christnuis  Day,  I  found  that  Hel)rew  names  on  that  honor  roll  were 
"fully  up  to  the  proportion  that  they  should  have  been;  in  other  words,  the 
Hebrew  boy  paid  his  full  share  of  the  price  of  victory. 

"'  When  the  time  came  for  recommendations  to  go  in  for  marks  of  distinction 
which  we  were  able  to  give.  I  found  there  again  that  the  name  of  the  Hebrew 
was  as  fully  represented  on  that  list  as  the  numbers  in  the  division  warranted, 
by  long  odds." 

This  is  the  official,  unchallengable  i-ec(n-(l  of  the  foreign-born  soldiers  who 
fought  so  heroically  in  the  Great  War  for  America. 

It  refutes  completely  anything  and  everything  in  the  report  of  the  com- 
mittee in  regard  to  the  pati'iotism  and  assimilabiliry  of  the  immigrants. 

It  is  evident  that  whoever  was  responsible  for  the  drafting  of  the  paragraph 
headed  "  Poland."  on  page  10  of  the  report,  has  used  every  word  in  the 
dictionary  that  could  be  employed  to  decry  and  degrade  a  whole  people.  It 
is  a  most  jiitiful  case  of  malice  and  ignorance.  It  is  astounding  that  Govern- 
ment officials  .s-hould  have  lent  Themselves  to  such  tactics.  It  is  an  old  maxim 
that  something  good  may  be  found  in  any  human  being  no  matter  how  degraded, 
but  the  framers  of  the  "  Poland  ""  iiaragraph  could  not  find  even  one  redeeming 
feature  in  the  hunted  persecuted  Jews  of  I'oland. 

OPENS  DOORS   FOK   EXPLOITATION. 

The  new  bill  contains  a  provision,  section  4  (A),  whereby  it  becomes  neces- 
sary to  make  application  to  the  Secretary  of  Lab<u'  for  the  admission  of  immi- 
grants to  the  United  States.  This  is  a  most  objectionable  clau.se.  It  will  simply 
open  the  door  for  many  lawyers  and  quack  agencies  to  exploit  the  relatives  of 
inmiigrants  in  this  country. 

KECOMMENDATIONS. 

The  bill  in  question  should  never  be  placed  upon  the  statute  book.  If,  how- 
ever, the  decision  to  pass  the  bill  be  final,  we  make  the  following  recommenda- 
tions : 

(1)  An  amendment  to  iirovide  for  the  exemption  of  refugees  from  religious 
and  political  persecution  to  read  as  follows : 

'•(c)  Section  2  shall  not  apply  to  aliens  who  shall  prove  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  proper  immigration  officer  or  to  tlie  Secretary  of  Labor  that  they  are 
seeking  admission  to  the  Ignited  Stares  to  avoid  religious  or  political  persecu- 
tion in  the  country  of  their  lasi:  permanent  residence,  whether  such  persecu- 
tion be  evidenced  by  overt  acts  or  by  laws  or  governmental  regulations  that 
discriminate  against  the  alien  or  the  race  to  which  he  belongs,  because  of  his 
religious  faith  or  political  belief." 

(2)  That  citizens  and  declarants  should  have  all  close  blood  relatives  such 
as  parents,  unmarried  children,  brothers,  sisters,  widowed  daughter,  admitted 
without  regard  to  age  limiiation,  and  orphaned  chiidnn  who  have  grandparents, 
uncles,  or  aunts,  or  cousins  in  America  tip  to  the  age  of  IS. 


96  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

(3)  Admitting  the  relatives  of  any  degree  of  relationship  of  any  American 
citizen  who  served  with  the  American  forces  during  the  late  war. 

Restriction  phiced  upon  inunijrraticjn  (if  ni'ar  relatives  will  have  the  effect  of 
destroying  the  ideal  of  family  liie.  upon  which  .society  is  hased.  In  addition 
theretii  it  deprives  Americans  of  the  inherent  right  to  family  liappiness  and 
clean  living.  Fostering  family  life  is.  after  all.  the  liighest  form  of  American- 
ism, and  it  is  for  this  tliat  we  plead. 

(4)  The  classes  (other  than  relatives)  which  are  excepted  from  the  operation 
of  the  hill  are  suhjected  to  the  annoyance,  inconvenience,  and  expense  of  ob- 
taining American  vis^s  not  only  from  the  American  consuls  in  the  country  of 
which  they  are  nationals  but  also  from  the  American  consuls  at  the  ports  of 
embarkation.  Those  who  have  recently  traveled  in  Europe  know  that  the 
obtaining  of  visfe  from  tlie  various  consular  offices  is  the  bane  of  the  traveler's 
life.  No  country  requires  more  tlian  one  vis^.  Why  should  the  liberal  America 
impose  so  much  red  tape  and  expense  upon  the  travelers  who  seek  these  shores 
on  Government  business  or  for  commercial,  educational,  or  pleasure  reasons? 
Travelers  of  this  class  usually  arrive  at  the  ports  of  embarkation  on  the  day  of 
departure  of  the  vessel,  and  it  would  impose  quite  a  hardship  to  have  them  seek 
the  American  vis§  at  that  time,  and,  of  course,  in  many  cases  would  prevent 
them  from  sailing  on  the  vessel  they  were  booked.  The  provision  that  the 
declaration  for  the  obtaining  of  such  vi<e  must  be  made  at  least  two  weeks 
before  the  intended  departure  will,  in  my  opinion,  create  so  much  inconvenience 
and  unnecessary  expense  for  the  intending  traveler  that  America  will  be  shuned 
by  people  who  can  possibly  avoid  coming  here. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  HERMAN  L.  FLAM.  NEW  YORK  CITY.  REP- 
RESENTING THE  ASSOCIATED  DRESS  MANUFACTURERS. 

Mr.  Flam.  First.  I  thank  voii  gentlemen  for  the  courtesy  you  have 
extended  to  me  in  permitting  me  to  address  you  when  it  had  been 
announced  by  the  chairman  that  you  "were  going  to  adjourn. 

We  have  come  from  Xew  York  opposed  to  this  bilk  I  represent 
600  dress  manufacturers.  AVe  employ  50.000  people.  Our  annual 
output  is  about  one-half  a  billion  dollars'  worth  of  dresses  in  Xew 
York,  sent  throughout  the  United  States.  Our  employees  are  alien 
people,  whom  this  bill  intends  to  prohibit  from  coming  in.  Our 
weekly  wage  bill  is  over  $2,000,000. 

Xow.  the  cry  all  over  the  country  is  to  get  a  reduction  in  prices. 
Everywhere  we  are  asked  to  reduce  the  prices  of  our  dresses.  If  you 
stop  immigration,  you  will  cut  off  our  supi:)ly  of  those  who  can  do 
this  work,  for  our  demand  is  for  these  people  who  are  immigrants, 
and  if  the  supply  is  cut  off  we  will  not  be  able  to  reduce  prices.  Xow, 
I  am  not  in  any  way  speaking  against  the  labor  unions,  with  whom 
we  are  working,  but  through  the  passage  of  this  bill  the  natural 
resources  from  which  we  draw  our  labor  to  supply  our  demands  will 
be  cut  off,  and  the  result  will  be  that  prices  will  go  up.  Xow.  the  life 
of  the  workers  in  our  shops  is  about  three  years,  for  in  that  time  we 
lose  them  by  marriage.  We  employ  mostly  girls,  and  every  year  30 
per  cent  of  them  fall  out  of  their  jobs.  Unless  we  can  replenish  them 
by  labor  coming  over  from  Europe,  how  are  we  going  to  >upply  the 
demands  of  the  people  of  the  country  and  try  to  reduce  the  cost  of 
tlie  merchandise  that  we  supply  and  increase  the  output  ?  As  it  is, 
when  they  know  that  you  can  not  get  operators,  drapers,  or  finishers, 
they  are  just  soldiering  on  the  job.  If  tliey  know  that  immigration 
is  entirely  stopped,  they  will  feel  that  they  have  their  job  for  a  life- 
time and  they  do  as  little  as  they  can,  and  we  will  be  at  their  mercy. 
And  I  say  to  you,  gentlemen,  that  we  are  not  able  to  get  the  American 
girl  to  come  into  our  factories  and  work. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  97 

Senator  Xugent.  AVhj^? 

Mr.  Flam.  They  will  become  stenographers,  they  will  become 
t5'pists,  they  will  be  salesgirls,  but  they  wnll  not  come  to  our  shops 
and  work.  And  let  me  say  that  we  have  sanitary  control,  good 
Avorking  hours,  and  the  girls  make  from  $40  to  $50  a  week  on  piece- 
w^ork,  and  everything  is  apparently  satisfactory  as  far  as  conditions 
of  labor  and  hours  of  work  and  wages  are  concerned,  but  somehow 
or  other  we  can  not  get  the  American-born  girls  to  come  and  work  in 
our  shops.  Yes,  they  will  become  designers  or  go  into  the  higher 
crafts,  but  3'ou  can  not  get  them  to  come  to  a  shop  and  work  as 
finishers  or  cleaners  or  pressers  or  operators.  We  must  dei^end  on 
our  labor  from  Europe  for  that. 

Senator  Dillingham.  How  do  your  wages  compare  Avith  the 
wages  that  the  American  girl  gets  in  the  other  industries  that  you 
haA'e  mentioned? 

Mr.  Flam.  They  are  very  much  higher  in  our  shops.  A  girl  will 
Avork  as  stenographer  for  $15  to  $18  a  Aveek,  and  Ave  are  paying  them 
from  $25  to  $30  and  more  in  our  shops.  Yet  they  Avill  Avork  as 
stenographers  and  typists  rather  than  Avork  as  operators.  For  this 
reason,  gentlemen,  we  are  asking  you  not  to  report  this  bill. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  got  any  explanation  for  that? 

Mr.  Flam.  I  haA^e  no  explanation,  Mr.  Chairman,  Avith  the  excep- 
tion that  they  just  Avon't  do  this.  They  think  the  Avork  is  beneath 
them.  That  is  all.  They  will  not  work  in  the  shops.  They  will 
not  work  in  dress  shops. 

The  Chairman.  And  you  knoAV  that  from  experience,  do  you? 
You  are  not  speaking  from  theory? 

Mr.  Flam.  I  knoAv  from  experience,  having  been  in  the  trade 
for  10  jenrs  and  employing  them,  and  we  can  not  get  an  American- 
born  girl  to  come  and  Avork  in  our  shops. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  are  not  acquainted  Avith  the  tailoring 
trade,  the  gentlemen's  tailoring  trade,  I  suppose? 

Mr.  Flam.  I  am. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Hoav  many  American  men  haA'e  CA'er  learned 
the  tailoring  trade? 

Mr.  Flam.  None.  I  Avill  say  that  very  few  of  them  have.  I  Avill 
correct  it  to  that  extent,  that  very  few  of  them  do  learn  the  tailoring 
trade.  I  don't  want  to  speak  for  the  tailoring  trade,  but  I  have  very 
dear  friends  who  are  in  the  tailoring  trade,  and  all  their  help  is 
Russian  and  Italian,  and  if  you  curtail  that  immigration  you  Avill 
deprive  them  of  their  help. 

The  Chairman.  In  the  making  of  clothes,  Avhat  proportion  of  the 
work  in  the  United  States  is  done  by  aliens  ? 

Mr.  Flam.  I  dare  say  90  per  cent. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  that  confirms  a  statement  that  I  have  read. 

Mr.  Flam.  Well,  I  don't  know,  Mr.  Chairman,  about  the  state- 
ment that  you  mean,  but  90  per  cent  of  them  are  aliens.  We  adver- 
tise in  the  papers  during  the  busy  seasons,  and  we  offer  from  $40  to 
$50  for  drapers,  and  you  would  not  see  an  American  girl  come  in, 
although  she  knows  how  to  make  a  dress  in  her  own  home,  but  she 
will  not  come  to  the  shop,  that  is  beneath  her.  Now,  we  liaA'e  got  to 
have  foreign  labor.    If  you  close  the  doors  to  us,  why,  your  wives  and 

26911— 21— rT  1 7 


98  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

dau<:hters  will  pay  more  for  goods,  and  instead  of  reducing  the  prices 
we  will  have  to  raise  them. 

Senator  HARRisttx.  They  will  have  to  cut  their  dresses  a  little 
shorter,  won't  they  ? 

Mr.  Flam.  They  are  short  enough  now,  Senator.  The}'  aj'e  short 
enough  as  they  are. 

I  thank  you.  gentlemen. 

The  Chairman.  I  want  to  ask  the  sense  of  the  committee :  We  have 
been  hearing  a  considerable  amount  of  argument  against  this  bill.  It 
seems  to  me  that  it  would  l>e  a  good  plan  to  ask  Commissioner  Wallis, 
of  New  York,  to  come  here.  Then  there  are  Mr.  Husband  and  Mr. 
Bennett,  and  Mr.  McBride.  of  the  State  Department,  and  Mr. 
Stewart ;  and  among  the  people  of  this  country-  who  have  made  a 
careful  study  of  this  whole  subject  of  immigration,  and  especially  in 
conne<.-tit»n  with  the  Americanization  feature  of  it,  is  Miss  Kellor, 
and  I  know  the  committee  would  all  be  very  glad  to  hear  from  Miss 
Frances  Kellor.  of  New  York. 

We  will  now  stand  adjourned  until  10.30  o'clock  to-morrow. 

(Thereupon,  at  4.30  p.  m.,  Monday,  January  3, 1921,  the  committee 
adjourned  until  10.30  o'clock  to-morrow,  Tuesday.  January  4.  1920.) 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 


HEARINGS 


BEFORE 


COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 
UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGRESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 

H.  R.  14461 

A  BILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTIOX  OF  THE  CITIZENS 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  BY  THE  TEMPORARY 

SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 

FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 


TUESDAY,  JANUARY  4,  1921 


PART  2 

Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration 


yd), 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT   PRINTING   OFFICE 
26911  1921 


COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION. 


LeBAROX  B.  colt.   Rhode  Island.   ClKiirmun. 


WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,  Vermont 
BOIES  PENROSE,  Pennsylvania. 
THOMAS  STERLING,  South  Dakota. 
HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California. 
HENRY  W.  KEYES,  New  Hampshire. 
WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey. 


THOMAS  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 
JOHN  F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 
WILLIAM  H.  KING,  Utah. 
WILLIAM  J.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 
PAT  HARRISON,  Mississippi. 
JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 


Henry  M.  Barry,  Clerk. 


EMERGENCY   LMMIdiKATION  LEGISlATIOiS'. 


TUESDAY.   JANUARY  4.    1921. 

T    NITKD    StATKS    vSkXATK. 

Committee  ox   Immi({1{atiox. 

]Vas/)itu/fon,  I>.  ('. 

The  committee  met  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m..  in  Ivoom  2:^5,  Senate 
OHice  I5nildin<r,  Hon.  LeBai'on  H.  Colt  i)re.si(liii<i". 

J^re.sent :  Senators  Colt  (chairman),  Dillinj^ham.  Stei'lin<>\  John- 
son. Xu^ent.  Harris,  and  Harrison. 

The  CHAiii.MAX'.  Mr.  AVallis.  the  commissioner  of  immi<>iation  at 
New  York,  has  a  good  deal  of  knowledge  with  regard  to  innnigra- 
tion  and  is  somewhat  apprehensive.  I  understand  from  what  he  says^ 
of  the  flood.  It  .seemed  to  me  yestenhiv,  and  I  nndeistood  that  it 
was  the  sense  of  the  committee  also,  that  we  should  ask  him  to  be 
present.  I  therefore  telegraphed  him  yesterehiy,  aiul  in  re]jly  he 
states  that  he  will  be  here  to-morrow  morning.  Wednesday.  He  will 
then  (Milighten  ns  as  to  his  views  with  regard  to  the  conditions  of 
immigration,  especially  at  Xcav  York  city,  and  the  threatened  flood 
from  P^nrope. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Mr.  Chairman.  I  have  a  telegram  here  from 
Mr.  J.  L.  Clarkson.  Avho  I'epresents  the  National  Federation  of  Com- 
j)etitive  Industries.  Representatives  of  these  industries  wish  to  be 
heard,  but  can  not  very  well  be  heard  before  the  week  beginning 
danuary  10 — next  Monday — and  I  wondered  whether  or  not  they 
might  be  given  a  hearing  on  January  10. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  In  that  connection.  Mr.  Chairman.  I  have  a 
telegram  from  Chicago,  from  Mr.  "William  S.  Bennet,  who  was  for 
sevei'al  years  a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  from  New 
York  City,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Immigration  Commission  of 
1900  and  did  very  effective  work  with  the  commission.  He  makes- 
the  same  statement,  that  he  wants  to  be  heard  but  can  not  come  be- 
fore the  10th.  He  is  a  man  that  has  apparently  given  as  much  study 
to  this  question  as  anybody  outside  of  some  other  members  of  the- 
commission  like  Prof.  Jenks. 

The  Chairmax.  Senator  Johnson,  might  avc  get  an  expression  of 
yowx  views  on  this  matter? 

Senator  Johxsox.  I  should  be  delighted  to  hear  them  all.  I  do' 
not  see  any  reason  why  we  should  not  accommodate  these  gentlemen 
l)y  hearing  them  on  the' 10th.  You  are  going  to  be  occupied  to-mor- 
row with  Mr.  Wallis  and  the  witnesses  who  are  now  present.  They 
will  take  two  days  at  least,  I  imagine. 

Senator  Diij.TxcjHA^r.  There  are  some  others  that  will  want  to  be 
heard.     From  the  correspondence  I  am  receiving  I  underetand  the- 

99 


100  EMERGKXCY    IMMIGRATION    UIGISLATIOX. 

?  ••i:ev  is  receiving  a  pitat  cle.;l  of  aUL-mion  uiroiighout  the  country 
and  I  do  not  think  there  is  anj*  possibility  of  closin*r  it  ii)^  thi-  .veek. 

The  CiiATR>rAX.  If  if  be  tlie  sense  of  the  committee,  let  it  be  under- 
stood, then,  that  we  Avill  have  further  hearings  beginning  cm  January 
10  at  1<).*K)  o'clo -k  and  notify-  all  the  parties  to  be  present  then. 

Senator  Johxsox.  1  think  we  ought  to  conclude  our  hearings  next 
week  if  v.e  can  and  reach  some  determination  as  to  what  the  com- 
mittee is  going  to  do.  so  that  if  the  bill  is  reported  there  will  be 
opportunity  for  it  to  be  heard  at  this  session.  What  is  your  view 
on  that  (  Can  it  be  heard  at  this  session  with  the  multifarious  things 
that  are  arising?  Of  course  it  will  not  be  of  any  value  at  all  if  it 
can  not  be  heard. 

The  Chairman.  When  we  get  through  with  these  hearings — and 
I  do  not  see  that  they  i-hould  be  greatly  prolonged — we  will  naturally 
take  up  the  Johnson  Inll  with  the  amendments,  and  then  the  other 
bills  that  have  been  submitted  by  members  of  the  committee. 

Senator  Johxson.  Well,  let  us  tentatively  agree  that  we  will  con- 
clude next  week  and  that  the  committee  will  act  next  week.  Can  we 
not  do  that  ? 

The  Chairman.  I  do  not  know  as  to  the  latter  proposition — as  to 
when  the  committee  can  act.  I  think  we  might  say  that  the  hearings 
will  be  finished  next  week. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  think  we  should  hesitate  to  say  whether  we 
shall  report  out  a  bill  next  week  or  not.  but  we  can  close  the  hearings. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  was  suggesting  that  we  agree  tentatively  that 
that  might  be  done. 

The  Chairman.  I  have  found  the  disposition  now  to  be  rather  to 
close  the  testimony  as  soon  as  practicable.  If  we  proceed  along  that 
line  and  do  not  have  any  delay,  then  we  can  take  up  the  next  propo- 
sition— that  of  deciding  what  action  shall  be  taken. 

Is  ^Ir.  Marshall  present  ? 

!Mr.  Marshall.  Yes.  sir. 

The  Chairman.  About  what  time  will  you  require.  Mr.  ^larshall  ^ 

Mr.  Marshall.  I  think  I  may  be  able  to  conclude  in  about  15 
minutes.     I  shall  try  to  he  very  concise. 

STATEMENT  OF  ME.  LOIHS  MARSHALL.  120  BROADWAY.  NEW 
YORK  CITY.  REPRESENTING  THE  AMERICAN  JEWISH  COM- 
MITTEE. 

Mr.  Marshall.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee has  announced  that  the  discussion  will  not  cover  a  wide  range, 
but  that  the  real  question  that  we  are  to  consider  is  whether  or  not. 
to  use  legal  language,  a  restraining  order  shall  be  granted  which  will 
prohiljit  immigration  to  the  United  States  for  the  period  of  one  vear. 
we  wh'»  have  come  here  to  oppose  the  granting  of  such  an  order  feel 
somewhat  at  a  loss  to  discuss  the  question  intelligently,  because  we 
do  not  know  exactly  on  what  basis  of  fact  those  who  are  seeking  such 
a  restraining  order  are  proceeding.  One  would  naturally  suppose 
that  thev  had  the  burden  of  proof  to  establish  an  overwhelming 
reason  why  uix)n  such  short  notice  as  has  been  given  ~o  drastic  an 
order  should  be  granted. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Marshall,  as  suggested  by  Senator  Dilling- 
ham, while  I  did  announce — having  the  Johnson  bill  before  us. -which 


EMERGENCY   IMMIC 


iRATiOX   LEGT^L,ATIOX.  101 


provides  for  a  temporary  suspension — that  that  ^vas  the  main  pur- 
pose of  the  hearinof,  at  the  same  time  there  foHows.  dii'ectly.  the  ques- 
tion whether  the  emergency  is  so  great  that  that  restraining  order 
shoukl  be  granted,  or  whether  the  emergency  not  being  so  great  we 
wouki  have  time  to  frame  temporary  constructive  legishition. 
Therefore,  in  a  measure  the  whole  subject  is  open,  and  while  I  stated 
that  to  be  the  objective  point,  so  as  to  shorten  the  testimony  some- 
what, the  general  question  of  the  restriction  of  immigration  is  in- 
volved. 

Mr,  Marshall.  If  I  were  to  discuss  that  broad  (juestion  in  its 
various  aspects.  I  would  not  be  able  to  say  anything  like  what  I 
would  desire  to  say  in  the  short  time  that  I  have  myself  imposed 
as  a  limitation  upon  the  duration  of  my  remarks.  I  think  I  sliall, 
however,  be  able  to  cover  the  ground  sufficiently  for  the  present  pur- 
poses, believing  that  after  the  committee  has  given  the  matter  further 
consideration  it  will  come  to  the  conclusion  that  if  it  is  necessary  to 
deal  with  the  subject  of  immigration  in  its  wide  aspects  and  to  con- 
sider the  advisability  at  some  time  or  another  of  enacting  a  measure 
which  will  be  restrictive  of  immigration  beyond  what  the  present 
legislation  provides,  I  shall  have  another  opportunity,  I  trust,  to  be 
heard  before  the  committee. 

The  first  fact  that  strikes  the  student  of  American  history  is  that 
immigration  has  now  been  in  progress  for  a  century,  and  there  has 
been  no  abuse  resulting  from  immigration.  T'ntil  1H20  there  was 
comparatively  little  immigration,  except  that  of  the  original  settlers, 
all  of  whom,  of  course,  were  immigrants.  AVe  have  just  celebrated  the 
tercentenary  of  the  arrival  of  the  first  immigrants  in  Xew  England, 
and  we  have  all  believed  the  day  a  blessed  one  when  they  arrived  upon 
our  shores. 

A  century  ago.  however,  immigration  from  Europe  began  on  a 
somewhat  broader  scale  and  in  considerable  numbers.  The  first 
immigrants  Avere  not  welcomed  by  those  who  were  already  here. 
Those  who  have  had  the  opportunity  of  reading  the  literat^ire  of  that 
day  on  the  subject  will  remember  that  in  Niles's  Register — which 
appeared.  T  think,  about  1821,  the  annual  of  that  year — there  was  an 
article  in  v\hich  the  writer  inveighed  against  the  new  immigration. 
The  nev\'  immigrants  were -people  from  Ireland  and  from  England 
and  from  Germany,  and  there  was  a  great  deal  said  about  the  evil 
and  the  harm  they  would  do  to  our  country;  that  an  alien  race  was 
coming,  and  that  our  prosperity  was  threatened. 

Well,  we  did  not  suffer  from  th.it  immigration,  and  from  year  to 
year  the  number  of  immigrants  increased.  From  time  to  time,  as 
you  indicated  yesterday,  there  were  periods  of  economic  depression 
in  this  country,  and  whenever  there  was  such  a  period  there  was 
more  or  less  of  an  outcry  against  the  immigrant.  The  panic  of  1S57 
wtis  preceded  by  the  "'  Know-Xothing "'  movement,  the  cry  of  America 
for  the  Americans,  the  idea  then  being  that  innnigration  of  all  kinds 
was  evil. 

But  we  passed  through  that  i)criod.  and  again  when  the  panic  of 
1878  arrived  we  heard  the  same  outcry.  AVe  heard  the  same  in  1895, 
when  for  the  first  time  in  our  history  it  was  s<mght  to  introduce  into 
the  immigration  law  the  literacy  test.  And  so  it  subsequently  oc- 
curred in  1907.  There  has  never  been  a  period  of  panic  in  this 
country  Avhen  there  has  not  been  this  outcry. 


10*2  IMKRGLNCy    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Wp  have  lived  throufrli  all  the  panics,  aiul  I  venture  the  assertion 
that  the  ininii*rrants  who  came  to  this  country  helped  us  throujrh 
tliose  pei-iods  of  stress  and  certainly  have  helped  to  make  the  country 
wliat  it  is. 

X(tl>ody  who  understands  the  American  people  thoroughly,  who 
understands  the  vurious  strains  which  constitute  the  complex  and 
the  composite  American  as  he  is  to-day.  would  venture  to  say  that 
the  immigrant  has  not  contributed  his  share  to  the  creation  of  the 
stalwart  Americanism  that  e.xists  in  this  country.  I  was  horn  in 
Onondajra  County.  X.  Y..  where  I  think  Senator  Johnson  also  fii-st 
saw  the  liirht  of  day.  and  there  I  was  in  contact  with  the  immigrants 
of  that  community.  My  parents  were  both  immigrants.  My  uncles 
and  aunts  were  all  immigrants.  Many  of  my  cousins  were  immi- 
grants. All  the  jieople  with  whom  I  came  into  assx^x-iation  in  the 
early  days  of  my  life  weru  immigrants,  and  they  were  immigrants 
from  the  various  countries  of  Eurojte.  I  have  watched  those  people 
and  their  children  from  that  day  to  this,  and  I  can  give  testimony 
that  there  are  no  truer,  no  more  loyal,  no  more  loving  Americans 
than  those  people. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  as  was  called  to  the  attention  of  the  conunittee 
Te^terday,  a  very  large  jiercentage  of  the  Ameiican  people  to-day 
are  either  immigrants  or  the  sons  or  grandson>  of  immigrant>.  You 
do  not  have  to  go  very  far  back  to  find  an  immigrant  >train  and  an 
inmiigrant  pedigree.  P'our  years  ago  our  i)residential  candidates  on 
both  sides,  the  Repuljlican  side  and  the  Democratic  side,  were  sons 
of  immigrants.  President  Wilson's  mother  was  an  immigiant.  and 
the  father  and  mother  of  Judge  Hughes  were  both  immigrants. 
And  if  you  go  through  the  list  of  members  of  the  House  of  Eepre- 
sentatives  and  of  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  you  will  find  tliat 
you  run  u])  again.st  the  immigrant  strain  everywhere. 

And  yet  to-day  we  hear  about  a  flood  of  aliens  that  are  <-<)ming 
to  this  country,  tlie  idea  being  to  impart  with  that  slogan  the  thought 
that  the  alien  is  a  destructive  force,  that  he  is  injuring  the  well-being 
of  this  nation,  and  that  if  he  arrives  America  will  cease  to  Ijc 
America.  They  forget  that  in  the  last  century  probably  ~'>  per 
cent  of  the  po))ulati(tn  of  this  country  has  descended  from  immi- 
grants. 

TTe  can  point  to  all  of  our  great  national  works — the  transc(»nti- 
nental  railroads,  the  great  canals,  all  of  our  great  industries.  By 
Avhom  were  they  constructed^  Who  built  them?  T  am  proud  to 
say  that  my  father  worked  as  a  track  hand  on  the  Northern  Central 
Tvailroad.  which  wms  l)eing  constructed  from  C'anandaigua  to  Har- 
risburg.  Men  of  that  tyi)e  came  to  this  country,  strong  in  their 
faith  in  America,  strong  in  their  belief  that  this  country  was  a 
haven  of  liberty,  a  plnve  where  those  who  desired  to  develop  under 
our  institutions  would  have  the  opportunity  that  they  .sought,  and 
that  opportunity  was  to  work  hard,  to  save,  to  earn  a  competency 
for  themselves  and  for  their  children,  to  educate  their  childjcu.  and 
to  make  them  citizens  willing  to  live  and  die  for  the  country. 

And  that  faith  has  never  been  misjdaced.  In  every  war  our  im- 
migrants have  heljjed  win  our  battles.  They  did  it  in  tlie  Civil  War; 
they  did  it  in  the  late  (ireat  War.  As  has  l)een  j^ointed  out  here, 
nearly  half  a  million  of  the  men  who  entered  our  Ainiy  during  the 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  103 

I'ecent  Avar  were  men  who  had  not  even  received  their  natiiralizution 
papers,  and  yet  they  were  willing  to  serve. 

I  had  the  honor  to  be  a  member  of  the  district  board  of  the  citj^  of 
New  York  which  passed  on  the  appeals  in  the  cases  that  arose  in  189 
district  l)oards.  Mr.  Justice  Hughes  was  the  chairman  of  that  board. 
We  all  felt  proud  of  the  immigrants  who  had  come  to  this  country, 
of  tlieir  willingness  to  serve,  of  their  readiness  to  serve,  of  their 
Avaiver  of  the  right  to  have  exemption  because  of  the  fact  that  they 
were  not  citizens.  And  those  who  Avere  most  insistent  u])on  the  immi- 
grant performing  his  duty  Avere  tlie  men  who  themselves  were  immi- 
grants and  sons  of  immigrants,  believmg  that  they  owed  a  duty  to 
the  country,  and  that  that  duty  consisted  not  only  of  thus  serving, 
but  of  also  inducing  others  to  perform  that  duty,  in  order  that  they 
might  show  to  the  American  ])eople  that  they  could  be  relied  upon 
in  the  hour  of  stress. 

Now.  I  am  not  speaking  merely  as  a  sentimentalist:  I  have  to  sup- 
port me  in  this  statement  the  absolute  facts  shown  by  the  records 
Avhich  have  come  to  the  attention  of  every  man  who  has  given  thought 
to  the  subject.  I  passed  through  the  Argonne  Forest  a  year  ago  last 
spring,  and  I  stood  on  the  field  where  our  American  boys  won  that 
great  victory,  and  my  heart  thrilled  when  I  stood  uj^on  the  ground 
where  the  Lost  Batallion  had  burrowed  into  tlie  hillside.  That  Lost 
Batallion  consisted  largely  of  Jewish  young  men.  practically  all  of 
them  born  abroad,  immigrants,  quite  a  number  of  them  not  yet  natur- 
alized, and  they  performed  a  feat  that  will  live  in  American  liistory. 

Why.  then,  should  Ave  become  hysterical  Avhen  somebody  suggests 
that  Ave  are  obliged  to  look  out  for  a  flood  of  aliens,  if  that  flood  of 
aliens  consists  of  men  Avho  are  Avilling  to  Avork  and  able  to  Avork,  and 
Avho  are  able  to  giA'e  us  the  man  poAver  that  this  country  requires  and 
will  continue  to  require  for  many,  many  decades;  yes,  for  centuries 
to  come:  if  these  aliens  Avill  give  to  us  their  ideals — because  all  people 
wlio  come  to  this  country  have  ideals,  the  American  Indian  Avas  not 
tlie  only  one  Avho  liad  ideals,  all  of  us  are  able  to  bring  something  to 
this  country  and  to  contribute  something  to  the  Avell-being  of  it  and 
to  its  aggrandizement  and  to  its  ennoblement. 

Senator  Sterling.  Mr.  Marshall,  you  recognize  the  difference,  do 
you  not,  betAveen  that  earlier  immigration  of  Avhich  you  spoke  awhile 
ago  and  the  later  immigration,  and  the  difference  in  the  countries 
from  which  that  immigration  comes? 

M)'.  Marshall.  I  do  not.  T  do  not,  sir.  The  same  things  that  are 
said  about  this  immigration,  this  later  immigration.  Avere  said  about 
that  earlier  immigration. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  you  think  those  of  the  later  immigration  are 
as  readily  assimilable  as  those  of  the  earlier  immigration  coming 
from  northern  Europe,  the  Scandinavian  countries,  Germany,  and 
Great  Britain? 

Mr.  M.vrshall.  I  do.  I  think  the  only  reason  why  they  have  not 
assimilated  more  readily  has  been  the  fact  that  our  country  has  neA^er 
performed  its  duty  toAvard  the  immigrant.  Rights  and  duties  are 
always  correlative,  and  if  our  country  allows  people  to  come  here 
from  other  countries  and  does  not  protect  them,  allows  them  to  be 
exploited,  does  not  gi\'e  them  an  opportunity  to  assimilate  by  giving 
them  the  education  that  thev  craA-e  and  Avhich  thev  can  not  get  un- 


104  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

less  there  is  some  systeniiitic  work  done  in  that  direction,  the  assimila- 
tion, so-callecl.  is  not  rapid. 

The  question  of  assimilation  is  one  about  which  I  would  like  to 
say  considerable  if  time  would  permit.  A  man  is  not  assimilated 
merely  because  he  wears  certain  clothes  or  cute  his  Vieard  just  the 
way  the  average  man  does,  or  even  because  he  speaks  the  Same  lan- 
guage: a.ssimilation  is.  after  all.  a  matter  of  the  heart  and  of  the 
mind. 

And  a  man  can  be  a  true  American  even  though  he  does  not  get 
his  Americanism  through  an  English  newspaper.  The  best  Ameri- 
can that  I  ever  knew — and  I  speak  here  in  the  presence  of  men  whom 
I  honor  and  respect  as  Americans — nevertheless.  I  say — perhaps  I  am 
partial  about  it — that  the  best  American  I  ever  knew  was  my  mother. 
She  taught  me  whatever  I  know  of  the  true  spirit  of  Americanism. 
I  imbi]>ed  it  from  her  during  my  youth,  and  yet  she  could  scarcely 
speak  the  English  langiuige.  She  imderstood  it.  she  could  read  it, 
but  she  came  to  this  country  when  she  was  28  or  24  years  of  age, 
and  circtmistances  so  shaped  themselves  that  she  had  no  opportunity 
to  learn  to  speak  the  English  language.  And  yet  I  never  knew  such 
ardent  Americanism  as  she  manifested.  There  was  not  a  day  in  her 
life  that  she  did  not  pray  for  America,  because  she  knew  what  it 
meant  for  her  and  for  her  children,  and  what  it  meant  for  her  con- 
temporaries and  what  it  meant  for  the  world. 

The  Chairman.  ^Ir.  Marshall,  is  not  Americanism,  according  to 
your  riew.  based  upon  something  akin  to  the  family  tie  ? 

Mr,  ^Iarshall.  Largely :  that  is  one  of  the  bases. 

The  Chairman.  An  attachment  or  affinity  in  the  nftture  of  af- 
fection ? 

;Mr.  ^Iabshall.  Precisely — love. 

The  Chairman.  Not  created  by  force,  but  created  l\v  all  that  which 
goes  to  form  an  attachment,  an  affinity,  to  America  and  its  institu- 
tions ? 

Mr.  Marshall.  It  is.  indeed. 

The  Chairman.  Of  course,  that  is  the  foundation  of  the  national- 
istic spirit  i 

Mr.  ^Marshall.  That  is.  indeed,  the  idea. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Mr.  Mai-shall.  I  suppose  you  would  admit 
that  that  class  of  immigration  that  comes  as  families,  as  yours  did, 
■where  the  father  brings  the  mother  and  brings  the  children,  is  the 
best  type  and  the  most  easily  assimilated  ? 

Mr!  Marshall.  Well,  that  was  not  the  case  in  my  family.  My 
father  came,  and  later  on  my  mother  came,  and  they  met  here. 

Senator  Dillingha^i.  Well,  they  intended  to  come? 

Mr.  Marshall.  They  intended  to  come,  yes :  and  they  came  I)ecause 
they  had  a  craving  for  liberty.    My  father  was  of  the  1848  migration. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Exactly:  but  speaking  generally  of  immi- 
gration, you  would  look  upon  that  class  that  intended  to  come  and 
bring  their  families  and  make  their  homes  here  as  the  class  that 
Wduld  naturally  l)e  most  (|uickly  assimilable? 

Mr.  Marshall.  That  is  an  added  fact.  Senator:  I  appreciate  that, 
and  for  that  reason  I  feel  that  most  of  this  immigration  that  is  now 
being  maligned,  that  is  being  called  a  flood  of  aliens,  is  really  accom- 
plishing the  very  thing  that  yon  indicate  as  lieing  of  sr»  inii)ortant  a 
character. 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISIATION.  10& 

For  instance,  before  the  war — by  that  I  mean  1914 — a  great  many 
men  came  over  to  this  countr}"  for  the  purpose  of  blazing  the  way 
for  their  families.  They  hoped  to  gain  a  competency,  and  then  they 
would  send  for  the  wife  and  for  the  children  and  for  brothers  and 
sisters,  so  that  they  might  come  liere  and  be  reunited  on  these  shores. 
Unfortunately,  the  war  made  it  impossible  for  that  reunion  to  take 
l^lace,  and  the  consequence  was  that  the  head  of  the  family  was  on 
this  side  and  the  wife  and  children  on  the  other  side,  and  they  have 
been  on  both  sides  yearning  for  the  day  of  reunion  of  the  family. 
And  the  husband,  after  the  doors  were  opened  and  after  transporta- 
tion became  possible,  sent  for  his  familj'  to  come  here,  and  the  people 
who  are  now  coming  are  largelv  people  who  answer  that  description. 
The  evidence  taken  before  the  llouse  committee  shows  that  there  are 
many  women  and  children  among  the  immigrants  coming  from  east- 
ern Europe.  They  are  coming  for  the  purpose  of  joining  their  hus- 
bands and  fathers.  It  is  to  reunite  the  family  that  these  people  are 
coming  to  our  shores. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  are  now  speaking  of  the  most  recent 
immigration  ? 

Mr.  Marshall.  Of  the  most  recent,  the  present  immigration. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  have  figures  for  the  month  of  August  that  • 
are  official;  these  are  the  latest  I  have  been  able  to  obtain.     I  find 
that  the  number  admitted  was,  in  lound  numbers,  G9,000,  and  of 
those  38,677  were  men  and  28,692  were  females. 

Mr.  Marshall.  That  is  the  explanation  of  it. 

Senator  Dillingham.  That  is  a  larger  percentage,  I  think,  than 
has  before  obtained. 

Mr.  Marshall.  And  that  is  due  to  the  facts  to  which  I  have  just 
called  attention. 

Senator  Dillingha:vi.  During  that  same  month  the  outgoing  num- 
ber was  something  over  43,000. 

Mr.  Marshall.  Yes;  I  have  those  same  figures  from  another  point 
of  view.  But  let  nie  further  answer  your  question  as  to  the  more 
recent  inmiigration — because  I  never  care  to  dodge  a  pr()[)Osition, 
The  more  recent  immigrants  are  men  that  we  do  not  know  as  well. as 
we  do  the  older  immigrants.  They  are  people  who  are  working  in 
the  industries,  and  to  some  extent  they  are  men  who  have  not  yet| 
established  their  families  and  have  not  taken  root  to  the  extent  that^ 
those  took  root  who  came  with  their  families  or  those  who  shortly 
after  thej'  arrived  in  this  country  were  married.  But  as  rapidly  as, 
is  possible  a  large  percentage  of  those  people  do  settle  down.  '. 

I  know  that  in  Syracuse — and  a  man  knows  a  great  deal  more  of  a 
toAvn  like  Syracuse  than  he  can  of  a  city  like  Xew  York,  unless  he. 
has  a  chance  to  visit  the  various  districts — I  know  that  some  of  thel 
most  estimable  citizens  of  that  city  are  men  of  that  same  immigration^ 
that  you  speak  of,  men  who  came  from  southern  Europe  and  from^ 
eastern  Europe,  who  are  respected,  who  are  prosperous,  whoare^. 
honored  by  their  fellow  citizens  in  every  possible  way.    And  amono^ 
them  we  find  men  whose  sons  have  entered  the  learned  professions. 
They  are  physicians  and  lawyer^  and  membei's  of  the  clergy.    Theii 
daughters  become  .-chool-teachers.     They  enter  different  vocations  ^ 
Some  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Xew  York  City  who  are  iuterestecj 
in,  for  instance,  the  interracial   movement   ai'e   men   of  those  samtj^ 


106  KMKH(;1:NCV    I.M.MIGHATION    I^EtilSLATlOX, 

types — nit'ii  fi-om  StM-hiii.  men  From  KuDiania.  men  fiom  Hiil<r:iria. 
aiicl.  of  course,  from  l^oland.  Wo  have  some  ^■erv  l)r-illiaiit  |)eo|)le 
from  Poland. 

Seiiatoi-  Stki;i.in(;.  On  the  other  hand.  Mr.  .Mar>hall.  is  it  not  true 
that  many  of  the  recent  immi<rration  haxc  come  not  to  become  per- 
manent residents  or  citizens  of  the  I'nited  States  hut  as  transients 
rather,  for  the  puri)ose  of  makintr  a  stake  and  ^oin<r  back  horned 

Mr.  Makshall.  Well.  I  do  not  know  that  we  have  any  comphiint 
about  that.  Suppose  that  Avere  so  to  some  extent.  If  they  were 
liere  to  live  on  the  land,  to  exi)loit  it.  then  of  course  we  would  have 
f::round  for  comi)laint.  If.  however,  those  people  came  here  and  j^ave 
us  a  (juid  pro  (pio.  then  I  do  not  see  that  we  have  any  reason  to  com- 
plain. Those  people  who  have  come  heie  as  transients  and  returned 
after  they  h:i\e  earned  money  for  the  puri)os;e  of  livinjr  in  their  own 
country  you  will  find  invariably  to  have  i)een  men  who  worked  hard. 
Avho  did  a  irood  honest  day's  work,  and  who  earned  every  sinole  cent 
that  they  <rot.     And  they  left  somethin*;  behind  them. 

This  same  ai<.niment  was  made  some  years  a<ro  on  the  occasion 
when  I  ai)peare(l  befoiv  the  TTouse  Committee  on  Innni«rration.  That 
([iiestion  was  a.-ked  in  about  the  same  form:  Don't  tliey  come  here 
and  then  leave  a<rain.  takino-  with  them  a  ^rreat  deal  of  moneys  The 
answer  to  that  pro[)osition  was.  ye>:  they  worked  on  the  sui)way  in 
Xew  York  that  was  just  then  bein^f  built,  and  they  <rot  money  for 
buil<lin»r  that  subway,  but  they  left  the  subway  behind.  It  is  still 
there. 

That  is  what  tlie  inimi<rrants  have  done;  they  ha\e  left  behind 
them  the  o;reat  stru;  tures  that  they  have  reared,  the  <ireat  public 
works  that  they  lune  built.  They  have  left  behind  them  what  is 
more  Aaluabh— manhood  smd  womanhood.  They  have  i-onstituted 
a  <ireat  as-et  for  the  country,  and  I  do  not  think  w(>  havv  a  ritrht  to 
treat  them  as  (ontemijtuously  as  they  are  treated  in  new>])ai)er  head- 
lines, especially  inspired  newspaper  headlines. 

Now.  then.  1  say  we  start  out  with  a  presumption  in  favor  of  the 
immi«irant  based  on  history — not  on  prejudice,  not  on  ima<rination, 
liut  on  fact — that  foi'  the  last  century  they  have  come  here  in  <rreat 
luimbers.  and  they  have  helped  to  make  the  American  people.  They 
iiave  helped  to  nuike  the  country  wliat  it  is.  they  have  fon<rht  for  the 
country  to  maintain  hei-  institutions,  and  they  have  loved  our  insti- 
tutions. They  have  no  othei"  love  in  the  woidd  l)ut  America,  and  I 
do  not  care  in  what  lan«jfua<j:e  that  love  is  expressed  or  communicated. 

There  was  mention  made  yesterday  of  the  f()rei<jn-lanL''uaire  news- 
papers. I  will  speak  of  that  merely  incidentally.  I  had  the  honor 
to  i)resent  to  the  Committee  on  Post  Office  and  Post  Koads  of  the 
Senate  a  bi-ief  on  the  subject,  which  I  shall  be  very  <rlad  to  send  to 
the  conunittee.  It  was  in  opposition  to  the  measure  which  was  to 
depiive  the  forei<rn-lan<>ua^'e  news[)apers  of  the  second-class  mailing 
privileges,  the  claim  being  made  that  these  newspapers  were  minis- 
tering to  those  who  were  hostile  to  the  country.  I  had  the  statistics 
there  showing  the  numl)er  of  the  newsi^apers  and  how  they  were 
divided  as  to  languages.  There  were  approximately  l.'iOO,  and  they 
were  in  almost  every  language  of  the  world.  I  think  there  were 
representatives  of  at  least  48  diiferent  languages. 

The  Chaik.aiax.  Mr.  Marshall,  will  you  mail  a  copy  of  that  to  each 
member  of  the  committee  ( 


]•.^rERGEX('v  i.\r.%[[(;RATi()x  lkgi^^latfox.  107 

Mi-.  JMakshai.i-.  I  sliall  Uo  veiv  fflad  to  do  so. 

Xot  more  than  2^  ])er  cent  of  those  newspapei's  were  in  any  way 
tainted  with  tlie  ideas  of  coniniiinisni  oi*  tliose  views  wliich  tend  to 
destrnc'tion  and  to  disruption.  At  tlie  same  time  we  had  ])nl)lislied 
in  tlie  En<rlish  lan<rna<re  newspajiers  which  had  a  much  larjrer  cir- 
^•idation.  wluch  did  a  <rreat  deal  more  harm  than  all  those  papers 
combined  could  have  done.  ]ml)lished  by  collejre  professors  and  by 
callow  youths  who  supposed  they  knew  more  about  America  than 
their  fathers,  the  builders  of  the  country,  knew.  And  there  were 
))arlor  meetin^^s  held  in  the  Kn<rlish  lan<rna<re  in  almost  every  com- 
munity by  pe<)i)le  who  hated  Amei'ica  because  it  was  not  exactly  the 
kind  of  Amei'ica  that  they  woidd  ha\"e  created  had  they  had  the  mak- 
in<r  of  it. 

"But  these  people  Avho  read  these  foreinrn-lanjruaire  neAvspapers  take 
America  for  irranted.  I  am  able  to  read  (piite  a  number  of  those 
newspapers,  and  T  do  it  from  time  to  time  in  order  to  satisfy  myself 
that  my  views  are  correct,  and  T  have  never  found  more  jironounced 
Americanism  pi'eached  in  any  newsi)ai)er.  I  ha\-e  seen  in  some  of 
those  pa])ers  the  Declaration  of  Independence  translated  into  other 
huiiruaaes,  and  an  abstract  of  the  Constitution  of  the  Fnited  States, 
;in(l  the  history  of  the  United  States,  so  as  to  enable  these  peoi)le  to 
unilerstand  and  learn  throu<rh  a  me<lium  that  they  know,  that  they 
can  a])i)reciate,  the  thin«rs  that  Ave  desire  them  to  understand. 

It  is  ideas  Avhich  control,  not  the  Avords  in  Avhich  those  idea.-  are 
couched.  There  is  nothing-  sacrosanct  in  the  P^njxli'^h  lan^iuafre  T 
believe  Ave  should  have  an  ofHcial  hin<iuafre  in  every  country,  but  this 
idea  of  oi)posin<i-  all  lanaiuif'ios  but  tliat  one  is  such  a  kin<l  of  Chau- 
vinism that  10  years  from  noAv  every  one  of  Avill  blush  at  the  thouirht 
that  there  ever  Avas  an  American  who  entertained  the  Aiews  now  be- 
iufr  exj)ressed  toAvard  foi'ei^ners  and  forei<rn  lan<iiia<j:c^. 

Why.  an  investipition  of  that  subject  Avas  made  by  one  of  the  de- 
i:)artments  of  the  P2no:lish  (roverimient  Avliile  the  Avar  Avas  at  its 
heiirht.  as  to  Avhether  or  not  there  should  be  a  limitation  to  the  study 
of  lan<>uafres.  and  even  then,  Avhen  the  feelinjr  between  Enjrland  and 
(irermany  was  at  its  hei<j:ht.  it  Avas  stated  in  the  re])ort  of  the  exj^erts 
Avho  i n vest i<i;a ted  the  subject  that  the  time  had  come  when,  more  than 
ever  in  the  history  of  Knoland.  it  Avas  necessary  for  Kufrlishmen  to 
become  ac(|uainted  Avith  foreign  lan«ruafres.  And  that  is  true  in 
America. 

HoAv  do  you  expect  to  do  business  in  South  America  if  you  are 
iroin<r  to  confine  yourseh'es  to  the  En<rlish  lantruafre?  It  is  a  A-ery 
bri<rht  idea  to  say  that  Ave  Avill  spread  the  En<rlish  lan<ruap:e  all  OA-er 
the  <rlobe.  but  if  you  Avant  to  do  business  Avith  South  America  or  any 
other  country  you  have  to  do  it  in  the  lan<iua<re  of  the  people:  and  the 
reason  Germany  Avas  able  to  <xet  into  the  South  American  markets 
Avas  because  her  merchants  and  liei*  avant-ccuiriers  Avere  able  to  s]>eak 
the  lano;ua^e  of  the  ])eople  where  they  did  business,  and  in  that  Avav 
they  <rot  the  business  and  Ave  did  not,  because  we  did  not  know  enoujih 
to  do  it. 

All  this  is  a  disfri'ession,  but  still  it  may  be  of  use. 

Those  who  faAor  this  ])rohibition  of  immi<rration  say  that  there  is 
a  flood  of  alien  immifrrnnts  upon  us.  Let  us  see  about  this  flood. 
Prior  to  Au^rust,  191-i.  for  a  number  of  A^ears  Ave  averajred  about 


108  EMERGENCY    IM.MIGKATIOX    I^GISLATIOX. 

7."><).000  immifrraiits  a  year.  There  was  one  year  when  we  had 
l.OOo.OOO  or  l.*250.(K)0.  Those  people  Avere  all  absorbed  in  our  indus- 
tries.   They  were  all  busy,  they  were  all  occupied,  thev  were  all  useful. 

Xow,  the  war  be<ran  on  the  1st  of  August.  1914.  Nobody  has  seen 
any  evidence  of  a  flood  since  that  time.  From  the  1st  of  August, 
1914.  to  the  30th  of  June,  19*20.  nearly  six  years,  there  was  practically 
no  immigration  into  the  United  States.  By  that  I  mean  that  the 
emigration  ])ractically  exceeded  the  immigration,  whatever  there  was 
of  it.  During  that  time  we  heard  on  every  side  of  the  shortage  of 
man  iK)wer.  We  did  not  find  that  we  had  too  many  immigrants  in 
the  United  States  for  the  purpose  of  the  war.  The  immigrants  who 
were  Avilling  to  serve  Avere  permitted  to  serve  in  the  Army,  and  those 
who  were  not  willing  were  drafted  into  the  Army.  AA'e  had  n\>:o  at 
the  same  time  a  great  need  in  munition  factories,  in  our  war  indus- 
tries, of  man  power  and  woman  power.  The  immigrants  worked 
there,  those  that  did  not  go  to  war  and  those  that  did  not  work  else- 
where. A  large  number  of  them  worked  there.  During  all  that  time 
this  menace  that  is  talked  about  did  not  exist.  It  was  absolutely 
nonexistent. 

Xov,-.  wlnit  has  happened  since  that  timei'  From  the  30th  of  June. 
1920.  to  the  1st  of  December.  192(».  the  official  figures  show  that  the 
total  immigration  for  July.  August.  Septeml^er.  October,  and  Xo- 
vember  w-as  472.000.  in  round  numbers:  the  total  emigration  was 
181.00(».  and  the  net  immigration  was  291.00O.  If  that  same  ratio 
continued  for  a  year,  that  would  be  less  than  700.000  for  the  year,  as 
I  calculate  it.  What  menace  is  there  in  that ;'  What  occasion  does 
tiiat  give  for  this  hasty  legislation  f 

Sen.itor  Sterling.  Have  you  the  figures  for  the  last  two  months, 
Mr.  ^larshall.  showing  how  many  have  come  int(j  the  country  ( 

Mr.  ]SIar>hall.  Yes.  I  do  not  have  them  for  December,  of  course. 
For  October  the  immigration  was  6c>.oOO:  for  Xovember.  (i9.')00. 

The  Chairman.  Senator  Sterling,  I  might  state  that  these  figures 
from  the  Department  of  Labor  show  for  Septeml)er.  9b.4O0  admitted; 
depaitures.  31.200:  October.  101.000  admitted:  departures,  33.(X)0; 
Xovember.  103.000  admitted;  departures.  34.000. 

Mr.  Mar.shall.  Those  are  the  figures  that  I  have  just  given. 

The  Chairman.  I  have  not  received  from  the  department  the 
December  figures. 

Mr.  Marshall.  I  have  not  the  December  figures  either. 

Those  are  tiie  facts,  now.  upon  which  you  are  called  upon  to  legis- 
late, to  legislate  by  way  of  a  prohibirion.  and  to  legislate  on  the 
theory  of  an  emergency.  Xow.  in  the  first  place,  you  have  got  to 
have  the  emergency.  You  have  the  fact  that  in  these  five  months  the 
excess  of  immigrants  over  emigrants  is  291,00<3.  Is  that  such  an 
emergency  as  will  justify  this  drastic  kind  of  legislation,  this  closing 
of  the  door,  this  establishment  of  a  precedent  which  is  contrary  to  the 
traditions  of  America,  contrary  to  the  traditions  of  which  we  have 
been  justly  proud  I  Does  it  justify  the  insulting — I  think  that  is  the 
correct  word  to  use — of  men  of  alien  liirth  who  have  become  incor- 
porated into  tlie  body  of  American  citizen.'^hil^  and  the  men  of  immi- 
grant descent  wlio  are  attempting  to  do  their  duty  as  Americans  by 
saying  that  because  291,000  people  have  come  to  the  T'nited  States 
since  the  1st  of  July  over  and  above  those  who  have  gone  out  you 
must  close  the  doors  to  all  immigration? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  109 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Marsluill.  there  is  another  phase  of  this 
threatened  flood.  AVe  are  al)le  quite  accurately  to  tret  at  the  facts 
as  to  the  number  of  arrivals  and  departures  down  to.  we  will 
sa}-,  the  1st  of  January.  altliou«rh  some  of  the  details  are  lacking 
as  to  the  countries  durin<r  the  last  two  or  three  months.  Xow. 
haA'o  you  any  knowled<re  as  to  conditions  in  Europe  at  the  pres- 
ent time  and -the  so-called  threatened  flood  of  immifrrants  from 
the  'iirferent  countries  that  are  desirous  of  coming  to  America  and 
the  statement  that  the  only  reason  why  a  greater  number  do  not  land 
here  is  the  lack  of  transportation?  H'aA'e  you  any  knowledge  on  that 
general  situation  in  Europe '. 

Mr.  Marshall.  I  have  knowledge  of  the  general  conditions  as  they 
prevail  in  Europe.  I  knoAv  that  there  are  those  whose  relatives  are 
in  this  country  and  who  are  anxious  to  join  their  relatives  here,  and 
that  those  who  are  in  this  country  and  have  relatives  and  members 
of  their  family  abroad  are  desirous  of  having  their  relatives  come 
here.  But  of  necessity  that  is  and  nnist  be  limited.  It  is  limited  by 
the  physical  fact  that  the  transportation  facilities  do  not  exist  which 
would  make  it  possible  to  bring  to  this  country  even  as  large  a 
migration  as  that  which  we  had  several  years  before  the  war.  I 
think  that  in  1906  was  the  high-water  mark.  I  do  not  think  it  would 
be  physically  possible  to  do  it.  to  bring  over  that  number  of  people. 
Therefore,  you  have  a  safety  valve,  if  a  safety  valve  is  required,  in 
the  very  fact  of  the  limitation  of  transportation  facilities. 

There  is  another  reason  why  there  is  a  limitation,  and  that  is  the 
fact  that  it  is  quite  an  expensive  thing  for  men  or  women  or  children 
to  come  over  to  this  country,  and  the  fact  that  the  funds  are  not  forth- 
coming is  another  very  strong  reason. 

There  is  a  third  reason  which  has  been  mentioned  here  and  which 
might  be  still  more  emphasized,  and  that  is  the  fact  that  the  economic 
requirements  of  the  European  countries  are  such  that  from  the 
nature  of  things  they  can  not  and  will  not  permit  any  large  emigra- 
tion from  their  several  countries.  The  man  power  is  required  there. 
Although  economically  and  industrially  at  the  present  time  Europe 
is  at  its  lowest  ebb — I  certainly  hope  it  is  at  its  lowest  ebb — it  is  to  be 
expected  that  as  soon  as  the  war  is  really  over  it  may  be  possible  for 
the  people  of  those  countries  to  find  a  way  to  reopen  their  industries, 
to  begin  to  have  a  restoration  of  their  former  economic  activity,  and 
then  they  will  need  the  men  and  women  to  work,  and  then  they  will 
make  laws  to  prohibit  the  emigration  that  has  been  threatened. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  very  true.  Mr.  Marshall.  But  we  have 
general  knowledge,  of  course,  as  to  the  transportation  facilities.  We 
also  have  a  general  understanding  of  the  economic  condition  in  those 
countries  that  would  restrain  them.  But  the  committee  are  con- 
fi'onted  with  positive  statements  to  the  effect  that  two  or  three  mil- 
lions from  Italy — I  don't  know  how  many  from  Poland — a  million  or 
more — and  several  millions  from  (xermany  are  seeking  to  come  to  this 
country.  Xow,  you  are  so  thoroughly  familiar  with  this  whole  sub- 
ject that  I  Avould  like  to  ask  you  if  you  have  any  knowledge  as  to  the 
numbers  from  Italy  or  any  other  country  that  are  seeking  to  come  to 
America.  If  you  have  any  knowledge  as  to  a  general  movement  on 
the  part  of  certain  populations  to  come  to  America.  I  wish  you  would 
state  it. 


110  i:.MKH(;i:.\(  ^    i.M.Mh;i;ATi()X   i.K(;isi..\ti(»n. 

Mr.  AL\usiiAiJ,.  I  do  not  know  of  any  movement  of  that  rhaiaotei v 
except  so  far  as  tliere  are  millions  that  are  in  that  state  of  division, 
where  thev  naturally  yearn  to  he  reunited  on  hoth  >ides.  and  where, 
of  course,  the  numl)ei->  nuist  of  necessity  he  limited  l)y  the  numher  of 
jjeople  on  this  side  can  help  them  come  o\'er.  limited  by  the  (jues- 
tion  of  expense  and  limited  hy  the  othei-  circumstances  which  natu- 
rally would  prevent  the  people  from  comin<r  to  this  (-(^untiy. 

The  C'liAiKMAN.  As  to  the  minorities  in  these  countries  whicli 
have  been  awarded  their  independence  on  the  <rround  of  self- 
deteimination,  have  you  any  knowledge  that  those  u;overnments 
would  be  desirous  of  sendinji  o\er  here  the  minority  members  of  the 
po])ulation'f  I  mi<rht  say.  take  the  fJews  of  Poland:  is  there  any 
movement  on  the  part  of  the  Polish  (iovernment  to  encoiii'a^e  mi<«;ra- 
tion.  admittin«r.  if  you  please,  that  a  new  nation  would  natui'ally  dis- 
coura<re  it.  as  well  as  other  nations,  such  as  (ireece  and  Italy  ^  IIa\'e 
you  any  knowledge  that  tiiere  is  any  movement  on  the  part  of  any 
•roAernment  to  send  to  this  country  the  minority  who  nii<jht  be  a  dis- 
tiirbin<r  influence  ( 

Mr.  Makshaix.  There  is  not  so  far  as  I  have  any  knowledge.  I 
happen  to  know  something  aljout  that  branch  of  the  subject,  be- 
cause I  spent  considerable  time  in  Paris  in  trying  to  i)ring  about  the 
adoption  of  tlu^  minority  treaties  for  the  guaranteeing  of  all  raciaL 
linguistic,  and  religious  minorities  in  every  one  of  the  newly  con- 
stituted countries,  and  in  every  country  the  -;ame  civil,  religious,  and 
political  rights  that  they  have  in  this  country;  in  other  words.. 
completely  to  emancipate  evers^  man.  woman,  and  child  in  every  one- 
of  those  countries.  My  purpose  in  doing  this  Avork  was.  first  of  all- 
because  it  was  human  and  right  and  just.  Secondly,  because  I 
believed  that  if  the  people  in  those  countries  once  recognized  the  fact 
that  there  was  an  equality  under  the  law  to  all  i)eoide  there  would 
be  an  end  to  all  of  the  persecution  and  oppression  that  had  existed 
in  the  past,  and  that  every  i)art  of  the  community  would  cooperate 
for  the  puipose  of  l)uilding  up  the  countries  in  which  they  were  all 
equally  interested. 

Poland  adopted  that  treaty.  Poland  has  written  it  into  her  con- 
stitution. Poland  has  recently  proclaimed  that  treaty,  and  has  indi- 
catetl  by  her  official  statements  the  ))urpose  of  loyally  cairying  tuit 
its  provisions.  The  Jews  of  Poland  have  as  much  interest  in  Poland 
as  any  other  part  of  its  ]jopuiation — and  I  speak  of  the  Jews  merely 
because  you  have  mentioned  them,  because  T  would  never  in  any 
discussion  that  I  would  undertake  before  any  legislative  connnittee 
ask  anything  for  the  Jews  that  I  woidd  not  give  to  any  other  peo- 
ple. I  know  of  no  question  of  religious  differences  in  this  country 
and,  therefore.  I  have  as  much  concern  for  any  minority,  for  any 
race  or  national itv.  as  I  have  for  my  own  flesh  and  blood. 

The  Jews  of  f*oland  feel  that  they  have  now  an  interest  and  a 
stake  in  Poland,  that  they  have  eijual  rights  there,  and  that  they 
have  equal  duties  and  equal  obligations,  and  that  they,  together 
with  the  Polish  jjeople  of  non-Jewish  faith,  will  have  to  do  their 
share  toward  developing  the  resources  and  the  industries  of  that 
country,  and  it  is  their  purpose  to  do  so.  They  were  born  there. 
They  love  that  country.  Their  ancestors  died  there.  They  are  ac- 
customed to  its  life,  and  if  they  have  these  opportunities,  which 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  Ill 

have  now  been  granted  to  them,  they  will  continue  to  live  there  and 
will  have  no  desire  to  leave  Poland.  And  the  same  thing  is  true  of 
the  JeAvs  in  Rumania,  and  the  same  thing  is  true  of  the  Jews  of 
any  or  all  of  the  other  eastern  European  countries. 

The  Polish  Government  is  not  seeking  to  help  them  leave  Poland. 
On  the  contrary.  I  know  from  the  reports  of  gentlemen  who  have 
been  in  Poland  that  many  difficulties  are  encountered  by  the  Jews  of 
Poland  who  are  desiring  to  leave  there  for  the  purpose  of  coming 
to  America,  with  respect  to  the  granting  and  viseing  of  passports, 
indicating  that  there  is  no  desire  or  purpose  on  the  part  of  the 
Polish  Government  to  get  rid  of  the  Jews  or  to  drive  them  out. 
On  the  contrary,  the  most  advanced  thinkers  of  Poland  have  recog- 
nized now  that  the  Jews  who  have  remained  in  Poland  and  who 
are  now  there  can  become  as  great  an  asset  for  the  upbuilding  of 
Poland  as  the  Jews  who  have  come  to  this  country  have  been  an 
asset  for  the  development  of  new  industries  in  the  United  States. 

So  I  say.  from  an  absolute  knowledge  of  the  facts  so  far  as  Poland 
is  concerned,  so  far  as  one  can  have  knowledge  who  has  not  been  on 
the  ground  himself,  that  there  is  nothing  of  the  sort  existing  in 
Poland.  On  the  contrary,  the  desire  on  the  part  of  the  Polish  Gov- 
ernment is  not  to  have  an  exodus  of  the  Jews  of  Poland :  and  Avhat  is 
true  of  Poland,  is  true  of  other  countries.  The  very  fact  that  Italy 
has  had  this  diplomatic  correspondence  with  our  State  Department 
indicates  what  the  attitude  of  Italy  is  upon  that  subject.  So  we  need 
not  fear  that  there  is  any  tnovement  or  tendency  on  the  part  of  those 
Governments  to  send  to  this  country  any  part  of  their  population. 

The  Chairman.  I  might  say,  Mr.  Marshall,  that  we  have  the  spe- 
cific figures  for  August,  and  the  immigration  of  Hebrews  was  9.794 
out  of  6r,3r)9. 

Mr.  Marshall.  That  does  not  indicate  either  an  exodus  or  an 
hegira. 

The  Chair^ian.  Of  Italians  there  were  13.990. 

Mr.  Marshall.  And  those  9,000  Jews  that  came  in  that  month 
were  largely  the  wIacs  and  children  of  men  who  had  come  here  in 
advance  and  who  wanted  to  reunite  their  families. 

Xow,  let  us  return  to  the  question  of  the  emergency.  AVe  have 
gotten  to  thinking  in  terms  of  emergency  in  the  last  feAv  years,  on 
accoimt  of  the  war.  The  sooner  Ave  get  rid  of  that  false  and  abnormal 
way  of  looking  at  propositions,  the  l)etter  off  he  will  be.  I  think  aa'b 
shall  have  to  regard  the  Avar  as  ended  some  time  or  other,  and  Avith 
the  ending  of  the  war  I  trust  Ave  Avill  get  back  to  our  old-fashioned 
Avay  of  thinking  on  constitutoinal  questions  and  on  questions  of  human 
rights  and  on  questions  of  public  policy.  This  idea  of  rushing  in 
the  moment  you  talk  about  something.  Avhich  is  perhaps  difficult,  and 
trying  to  meet  that  problem  l)y  shutting  doAvn  forever  and  by  pro- 
hil)iting  is  a  very  vicious  principle,  if  you  can  refer  to  that  as  a 
l)rinciple  AA'hich  is  deA'oid  of  real  ])rinciple. 

Senator  Stfrlin(;.  ^Ir.  Marsiiall.  have  you  in  mind  now  any  limi- 
tation at  all  upon  immigration,  as  to  how  many  Ave  should  admit  each 
year:  Iioav  many  we  can  assimiht.te^ 

Mr.  Marshall.  Senator.  1  have  thought  a  great  deal  about  the 
plan  that  is  .outlined  in  your  very  admirable  bill,  and  also  about  the 
])lan  which  Senator  Dillingham  has  discussed  from  time  to  time  in 


liii  i::ai:nGi:xcY  i.MM!<ir.ATi".\   le'iislai  i'i.\. 

l>ast  years,  of  n  ])ercenlnfre  basis.  I  <lo  not  think  yon  are  jroing  to 
pass  (tn  that  at  this  session.  I  should  like  to  have  the  opjMirtunity  of 
disciis.-;inir  hoth  of  those  measures  at  some  lenjrth  v.m]  g:iving  mj'^ 
reasons  why.  althoiifrh  I  recognize  that  they  represent  very  excel- 
lent thou<rh  :  after  all,  they  .should  not  be  adopted  for  they  are  neither 
practical  nor  do  they  meet  the  necessities  of  the  situation. 

^•enator  Sitri.ing  We  shall  be  very  much  pleased  to  hear  your 
discussion  of  that. 

Mr.  Makstiali..  I  shall  be  very  jrlad  to  take  up  that  subject.  I 
know  that  at  this  time  it  will  Ise  impossible  to  work  or.t  that  plan  or 
any  plan  of  that  kind  without  a  j^reat  deal  more  deliberation,  because 
you  would  have  to  have  more  facts,  you  would  have  to  have  more 
data  than  you  now  possess,  and  you  would  also  have  to  determine 
which  part  of  the  European  population  you  most  desire. 

Sei:  .rr)r  f^TERLixo.  AVe  provide,  or  attempt  to  provide,  a  way  by 
which  the  data  will  l)e  obtained,  by  puttin<r  it  int<^)  the  hands  of  a 
board  to  get  the  data. 

Mr.  Marshall.  There  is  where  I  put  my  finger,  in  the  first  place, 
on  what  I  regard  as  the  mistake  of  that  whole  plan.  I  am  not  pre- 
pared to  have  policies  of  the  United  States  determined  l>y  any  board, 
no  matter  how  high-minded  the  men  may  be  who  compose  that  board. 
The  standards  of  legislation,  the  standards  of  law.  must  be  such  as 
are  laid  down  by  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  the  law-making 
lK)dy:  they  must  take  the  responsibilty  and  they  must  not  shift  it 
upon  any  official  body,  whether  it  be  called  a  board  or  a  commission, 
which  is  to  determine  Avhen  the  doors  slinll  be  open  and  when  they 
shall  be  closed,  how  far  they  shall  b.e  opened,  to  whf»m  they  shall  be 
opened,  and  to  determine  what  the  economic  condition  of  the  country 
is  on  the  1st  day  of  January  and  vchat  it  may  be  <>n  the  1st  day  of 
July  or  any  intermediate  day.  or  for  how  long  present  conditions  are 
going  to  prevail  and  when  the  change  may  take  place,  and  how  this 
industry  may  be  affected  or  that  industry  may  be  affected.  It  is  all 
too  artificial:  it  is  all  too  much  dependent  upon  the  length  of  the 
chancellor's  foot,  and  I  have  no  desire  to  introduce  into  this  country 
any  such  elastic  standards  of  measurement  as  would  be  created  by 
the  establishment  of  such  a  bureau. 

T  merely  say  this  as  an  outline,  to  indicate  that  there  is  a  great  deal 
to  be  said  in  honest  opposition  to  measures  which  I  know  have  re- 
ceived very  careful  con.sideration  at  the  hands  of  those  who  have 
introduced  them  and  those  who  have  discussed  them,  but  which  I 
feel,  nevertheless,  would  not  be  conducive  to  the  welfare  of  the 
country. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  I  just  want  to  say  this  one  word,  if  I  may  be 
permitted,  concerning  the  powers  of  the  board.  I  think  we  find  some 
analogy  to  it  in  the  powers  conferred  on  other  boards  and  commis- 
sions, as.  for  instance,  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission.  In 
the  bill  to  which  you  refer,  and  I  may  say  my  own  bill.  Congress  does 
declare  a  policy 

Mr.  Marshall.  In  a  general  way.  but  I  do  not  think  the  analogy 
is  a  perfect  one.  The  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  deals  with 
the  subjects  of  freight  rates  and  passenger  rates.  These  are  de- 
pendent upon  facts  which  you  can  determine  at  the  time-  when  those 
rates  are  determined.     Under  the  law  the  railroads  have  to  make 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  113 

reports  as  to  their  proceedings,  as  to  their  earnings,  and  as  to  their 
expenditures.  You  have  passed  a  law  as  to  the  valuation  of  the 
property  of  the  railroads ;  I  think  that  law  was  passed  in  1913,  and 
I  believe  that  so  far  only  one  railroad  has  been  partially  valued,  and 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  recently  held  that  it  was 
valued  on  an  erroneous  basis.  But  you  nevertheless  have  a  fixed 
basis  on  which  you  may  proceed,  and  then  you  have  a  right  of  review 
in  the  courts.    You  have  no  right  of  review  here. 

Senator  Sterling.  One  further  question:  Would  you  be  in  favor 
of  any  restriction  on  immigration? 

Mr.  Marshall.  My  answer  to  that  is  that  I  am  in  favor  of  a  re- 
striction on  immigration,  and  you  have  it. 

Senator  Sterling.  We  have  certain  excluded  classes,  of  course. 

Mr.  Marshall.  That  is  an  effort  toward  restrictfon.  No  person 
who  is  mentally,  morall3\  or  physically  unfit ;  no  person  who  is 
opposed  to  our  Government  or  to  organized  government ;  no  person 
who  would  be  a  public  charge:  no  person  who  would  come  to  this 
country  with  the  idea  of  not  being  faithful  to  the  Constitution  and 
laws  of  this  country  should  be  admitted  or  is  to  be  admitted  to-day. 
And  now  you  have  also  added  no  person  who  does  not  know  hoAV  to 
read  and  write. 

Senator  Sterling.  Not  write. 

Mr.  Marshall.  To  read ;  and  that  is  where  you  are  on  the  wrong 
side  of  the  proposition.  I  think  that  is  absolutely  erroneous,  but 
I  shall  not  discuss  that.  Those  limitations  you  now  have  keep  out 
the  undesirables.  We  do  not  want  criminals,  we  do  not  want  people 
of  a  low  mentality,  we  do  not  want  people  who  are  physically  un- 
fit. They  are  an  injury  to  the-  country,  they  are  an  injury  to  any 
country,  and  we  do  not  want  them  and  will  not  have  them. 

What  we  need,  however,  is  one  more  limitation — and  I  rather 
would  not  call  it  a  limitation.  It  is  a  limitation  upon  the  economy 
practiced  by  Congress  with  regard  to  the  administration  of  the  ex- 
isting laws.  I  am  generally  very  much  in  favor  of  economy  in 
public  expenditures,  but  Avhen  you  have  a  law  I  believe  that  that 
law  sliould  be  faithfully  and  effectively  administered,  and  you  can 
not  administer  the  immigration  law  unless  you  have  a  sufficient 
number  of  men  to  perform  the  duties  that  your  immigration  laws 
as  they  are  now  written  demand. 

Take,  for  instance,  the  question  of  public  health.  Nothing  can 
l>e  more  important  than  that.  Nothing  can  be  more  im- 
portant than  to  have  the  immigrant  when  he  comes  to  this 
country  thoroughly  examined  for  the  purpose  of  finding  out 
whetlier  he  is  in  good  health  or  bad  health.  And  yet,  as  the  minority 
report  of  the  House  committee  on  this  very  bill  points  out,  they 
have  not  sufficient  physicians  to  perform  that  duty  in  the  various 
ports  of  entry  to  this  country  from  abroad,  the  various  gateways 
through  which  the  immigrant  enters. 

Now,  as  to  the  other  examinations  that  are  required  by  the  statutes 
of  the  immigrants  as  they  arrive :  We  are  told  by  the  newspapers, 
and  it  is  admitted  also  by  Congressman  Johnson,  that  it  is  a  very 
sad  sight  to  see  the  way  the  people  are  herded  on  Ellis  Island  when 
they  arrive.  Thej^  are  treated  as  though  they  were  cattle;  they  are 
manhandled.     The  excuse  is  that  they  can  not  do  better  than  they 

26911— 21— PT  2 2 


114  k.mi:k(;k.\(\    iM.\n(.i;ATi(ix  j,E<;isLATif ix. 

do.  l)eraiise  they  have  not  ^ot  the  facilities,  they  have  not  trot  the 
men  to  go  throu<2:h  and  make  the  examination,  to  pass  upon  the  im- 
mi<riant.s  as  speedily  as  they  ouofht  to  be  passed  upon  when  they 
arrive. 

The  answer  to  that  is:  Have  more  men;  have  enoujrh  inspectors: 
and  what  is  more,  have  the  ri^rht  kind  of  inspectors,  men  who  have 
sufficient  intelliirfnce  to  pass  upon  the  application  of  the  laws  to  the 
individual  who  desires  to  enter,  and  not  men  who  meiely  [perform 
their  duties  perfunctorily. 

The  C'haikmax.  Mr.  Marshall,  you  think  then,  do  you.  that  all 
undesirables  would  be  excluded  if  the  present  law  were  properly 
enforced  ( 

Mr.  Mahshalij.  I  do.  absolutely. 

The  Chairman.  And.  therefore,  you  think  that  the  complaints 
which  have  arisen  are  due  largely  to  the  nonenfor^ement  of  the  ma- 
chinery which  is  provided  for  in  the  present  law  ( 

Mr.  Marshall.  Precisely. 

The  Chairman.  Therefore,  the  deduction  would  be  that  you  would 
cure  the  evil  which  now  exists  by  strengthening  the  machinery  or  by 
seeing  that  the  administrative  machinery  Avas  properly  put  into 
operation  ( 

Mr.  Marshall.  That  is  precisely  the  remedy,  just  exactly  what  I 
should  like  to  say.  and  said  much  better  than  I  could  have  said  it. 

Senator  Sterling.  Aside  from  the  question.  Mr.  Mai^hall.  of  the 
undesirables  as  defined  and  described  in  the  present  immigration 
law.  what  a])out  a  limitation  upon  the  numbers  that  we  ought  to 
admit  to  this  country!!  The  figures  given  for  the  months  of  Sep- 
tember. ()ctol>er.  and  Xovember.  as  read  by  the  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee a  little  while  ago.  would  give  a  little  in  excess  of  an  average 
of  6«.000  for  each  month.  That  would  be  at  the  rate  of  .slG.lM)0  per 
year.  I  think  that  for  the  month  of  December  the  net  immigraticm 
will  exceed  75.000. 

Mr.  Marshall.  I  have  not  any  knowledge  on  the  subject.  l>ut  I 
should  doubt  it  on  general  principles. 

Senator  Sterling.  Assuming,  however,  that  it  does,  do  you  not 
think  it  will  amount  to  more  than  a  million  a  year  at  the  present 
rate  ( 

Mr.  Marshall.  Xo. 

Senator  Sterling.  Suppose  it  does  amount  to  a  million  a  year; 
do  you  think  we  ought  to  admit  many  in  excess  of  a  million  a  year? 

Mr.  Marshall.  Of  course,  the  (juestion  is  what  you  mean  by 
'"many."  It  all  depends,  after  all.  upon  the  question  of  whether  or 
not  there  is  a  need  for  the  men.  If  we  need  more  there  can  be  no 
ol>jection  to  more  coming  in.  If  we  do  not  need  them  and  their 
coming  leads  to  unemployment  in  the  Ignited  States  to  a  great  ex- 
tent, why.  then,  it  is  a  matter  which  should  recei\e  consideration. 

Senator  Sterling.  Now,  we  come  back  to  a  principle  involved  in 
the  bill  to  which  you  referred.  Can  Congress  at  any  given  time 
determine  how  many  may  l)e  entered,  how  many  may  be  safel}'  ad- 
mitted, so  far  as  our  economic  and  industrial  situation  is  concerned? 

Mr.  Mar-shall,  When  that  time  comes  Congress  can  act.  l)Ut  that 
time  has  not  come,  and  I  wish  to  say  in  that  connection  that  I  do  not 
think   the   time   ever   will   come.     Because   the   economic   principle 


EMERGEXt'Y    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  115 

which  was  adverted  to  ^-esterday  and  which  I  can  testify  to  from 
observation  as  being  a  correct  principle,  is  that  the  moment  that  un- 
empkjyment  arises  in  any  connnunity  then  from  that  moment  immi- 
•rration  to  that  community  necessarily  ceases  automatically.  If 
people  leave  their  homes  it  is  with  the  expectation  of  betterinjx  their 
condition,  and  if  they  feel  that  wlien  they  arrive  in  their  new  liome 
they  will  have  no  employment,  no  chance  to  occui:)y  themselves,  and 
that  they  face  starvation  in  a  forei<>n  land,  they  will  not  come  here. 
That  has  been  shown  to  be  the  fact  in  every  one  of  these  various 
l)eriods  of  depression  that  has  occurred  in  our  history. 

Senator  Xugext.  Mr.  Marshall,  let  me  ask  you  a  question,  for  in- 
formation only.  Suppose  that  in  such  a  situation  as  you  have  re- 
ferred to  the  wages  here  in  this  country  are  far  in  excess  of  the  wages 
received  by  men  in  the  old  country  and  at  the  same  time  far  below 
the  recognized  American  standard  of  living.  Do  vou  think  the 
people  from  the  old  country  could  l)e  induced  to  come  to  this  country 
under  those  circumstances  if  they  could  make  more  here  than  they 
could  at  home  and  if  at  the  same  time  the  wages  here  are  less  than 
the  recognized  American  standard  of  living? 

Mr.  Marshall.  That  depends  upon  a  great  many  elements, 
Senator. 

Senator  XruEXT.  I  am  speaking  of  the  general  proposition. 

Ml'.  Mausiiall.  As  a  general  proi)ositon  I  can  not  answer  it.  but 
from  tlie  practical  standpoint  I  Avould  say  this :  The  man  abroatl  who 
wants  employment  wants  to  go  where  he  can  find  that  employment. 
If,  for  instance,  it  is  sheepherding  in  Idaho  he  will  not  know  any- 
thing about  that,  or  if  it  is  a  question  of  being  a  lumberjack  in  the 
State  of  Washington  he  will  know  nothing  about  that. 

Senator  Xi cent.  Supi)ose  it  were  working  in  a  coal  mine  in  Penn- 
syl\  ania.  or  in  a  steel  mill  in  Pennsylvania,  or  in  a  woolen  or  cotton 
manufacturing  establishment  in  the  Xew  Englaiul  States. 

Mr.  Makshall.  Well,  he  is  confronted  in  the  first  place  by  the  fact 
that  many  of  those  industi'ies  are  unionized  and  he  would  not  be  able 
to  get  work  there  anyway. 

Senator  Xr(;KXT.  The  steel  mills  are  not  luiionized. 

^Ir.  Mahshall.  Xot  yet. 

Senator  X'^itiKXT.  You  remember.  I  presume,  that  Judge  (xary  dur- 
ing the  strike  last  year  complained  \ery  bitterly,  according  to  the 
l)ublic  prints.  l)ecause  of  the  alleged  fact  that  an  oxerwlielming  ma- 
jority of  his  strikers  were  foreignei's^ 

Mr.  Marshall.  Yes. 

Senator  Xr(;ENT.  And  the  same  thing  is  true  of  the  coal  operators? 

Mr.  Marshall.  I  do  not  think  tiiere  can  be  very  much  complaint 
then  of  the  aliens,  that  they  are  strikers:  if  they  are  trying  to  get  a 
higher  wage  and  better  conditions  they  can  not  be  a  menace  to  the 
employed. 

Senator-  Xi  <;j;nt.  I  am  very  much  in  accord  with  your  view,  be- 
cause if  the  public  prints  aie  to  be  l)elie\ed  he  was  very  instrumental 
in  bringinii-  tiiose  gentlemen  here. 

Senator  rI(»HXs(»x.  Yes:  on  the  facts  as  developed  he  is  estopped 
from  complaining. 

The  Chair:max.  On  the  (juestion  of  emergency  I  am  very  much 
interested  in  the  increase  that  is  going  on  in  the  imuiiirration  from 


116  i:mkk(;excy  immigration  legislation, 

month  to  month.  I  find  that  durinir  October.  September,  and 
Xovt'mber  there  was  no  increase.  I  do  not  know  about  December. 
1m  otlier  ^^ords.  in  September  98.400  came  in  and  81,0(J0  went  out. 
Iji  ( )(tol)er  101.000  canie  in  and  83.000  went  out.  In  November 
103.000  cnme  in  and — tliere  we  have  an  increase — 34.000  went  out. 
So  tliat  during:  those  three  months — I  am  dealinjr  with  the  emer- 
irency — (birinir  those  three  months  of  September.  October,  and 
Xf)veiiiber  we  find  no  increase. 

Mr.  MAR.'iHALL.  Precisely. 

The  Chairman.  I  do  not  know  about  December. 

Mr.  M.VRSHALL.  They  talk  about  an  increase.  I  heard  Mr.  Wal- 
lis's  name  mentioned,  witli  the  suircrestion  that  he  will  probably  be 
here.  I  saw  that  lie  made  a  statement  to  the  effect  that  from  S.OOO.OOO 
to  15.000.000  people  were  expected  to  come  over  here.  I  do  not  know 
wliere  lie  pets  his  ideas. 

The  Chaiilman.  Do  you  know  anythin<r  about  it.  Mr.  ^larshall  ? 

Mr.  Marshall.  Xobody  Imows  anythins:  about  it.  There  is  not  a 
human  beinsr  who  cou.ld  know  any  such  thinir.  because  it  is  not  a  fact. 
It  is  a  mere  guess,  a  mere  surmise.  A  man  can  sit  down  with  pencil 
and  i:):iper  at  a  desk,  whether  lie  has  spurs  on  his  boots  or  not.  and 
can  njiure  out  anything  he  ])leases. 

Th.e  Chairman.  The  hour  has  come  for  the  Senate  to  con\'ene.  and 
the  committee  will  adjourn  until  2.15  this  afternoon. 

(Thereupon,  at  12  o'clock  m..  a  recess  was  taken  until  2.1."  o'r-ln -k 
p.  m.) 

AFTER  RECESS. 

t  J  iu^  <•<  mmittee  I'e^umed  at  2  15  o'clock  p.  m..  pursuant  to  recess.) 
The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  come  to  order.     I  will  ask 
my  secretary  to  read  a  teleirram  that  came  from  the  Galveston  Com- 
mercial A.ssociation. 

ATr.  Barry.  ^NTr.  Chairman,  this  teleirram  is  a  fair  samjjle  of  some 
25  teleirrams-  received  from  chambers  of  commerce  and  other  or«rani- 
ycations  in  Texas.  This  one  is  from  the  Galveston  Commercial  Asso- 
ciation.    It  is  as  follows: 

The  Texas  a^ricuiturpl  situation  is  such  that  with  particular  i-eference  to  the 
cf>ttoii  crop  we  must  have  outside  help  in  savinjr  it  when  once  made.  This 
lahcr  must  be  of  the  variety  tiiat  can  stand  the  sun  and  exposure  of  this  heated 
clinjate  in  cotton  pickinjr  time,  and  Mexico  furnishes  the  only  available  ma- 
terial of  |i<is  r-lass.  "We  have  depended  up<>n  them  for  years  and  must  coiitinue 
to  do  so.  Itespectfully  ursed  that  the  immigration  hill  he  amended  so  as  to 
provide  for  the  use  of  this  labor  at  this  time. 

At  the  request  of  Senator  Sheppard  the  followinir  teleirram  from 
the  Fort  Worth  Chamber  of  Commerce  is  read  : 

Senator  Morris  Shkppard. 

Waxhinnton.  D.  C.  ' 

We  resptH-tfully  urge  that  you  cooperate  and  assist,  and  at  the  same  time  re- 
quest that  you  present  oiir  position  which  follows  in  reference  to  the  inuui- 
gration  bill  now  pending  before  Senate  committee: 

Whereas  there  is  an  imperative  need  for  .seasonal  farm  labor  in  the  growing 
of  agi"icultin-al  crops :  and 

Wherea'15  an  exodus  of  labor  from  Texas  to  Northern  ami  Eastern  States 
occurred  during  the  years  1917  and  1918  and  which  the  commissioner  of  labor 
of  the  State  of  Texas  estimated  at  the  time  as  amounting  to  nearly  1.50,(X>0 
persons ;  and 

Whereas  the  floating  labor  now  available  to  the  State  of  Texas  is  no;  capable 
of  supplying  the  demand  fur  this  agricultural  labor ;  and 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOiSr   LEGISLATIOX,  117 

Whereas  Texas  looks  to  Mexican  labor  to  supply  this  demaiul ;  now  therefore 
be  it 

Resolved.  That  the  executive  committee  acting  for  and  by  the  autliority  of 
the  board  of  directors  of  the  Fort  Wortli  Chamber  of  Commerce  hereby  call  to 
the  attention  of  the  United  States  Senate  committee  and  Federal  immigration 
autliorities  thes^e  very  important  facts  and  urge  that  any  proposed  immigra- 
tion legislation  provide  some  relief  which  will  perniit  Mexican  labor  to  be 
brought  into  the  United  States  for  agricultural  production  under  such  rules  and 
for  sucli  lengths  of  time  as  may  be  necessary  to  serve  this  purpose  in  tlie  most 
efficient  and  proper  manner. 

Then  we  have  tek'crrams  from  the  followin*:  Texas  commercial 
or«ranizations.  etc.:  T'vahle  Chamber  of  Commerce:  San  Marcos 
Chamber  of  Commerce:  Brownsville  Chamber  of  Commerce.  San 
Juan  Commercial  Chib;  San  Benito  Chamber  of  Commerce;  Farm- 
ers" State  Bank.  Donna ;  Center  Chamber  of  Commerce ;  Aransas 
Pas.s  Chamber  of  C(mimerce;  Victoria  Chaml)er  of  Commer-e:  Rock- 
dale Chamber  of  Commerce :  Vernon  Chamber  of  Commerce :  La- 
redo Chamber  of  Commerce:  Pearsall  Chamber  of  Commerce: 
Brownwood  Chamber  of  Commerce:  Dallas  Chamber  of  Commerce; 
McAllen  Chamber  of  Commerce:  Waco  Chamber  of  Commerce; 
Austin  Chamber  of  Commerce:  Electra  Chamber  of  Commerce:  Tem- 
ple Chamber  of  Commerce :  Kleebero^  County  Coinmercial  Club ; 
L.  L.  Shackelford,  Denison,  Tex. 

The  Chair-aiax.  Alono-  that  line  of  the  a«rricultural  situation  in 
the  Southern  States,  and  Florida,  I  will  now  call  Mr.  Happer  and 
several  other  witnesses,  and  1  will  ask  them  if  they  will  be  as  brief 
as  possible,  as  I  think  the  facts  with  regard  to  the  ^Mexican  situation 
are  pretty  well  before  the  committee. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  J.  A.  HAPPER,  OF  THE  EL  PASO  CHAMBER  OF 
COMMERCE,  EL  PASO,  TEX. 

Mr.  Happer.  I  will  be  very  brief,  gentlemen.  I  represent  the 
El  Paso  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  the  Mexican-American  Border 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  an  association  of  chambers  of  commerce 
from  Brownsville  on  the  Gulf  to  San  Diego.  Calif.,  of  the  west. 
That  territory  along  the  ^Mexican  l>order  is  a  semiarid  tcrritor}', 
with  various  places  where  we  cultivate  cotton  and  other  crops  by 
irrigation.  We  have  been  cultivating  it  since  186.S,  and  we  used 
only  Mexican  labor.  It  is  itinerant  Tabor.  Most  of  the  farms  are 
owned  by  American  citizens,  or  Americans  of  Mexican  decent,  but 
the  laljor  that  we  use  durinof  the  farming  season  has  ahvays  been 
itinerant  labor  from  Mexico. 

Previous  to  the  law  of  1917  they  came  voluntarily.  We  had  no 
trouble.  But  after  the  new-  law  went  into  effect  we  ha^-e  had  to  have 
help  to  get  labor  for  our  fields,  for  our  cotton,  for  our  corn,  and 
otlicr  crops,  ^.uch  as  alfalfa,  etc.,  and  we  have  used  Mexican  la'jor 
under  the  section  of  article  3  of  the  law  of  1917,  granted  by  the 
Secretary  of  Labor. 

We  have  never  had  any  other  kind  of  farm  labor  or  itinerant 
labor  but  this  Mexican  labor.  It  is  the  onl}^  kind  we  can  get  that 
can  .stand  the  extreme  heat  of  day,  and  in  places  in  the  high  altitude, 
the  cold  nights,  and  that  will  come  and  stay  during  the  farmiT>g 
season,  and  then  leave.  The  same  thing  is  also  true  for  the  wool- 
growers  in  the  lambing  season.     Thev  have  used  Mexicans  exclu- 


11(S  K.MKiaiKXCV    lAlAIKiltA  riON     l.KdISLA'l  l<  »N  . 

si\('ly  i"(»r  tluit  woilc:  it  is  only  f<»i-  a  short  tinu*.  iiiid  thcv  couk* 
aiul  <:<). 

We  lia\t'  at  various  times  tried  to  jiet  lal)or  from  tlio  imlustrial 
centers  diii-iiiir  dull  times,  but  they  will  not  come  as  far  as  the 
Mexican  border,  or  particularly  as  far  as  the  western  part  of  Texas, 
and  Aiizona,  and  New  Mexico,  on  account  of  the  lon<;  distances  and 
the  «riH'at  expense,  and  it  is  too  expensive  for  us  to  brin<r  them  tiiere, 
and  the  result  is  that  if  we  do  not  have  tliis  labor  from  Mexico  wo 
can  not  take  care  of  our  crops  and  make  a  }>rotit  off  them. 

We  have  in  the  El  Paso  \'alley  increased  our  farm  acreajre  in  the 
last  9  years  from  18,000  to  114.000  acres,  and  it  is  nearly  all  owned 
by  American  farmers,  and  the  itinerant  labor  is  the  Mexican  labor. 

We  have  increased  our  cotton  acreufrt'  in  the  El  Paso  \'alley  from 
l.GOO  acres  to  IS.OOO  acres  in  the  last  year  alone,  and  we  have  to  have 
that  kind  of  labor  to  })ick  our  cotton  and  cultivate  it.  and  if  this 
emero'ency  l)ill  i>'oes  through  and  some  pro\ision  is  not  made  whereby 
we  can  take  our  case  to  the  Department  of  Labor,  we  would  ])e  in  a 
very  batl  way  as  far  as  our  farms  are  concerned. 

AVe  do  not  ask  a  special  provision  allowin*r  them  to  come  in.  AVe 
simply  ask  that  in  case  we  can  not  <ret  farm  labor  in  any  other  way 
we  be  allowed  to  present  our  case  to  the  Department  of  Labor,  and  if 
we  prove  an  emer<rency  exists,  that  they  be  authori/e<l  and  allowed  to 
permit  this  labor  to  come  in  as  at  i)resent. 

The  Chaih.aiax.  Th.ev  are  all  there  temporarily?  They  do  not 
remain  ? 

Mr.  Hai'pkk.  They  are  all  temporary,  just  for  the  sea.son.  They 
just  sta}'  there  during  the  workino-  season  and  then  they  go. 

I  thank  you,  fjentlemen. 

The  CifAiRAtAX.  ]Mr.  Mandeville. 

STATEMENT  BY  MR.  W.  B.  MANDEVILLE.  REPRESENTING  THE 
HOLLY  SUGAR  CO.,  THE  GREAT  WESTERN  SUGAR  CO.,  THE 
UTAH-IDAHO  ST^GAR  CO.,  AND  THE  AMERICAN  BEET  SUGAR  CO. 

Mr.  Maxdemi.le.  Mr.  Chairman  and  oentiemen  of  the  committee. 
I  am  representing-  the  beet  growers,  the  sugar-beet  growers  of  the 
AVest,  and  it  has  been  an  absolute  necessity  ever  since  the  beet-sugar 
business  started  in  southern  Colorado  and  on  through  into  southern 
California  that  we  have  common  labor  to  do  the  handwork  in  the 
sugar-beet  industry. 

Senator  Dti.i.ixoham.  P^rom  what  State  do  vou  come.  Mr.  Mande 
ville? 

Mr.  Mandkn  IM.K.  I  am  from  Colorado.  I  live  in  Ifocky  P'ord. 
Colo. 

Now,  I  just  want  to  make  a  little  statement  to  correct  something 
that  was  said  in  answer  to  a  question  that  was  asked  yesterday  <»f 
Congressman  Hudspeth.  Prior  to  the  bill  that  was  passed  in  Febru- 
ary. 1917,  and  went  into  effect  ^lay  1,  1917,  you  wdl  all  remember 
that  Mexico.  Canada.  Cuba,  and  Newfoundland  were  exempt  from 
the  immigration  laws  and  al.so  were  exempt  from  the  $4  head  tax 
that  was  in  force  at  that  time,  and  this  labor  was  allowed  to  come 
back  and  forth  across  the  border  [jractically  freely  and  at  will,  as 
they  saw  fit:  of  course,  without  any  violation  of  the  contract-labor 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  119 

law,  and  prior  to  that  time  we  used  to  go  to  the  ditt'ereiit  cities  and 
make  arrangements  Avith  the  labor  agencies  in  those  cities  to  pro- 
cure this  hibor  for  the  beet  fields. 

When  this  law  went  into  effect  on  the  1st  day  of  May,  1917,  we 
were  right  in  the  midst  of  the  beet  thinnino;  in  the  Arkansas  Val- 
le}',  which  produces  in  the  neighborhood  of  from  40,000  to  45.000 
acres  of  sugar  beets  in  that  one  valley  alone,  and  we  went  right 
square  up  against  it,  and  it  was  absolutely  necessary  for  us  to  find 
some  relief;  and  it  was  for  that  purpose  particularly  at  that  time 
that  the  first  exception  was  granted  by  the  Secretary  of  I^abor  on 
the  22d  day  of  May,  under  this  emergency  clause,  to  allow  the  labor 
to  come  in  temporarily,  and  the  first  225  men  that  were  brought  in 
were  brought  in  for  beet  thinning  in  the  Arkansas  Valley  under  that 
first  exception  that  was  made. 

Xow,  the  beet  industry,  as  you  know,  the  beet-sugar  industry,  has 
grown  enormously  in  the  United  States.  In  1917  we  had  a  total  of 
about  772,000  acres  of  sugar  beets  grown  in  the  United  States.  In 
1920  we  had  973,000  acres  grown  in  the  United  States. 

That  is  a  crop  that  in  a  way  is  a  perishable  crop,  in  this  respect, 
that  if  it  is  not  thinned — and  it  has  all  thinning  done  by  hand — the 
crop  is  practically  ruined.  You  gentlemen  are  probably  all  con- 
versant with  the  sugar-beet  industr}^  and  the  need  for  thinning  the 
field,  and  if  the  thinning  is  not  done  at  a  certain  time  the  cro])s  are 
practically  ruined.  If  you  don't  get  the  beets  separated — that  is,  if 
you  don't  get  them  thinned  out  in  time — the  crop  is  practically 
ruined.  The  beets  are  planted  in  a  row,  and  they  have  got  to  be 
thinned  out  so  that  they  are  8  or  10  inches  apart,  and  if  they  are  not 
proi^erly  thinned  they  get  so  large  that  in  attempting  to  thin  them 
you  will  tear  others  up,  and  this  work  has  to  be  done  quickly,  and 
we  figure  that  it  takes  one  man  to  every  10  acres  to  take  care  of  that 
crop  properly,  so  that  you  can  see  that  it  takes  an  immense  amount 
of  hand  labor  to  do  this  work. 

Now.  we  haA'e  always  tried  to  get  all  the  local  labor  we  can.  In 
the  northern  parts  of  Colorado  and  through  Wyoming  and  ^Montana 
up  to  the  time  of  the  Avar  there  was  practically  no  Mexican  labor 
used.  It  was  mostly  composed  of  Bohemians.  Russians,  and  Bel- 
gians that  they  brought  in  from  Nebraska  and  loAva  and  out  of  those 
centers,  and  these  people  have  practically  all  vanished  during  the 
war,  and  are  still  going. 

-Now,  if  we  can  not  have  access  to  this  surplus  labor  that  we  need 
from  the  Mexican  border  to  take  care  of  our  crops.  I  don't  see  how 
in  the  world  it  is  going  to  be  ])Ossible  to  take  care  of  the  sugar-beet 
crop  of  the  "West.  It  is  going  to  be  practically  an  impossibility.  To 
show  you  how  scarce  labor  is,  in  the  last  three  years  Canada  has  been 
taking  these  laborers  across  in  bond  to  Canada.  The  Dominion  Na- 
tional Beet  Sugar  Co.  has  taken  them  out  of  Kl  Paso  in  bond  to  take 
care  of  their  beet-su^r  crop  in  Canada,  and  they  have  had  to  get  the 
permission  of  their  Department  of  Immigration  and  Labor  to  take 
them  through.  And  the  Mexican  labor  is  a  labor  that  comes  and 
goes. 

Now,  you  gentlemen  are  all  perfectly  aware  that  in  agriculture 
you  can  not  use  this  labor  the  year  around,  you  do  not  need  them, 
and  thev  come  and  thev  go  home,  and  if  vou  Avill  take  the  statistics  of 


120  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

those  that  have  come  through  in  1910.  the  year  when  the}'  first  tried 
to  keep  an  accurate  count  of  them,  you  will  find  tliat  the  numbers 
have  not  varied  much  in  anj'  one  year. 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  j^ortion  of  the  3'ear  do  you  employ 
them  ? 

Mr.  Mandeville.  Well,  the  work  starts  in  Californnia  along  in 
FebruaiT.  and  in  Colorado  this  work  runs  up  until  the  latter  part 
of  May  or  the  1st  of  June,  and  then  the  hoeing  comes  on.  The  field 
has  to  be  hoed  twice.  Then  there  is  a  season  of  six  weeks  to  two 
months  until  the  harvest  season  begins,  and  the  topping  comes  on, 
when  we  have  to  get  the  beets  ready  for  the  factor^'. 

Senator  Ditxingiiam.  What  do  you  do  with  the  men  in  tlie  mean- 
time? 

^Ir,  MANDE^•ILLE.  I  was  just  going  to  tell  you  about  that.  We  have 
in  all  of  these  places  very  diversified  crops;  we  have  in  Colorado  and 
in  California  melons  and  cantaloupes  and  seed  crops  of  different 
kinds,  and  this  labor  is  used  for  those  crops,  and  those  crops  could 
not  be  harvested  if  we  did  not  have  this  labor,  and.  as  has  been  said, 
the  sugar-beet  growers  have  furnished  the  labor  for  all  other  kinds 
of  agricultural  industry  in  these  districts. 

Now.  the  larger  part  of  the  beet -sugar  industry'  is  west  of  the 
Mississippi  River:  by  far  the  greatest  acreage  is  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi Eiver,  and  that  is  wliere  this  Mexican  labor  is  used.  But 
very  little  of  it  until  just  the  last  year  or  two  has  been  used  in 
Michigan.  Ohio,  or  Wisconsin.  Those  States  have  come  to  the  border 
within  the  last  year  or  two  and  have  gotten  a  few  ^Mexican  laborers. 
But  the  people  in  those  States  have  been  able  to  go  into  the  large 
centers  and  get  laborers,  for  instance,  when  other  industries  are 
slack :  for  example,  they  have  been  able  to  go  into  the  centers  and  get 
labor  when  the  packing  industry  has  been  running  low.  and  they 
have  been  able  to  go  to  the  other  big  manufacturing  centers  and  there 
get  labor  to  take  care  of  the  beet  crop  in  those  sections.  But  there 
is  no  way  for  us  to  get  that  labor.  The  farmers  in  our  section  of  the 
country  could  not  get  such  labor  even  if  it  was  available,  simply  be- 
cause the  transportation  charges  would  be  prohibitive  and  the  farmers 
could  not  pay  those  charges  to  take  those  men  to  the  place  of  their 
work.  So  tliat  it  is  absolutely  essential  to  the  beet-sugar  industry 
and  to  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  West  that  this  avenue  for  the 
obtaining  of  this  labor  be  left  open,  so  that  we  can  obtain  the  extra 
help  that  we  can  not  get  in  any  other  way. 

We  have  only  got  to  go  across  the  border  and  get  about  20  per  cent 
of  this  labor.  The  balance  of  it  we  get  here.  We  have  established 
offices  in  Trinidad,  Las  Vegas,  and  in  other  places,  and  we  get  all 
the  extra  help  there  is  all  through  our  territory  that  it  is  possible 
to  get.  The  closer  to  home  we  can  get  it  the  cheaper  it  is  to  the 
farmer,  and  the  better  it  is  for  everybody  concerned. 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  arrangements  do  you  make  for  bring- 
ing them  in?  Do  you  have  some  arrangements  about  their  trans- 
portation in  the  first  place? 

Mr.  MANDE^^LLE.  Yes,  sir ;  the  sugar  companies  advance  the  money 
for  this  transportation.  In  other  words,  each  .sugar  factory  has  its 
own  agricultural  departpient.  which  you  are  conversant  with,  and 
in  that  agricultural  department  is  a  labor  department,  a  labor  super- 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   EEGISLATION.  121 

visor,  and  the  sugar  companies  advance  this  money  to  pay  the  rail-\ 
road  fare  to  the  destination,  and  in  most  instances  there  is  an  agree- 
ment that  the  fare  shall  be  returned  by  the  laborer,  or,  in  some  cases, 
where  the  need  is  great,  "why,  a  part  of  the  fare  is  absorbed. 

Senator  Dillingham.  How  long  do  these  men  stay  in  the  United 
States  upon  an  average  ?    About  how  long  ? 

Mr.  Mandeville.  Well,  in  this  beet-sugar  crop  it  takes  from  seven 
to  eight  montns.  Senator,  to  get  the  crop,  from  the  time  of  the 
thinning  until  it  is  all  topped  and  ready  for  the  factory.  Six  months 
would  not  be  a  long  enough  time  to  harvest  our  crop. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Do  these  men.  in  fact,  return  to  Mexico? 

Mr.  Mandeville.  Oh.  yes;  we  can  not  keep  them.  Our  figures 
show,  and  it  has  been  the  history  of  the  labor  situation  there,  that 
about  85  per  cent  of  them  have  returned  in  the  year,  and  this  year 
it  has  been  exceptionally  bad,  for  everybody,  practically,  wants  to 
go  back.  These  people  think  that  Mexico  has  settled  down,  and  they 
want  to  get  back  and  see  how  it  is. 

The  Chairman.  Do  the  the  same  men  return  ? 

Mr.  Mandeville.  A  great  many  of  them.  Senator,  do.  We  have 
had  them  come  to  work  for  us  for  9,  10,  and  11  years  in  succession, 
coming  right  along  every  year. 

Senator^  Dillingham.  Are  they  admitted  by  the  (Tovernment  on 
condition  that  they  shall  return  ? 

Mr.  Mandeville.  Yes,  sir :  since  1917  they  have  been. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Is  there  any  supervision  of  that  matter  on 
the  part  of  the  Government,  to  see  that  they  do  return  ? 

Mr.  Mandeville.  Xo  direct  supervision  as  far  as  keeping  men  in 
the  fields  for  that  purpose  is  concerned,  but  the  Government  has 
immigration  offices  in  all  of  these  cities:  and  if  there  are  any  of  these 
men  that  stay  here,  that  do  not  go  back,  they  pick  them  up  and  put 
them  on  the  train  and  take  them  back  at  our  expense.  The  com- 
panies that  have  put  them  there  are  billed  for  it.  However,  it  is  a 
pretty  hard  thing  to  tell.  Senator,  just  how  many  return.  AVe  don't 
keep  an}'-  exact  record  of  the  number  of  people  that  return.  They 
will  come  and  work  for  us.  and  then  perhaps  when  they  have 
worked  for  us  they  are  not  ready  to  return,  and  they  will  desert 
when  we  get  through  with  them,  and  they  will  then  go  to  work  on 
a  railroad  for  a  month  or  two.  or  maybe  longer,  for  three  or  four 
months,  and  then  they  will  return  to  jVtexico :  so  it  is  pretty  hard  to 
tell.  But  we  have  had  lots  of  them  return  to  us  the^  following 
year  after  we  had  had  them  the  year  before.  We  haven't  any  way 
of  knowing  how  they  went  back  to  Mexico,  but  we  know  that  they 
did  go  back. 

The  Chairman.  I  notice  this  on  a  slip  that  was. handed  to  me: 
"Eeturning  Mexicans  tax  facilities  of  Houston  consulate."  Do  they 
have  to  get  a  passport  to  return? 

Mr.  Mandevili^.  Well,  some  of  them  lose  their  passports,  mis- 
place them,  and  don't  know  what  they  have  done  with  them,  and 
they  have  to  go  and  get  them  before  they  can  go  back.  T  have  been 
at  the  border  two  or  three  times  this  fall  for  two  or  three  days  at  a 
time;  in  fact,  the  Association  of  Beet  Sugar  Manufacturers  main- 
tains an  office  in  El  Paso  which  I  have  supervision  of,  and  while 
down  there  I  have  seen  them  going  through  in  trainloads — two  or 


122  KMKltGKNCT    I  .\1  .\!  IMtATK  >X    I.KlilSLATIOX. 

three  or  four  or  five  hundred  at  a  time — and  this  time  of  the  year 
especially,  from  the  first  of  N«>vember  up  to  the  latter  part  of  De- 
cember, when  the  cold  weather  comes  on.  they  are  letiirnin*:  in  cfreat 
numbers. 

Senator  I)ii-mn(;ha.m.  How  many  have  been  admitted  annually  of 
late,  in  the  territory  of  which  you  are  speakinjr  :ind  which  you 
represent ". 

Mr.  Maxdkvillk.  \\'ell.  do  you  mean  under  this  exception? 

Senator  Dillixoham.  Yes. 

Mr.  Maxdeville.  I  haven't  got  the  1920  figures  from  all  of  our 
people,  but  for  our  purpose  we  had  about  12.0()()  that  we  brought 
over  in  1919.  and  I  should  say.  Senator,  that  if  we  did  not  have  those 
12.000  Mexican  laborers  it  would  be  a  loss  to  us  of  120.000  acres  of 
su^rar  beets. 

^'ow.  we  ha\e  a  pecidiar  condition  existing  in  the  sugar-beet  busi- 
ness which  probably  you  people  know.  AVhen  the  sngar-l»eet  indu-?- 
trv  was  first  started  in  the  United  States  and  first  talked  of.  the  great 
demand,  the  great  necessity  of  hand  labor,  was  scaring  the  farmer, 
making  him  afraid  to  plant  sugar  beets,  for  he  didn't  know  where 
he  could  go  and  get  this  labor.  So  the  sugar-beet  companies  said, 
"  You  sign  uj)  for  your  beet  a<reage.  and  we  will  see  that  you  get  the 
labor.''  Xow.  that  system  has  been  followed  from  that  day  to  this.. 
AVhenever  a  factory  comes  in  the  first  thing  it  does  is  to  enter  into 
an  agreement  Avith  the  farmers  that  they  will  obtain  the  labor  for 
them,  and  the  farmers  then  will  look  to  the  beet-sugar  company  to  get 
this  labor  for  them.  Becau:~e  the  farmers  can  not  organize  themselves 
for  the  purpose  of  getting  this  labor,  they  can  not  finance  this  propo- 
>ition.  and  it  is  hard  work  for  them  individually  to  get  help,  so  they 
enter  into  this  agreement  with  the  sugar-beet  companies,  and  the 
sugar-beet  companies  arrange  to  supply  them  with  the  necessary  labor. 

Senator  DiLLiXGHA>r.  Are  the  beets  raised  by  the  farmers  under 
contract ( 

Mr.  Maxi.evillk.  Yes.  sir:  and  this  work  is  done  by  tlie  Mexicans 
for  the  farmer  under  contract.  It  is  paid  for  by  the  acre,  as  a  rule,  ex- 
cepting in  California,  where  the  topping  is  done  by  the  ton.  The 
thinning  and  hoeing  is  all  done  by  the  acre.  California  is  practically 
the  onlv  place  where  the  topping  is  <lone  by  the  ton.  The  condition 
is  dilferent  there.  1»ecau-e  the  climate  is  warmer.  In  Colorado.  "Wy- 
oming. T'tah,  Idaho.  Montana,  ami  Xebra>ka  they  have  to  be  all  out 
before  the  19tli  or  2<)th  of  Xovember.  or  there  is  danger  of  them  freez- 
ing, and  there  are  a  great  many  factories  operating  there  to-day. 

I  thank  you.  gentlemen,  for  thi>  oj^portunity. 

The  CiiAiR^fAX.   Ml-.  IJov  Miller. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  ROY  MILLER.  SECRETARY  OF  THE  RURAL 
LAND  OWNERS"  ASSOCIATION,  CORPUS  CHRISTI.  TEX. 

Mr.  Mii.i.Ki:.  My  name  i-  Koy  Miller,  of  Corpus  Chri-ti.  Tex.. 
representing  the  tiural  Land  Ownei-s'  Association,  an  organization 
rompo.sed  of  landowners  and  farmers  of  20  counties  in  South  Texas. 
Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen  of  the  committee.  I  shall  endeavor  to 
l)e  very  brief,  because  I  think  the  committee  has  a  fairly  good  under- 
.standing  of  tlii»  (iuesti(m.  representatives  from  various  Texas  organi- 


KMEROKNC^Y    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  128 

/ations  have  presented  teHtinionv  before  this  cominittee  at  its  hear- 
in":  hist  January. 

The  section  which  I  re|n'esent.  an  airi'icnkuiai  and  live  stock  sec- 
tion, is  dependent  ahsolntely  and  entirely  upon  the  Mexican  lalior. 
The  section  of  Texas  which  1  represent  was  formerly  a  part  of 
Mexico.  That  section  lyin<j  between  the  Xueces  and  the  Kio  (irande 
having  been,  as  you  know,  a  i)art  of  Mexico  at  one  time,  the  Mexi- 
cans were  there  before  the  Americans,  and  the  result  is  that  to-day 
I  believe  about  HO  per  cent  of  the  poi)ulation  livin<x  in  Texas  within 
50  miles  of  tlie  Kio  firande  are  Mexicans,  but  they  ai'e  American 
citizens. 

The  development  of  that  section  a^iriculturally  has  taken  i)lace 
within  the  past  10  or  12  years,  and  it  has  l)een  made  possible  only 
by  the  use  of  Mexican  labor.  Prior  to  the  passa*ie  oi'  the  immiora- 
tion  law  in  1916.  containino-  the  head  tax  and  literacy  test  provi- 
sions, the  Mexicans  came  and  went  across  the  Rio  (irande  as  freely 
as  they  would  jio  from  one  State  to  another.  Since  the  passable  of 
that  act  those  conditions  have  been  suspended  by  an  executive  ordei' 
of  the  Secretary  of  r^abor.  so  that  we  have  been  able  to  obtain  the 
labor  that  Ave  needed. 

This  is  all  I  desire  to  say.  <rentlemen.  that  the  futui'e  welfare  of 
that  section  of  the  State  is  ab.solutely  dej^endent  u|)on  the  use  of 
Mexican  labor.  If  our  farmers  are  deprived  of  the  pri\ile«ic  of 
brin<,nn<>:  in  this  ^lexican  labor  at  times  when  they  need  it.  the  agri- 
cultural deAeloj)nient  of  that  secticm  of  the  country  will  be  abso- 
lutely dojie  for.  Our  country  is  cliiefly  a  cotton  country.  Cotton 
is  a  crop  which  re(juires.  as  you  know,  a  large  amount  of  labor  for 
brief  times  during  the  year.  The  chopping  season,  which  occurs 
early  in  the  year,  say  in  ^lay  or  June,  is  a  season  which  re<|uires  this 
labor:  and  then  this  labor  is  re(]uired  chiefly  in  the  ])icking  season, 
which  occurs  in  August  and  Septembei'.  And  particularly  in  the 
picking  season  Ave  need  from  five  to  six  times  the  amount  of  lai)Oi- 
for  a  few  Aveeks  in  the  year  which  the  industry  could  i)ossibly  sup- 
])ort  the  year  around. 

For  instance,  during  the  season  Avhich  has  ju.st  clo.^ed.  in  Xueces 
County,  of  Avhich  Corpus  Christi  is  the  county  seat.  Ave  used  lietAveen 
ten  and  tAvehe  thousand  laborers  for  a  period  of  about  two  months 
to  pick  the  crop.  Most  of  those  laborers  came  from  Mexico.  The 
organization  which  I  rei)resent  endeavored  to  get  cotton  ]uckers  from 
other  sections  of  the  South.  They  sj^ent  several  hundred  dollars  in 
an  advertising  canijiaign;  but  Ave  Avere  unable  to  get  the  laiior.  We 
haA'e  no  Xegroes  in  our  section.  We  dej)end  absolutely  on  the 
Mexican  labor.  So  avc  merely  suggest  to  this  connnittee  the  impor- 
tance of  some  ])rovision  Avhich  Avill  i)ermit  the  farmei's  and  ranchmen 
in  our  section  of  the  country  to  use  this  Mexican  labor  Avhen  the 
need  exists. 

We  are  perfectly  willing  to  iea\e  the  mattei'  in  the  dix-i-etion  of 
the  Secretary  of  Laboi-.  because  Ave  would  prefei'.  1  thiidc.  as  a  mat- 
ter of  patriotic  i)rinciple.  to  employ  American  laborers  if  they  were 
a\'ailable,  and  if  conditions  are  so  changed  that  it  Avill  be  possibh' 
for  us  to  get  labor  Avhich  is  American  laboi-,  Ave  avouUI  be  perfectly 
willing  that  the  Secretary  of  Labor  shall  have  the  authority  to  say 
that  there  is  a  sufficient  amount  of  that  kind  of  labor,  and  tliat  this 


124  EMERCEXCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

year  we  shall  not  have  the  privilege  of  importinrr  labor  from  Mexico 
liecaiise  thcv  don't  need  it.  And  we  think  that  is  a  fair  provision, 
a  fair  request.  We  merely  desire  that  the  Secretary  of  Labor  shall 
have  the  authority  to  permit  us  to  import  this  labor  if  the  need 
exists. 

Senator  Dillixgiiam.  Taking  the  State  of  Texas  as  a  whole,  how 
great  is  this  demand  for  Mexican  labor? 

Mr.  Miller.  Senator,  it  is  rapidly  increasing.  There  was  a  time 
a  few  years  ago  when  north  and  central  Texas,  which  are  more 
generally  developed  than  our  section,  was  able  to  obtain  Xegro  labor 
for  the  most  part  to  pick  the  cotton  crop,  but  for  some  reason  or 
other,  whether  it  is  the  short  hours  and  the  high  wages  and  the 
bright  lights  of  the  city,  I  don't  know,  but  the  Xegro  labor  in  Texas 
left  the  rural  districts  and  have  gone  to  the  cities  to  a  very  large 
extent,  so  that  each  year  there  is  a  constantly  increasing  demund  for 
Mexican  labor,  so  that  in  many  instances  the  counties  around 
Dallas.  500  rniles  from  the  Mexican  l)order.  have  to  imjiort  their 
labor  by  going  to  the  inspectors  in  charge  of  the  immigration  office 
at  one  of  the  liorder  points  and  making  application  for  permission 
to  bring  in  Mexican  labor. 

Senator  Dn.LiNcnAM.  I  understand  you  to  say  that  that  is  a  grow- 
ing demand  { 

Mr.  Miller.  It  is  a  growing  demand ;  yes.  sir. 

Senator  Johxsox.  AVliat  is  the  population  of  vour  countv.  please, 
Mr.  Miller? 

Mr.  ^Miller.  The  population  of  the  county  in  which  I  live  is  30.000. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  of  Corpus  Christi  ? 

Mr.  Miller.  Well,  we  had  a  storm  down  there  a  little  over  a  year 
ago.  The  census  gave  us  10.700  odd.  but  the  census  was  taken  after 
the  storm,  so  we  clairn  that  we  really  have  more  than  that. 

Senator  Johnson.  It  was  mere  curiosity  on  my  part.  Mr.  Miller. 

The  CnAnniAN.  Thank  you. 

We  will  next  hear  from  a  re])resentative  of  the  Texas  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  Dallas.  Tex..  Mr.  Walton  Peteet. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  WALTON  PETEET.  MANAGER  AGRICULTURAL 
DEPARTMENT,  TEXAS  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE.  DALLAS.  TEX. 

Mr.  Peteet.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen.  I  represent  the  Texas 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  which  is  a  State-wide  body. 

To  save  your  time  I  adopt  as  my  own  the  argument  and  statement 
made  by  Mr.  Miller  and  the  statements  made  by  the  other  gentlemen 
who  have  spoken. 

But  to  qualify  somewhat  as  a  witness  I  will  say  that  for  l.">  years 
I  was  connected  with  the  airricultural  college  of  the  State,  and  have 
thus  gained  some  knf»wledge  of  agricultural  conditions  in  the  State. 

I  want  simply  to  direct  the  committee's  attention  to  this  phase  of 
the  question.  Agriculture  everywhere  has  its  peak  load  of  labor, 
which  necessitate-  seasonal  labor,  bringing  them  in  from  other  sec- 
tions; and  with  us  the  demand  is  greatest  in  the  cotton  industry  and 
in  the  grain  and  wool  indu.stries  of  the  West.  We  are  out  of  the  line 
of  niigratoiy  labor.  To^^ut  us  off  frf»m  imj^ortarion*^  of  Mexican 
labor  during  peak  loads  would  be  equivalent  to  denying  the  grain 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  125 

farmers  of  the  XortliAvest  their  annual  supply  of  harvest  hands, 
because  they  moA^e  in  a  circle  there.  The  orrain  labor  begins  in  Texas 
Avith  the  f^rain  harvest  along  in  the  early  summer  and  moves  on  a 
circuit  north  and  west.  And  then  there  are  the  migratory  movements 
of  labor  employed  in  the  hoi'ticultural  industries,  both  east  and 
west  and  north.  But  we  are  in  a  })Ocket  down  there  and  out  of  the 
circuit  of  that  migratory  labor,  and  thus  our  only  source  of  supply 
is  from  Mexico. 

Xow.  in  stating  these  vieAvs  to  the  committee  I  wish  to  say  that  these 
views  represent  the  judgment  of  the  business  interests  of  Texas,  and 
the  views  I  have  here  expressed  are  those  obtained  by  the  Texas 
Chamber  of  Commerce  from  a  referendum  of  this  question  among 
the  business  men  of  the  State.  We  realize  that  our  State  is  an  agri- 
cultural State:  that  its  prosperity  depends  upon  the  prosperity  of 
agriculture;  and  therefore  Ave  realize  that  argiculture  requires  sea- 
sonal supplies  of  labor  in  excess  of  the  normal  requirements,  and  that 
there  are  no  other  sources  of  supply  than  Mexico. 

I  call  the  committee's  attention  further  to  the  fact  of  the  estimate 
that  Avas  made  by  the  State  commissioner  of  labor  that  the  State  lost 
during  11)17-18  15(),()()()  Xegro  laborers,  Avho  came  to  Avork  on  the 
railroads  and  in  the  mines  and  the  factories  in  the  Xorth.  and  that 
supply  of  labor  has  gone  from  us.  A  feAv  of  these  Xegroes  liaA'e 
returned,  but  nothing  like  the  total  number  that  left.  We  have  no 
large  cities  from  Avhich  Ave  may  recruit  the  labor.  Especially  is 
that  true  in  the  region  Avest  of  Dallas,  Avhere  our  great  grain-sorghum 
crops  and  our  cotton  crops  are  raised.  So  Ave  can  not  go  into  the 
cities  and  recruit  bands  of  labor  to  come  out  onto  our  farms  as  you 
can  for  your  harvest  hands  of  the  West  and  of  the  XortliAvest.  And 
so  the  production  of  cotton,  of  our  grain  and  sheep  and  cattle,  de- 
pends to  a  A-ery  large  measure  upon  having  access  to  the  labor  market 
•of  ^Mexico  during  these  seasonal  periods. 

I  thank  you.  gentlemen. 

The  Chairman.  The  Texas  Cotton  Growers"  CooperatiAe  Associa- 
tion, represented  by  Mr.  Fred  Roberts. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  FEED  ROBERTS,  OF  CORPUS  CHRISTI,  TEX., 
REPRESENTING  THE  TEXAS  COTTON  GROWERS'  COOPERATIVE 
ASSOCIATION. 

Mr.  Roberts.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  am  here  to-day  first  of  all  represent- 
ing myself  as  a  farmer.  That  is  my  business.  That  is  the  only 
source  of  income  that  I  have — groAving  cotton.  Secondly,  I  repre- 
sent about  1,200  farmers  in  Xueces  County.  Avho  this  year  grcAv  and 
gathered  approximately  73,000  bales.  I  also  represent  the  Texas 
Cotton  Growers'  CooperatiA'e  Association,  an  institution  that  is 
State  wide. 

In  Texas  Ave  have  a  peculiar  condition.  A  strip  about  800  miles 
Avide  by  about  500  miles  long  depends  entirely  upon  Mexican  labor. 
We  have  never  had  any  other  kind  of  labor,  and  to  my  certain  knowl- 
edge for  35  years  Ave  have  not  had  an  influx  of  labor  from  any  other 
source. 

There  was  a  time  when  Ave  could  get  cotton  pickers  from  the  large 
cities — Houston.  Dallas.  Waco,  and  other  places — but  that  condition 


12()  K.MKIKillNCV    I.\1.\1I(;UATI<>X    l.K  ilSLATKtX. 

lit)  loiiifei"  exists.  The  lalioivrtf  in  tliose  coiiiinimitii's  luive  drifted 
north.  So  then  it  is  up  to  us  to  use  what  labor  we  ha\e.  and  Avljat  we 
can  ifet.  and  that  is  Me.xican  hd>or.  ^^'e  know  nothin<r  else.  They 
are  satisfactory  to  us  as  citizens;  they  are  satisfactory  to  us  as  work 
hanils:  they  work  Avhen  we  want  them  to.  they  <rive  us  value  re- 
ceived, we  pay  them  for  it.  and  when  we  are  throu«rli  with  them  they 
go  back.  We  do  not  have  the  burden  on  our  hands  of  takinjr  care  of 
them  between  times.  We  have  not  12  months*  employment  in  the 
year  for  the  Mexicans  in  the  cotton  fields. 

Modern  machinery  has  made  it  possible,  with  two-row  cultivators 
and  two-row  planters,  for  one  man  on  an  avera^fe  to  culti\"ate  100 
acres  of  land.  If  a  man  is  jroincr  to  i)e  confined  to  what  he  can  do 
himself,  then  two-thirds  or  three-fourthsof  our  country  would  lie  idle. 
But  we  do  not  do  it  that  way.  We  let  each  man  cultivate  all  the  land 
he  can.  and  then  we  have  to  ^o  to  get  this  help.  That  is  our  only 
source.  And  if  this  supply  is  shut  oti.  Mr.  Chairman,  then  at  lea.st  a 
million  l>ales  of  cotton  in  Texas,  when  we  have  a  normal  crop,  can 
not  be  <iratliered.  It  Avould  be  imjjossible  for  us  to  take  care  of  this 
industry  if  we  could  not  <ret  these  Mexicans.  AVe  go  to  Mexi'-o  to 
iret  hands  to  cliop.  This  beirins  alon<jf  in  May  in  the  cotton-choppintr 
season,  and  extends  throuirh  the  summer  and  throujrh  the  fall  when 
we  ])ick  the  cotton. 

Our  county  alone  this  year  used  over  10.000  Mexicans  that  did  not 
live  in  the  comity.  The  adjoining  county  used  some  C.oOO  Mexicans. 
At  least  I.OOO.OOO  l)ales  of  cotton  in  Texas  are  picked  by  the  Mexi- 
cans. 

We  are  satisfied  to  leave  this  matter  in  the  liands  of  the  Secretary 
of  the  Department  of  Labor,  so  that  on  sIiowin<r  that  we  need  help 
we  will  be  o^iven  permission  to  go  there  and  contract  for  this  labor 
and  bring  the  Mexicans  over  and  take  them  back. 

,Vn  emergency  exists  with  us  to-day  in  reference  tcj  this  laljor.  and 
I  can  not  see  that  any  emergency  exists  to  justify  the  proposed 
measure  of  cutting  Mexicans  off  from  coming  to  this  country  for  the 
purposes  we  have  referred  to. 

I  thank  you. 

The  Chaikmax.  The  representatives  of  organized  labor.  I>  Mr. 
Rosemund  present  ?    I^  Mr.  Jeshurin  present  ? 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  E.  H.  JESHURIN.  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  WORK- 
MEN'S  CIRCLE.   NEW   YORK   CITY. 

Mr.  .lEsiiUKix.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen  of  the  committee.  I 
represent  the  Workmen's  Circle,  a  fraternal  order  composed  of 
83.000  members  .scattered  all  over  the  United  States.  I  have  been 
authorized  by  the  executive  committee  of  this  organization  to  be 
|)laced  on  record  as  being  opposed  to  the  susjjension  of  immigration. 

The  CiiAiR.MAx.  Have  you  anything  further  to  say  ^ 

Mr.  Jf.shirin.  That  is  all. 

The  Chairman.  You  are  opposed  to  it  ? 

Mr.  JEsnrRix.  Yes. 

Senator  Joiin.sox.  Yes;  he  wants  it  to  go  in  the  iccor.l  that  tlie 
oiganization  he  represents  is  opposed  to  the  bill. 

The  Chairafax.  Senator  Phipps. 


KMKRGENC'V    IMMrORATlOX    LECISLATION.  127 

STATEMENT  BY  SENATOR  LAWRENCE  C.  PHIPPS,  OF  COLORADO. 

Senator  Phipps.  Mr.  Chairman  and  <rentlemeii.  'I  lie  feature  that 
I  wanted  to  call  your  attention  to  for  a  few  minutes  is  that  of  transient 
labor  in  certain  of  the  States,  more  partieularl}'  in  the  States  along 
the  border  of  Mexico,  extending  up  to  the  intermountain  regions, 
where  the  problem  is  similar  to  tiiat  which  I  believe  obtains  in 
Florida  and  along  the  South  Atlantic  coast ;  that  is,  the  need  for  sea- 
sonal labor  where  it  is  necessary,  or  has  been  so  found  for  some  years 
past  to  bring  in  common  labor  from  outside  the  United  States  in  order 
to  cultivate  and  also  harvest  the  crops. 

That  condition  prevails  in  the  sugar-beet  country  in  the  AA'est.  em- 
bracing Colorado,  Wyoming,  Nebraska,  a  little  section  of  Kansas, 
and  extends  up  as  far  as  ^Montana,  where  the  labor  is  very  heavy — 
manual  labor^ — and  the  local  supply  has  never  been  found  sufficient 
to  care  for  this  very  important  cro]).  So  it  has  been  customary  for 
years  past  to  bring  in  ^Mexican  lalior  from  across  the  line,  who  come 
in  under  contract  and  remain  during  the  cultivating  and  harvesting 
seasons  and  then  return  to  their  homes. .  There  has  never  been  any 
difficulty  experienced  within  any  of  these  States  that  T  am  aware 
of  by  reason  of  em]:)loying  this  class  of  labor.  It  has  been  absolutely 
essential  to  get  that  help  from  outside  the  Ignited  States  in  order  to 
care  for  these  imj^ortant  crops.  In  fact.  I  know  that  common  labor 
is  in  such  denumd  in  my  own  State  of  Colorado  that  T  have  seen 
thousands  of  barrels  of  apples  frozen  on  the  ai)i)le  trees  because  Ave 
could  not  find  labor  to  harvest  them.  In  many  cases  during  the  war, 
and  even  since  the  war,  whole  communities  have  taken  a  holiday, 
closing  the  public  schools,  and  deserting  their  ordinjtry  avocations 
and  businesses  in  order  to  get  out  and  assist  in  gathering  the  crop  of 
api^les  and  other  pro<luce,  although  that  labor,  of  course,  will  never 
go  out  to  assist  in  harvesting  the  beet  sugar  on  account  of  the  charac- 
ter of  the  work.  As  I  say,  it  is  exceedingly  heavy  Avork,  and  our 
American  people,  Avho  are  educated,  of  course  expect  to  do  something 
better  than  to  Avork  in  the  beet  fields,  and  so  they  do  not  Avork  in 
them. 

I  understand,  although  I  am  not  i)ers<mally  familial-  with  those 
conditions,  that  the  same  problem  has  to  be  met  along  the  South 
Atlantic  coast,  and  that  there  they  have  been  in  the  habit  of  bringing 
in  labor  from  Cuba,  Porto  Eico.  and  from  the  Bernuulas. 

In  this  connection  I  have  one  letter  from  the  Otero  County  Farm 
Bureau,  Avhich  is  located  in  one  of  our  beet-groAving  communities  of 
Colorado,  which  I  Avoiild  like  to  present  for  the  record.  It  is  a 
rather  interesting  letter.  Perhaps,  if  there  is  no  objection.  I  might 
read  it.  It  Avill  only  take  a  moment.  It  giACS  a  situation  which  I 
know  to  be  cori-ect. 

(Senator  Phipps  thereuj^on  read  the  folloAving  letter:) 

K()(  KY   Koici),  Coi.o..   /><(■(  III lirr  .^-S.  I'.i20. 

Hull.    L.VWHKNCK  {'.    rHU'l'S. 

I'liitcil  SIdfrs  f<riiiifr  Officf  fiiiihliiiii.    Wiixliiiiiittiii.  />.  C. 

1>KAU  Skxatok  :  It  has  <-()iiit^  to  (mr  iitU'iUion  that  the  hiwer  house  of  Cou- 
irress  lias  jiassed  a  hill  known  as  ihe  "  Teiuporary  Siis|U'iision  of  Iiunii.m-ation  " 
of  all  persons  into  the  I'nited  States  for  a  period  of  i>ne  .vear. 

AVe,  the  farmers  of  Otero  Count.v.  known  as  the  "Otero  ("ount.v  Farm 
Bureau."  feel  that  the  raisinji  of  suirar  heets  is  onr  ehief  pa.vin;;  industry  and 
the  only  labor  that  we  have  dei>ende;l  on  ever  since  the  raisinsr  of  suirar  he«Ms 


128  KMERGENCV    I.MMIGllATIOX    LECJISLATlOX. 

sfjirlod  ill  this  territory  jilxmt  20  years  ajro  for  tlie  Iiniid  liilmr  and  also  for 
practii-ally  all  other  coiiiinoii  lahor  on  our  faniis  has  hecii  the  Mex'caii.  If  this 
l>rivik';:e  is  taken  aw.iy  rrum  jis  we  fee!  tliat  if  will  practically  I'u'n  all  oi'  the 
farmers  located  in  the  Arkansas  Valley  in  the  St.ite  of  Colorado.  We,  therefore, 
petition  yon  to  nse  your  hest  efforts  to  have  an  ainendiuent  or  proviso  put  in 
the  hill  wherehy  we  can  at  least  ohtain  the  lalior  under  suspension  of  the  iinnd- 
^raticHi  re.indations  as  we  have  for  the  past  three  years. 

Yon  know  that  the  sujiar  heet  and  seed  crops  are  our  principal  money-making 
crops,  and  it  takes  lots  or  hand  lahor  for  all  of  them,  and  the  Afexican  is  the 
only  lahor  that  w:!I  do  this  work  in  this  territory,  so  it  is  ahsolutely  essential 
that  we  have  the  Mexican  in  this  territory  if  we  are  .i;oing  to  continue  protitahle 
farming  in  this  valley. 

Hopin.ir  that  you  will  nse  your  .irood  ofhce  in  onr  hehalf.  we  remain. 
Yours.  v(>ry  truly. 

OtKKO    rOXNTV     F.XKM     UlRKAU. 

By  Wm.  F.  Dkoge. 

Agent. 
H.  I'.  Badokr. 

Secretary  (iml  Treasurer. 
C.  J.  Cover. 

Senator  Phipps.  The  other  seed  crops  that  are  referred  to  in  that 
letter  particithirl}^  are  the  potato  crops.  There  are  sections  of  Colo- 
rado, particularly  the  San  Luis  alley,  which  were  originalh"  peopled 
by  ^lexican  settlers,  and  where  to-day  the  Mexican  element  predomi- 
nates to  at  least  as  high  a  percentasre.  I  should  say,  as  To  per  cent. 
The  potato  crop  is  a  heavy  crop  that  requires  extra  labor,  and  the 
Mexican  labor  is  also  extensively  used  in  harvestino-  th.e  wheat  crop 
through  the  Arkansas  Valley,  the  San  Luis  Valley,  and  several  other 
large  agricultural  districts  of  Colorado.  The  same  conditions  T  un- 
derstand exist  in  W^^oming,  and.  as  I  said  before,  in  Nebraska  largely, 
and  in  sections  of  Kansas. 

It  would  seem  to  me  that  it  would  be  most  advisable  to  permit  in 
any  event  the  continuance  of  this  practice  or  plan  of  bringing  in 
under  temporary  permit  the  labor  which  is  essential  to  maturing  and 
harvesting  the  crop  in  those  western  agricultural  States. 

I  notice  the  Senator  from  California  is  here.  He  is  familiar  with 
his  own  problems,  and  I  believe  from  my  own  observation  that  con- 
ditions there  in  his  State  are  somewhat  similar  in  regard  to  other 
staple  products  of  California.  I  think  I  may  add  that  I  have  been 
an  eyewitness  to  the  fact  that  ^Mexican  labor  is  brought  in  there 
very  largely  to  assist  in  the  harvesting  of  the  California  crops. 

I  believe  that  is  all  I  have  to  offer.  Mr.  Chairman,  unless  there  are 
some  questions  which  you  would  like  to  ask.  T  thank  you  very 
much. 

The  Chairman.  I  might  say.  Senator,  that  we  have  heard  a  good 
deal  of  testimony  as  to  the  necessity  for  the  admission  of  temporary 
labor  of  this  character  from  Mexico.     I  thank  you. 

Is  Mr.  Max  Pine  here?  Mr.  Pine  represents  the  United  Hebrew 
Trades. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  MAX  PINE.  REPRESENTING  THE  UNITED 
HEBREW  TRADES-UNION  IMMIGRATION  BUREAU  AND  THE 
UNITED  HEBREW  TRADES. 

Mr.  Pine.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen,  the  United  Hebrew  Trades 
are  composed  of  all  the  trade-tmions  of  (Jreater  Xew  York  and  vi- 
cinity. "We  ha\e  a  membership  of  a  quarter  of  a  million  out  of  10.5 
unions,  and  32  different  trades  and  professions.     Our  Trade-Union 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  129 

Immifrration  Bureau  was  recently  ororanizecl  for  the  purpose  of  dis- 
tributing the  new  arrivals  throufrhout  the  country  so  that  they  should 
not  be  grouped  in  one  particular  district,  and  so  they  should  not 
hurt  the  standard  of  wages  in  any  section. 

Senator  Johxsox.  Are  you  doing  that  work  noAV? 

Mr.  Pine.  To  a  certain  extent.  We  have  established  an  office 
and  we  have  an  executive  secretary  and  we  raised  a  fund  to  do  this 
work. 

Senator  Johnson.  That  is,  you  are  endeavoring  to  allocate  the  im- 
migrants who  come  over? 

Mr.  Pine,  Yes, 

Senator  Johnson,  A  work  that  the  Government  ought  to  do, 

Mr,  Pine.  The  United  Hebrew  Trades,  an  organization  constitut- 
ing the  central  labor  body  of  the  various  trades  in  Xew  York  City, 
and  the  Trades-Union  Immigration  Bureau,  organized  for  the  regu- 
lation and  distribution  of  labor  over  the  country,  representing  ii 
membership  of  250.000.  desire  to  be  recorded  as  opposed  to  the  so- 
called  Johnson  bill,  which  provides  for  the  temporary  suspension  of 
immigration  into  the  United  States, 

These  organizations  are  opposed  to  the  bill  because  they  find  it 
unnecessary  and  inadvisable  for  this  country  to  suspend  or  restrict 
immigration  at  this  time.  The  membership  of  these  organizations 
is  by  the  very  nature  of  things  familiar  with  labor  needs  of  this 
country,  and  it  does  not  fear  the  menace  of  labor  competition  for  the 
following  reasons: 

The  present  conditions  of  depression  are  by  no  means  due  to  an 
overflow  of  immigration.  On  the  contrary,  whenever  business  comes 
into  its  own  there  is  a  lack  of  immigration. 

After  the  armistice  the  conditions  of  unemployment  were  similar 
to  the  present  conditions.  We  were  afraid  that  the  demobilization  of 
the  American  forces  would  aggravate  the  situation,  but  found  our- 
selves, after  a  short  period,  again  short  of  labor. 

We  believe  that  America,  with  its  splendid  industrial  development, 
and  with  its  immense  resources,  ought  to  be  the  workshop  of  the 
world,  and  will  always  be  able  to  absorb  to  advantage  the  lalior  im- 
migration. 

As  trade-unionists  we  are  not  afraid  that  a  few  immigrants  will 
undermine  and  lower  American  standards  of  living.  If  it  wore  true 
that  the  immigrants  lowered  the  standard  of  living,  American  wages 
Avould  be  steadily  declining.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  wages  have  steadily 
mounted  up  to  the  present  day. 

Senator  Johnson.  What  is  your  union,  please? 

Mr.  Pine,  The  United  Hebrew  Trades,  the  Trades-Union  Immi- 
gration Bureau,  The  United  Hebrew  Trades  is  an  organization  con- 
stituting the  cential  labor  body  of  105  unions  composed  mostly  of 
immigrants.  We  have  got  negroes  and  Americans  in  it.  too.  but 
the  dominant  membership  of  the  organization  is  composed  of  immi- 
grants. 

Senator  Johnson,  And  that  represents  what  particular  trade  ? 

Mr,  Pine.  The  needle  trade  mostly.  However,  we  have  other 
organizations  in  it:  we  have  some  members  of  the  tailoring  trade  and 
we  have  got  some  of  the  metal  trades, 

26911— 21— I'T  2 3 


130  i;;iF:RrTE]srt"Y  immfcratiox  i.E'.mslatiox. 

S«Miator  JoiiNsox.  Is  it  substantiallj'^  composed  of  members  of  the 
needle  trade? 

Afr.  Pine,  Yes,  sir;  such  ns  the  ladies'  fj^armeiit  workers  and  the 
men's  <;arment  workers.  But  we  have  fjot  branches  of  various  other 
trades  in  the  orfranization,  unions  that  belonj^  to  the  American  Fed- 
eration of  Labor  and  also  belonging  to  our  bod}'. 

Senator  Johnson.  Principally  the  needle  trades  are  represented 
in  your  organization? 

Mr.  PixE.  Yes. 

Senator  Johnson.  Would  you  mind  a  personal  question? 

Mr.  Pine.  Xo,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  If  3'ou  prefer  that  I  not  put  it,  I  will  not  ask 
you.     Where  were  you  born,  if  you  please? 

Air.  Pine.  I  was  born  in  Russia. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  you  have  been  here  how  long '. 

Mr.  Pine.  I  have  been  here  31  years. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  resided  in  New  York  during  tiiat  period? 

Air.  Pine.  I  resided  in  Xew  York  City  all  that  time :  yes.  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  Can  you  tell  me  something  more  of  the  plans 
that  you  have  for  taking  care  of  immigrants?  We  have  such  a 
sclieme,  you  know,  and  that  is  the  reason  I  am  particularly  interested 
in  it. 

Air.  Pine.  We  called  a  conference  of  all  the  trade-unions,  with  the 
approval  of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor — that  is.  of  all  the 
trade  unions  interested  in  the  distribution  of  the  immigrants,  so  that 
they  would  not  be  crowded  into  one  section — and  we  raised  a  certain 
amount  of  money  for  this  organization,  and  we  organized  branches 
in  Chicago,  Philadelphia,  Boston,  and  Baltimore,  and  we  have  con- 
nections with  other  trade-unions  in  those  cities. 

Senator  Johnson.  Have  you  those  branches  established  now? 

Air.  Pine.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  do  they  represent  more  than  the  needle 
trades  industries? 

Air.  Pine.  Yes.  sir;  we  have  got  metal  workers  and  printers  in  our 
organization  also.    It  is  not  only  the  needle  trade  workers. 

Senator  Johnson.  Now,  how  do  you  take  hold  of  the  immigrant 
when  lie  arrives,  if  5^011  do  take  hold  of  him  at  all  ? 

Air.  Pine,  ^^'ell.  we  are  trying  to  get  in  contact  with  the  Immigra- 
tion Bureau,  I  mean  particularly  at  Ellis  Island,  and  the  immigra- 
tion office  in  New  York  C^ty.  And  we  also  come  in  contact  with 
the  Hebrew  Immigrant  Aid  Society,  which  society  is  giving  the 
immigrants  first  aid,  you  know,  and  we  are  trying  to  take  a  record  of 
the  immigrants  and  seeing  about  locating  their  relatives,  and  so  on; 
and  then  we  are  trying  to  see  that  they  are  not  all  crowded  to- 
gether in  one  section,  and  if  there  is  no  work  in  one  place,  for  in- 
stance, we  will  try  to  find  some  other  place  for  them  to  go  to. 

Senator  Johx'son.  Are  3'ou  maintaining  an  organization  to  do  that 
woi'k  now  ? 

Air.  Pine.  Yes. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  it  is  actually  being  done  now  ? 

Air.  Pine.  Yes.  I  want  to  say.  Senator,  that  for  the  present  we  do 
not  send  out  any  immigrants  from  New  York,  but  we  are  placing 
them  in  the  various  unions  and  the  various  trades.    I  should  sav  that. 


EMERGENCY   niAIIGEATION    LEGISLATIOX.  131 

Senator  Johxsox.  Do  you  look  forward  to  perfecting  your  or- 
ganization and  accomplishing  work  along  the  particular  lines  you 
refer  to  ? 

Mr,  Pine,  Oh,  yes ;  we  hope  to  do  that.  This  organization  has  been 
in  existence  only  three  or  four  months,  however. 

Senator  Johnson.  Well,  I  wish  you  success. 

Mr.  Pine.  Thank  you. 

The  Chairman,  ^'Ir.  Bernstein,  of  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  Aid 
Societ3^ 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  JOHN  L.  BERNSTEIN,  NEW  YORK  CITY,  REP- 
RESENTING THE  HEBREW  SHELTERING  AID  SOCIETY. 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen,  my  particular  pur- 
pose in  appearing  before  you  this  afternoon  is  this:  Mr.  Louis  Mar- 
shall has  quite  fully  covered  the  point  at  issue,  but  it  seems  to  me  that 
in  the  mind  of  the  Immigration  Committee  of  the  House  the  emer- 
gency which  has  been  referred  to  so  many  times  here  is  due  to  reports 
which  the  Immigration  Committee  received  from  abroad.  And  in 
two  or  three  instances  it  refers  to  our  society,  and  I  would  like  to  have 
you  gentlemen  a  little  bit  better  acquainted  with  our  work. 

The  very  first  thing  that  the  Immigration  Committee  says  in  this 
report  is  that  it  has  confirmed  a  statement  by  one  of  our  men.  "  The 
committee  has  confirmed  the  published  statement  of  a  commissioner 
of  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  Aid  Society  of  America,  made  after  his 
personal  investigation  in  Poland  to  the  effect  that  if  there  were  in 
existence  a  ship  that  could  hold  3,000,000  human  beings  the  3,000,000 
Jews  of  Poland  would  board  it  to  escape  to  America." 

Xow,  on  this  statement  the  House  Immigration  Committee  builds 
the  so-called  emergency,  Xow,  all  of  you  who  are  acquainted  with 
poetry  and  oratory  can  well  understand  that  that  statement  was  not 
made  by  the  gentleman  to  indicate  that  there  are  3,000.000  people 
ready  to  come  to  America,  but  merely  that  the  conditions  six  months 
ago  Avere  such  that  3,000,000  people  would  like  to  come  to  America  if 
they  could. 

I  remember  reading  a  few  years  ago  a  statement  in  a  book  on 
America,  written  by  a  foreigner,  to  the  effect  that  every  school  boy 
in  America  has  the  desire,  ambition,  and  hope  to  become  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  Xow,  I  think  that  statement  in  the  main 
is  true,  but  that  would  not  give  us  the  right  to  suppose  that  in  the 
next  generation  there  will  be  about  10,000,000  Presidents  in  the 
United  States, 

v^enator  Johnson,  There  might  be  10,000,000  candidates  though, 

Mr,  Bernstein.  Yes;  I  was  just  going  to  say  that  only  recently 
we  have  had  an  illustration  of  a  very  strong  desire  for  the  Presidency 
which  was  not  realized.  And  so  1  say,  to  build  an  emergency  upon 
the  statement  of  a  man  who,  I  believe,  spoke  the  truth — and  the  gen- 
tleman was  here  this  morning,  but  he  could  not  wait — is  not  a  proper 
thing  to  do.  This  statement,  if  true,  and  I  believe  at  that  time  it 
was  true  that  they  would  have  liked  to  come  to  this  country,  should 
not  be  made  the  basis  for  saying  that  there  is  an  emergency,  that 
this  country  will  be  overrun  by  Jews. 

Senator  Johnson.  Whose  statement  is  that,  that  you  are  referring 
to? 


132  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  Bernstein.  That  is  the  statement  of  one  of  our  directors. 
He  went  to  Pohind. 

Senator  Johnson.  Wliat   is  his   name  i 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Mr.  Leon  Kamaiky,  the  publisher  of  tlie  Jewish 
Daily  Xews.  And  in  givinjr  an  interview  to  his  own  reporter,  or  to 
some  other  reporter,  he  made  that  statement. 

Xow.  there  is  another  reference  in  this  report  which  I  believe  is 
directed  to  this  societ}'.  because  there  is  no  other  society  just  like 
it.  and  we  are  operating  in  Europe  to  a  small  extent.  It  says  in  this 
report : 

One  immigrant  aid  society  which  has  offices  in  P<jlanLl  is  said  to  be  planning 
to  send  250,000  emigrants  of  one  race  alone,  the  Jewish,  to  the  United  States 
within  the  next  three  years. 

And  that  is  from  a  report  by  one  of  the  consuls,  Xow  gentlemen, 
that,  of  course  is  also  one  of  the  foundations  for  this  great  emer- 
gency. 

Gentlemen,  our  most  prosperous  year  was  the  year  1919.  TTe  are 
30  3-ears  old  now.  During  the  year  1919  we  obtained  the  largest 
contributions,  both  in  membership  and  in  donations,  that  we  have 
ever  received  before,  and  the  total  amount  of  the  contributions  was 
$325,000.  This  year  we  have  obtained  a  similar  amount  in  contribu- 
tions for  our  work,  with  the  exception  that  we  also  obtained  about 
$200,000  for  a  building  fund,  with  which  we  bought  the  Astor 
Librarv  in  Xew  York  as  an  Americanization  center  for  immigrants. 

Xow*.  we  maintain  the  sheltering  house  in  Xew  York  where  we 
feed  and  lodge  immigrants  upon  their  arrival  until  they  find  em- 
ployment. We  have  55  employees  in  Xew  York.  We  have  branches 
in  every  port  of  the  United  States  and  in  Chicago. 

Xow  I  leave  it  to  you,  gentlemen,  how  much  of  that  $350,000  will 
be  left  us  to  undertake  this  great  plan  that  somebody  is  reading 
about  of  bringing  over  250.000  immigrants  here.  In  order  to  bring 
over  250.000  immigrants  a  capital  of  37^  million  dollars  is  required 
at  the  present  cost  of  steerage  fare. 

Xow  what  is  the  basis  for  this  statement  ?  Of  course  all  state- 
ments have  some  basis.  TTe  made  a  census  of  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  residents  here,  whose  wives  and  children  are  abroad  and  have 
been  abroad  for  the  past  several  years  due  to  war  conditions.  "We 
found  about  75,000  such  people  in  the  United  States.  Alloting  to 
each  one  wife,  of  course,  and  two  children,  would  bring  the  number 
up  to  about  250,000.  And  we  have  made  statements  that  there  are 
about  250,000  Jewish  women  and  children  on  the  other  side  that 
want  to  be  and  ought  to  be  reunited  with  the  heads  of  their  families 
here  in  America.  I  don't  think  there  is  any  member  of  this  com- 
mittee, or  even  of  the  House  Committee,  that  would  object  to  any 
such  proposition.  We  are  not  spending  one  dollar  for  transporta- 
tion. We  can  not  spend  it  if  we  would,  and  we  would  not  of  we 
could,  because  it  is  absolutely  against  the  law  of  the  United  States. 
We  do  help  the  husbands  here  to  get  into  communication  with  their 
wives  and  children,  and  help  to  bring  them  over. 

Our  work  in  Poland  is  merely  police  work.  We  are  trying  to 
protect  the  emigrants  in  Poland  from  being  exploited,  cheated,  and 
swindled,  and  Ave  are  succeeding  about  as  much  as  the  Xew  York 
police  force  is.  There  is  cheating  and  there  is  swindling  and  there 
is  exploiting  of  the  immigrants  all  over  Europe. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  133 

Xow,  it  is  upon  this  basis  that  this  statement  is  made.  And  you 
Avill  find'that  the  report  that  I  am  referrino;  to  here  deals  with  two 
nationalities  only,  or  races,  or  whatever  you  might  call  them — the 
Jewish  and  the  Italian.  I  know  very  little  about  the  Italian  immi- 
grants.   I  know  a  whole  lot  about  Jewish  immigration. 

There  is  a  statement  in  this  rei)ort  that  during  the  month  of 
October  there  were  74,000  arrivals  in  the  United  States  at  the  port 
of  Xew  York.  And  75  per  cent  of  those  arrivals  were  Jews,  giving 
08.000  Jews  as  arriving  during  that  month.  I  assure  you,  gentlemen, 
by  an  actual  count,  that  the  Jewish  immigration  into  the  United 
States  for  11  months  of  1920  did  not  exceed  65.000  altogether,  and 
that  during  the  month  of  October,  which  is  cited  here,  by  actual 
count,  tliere  were  12.217  Jews  who  arrived  in  the  United  States. 

And  yet  merely  upon  these  statements,  that  have  no  foundation 
in  fact  but  are  mere  estimates,  this  bill  is  built.  There  is  quite  a  dif- 
ference between  58.000  in  one  month  and  65.000  in  11  months. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Witness.  I  have  the  figures  here  for  August. 
The  Hebrew  arrivals  here  in  August  were  9.794. 

]Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  I  have  not  the  figures  of  the  Hebrew  arrivals  for 
September.  It  is  hardly  conceivable  that  the  September  arrivals  of 
Hebrews  should  be  increased  very  greatly  in  excess,  perhaps,  of  the 
August  arrivals.  Tlie  July  arrivals  were  6,033,  The  August  arrivals, 
as  I  said,  were  9,794. 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Now,  we  have  made  an  actual  count,  Mr.  Chair- 
man. There  were  35  steamships  coming  into  the  port  of  Xew  York 
bringing  immigrants  in  in  the  month  of  October,  1920.  We  have 
taken  from  the  manifests  the  number  of  Jews  that  came:  and  I  make 
liere  a  statement.  Ivuowing  that  it  can  be  verified,  and  might  be  veri- 
fied, tliat  no  more  than  12.217  Jews  arrived,  notwithstanding  the 
statement  made  in  the  majority  report  that  nearly  58,000  Jews  ar- 
rived, or  75  per  cent  of  74.000. 

Senator  Johnson.  Well,  what  information  have  vou  as  to  the 
facts { 

Mr.  Bernstein.  My  information  as  to  the  facts  is  information 
A\hicii  I  have  gained  by  experience.  I  have  been  in  Europe  for 
three  months  this  3'ear.  I  returned  at  the  end  of  September.  I  went 
there  for  the  purpose  of  studj'ing  the  situation. 

Senator  Johnson.  Where  were  you  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  I  spent  some  time  in  Warsaw,  and  I  spent  six 
weeks  in  Danzig,  and  I  spent  two  weeks  in  Paris — I  have  not  been 
to  the  other  countries — and  I  have  paid  particular  attention  to  Jew- 
ish immigration  and  to  the  chances  of  Jewish  immigration,  and  here 
is  what  I  found.  In  the  House  committee  very  often  newspaper 
reports  are  referred  to.  Here  yesterday  I  heard  newspaper  reports 
being  referred  to.  Of  course,  I  need  not  call  the  attention  of  you 
gentlemen  to  the  fact  that  newspaper  reports  are  not  considered 
evidence  in  any  inquiry  or  investigation  upon  which  any  action  is  to 
be  based.  But  we  will  take  these  newspaper  reports."^  There  is  a 
reason  for  them,  and  I  will  show  you  gentlemen 

Senator  Johnson.  What  did  you  find  over  there  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  That  is  what  I  am  coming  to.  Senator.  I  came 
to  Warsaw  and  I  found  about  2,000  people  in  front  of  the  American 


134  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

consul's  office  awaitiiifr  for  vises.  I  came  there  on  Monday  morning. 
I  found  the  same  condition  on  Tuesday  morning  and  on  '^Vednesday 
morning  and  on  Thursday  morning  and  on  I'riday  morning;  there 
were  about  from  2.000  to  2.500  people  awaiting  in  line  at  the  Ameri- 
can consul's  office. 

Senator  Johnson.  Different  crowds  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  But  I  saw  what  the  newspaper  reporters  did  not 
see.  I  saw  that  they  were  the  same  people  that  had  been  standing 
there  when  I  first  saw  them  there  on  Monday,  diminished  by  50  or 
100.  perhaps:  50  or  100  vises  were  granted  by  the  American  consul, 
and  the  rest  had  to  keep  on  standing  there  in  line  day  after  day.  I 
know  by  actual  experience  that  it  takes  a  person  six  weeks  standing 
in  line,  morning  and  night,  paying  for  the  privilege  of  remaining 
on  the  street  overnight — and  I  mean  by  that  bribing  some  policeman 
to  permit  them  to  remain  in  line  on  the  streets  in  order  not  to  lose 
their  place  in  line — and  I  say  that  it  takes  six  weeks  waiting  for 
these  vises. 

Xow,  you  take  the  ordinary  reported  who  comes  there,  we  will  say 
on  Monday,  and  he  sees  3,000  people  in  line  at  the  consul's  office,  and 
the  next  day  he  comes  there  and  again  he  sees  3.000  people  standing 
in  line,  and  the  next  day  he  comes  and  sees  3,000  people,  and  so  on. 
and  he  comes  to  the  conclusion  that  multiplied  by  365  there  would 
be  a  million  people  standing  there  in  line  waiting  for  the  opportunity 
of  getting  away  from  Poland. 

Senator  Xugent.  You  mean  to  say  that  the  same  people  stood  in 
line  for  six  weeks? 

Mr.  Bernstein,  Yes,  sir.  Senator:  and  I  say  that  to  you.  Senator, 
understanding  what  I  am  saying,  and  I  am  ready  to  prove  it  by  the 
American  consul  himself  or  by  people  who  know. 

In  the  months  of  April  and  5lay.  1920.  the  facilities  of  the  Amer- 
ican consul  at  Warsaw  were  from  20  to  50  passports  a  day.  He  had 
no  room,  and  had  no  appropriation  for  enough  room:  he  had  no 
clerks  who  would  fill  out  his  applications  and  who  would  send  them. 
I  understand  that  since  I  left,  during  the  months  of  October  and 
Xovember.  things  have  improved  a  great  deal.  A  special  passport 
office  was  established  by  the  Department  of  State,  and  the  vice  consul 
was  placed  in  charge  making  these  vises. 

Senator  Harrison.  ]May  I  ask  you.  what  were  you  doing  there  in 
that  line  so  long?  I  did  not  catch  the  preliminary  part  of  your  re- 
marks. 

Mr.  Bernstein.  I  am  the  president  of  this  society.  Senator,  and 
I  have  been  interested  in  immigration  work  almost  ever  since  I 
came  here. 

Senator  Harrison.  I  mean  this  particular  place  where  they  were 
in  line  for  weeks  and  weeks  as  you  say.  night  and  day.  What  were 
your  duties  there  that  kept  you  there? 

^Ir.  Bernstein.  I  had  no  duties  except  the  general  duty  of  being 
the  head  of  the  society,  and  seeing  what  was  going  on. 

Senator  Harrison.  Were  you  doing  anything  to  encourage  them 
to  come  to  this  country? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Oh,  no.  First  of  all,  I  personally  was  merely  an 
observer. 

Senator  Harrison.  I  understand. 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  135 

Mr.  Bernstein.  And  I  went  in  to  the  consul  and  talked  the  matter 
OA^er  Avith  him  and  tried  to  make  suo:gestions  to  him,  and  he  made 
some  sufTirestions,  etc.  AVe  do  not  encourage  them  to  come.  We  can 
not  encourage  them. 

Senator  Harrison.  How  is  your  salar}^  paid? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Am  I  a  salaried  man,  do  you  ask? 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  do  you  receive  a  salary  for  this  work? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Xo.  sir;  I  do  not  receive  any  salary. 

Senator  Harrison.  How  are  your  expenses  paid? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  I  paid  my  ovrn  expenses.  Senator. 

Senator  Harrison.  Over  to  Warsaw? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Over  to  AVarsaw ;  yes,  sir.  I  went  over  there  with 
my  wife,  and  we  went  to  various  parts  of  Europe.  We  went  on  a 
vacation  trip.  It  is  the  first  time  in  30  years  that  I  have  had  a  vaca- 
tion, and  my  wife  and  I  Avent  over  there,  and  I  paid  our  expenses 
myself.  I  am  an  attorney  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law.  and 
I  derive  no  profit  whatever  in  connection  with  this  association.  I  got 
paid  for  no  services  that  I  performed,  and  I  paid  for  my  own  meals, 
even. 

Senator  Harrison.  And  all  the  time  that  you  were  over  there  you 
were  observing  these  crowds  for  weeks  and  weeks? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  I  wasn't  in  Warsaw  for  more  than  r.  week.  Sena- 
tor. I  wasn't  there  for  weeks  and  weeks,  but  I  was  onh"  there  one 
week. 

Senator  HXrrison.  And  you  were  paying  your  own  expenses  all 
the  time? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes.  sir. 

Senator  Harrison.  Why  were  a'ou  so  interested  in  that  particular 
work  there? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Because  it  was  a  new  departure  for  our  society. 
We  sent  out  two  Americans,  two  members  of  our  board,  sending 
them  out  in  the  month  of  February,  1920,  to  see  what  was  doing 
there.  One  of  them  returned.  This  is  the  man  who  made  that  state- 
ment upon  which  so  much  is  built.  One  remained  there,  and  I  de- 
cided that  I  was  going  to  go  over  and  take  a  vacation  and  at  the 
same  time  see  what  the  conditions  were  over  there. 

Senator  Harrison.  Were  you  trying  to  encourage  emigration  to 
this  country? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Xo,  sir. 

Senator  Harrison.  Not  at  all? 

^Ir.  Bernstein.  Xot  only  was  I  not  trying  to.  but  there  is  no  way 
of  encouraging  it.  I  mean  if  you  come  right  down  to  it  the  only  way 
to  encourage  emigration  is  to  take  a  man  and  pay  his  fare  and  bring 
him  over  here. 

Senator  Harrison.  And  you  were  not  doing  that? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Xo,  sir;  not  to  the  extent  of  one  dollar.  And  as  I 
say,  I  Avas  not  being  paid  for  being  over  there.  Our  funds  are  such^ 
as  I  explained  to  the  gentlemen,  that  even  if  Ave  had  that  desire, 
which  AAe  haA'e  not,  Ave  could  not  do  it. 

Xow,  Ave  are  working  in  the  full  glare  of  the  American  consul  in 
WaisaAv.  Ave  are  Avorking  in  the  full  glare  of  the  American  consul  in 
Danzig,  Avho  is  well  accpiainted  AAitli  our  activities,  and  it  Avas  mainly 
for  those  reasons  that  I  came  here,  because  a  great  deal  of  this  report 
refers  to  this  society  Avhich  I  represent. 


1,S6  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

X(»\v.  as  I  told  you  before,  we  were  acting  as  a  sort  of  policemen 
to  protect  the  immi<rrants.  Our  protection  went  so  far  that  the 
American  consul  had  to  discharge  two  or  three  of  his  employees  for 
taking  graft,  upon  our  furnishing  evidence  to  him  of  the  fact  that 
these  employees  who  were  not  Americans,  by  the  way.  l)ut  who  were 
«»mploved  in  his  office,  were  taking  graft  for  the  privilege  of  either 
granting  a  vise  to  a  man  or  putting  a  person  ahead  of  another  person 
in  the  granting  of  a  vise. 

The  Chairman.  Does  your  society  discourage  or  encourage  immi- 
gration ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Well,  to  be  perfectly  frank,  we  do  neither.  But 
here  is  what  we  do  do.  A  man  comes  to  our  office  for  advice :  we 
give  it  to  him.  And  remember,  we  do  not  come  in  contact  with  any 
person  until  he  is  already  an  emigrant,  because  we  have  no  offices 
throughout  P^urope.  AVe  have  an  office  in  "Warsaw.  By  the  time  a 
man  reaches  Warsaw,  he  is  an  emigrant,  and  for  this  reason:  P^very 
person  who  wants  to  leave  Poland,  from  any  one  of  the  three  Polands, 
must  come  to  Warsaw  to  get  his  American  vise.  And  it  is  strange 
to  say  that  this  great  country  of  ours,  the  United  States,  has  only 
one  consular  office  in  the  whole  of  Poland,  so  that  every  person  who 
wishes  to  emigrate  to  the  United  States,  no  matter  what  part  of  the 
Repul)lic  of  Poland  he  lives  in,  must  come  to  Warsaw  to  get  his  vise. 
Xow.  bv  that  time  the  emigrant  is  on  his  way.  He  has  already  sold 
everything  he  had.  He  comes  to  Warsaw  for  the  sole  purpose  of  get- 
tiiiir  the  American  vise.  There  is  where  we  meet  him.  We  meet 
him.  and  we  see  to  it  that  he  is  not  exploited :  that  he  is  not  swindled 
or  cheated. 

Senator  Nugent.  Just  one  moment,  please.  Are  we  to  under- 
stand that  these  people  dispose  of  all  of  their  holdings  and  all  of  their 
jDropertv  prior  to  the  time  they  know  whether  they  can  come  to  this 
country  or  not  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes.  sir:  they  do.  because  they  do  not  reach  War- 
saw until  they  have  already  obtained  their  foreign  passports — that  is. 
the  passport  of  their  own  Government — which  is  a  different  passport 
from  an  internal  passport.  You  know  in  Poland  there  are  also 
internal  passports,  which  are  given  for  the  purpose  of  going  from 
one  place  in  Poland  to  another.  And  by  the  time  they  come  to 
Warsaw  they  are  on  their  way.  and  they  stick  around,  or  they  live 
in  Warsaw  sometimes  as  long'as  two  months  before  they  can  obtain 
their  American  vises,  and  they  are  put  to  a  great  deal  of  hardship 
because  of  that. 

I  have  talked  this  matter  over  with  the  American  consul  in  War- 
saw, and  I  suggested  to  the  consul  that  some  method  should  be  i)ro- 
vided  by  which  the  people  could  apply  for  a  vise  by  mail,  so  that 
they  would  not  have  to  come  to  Warsaw:  so  that  they  could  make  an 
inquiry.  But  it  is  impossible  with  the  appropriation  that  the  consul 
has  for  him  to  do  an^i:hing. 

As  an  illustration  I  want  to  say  to  you  that  on  the  day  I  was  at 
the  consul's  office  there  were  6.000  unopened  letters  in  tlie  consul's 
office,  and  he  had  no  help  to  open  them.  The  con.^ul  there  is  working 
from  around  S  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  1*2  o'clock  at  night.  He 
has  no  appropriation  for  sufficient  help.  and.  as  I  say.  6.0()0  letters 
were  lying  there  unopened  at  the  time  I  was  there. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  137 

Senator  Nugent.  Another  question :  Do  you  know  whether  or  not 
he  declines  under  any  circumstances  to  grant  these  vises  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Very  many ;  quite  a  number. 

Senator  Nugent.  About  what  proportion  of  the  applications  are 
rejected  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Well,  I  asked  him  that.  Neither  he  nor  I  could 
estimate  it.  but  quite  often  applications  are  rejected — that  is,  appli- 
cations for  vises. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Does  he  pass  upon  anything  except  the  man's 
political  status? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Well,  that  is  what  he  looks  for  first.  He  sends 
out  to  investigate  that,  especially  if  it  is  a  j^oung  man.  However, 
if  a  woman  with  children,  whose  husband  is  in  America,  presents  an 
affidavit,  the  consul  usualh^  grants  the  vise  on  the  same  day  that  the 
application  is  made.  You  know  that  no  vises  are  granted  except 
upon  an  affidavit  made  in  America  by  a  relative,  and  that  affi- 
davit contains  a  lot  of  information  which  is  properly  sworn 
to  before  a  notary  public,  and  is  mailed  to  the  people  on  the 
other  side,  and  they  must  present  that  to  the  consul  issuing  the  vise. 
Now,  if  it  is  a  woman  with  minor  children,  going  to  a  husband  in 
America,  why,  the  consul  usually  grants  the  vise  on  the  same  day 
that  the  application  is  made.  That  does  not  mean  the  same  day  that 
the  party  gets  to  Warsaw  and  begins  to  stand  in  line,  but  it  means 
the  same  day  that  she  reaches  the  consul's  office,  and  he  is  at  the  desk 
when  the  application  is  made. 

Now.  applications  of  unattached  people,  or  those  people  who  have 
no  affidavits,  are  investigated.  Up  to  a  short  time  ago,  in  fact,  up 
to  April.  I  belicAe.  of  this  year,  they  were  being  investigated  by  the 
Army  Intelligence  Bureau,  which  had  a  division  in  Poland.  Since 
that  time  there  are  other  people,  connected  with  the  State  Depart- 
ment, investigating  these  applications,  and  in  quite  a  number  of  cases 
they  are  refused.  But  the  percentage  would  be  very  small  for  this 
reason,  that  the  whole  of  this  Jewish  immigration,  85  per  cent  of 
the  65.000  that  came  in  the  11  months  of  this  year,  are  women  and 
children  going  to  their  fathers  or  their  husbands. 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  percentage  is  that? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Eighty-five  per  cent  of  the  65,000  that  came  to 
America  in  the  11  months  of  this  year. 

Senator  Harrison.  Does  your  society  assist  in  getting  up  these 
affidavits  in  this  country? 

^Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Harrison.  That  is  one  of  the  functions  of  your  society, 
is  it  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  We  have  found  by  experience,  and  all  of  this 
knowledge  comes  to  us  by  experience,  that  when  the  State  Depart- 
ment has  made  its  regulations  about  affidavits  a  lot  of  notaries  public 
in  the  city  of  New  York  and  in  other  places  were  charging  quite  some 
fancy  fees  for  drawing  an  affidavit  (m  a  blank,  and  we  thought  that 
it  is  to  the  interest  of  the  relatives  here  tliat  they  should  not  be 
mulcted  by  unscrupulous  people  for  performing  a  service  that  takes 
about  five  minutes,  because  the  affidavits  are  in  the  form  prescribed 
by  the  State  Department. 

Senator  Harrison.  How  large  an  organization  have  you? 


138  i:mergexc'y  immicratiox  legislation. 

Mr.  Bekxsteix.  Our  membersliip  at  the  i)resent  time  is  11.").0U0. 

Senator  Harrison.  Do  3^011  tax  each  so  much  a  year  to  keep  up 
your  organization^ 

Mr.  Bkrnstein.  No,  sir;  we  have  no  tax,  but  we  have  graded  mem- 
berships.    Our  lowest  membership  is  $3  a  year. 

Senator  Harrison.  That  is  when  tiiey  join^ 

Mr.  Bernstein.  That  is  when  they  join.  And  thej'  get  no  benefit 
out  of  it.     They  are  not  entitled  to  any  benefit. 

Senator  Harrison.  How  many  employees  do  you  have  in  this 
society  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  We  have  in  Xew  York  55, 

Senator  Harrison.  How  many  have  j'ou  over  the  country  i 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Well,  it  is  hard  to  estimate.  In  Philadelphia  we 
have  two.     In  Baltimore  we  haAe  one  paid  employee. 

Senator  Harrison.  Xow.  is  it  the  duty  of  these  various  employees, 
when  you  get  a  communication  from  across  the  waters,  that  these 
various  employees  take  these  communications  and  try  to  look  up  the 
relatives  of  these  people  i  Do  you  turn  the  communications  over  to 
your  employees  for  that  purpose  ? 

^Ir.  Bernstein.  We  hardly  ever  get  any  communications  from 
the  other  side.  We  get  communications  from  relatives  on  this  side, 
who  come  to  our  office  and  explain  their  situation.  For  instance,  a 
man  will  come  and  say  that  he  has  a  wife  and  cliildren  on  the  other 
side,  and  he  wants  to  know  how  he  can  get  them  over,  and  he  asks 
us  for  advice. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  your  society  does  sometimes  send  a  rep- 
resentative across  to  study  the  conditions? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  We  have  sent  five  American  employees  over 
there.  And  in  Warsaw  we  have  about  40  local  employees:  I  mean 
people  whom  we  ha^-e  hired  there.  And  in  Danzig  we  have  about 
eight  local  employees.    In  Paris  we  have  about  four  local  employees. 

Senator  Harrison.  Xow,  I  want  to  get  this  matter  clear :  You 
have  quite  a  large  income  comino-  in  from  this  membership  t 

Mr.  Bernstein.  $350,000  last  year,  as  I  stated. 

Senator  Harrison.  What  are  the  assets  of  this  societ}'? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  There  are  hardly  any,  except  the  Astor  Library, 
that  we  bought. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Bernstein  made  a  statement  concerning  that 
before  you  came  in.  Senator. 

Senator  Harrison.  Very  well,  Mr.  Chairman.  I  didn't  know  that 
he  had  gone  into  that  fully.  I  will  read  that  in  the  record,  then, 
later. 

Mr.  Bernstein.  I  am  glad  to  appear  before  you.  gentlemen,  and 
the  more  questions  you  ask  me  about  the  activities  of  this  society-, 
the  better  I  will  be  pleased,  because  I  want  to  dispel  Avhat  is  in 
the  minds  of  some  people,  that  we  are  doing  anything  that  is  not 
on  the  level,  above  board,  entirely  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of 
the  United  States,  and  we  are  doing  a  piece  of  very  humane  and 
constructive  Work,  and  we  are  proud  of  it.  Our  books  are  open  to 
everybody.  They  are  certified  by  certified  public  accountants.  The 
Immigration  Committee  of  the  House  has  been  to  visit  us  many 
times.  We  pride  ouselves  upon  doing  the  best  piece  of  immigrant 
aid  work  in  this  countrv.  not  onlv  in  the  sense  of  assistino;  immi- 


EMEEGENCY   IMMIGKATIOX   LEGISLATION.  139 

grants  with  advice,  but  even  in  the  questions  of  Americanizations 
and  citizenship.    AVe  are  very  serious  about  our  work. 

Senator  Johxsox.  I  don't  understand,  Mr.  Bernstein,  that  there 
has  been  anj-  attack  uj^on  j'our  society. 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Well,  that  is  what  I  am  alluding  to  briefly"  in 
regard  to  this  report.  Senator.     If  they  say  that  Ave  are  planning 
to  bring  over  250,000  Jews,  that  would  be  absolutely  illegal,  and 
we  are  being  charged  with  a  crime  if  we  are  being  charged  with ' 
that. 

The  Chair:sian.  Did  vou  sav  there  was  onlv  one  consular  r-JMce 
in  Poland? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes. 

The  Chair:\ian.  And  that  is  in  Warsaw? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  And  a'Ou  have  been  to  that  oilice  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  know  how  many  papers  could  be  vised 
in  a  day  with  the  machinery  that  the  United  States  has  there  now? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Up  to  the  time  that  I  left  no  more  than  100. 

The  Chairman.  Xo  more  than  100  a  day  ? 

yiv.  Bernstein.  Xo.  At  the  ]:)resent  time  I  understand  that  the 
facilities  have  been  increased  to  about  500. 

The  Chairman.  Does  the  applicant  have  to  a]3pear  personally? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes,  sir;  he  has  to  be  sworn  personally.  He  has 
to  appear  and  swear  personally  to  the  application. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  the  vise  machinery  which  the  United  States 
employs  in  the  great  countiy  of  Poland  is  restrictive  in  its  charac- 
ter, is  it  not  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Very  much  so.  And  in  this  connection  I  want  to 
call  the  attention  of  the  chairman  of  the  committee  to  the  follow- 
ing :  There  was  a  great  cry  yesterday  in  the  papers  about  the  great 
number  of  aliens  on  the  way  to  America  now  resident  in  Paris.  Now, 
here  is  what  I  found  in  Paris :  I  came  to  Paris  on  the  15th  of  July, 
and  I  left  on  the  31st  of  July.  I  was  there  two  weeks.  Most  of  my 
time  was  occupied  in  the  Jewish  Immigrant  Home  over  there  that 
the  local  Jews  are  conducting.  Xow,  there  were  a  great  many  people 
waiting  for  the  American  vise  in  Paris.  They  had  applied  to  the 
American  consul  in  Paris,  and  he  has  been  putting  thon  off  from 
day  to  day.  I  returned  to  Paris  on  the  ITth  of  September,  which 
was  seven  weeks  after  that,  and  I  went  to  the  same  immigrant  home 
and  I  found  quite  a  number  of  the  same  peoj^le  waiting  there  who 
were  there  on  the  loth  of  July,  when  I  was  there  before. 

Now,  there  is  some  emigration  filtering  through  Paris,  and  at  the 
port  of  Havre  and  through  the  port  of  Cherbourg,  but  the  numbers 
that  are  seen  at  these  ports  are  swelled  by  the  fact  that  great  num- 
bers of  them  are  detained  over  there  because  of  their  inability  to 
obtain  an  American  vise.  But  on  the  face  of  it  it  looks  as  though 
there  were  thousands  and  thousands  of  them  coming  hero,  when  as 
a  matter  of  fact  there  is  no  basis  in  fact  for  this  assumption. 

Senator  Johnson.  You  mixed.  I  presume,  a  good  deal  with  your 
people  in  Warsaw,  did  you  not? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes,  sir. 


140  KMERGEXC'Y    OI .MIGRATION   LEGISLATION, 

Senator  Johnson.  What  -would  you  say  as  to  tlie  freneral  disposi- 
tion of  your  people  there?  Is  there  a  freneral  disposition  on  the 
part  of  those  that  have  been  suggested  to  come  over  to  this  country? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Well,  there  is  a  desire  to  come  to  this  country, 
but  at  the  time  I  was  there  it  was  a  stronger  desire  than  now,  for 
the  conditions  have  been  ameliorated  over  there  now.  The  desire 
was  absolutely  much  stronger  at  that  time  than  now. 

And  perhaps  you  gentlemen  of  the  committee  are  not  acquainted 
with  this  phase  of  the  situation.  Remember  that  the  religion  of  the 
Jew  in  Poland  is  much  more  strictly  observed  by  the  Jew  in  Poland 
than  it  is  here.  Somehow  or  other  the  free  air  of  America  also 
kind  of  dissolves  some  of  the  liondage,  or  whatever  you  might  call 
it.  of  that  religion.  Xow.  the  Jews  are  an  intensely  religious  people. 
If  I  was  discussing  theology'  or  religion  just  now  I  might  say  that 
they  are  more  devoted  to  ceremonialism  than  perhaps  to  other 
phases  of  religion,  but  they  are  intensely  religious.  They  consider 
that  the  air  of  America  is  sort  of  antireligious.  from  their  stand- 
point, and  they  have  a  strong  desire,  a  very  strong  desire,  to  remain 
where  they  are,  especially  the  middle  aged  and  the  older  genera- 
tion. 

Senator  Johnson.  Well,  have  conditions  in  Poland  been  such  as 
to  make  them  want  to  leave? 

^Ir.  Bernstein.  Just  prior  to  the  time  that  I  was  there,  and  at 
the  time  that  I  was  there,  they  were  such. 

Senator  Johnson.  Well,  do  you  think  that  those  conditions  have 
been  wholly  cured? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Xot  wholly,  but  to  a  very  large  extent  they  have. 

Senator  Johnson.  Did  you  make  any  investigation  of  the  pogroms 
over  there  while  you  were  there  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  There  were  no  pogroms  immediately  before  I 
came  there  or  during  the  time  that  I  was  there,  but  there  were  indi- 
vidual assaults  upon  the  Jews. 

Senator  Johnson.  Can  you  state  whether  the  reports  that  have 
come  to  this  country  of  pogroms  are  accurate  or  whether  they  are 
grossly  exaggerated  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  They  were  accurate  at  the  time  they  were  taking 
place — that  is.  I  mean  a  year  ago  or  a  year  and  a  half  ago :  I  don't 
remember  exactly  the  time — but  Poland  was  not  accused  of  pogroms. 
A  certain  armv  which  was  generaled  by  a  certain  Gen.  Baklanovitch, 
or  something  like  that,  was  accused  of  that. 

I  will  state  this,  that  in  my  brief  sojourn  in  Poland  I  had  quite 
a  number  of  interviews  with  officials  of  high  standing  in  the  Polish 
Government.  T  had  interviews  with  the  secretary  of  labor  of 
Poland,  and  it  is  my  opinion,  from  the  interviews  so  had.  that  it  is 
the  desire  of  the  Polish  Government  as  a  government  to  ameliorate 
the  conditions  of  the  minorities. 

Senator  Johnson.  AVithout  going  into  detail  at  all  in  respect  to 
the  pogroms,  in  respect  either  to  the  accuracy  of  the  reports  or  their 
inaccuracy,  hasn't  there  been  a  condition  existing  there  which  has 
made  the  Jews  in  Poland  most  anxious  to  leave  and  come  over  here? 

^Nfr.  Bernstein.  There  has  been;  yes.  There  was  immediately 
prior  to  and  at  the  time  that  I  was  there. 

The  Chairman.  What  is  the  population  of  Poland? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  141 

Mr.  Bernstein.  The  <yeneral  population  of  Poland  I  don't  know, 
but  there  are  about  8,000,000  Jews  there.  I  think  the  population  of 
Poland  is  about  40,000,000. 

The  Chairman.  About  40,000,000;  and  how  many  Jews  did  you 
say  there  are  in  Poland? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  About  3,000,000. 

The  Chairman.  Does  the  Government  of  Poland  encourage  the 
emio^ration  of  the  Jews? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  The  Government  of  Poland  does  not  encourage 
the  emio^ration  of  Jews.  From  my  interviews  with  the  officials  I 
find  that  they  have  not  expressed  any  desire  to  encourage  it,  and  I 
gather  this  from  the  fact  that  it  is  a  most  difficult  thing  for  a  person 
in  Poland  to  obtain  a  foreign  passport,  as  they  call  it:  that  is,  a 
passport  permitting  a  person  to  leave  Poland. 

Senator  Johnson.  Now,  all  those  facts  were  known  in  Poland, 
were  they  not  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  That  it  was  difficult  to  obtain  a  passport  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  The  Government,  you  believe,  was  endeavoring 
to  enforce  the  terms  of  its  treaty? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  That  was  since  my  coming  back. 

Senator  Johnson.  That  was  since  you  came  back,  and  ^-et  when 
you  were  there,  with  all  of  the  difficulties  experienced  by  these  people, 
the  men  and  women  stood  in  line  night  and  day  just  to  get  a  vise  to 
come  to  this  country,  and  in  the  number  that  you  described,  of  about 
2,500? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  I  am  free  to  say  that  if  the  conditions  were  re- 
versed, if  the  men  were  now  in  Poland  and  the  women  and  children 
were  now  here,  and  it  was  necessary  to  obtain  a  Polish  vise  in  America, 
that  these  men  and  women  would  stand  in  line  in  front  of  the  Polish 
consulate  for  the  simple  reason  that  they  wanted  to  go  to  their  hus- 
bands and  fathers  and  their  relatives.  Kemember  that  85  per  cent 
of  that  number  are  women  and  children  whose  husbands  and  fathers 
are  here,  and  who  have  not  heard  from  them  perhaps  for  months  at 
a  time  and  who  need  their  support.  Now,  why  shouldn't  they  stand 
in  line?  It  is  unfortunate  that  they  should  be  subjected  to  that, 
but  there  is  nothing  unnatural  about  their  standing  in  line  night  and 
day  to  get  the  vises.  They  want  to  get  to  their  husbands  and  fathers 
in  America. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  am  simply  trying  to  get  this  in  such  fashion 
that  I  comprehend  it  fully.  These  people  who  stood  in  line  in  the 
fashion  that  you  described  were  85  per  cent  women  and  children  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  You  stand  upon  that  statement  ? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  I  do.  I  may  be  mistaken  as  to  1  per  cent  one  way 
or  the  other. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  am  speaking  in  general. 

Mr.  Bernstein.  But  I  am  giving  you  the  best  information  that  I 
have. 

The  Chairman.  Women  and  children  who  want  to  join  their  hus- 
bands in  America? 

Mr.  Bernstein.  Yes,  sir. 


142  kMeroencv  immicpatiox  legislatiox. 

Senator  Joiixsdx.  Now,  they  have  arrived  by  this  time,  I  assume? 

Mr.  Berxsteix.  Yes,  sir;  they  have;  that  is,  those  that  were  stand- 
ino:  in  line  at  that  time  have  already  arrived. 

Senator  Joiix-^son.  There  is  not  any  such  proportion  in  the  arrivals. 

iSIr.  Berxsteix'.  Yes.  sir;  there  is. 

Xow.  there  is  one  more  circumstance  that  I  want  to  call  to  3'our 
attention,  and  then  I  will  be  through,  unless  j'ou  ask  me  some  ques- 
tions, gentlemen.  Commissioner  Wallis  is  going  to  be  here  to-morrow. 
I  believe  that  this  whole  "  emergency "  has  started  with  Commis- 
sioner Wallis.  I  know  the  commissioner  personally.  I  don't  know 
of  a  public  servant  who  is  more  honest,  more  conscientious,  and  has 
a  greater  heart,  and  I  might  almost  say  love  for  the  immigrants  than 
Commissioner  Wallis.  There  is  only  one  thing  that  he  lacks,  and  that 
is  experience  in  immigration. 

Senator  Johxsox'.  Now,  why  pay  him  a  high  compliment  and  then 
damn  him  in  that  way  ? 

Mr.  Berx'steix'.  Because  I  am  telling  the  absolute  truth.  I  have 
met  the  gentleman  several  times.  I  don't  know  how  many  of  you 
gentlemen  are  acquainted  with  him. 

Senator  Johxsox'.  I  don't  know  him  at  all. 

Mr.  Berx'Steix.  You  will  meet  him  tomorrow,  and  5'ou  will  find 
him  a  very  genial,  big-hearted  gentleman.  Now,  here  is  the  point. 
He  began  te  decry  the  great  stream  of  immigration  sometime  in  the 
month  of  August  or  September,  1920,  especially  immigration  coming 
from  Danzig,  but,  of  course,  he  did  not  know  that  this  great  volume 
of  immigration  was  created  by  the  evacuation  of  Warsaw  before 
the  bolsheviki.  Many  immigrants  who  were  at  that  time  waiting 
in  Warsaw  for  money,  for  their  passports,  were  not  residents  of  War- 
saw, but  were  people  who  came  from  all  corners  of  Poland  to  Warsaw. 

The  Chairmax.  Waiting  for  money  ? 

Mr.  Berxsteix.  Yes;  waiting  for  money  from  their  husbands  in 
this  country,  but  they  had  to  be  shipped  in  a  hurry,  because  the  (tov- 
ernment  had  issued  an  order  that  everybody  should  leave,  should 
evacuate  Warsaw  as  the  bolsheviki  were  only  3  miles  away  from 
Warsaw,  over  across  the  river,  near  Praga.  Now,  these  people  came 
to  Danzig.  And  the  government  of  Warsaw  ordered  all  its  civilian 
population  to  evacuate  the  city,  and  a  great  many  of  these  people 
came  to  the  United  States,  they  came  in  large  numbers  in  the  months 
of  August  and  September,  and  Commissioner  Wallis,  who  lias  a  very 
small  force,  whose  force  is  absolutely  inadequate  over  there,  became 
very  much  frightened,  and,  of  course,  like  a  bad  banker,  he  thought 
that  the  best  way  to  do  would  be  to  limit  the  number  who  came  in 
according  to  the  number  that  he  had  under  him  to  take  charge  of 
this  situation.  Just  like  a  bad  banker  who  wants  to  limit  the  number 
of  depositors  by  the  number  of  paying  tellers  that  he  has,  instead  of 
increasing  the  number  of  paying  tellers. 

I  thank  you  gentlemen  very  much  for  the  attention  you  have  given 
me.  and  I  will  be  very  glad  to  answer  any  questions  if  you  have  any 
to  ask. 

The  Chairmax.  Thank  you.  I  think  I  will  call  perhaps  one  or 
two  other  witnesses  on  this  same  line. 

Mr.  Rothenberg. 


EMERCKXCY   TIMMIGCATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  143 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  MORRIS  ROTHENBERG,  REPRESENTING  THE 
AMERICAN  JEWISH  CONGRESS. 

Mr.  EoTHEXBERG.  I  am  here  in  behalf  of  the  executive  committee 
of  the  American  Jewish  Congress,  an  orfranization  which  is  composed 
of  hu-o-e  numbers  of  fraternal  orfranizations  in  the  United  States. 
Mr.  Louis  Marshall,  who  appeared  here  to-day,  represented  the 
American  Jewish  Con<rress  at  the  peace  conference  in  Paris  in  the 
interest  of  including:  in  the  peace  treaties  clauses  for  the  protection 
of  minorities. 

We  desire  to  submit  the  followino:  considerations: 

The  passage  of  the  proposed  bill  by  Congress  would  signify  so 
violent  a  departure  from  all  custom  and  precedent  in  our  dealings 
with  immigration  as  to  compel  all  to  ask  what  extraordinary  condi- 
tions could  exist  as  to  justify  so  unusual  a  step.  What  striking  and 
alarming  facts  have  been  produced  by  investigations  or  hearings? 
The  ordinary  procedure  would  require  a  thorough  investigation  of 
all  the  facts  and  conditions  before  a  far  less  significant  and  radical 
change  would  have  been  suggested  in  the  immigration  law. 

The  stoppage  of  immigration  for  a  period  of  one  year,  as  provided 
in  this  measure,  would  in  itself  create  such  hardship,  so  much  ma- 
terial loss  and  mental  anguish  that  only  the  most  alarming  situation 
fraught  with  evil  to  our  Republic  can  justify  an  action  never  before 
taken  in  our  history. 

What  are  the  facts  that  have  been  brought  forward  to  show  the 
necessity  of  this  unprecedented  action?  Has  sufficient  convincing 
l)roof  been  assembled  to  justify  it?  If  this  is  the  case,  this  delega- 
tion has  been  unable  to  learn  of  any  new  facts  that  ha^-e  been  pro- 
duced upon  which  so  drastic  a  move  can  be  based. 

It  has  been  suggested,  indeed,  that  such  an  investigation  may  be 
made  following  the  closing  of  our  doors.  This,  however,  begs  the 
question  and  reverses  the  normal  and  proper  method.  Consistency, 
if  not  the  spirit  of  humanity,  would  suggest  that  we  make  sure  of  our 
facts  before  we  act.  rather  than  act  and  make  sure  of  our  facts 
afterwards. 

As  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  neither  the  actual  facts 
of  the  present  immigration  nor  our  experience,  particularly  during 
the  last  six  years,  present  the  slightest  shred  of  proof  for  the  alarm- 
ist's agitation  responsible  for  this  bill. 

Imiiiigration  during  the  war  was  jiractically  nil.  Immediately 
liefore  1914:  the  country  had  been  receiving  for  several  years  an  in- 
flow of  nearly  a  million  immigrants  annually.  The  outbreak  of  the 
war  put  an  immediate  stop  to  all  immigration  at  the  beginning  of  a 
period  when  labor  Avas  sorely  needed  in  the  midst  of  abounding  pros- 
perity that  continued  for  five  years.  During  this  time  we  could  have 
received  and  would  have  been  glad  to  receive  and  absorb  several 
million  immigrants  whom  the  war  prevented  from  coming  over. 
Our  labor  market,  far  from  being  oversaturated.  was  considerably 
undersupplied.  as  events  proved. 

In  1918.  as  figures  show,  a  net  increase  of  about  only  18,000  immi- 
grants was  added  to  our  country.  In  1919  the  number  was  still 
smaller.  Only  in  the  last  year  did  immigration  begin  to  revive. 
AVere  very  large  numbers  of  immigrants  received?    Cold  figures  show 


144  EMERGENCY    l.M  .MKiRATlOX    LEGISLATION. 

that  for  the  10  months  be<rinniu<)f  from  January,  li>*20,  throu^rh  (Octo- 
ber, 19'20.  our  country  <j:ained  a  net  increase  of  arrivals  over  depar- 
tures of  approximately  HOO.OOO  immigrants.  This  means  that  the 
last  year  has  averafred  about  8o.')()0  immi«rrants  a  month,  or  less  than 
half  of  what  was  the  usual  increase  to  our  population  through  immi- 
gration. 

The  theory  has  been  put  forth  that  this  is  only  the  advance  guard 
of  tremendous  hordes  that  are  making  preparations  to  flow  into  our 
country  from  the  four  corners  of  the  earth,  and  that  particularly  at 
this  time,  when' economic  depression  prevails,  this  vast  body  of  immi- 
grants will  tend  to  make  economic  conditions  worse  and  will  satu- 
rate the  labor  market  and  tend  to  depress  the  wages  and  standards 
of  labor.  Yet  if  one  fact  has  even  been  shown  conclusively  through- 
out all  our  investigations,  hearings,  researches,  and  studies  for  over 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  it  is,  as  Prof.  John  R.  Commons  pointed  out. 
that  immigration  as  an  economic  proposition  regulates  itself  auto- 
matically. In  so  far  as  immigrants  come  to  this  country  to  better 
their  material  condition,  their  numbers  increase  when  there  is  pros- 
perity and  a  large  demand  for  their  services,  and  their  numbers  de- 
crease when  there  is  economic  depression  and  a  falling  off  of  demand 
for  labor. 

Moreover,  another  important  fact  enters.  When  material  conditions 
are  bad  in  the  country  there  suddenly  develops  a  large  outflow,  an  emi- 
gration, wliicli  serves  to  ease  off  the  labor  market.  These  two  forces  of 
a  decreased  immigration  and  an  increased  emigration  create  the  proper 
safety  valve. for  a  normal  economic  life  in  our  country.  Xo  better 
instance  was  furnished  than  in  1907  and  1908.  when  vast  numbers  of 
emigrants  streamed  from  the  country  with  the  onset  of  the  panic  of 
1907  and  the  ensuing  depression. 

In  view  of  these  facts  regarding  the  general  immigration  move- 
ment this  delegation  do  not  believe  that  sufficiently  convincing  rea- 
sons have  been  advanced  for  so  drastic  a  piece  of  legislation  at  this 
juncture,  in  view  of  the  relatively  low  immigration  to  this  country 
at  the  present  time,  in  view  of  the  lack  of  a  thorough  study  and 
knowledge  of  the  present  situation,  and  in  view  of  the  fundamentally 
self-regulatory  character  of  our  normal  immigration. 

It  should,  moreover,  be  carefully  kept  in  mind  that  our  immigra- 
tion laws  represent  the  study  and  experience  of  over  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  and  have  proved  as  satisfactorily  working  a  set  of  laws  as 
has  been  devised.  Xo  doubt,  there  are  always  improvements  to  be 
made,  but  in  so  far  as  we  design  to  keep  out  all  classes  of  immigrants 
that  are  harmful  or  objectionable,  either  physically,  mentally,  mor- 
ally, or  economically,  we  have  sufficient  safeguards  at  the  present 
time  to  prevent  any  undesirable  immigrants  from  entering. 

The  summary  closing  of  our  doors  is  unjustified  upon  economic 
grounds.  But  more  than  that,  it  is  in  violation  of  the  fundamental 
spirit  of  our  institutions  and  of  the  democratic  principles  which  we 
have  labored  to  established  throughout  our  entire  existence.  We 
fought  in  the  Great  War  to  establish  in  Europe  the  principles  of 
equality  and  opportunity  upon  which  our  Repul>lic  is  founded.  The 
open  gate  to  the  immigrant  of  the  desirable  sort,  whether  of  high  or 
low  degree,  we  symbolized  in  that  magnificient  statute  in  the  harbor 
of  our  principal  port.  Liberty  Enlightening  the  World. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  145 

So  much  have  these  principles  of  liberty  and  equality  been  tht 
very  breath  and  spirit  ul  our  bein<^  that  in  all  previous  immigrant 
legislation,  witli  due  regard  to  our  need  for  self-protection,  we  have 
never  before  ventured  to  close  the  avenue  of  escape  for  the  oppressed 
of  the  world  to  enter. 

So  definitely  established  was  this  policy  tliat  in  the  changes  re- 
corded in  the  immigration  law  which  included  the  provision  of  the 
literacy  test,  a  certain  class  was  exempted  from  its  operation;  to 
wit,  "  those  who  were  seeking  admission  to  the  United  States  to 
avoid  religious  persecution  in  the  country  of  their  last  permanent 
residence,  whether  such  persecution  be  evidenced  by  overt  acts  or  by 
laws  or  governmental  regulations  that  discriminate  against  the  alien 
or  the  race  to  which  he  belongs  because  of  his  religious  faith."  In 
this  exemption  clause  was  embodied  the  cardinal  sentiment  of  our 
leirislators  and  our  Xation  that  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  whose  founding 
of  this  Kepublic  we  are  now  celebrating,  coming  to  this  country  to 
escape  the  persecution  of  the  Old  World,  left  the  door  open  for  all 
the  sutt'ering  and  the  oppressed  to  enjoy  the  same  benefits  of  wor- 
shiping their  (iod  and  living  their  lives  as  tliej-  willed. 

We  are  not  here  to  j^lead  for  any  special  privilege  for  a  class.  We 
urge,  however,  that  there  be  no  action  taken  which  runs  counter 
to  the  verj^  life  and  spirit  of  our  democratic  institutions,  firmly  be- 
lie\ing  that  this  act  if  passed  would  in  effect  do  so.  Not  only  the 
Jew,  but  other  immigrants  for  whom  American  hearts  have  bled,  will 
suffer. 

So  far  as  Jewish  immigrants  who  are  desirous  of  entering  this 
country  are  concerned,  it  may  be  worth  while  to  i^oint  out  that  under 
normal  circumstances  a  large  number  of  them  would  have  come 
over  to  unite  with  their  families  in  this  countr}'.  The  Jewish  im- 
migrants who  come  here  are  not  of  a  migratory  class.  They  come 
here  to  settle  permanently  in  this  country.  As  soon  as  thej^  are  well 
established  they  bring  their  families  over  and  in  this  w'ay  create  a 
normal  life  as  permanent  settlers.  They  Americanize  rapidly,  they 
become  citizens  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  they  have  a  stake  and  an 
interest  in  the  country  equal  to  that  of  all  other  Americans.  They 
have  cast  their  lot  with  our  country  as  the  early  settlers  did,  and 
for  moral,  social,  and  economic  reasons,  they  have  proven  to  be 
an  asset. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  point  out,  so  thoroughly  has  this  been 
established  before,  that  the  Jewish  immigrants  represent  an  important 
economic  addition  to  our  country.  They  have  proven  themselves  an 
economically  self-dependent  body.  The  burden  upon  our  vreneral 
charitable  institutions  has  been  practically  nil  because  the  Jews  of 
this  country  have  always  taken  care  of  their  own.  From  an  economic 
standpoint,  the  Jewish  immigrants  have  been  a  vital  factor  in  the 
building  up  of  some  of  our  largest  and  most  important  industries. 
The  needle  industries  which  have  been  developed  almost  entirely  as 
a  result  of  the  efforts  of  Jewish  immigrants  are  in  the  forefront  of  our 
manufactures.  American  ready-to-wear  clothes  are  a  synonym  to 
the  world  of  the  best  in  American  manufacturinir  and  commerce. 
Apart  from  their  material  contributions  to  our  wealth,  their  intellec- 
tual achievements  are  significant.  As  physicians,  surgeons,  dentists, 
laAvyers,  teachers,  judges,  statesmen,  Jewish  immigrants  have  made 
26911— 21— PT  2 4  * 


140  H.MERGEXCV    l.M .\1  IGRATIOX    LEGISLATIOX. 

their  mark.  Their  communal  life  is  orderly,  sane,  well-balanced,  and 
distintjuished  by  an  active  love  of  things  xVmerican,  in  promoting  and 
adding  to  the  best  in  American  life,  literature,  and  art. 

A  quarter  of  a  century  of  experience  with  Jewish  immigration  has 
demonstrated  that  the  warmth  of  the  welcome  accorded  them  in  the 
early  eighties,  when  the  pogroms  in  Eussia  began,  has  been  thor- 
oughl}'  justified  by  wiiat  they  have  contributed  to^vard  the  strength- 
ening of  American  life.  On  the  occasion  of  the  celebration  of  the 
two  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  settlement  of  the  Jews 
in  the  United  States  the  great-hearted  and  ever-lamented  Theodore 
Roosevelt  wrote  the  following  letter  to  the  chairman  of  the  remark- 
able gathering  held  on  Thanksgiving  Day,  1905. 

(Tiie  letter  presented  by  Mr.  Rothen])erg  is  as  follows:) 

The  White  House, 
Washington,  D.  C,  November  16,  1905. 

My  L»eak  Sir  :  I  am  ioixed  to  make  a  rule  not  to  write  letters  on  the  occasion 
of  any  celebration,  no  matter  how  important,  simply  because  I  can  not  write 
one  without  either  committing  myself  to  write  hundreds  of  others  or  else  run- 
ning the  risk  of  giving  offense  to  worthy  persons.  I  make  an  exception  in  this 
case  because  the  lamentable  and  terrible  suffering  to  which  so  many  of  the 
Jewish  people  in  other  lands  have  been  subjected,  makes  me  feel  it  my  duty,  as 
tlie  head  of  the  American  people,  not  only  to  express  my  deep  sympathy  for 
them,  as  I  now  do,  but  at  the  same  time  to  point  out  what  tine  qualities  of  citi- 
zenship have  been  displayed  by  the  men  of  .Jewish  faith  and  race,  who.  having 
come  to  this  country,  enjoy  the  beneSts  of  free  institutions  and  espial  treatment 
before  the  law.  I  feel  very  strongly  that  if  any  people  are  oppresse<l  anywhere, 
the  wrong  inevitably  reacts  in  the  end  on  those  who  oppress  them ;  for  it  is  an 
immutable  law  in  the  spiritual  world  that  no  one  can  wrong  others  and  yet  iu 
the  end  himself  oscajie  unhurt. 

The  celebration  of  the  two  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  settlement 
of  tlie  .Tews  in  the  United  States  properly  emphasizes  a  series  of  historical  facts 
of  n;ore  than  merely  national  significance.  Even  in  our  colonial  period  the  .Tews 
participated  in  the  upbuilding  of  this  country,  acquired  citizenship,  and  took 
an  active  part  in  the  development  of  foreign  and  domestic  commerce.  During 
the  Revolutionary  period  they  aided  the  cause  of  I^iberty  by  serving  in  the  Con- 
tinental Army,  and  l»y  substantial  contributions  to  the  empty  treasury  of  the 
infant  Republic.  During  the  Civil  Wm:  thcmsands  served  in  the  armies  and 
mingletl  their  blood  with  the  soil  for  v.hich  they  fought.  I  am  glad  to  be  able 
to  say,  in  addressing  you  on  this  occasion,  that  while  the  .Tews  of  the  United 
States,  who  now  nmnher  more  than  a  million,  have  remained  loyal  to  their 
faith  and  their  race  traiUtions,  they  have  become  indi5;solubly  incorporated  in 
the  great  army  of  American  citizenship,  prepared  to  make  all  sacrifices  for  the 
country,  either  in  war  or  peace,  and  striving  for  the  perpetuation  of  good 
Government  and  for  the  maintenance  of  the  principles  embodied  in  our  Consti- 
tution. They  are  honorably  distinguished  by  their  industry,  their  obevlience  to 
law,  and  their  devotion  to  tlie  national  welfare.  They  are  engaged  in  generous 
rivalry  with  their  fellow-citizens  of  other  denominations  in  advancing  the  inter- 
ests of  our  common  country.  This  is  true  not  only  of  the  descendants  of  the 
early  settlers  and  tho.se  of  American  birth  but  of  a  great  and  constantly  in- 
creasing projiortion  of  those  who  have  come  to  our  shores  within  the  last  2-^ 
years  as  refugees  reduced  to  the  direst  straits  of  penury  and  nii.'<ory.  All 
Americans  may  well  be  proud  of  the  extraordinary  illustration  of  the  wisdom 
and  strength  of  our  governmental  system  thus  afforded.  In  a  few  years,  men 
and  women  hitherto  utterly  unaccustomed  to  any  of  the  privileges  of  citizen- 
ship have  moved  mightily  upward  toward  the  standard  of  loyal,  self-respecting 
American  citizenship;  of  that  citizenship  which  not  merely  insists  upon  its 
rights,  but  al.so  eagerly  recognizes  its  duties  to  do  its  full  share  in  the  material, 
social,  and  moral  advancement  of  the  Nation. 

With  all  good  wishes,  believe  me. 
Sincerely,  yours. 

Theodore  Roosevelt. 

Jacop  H    Schtff.  Eso.. 

C}ioirtna»^ 


E.MEllGENCY    i.M:\ilOl:ATIU^'    LEGISEATiOX.  147 

Mr.  KoTHEXBERG.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  was  in  Europe  during  the 
months  of  July  and  xVugust,  1920.  I  returned  in  ^September.  I  at- 
tended a  relief  conference  which  was  held  in  Czechoslovakia.  At  that 
conference  were  representatives  of  various  part  of  Europe,  who  came 
together  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  what  was  the  best  method  of 
relief  for  those  who  were  suffering  in  eastern  Europe ;  that  is,  for  de- 
vising plans  for  furnishing  them  with  tools  and  to  help  them  in  such 
a  way  as  to  make  them  self-supporting  at  the  earliest  possible  moment. 
And  I  had  an  opportunity  at  that  conference  to  see  men  who  came,  as 
I  say.  f fom  every  part  of  Europe,  and  the  conditions  were  thoroughly 
discussed  there,  and  I  may  say  this,  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen, 
that  although  that  conference  lasted  10  or  12  clays,  and  every  angle  of 
the  subject  of  the  Jews  in  Europe  were  discussed,  I  never  heard  that 
there  was  a  tremendous  flow  of  immigrants  to  this  country,  or  that 
there  was  an  intention  on  the  part  of  the  Jews  in  Europe  to  come  to 
America  by  the  millions.  Their  earnest  desire  seems  to  be  to  get  back 
to  normal  conditions  as  soon  as  possil)le.  and  to  get  tools,  and  they 
need  and  desire  such  constructi^^e  help  as  will  enable  them  to  become 
self-supporting  at  the  earlist  possible  moment.  The  immigration 
that  I  heard  of  was  the  reuniting  of  families,  the  reuniting  of  fathers 
and  mothers  and  of  wives  and  children  with  their  husbands  and 
fathers  in  this  country.  That  seemed  to  be  the  trend  of  the  immigra- 
tion that  I  noticed. 

I  might  also  add  this  point:  In  some  of  the  places,  for  instance, 
Prague.  Vienna,  and  Paris.  I  visited  the  immigration  centers  there, 
and  I  found  that  there  was  congestion  in  a  number  of  these  places, 
due  to  the  fact  that  for  five  or  six  j^ears  there  had  been  practically  no 
immigration  at  all,  and  those  organizations  which  had  existed  prior 
to  the  Avar  and  had  regulated  whatever  immigration  was  going  to 
America  and  which  were  caring  for  the  immigrants  had  abandoned 
their  work  during  the  war,  and  consequently^  they  were  not  equipped, 
when  immigration  was  opened  again  in  America,  to  handle  whatever 
immigration  there  was  and  to  take  proper  care  of  them,  and  the  re- 
sult was  congestion  and  confusion.  I  am  certain  that  in  a  very  short 
time  the  same  situation  will  exist  there  as  existed  prior  to  the  war — 
there  will  no  longer  be  an  almormal  situation  with  regard  to  the  con- 
gestion that"  is  noticed  bv  those  wlio  visited  these  places.  As  I  say.  I 
was  in  Czechoslovakia ;  Prague ;  Pressburg ;  Vienna,  in  Austria ;  Ber- 
lin.  in  Germany:  and  Antwerp:  and  in  none  of  these  places  have  I 
seen  any  evidence  of  any  great  outpouring  of  Jews  as  indicated  in  the 
iimioritv  report  of  the  House  here  coming  toward  America. 

^Nlay  I  say  this,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  Dr.  Stephen  S.  Wise,  of  our 
delegation,  is  very  anxious  to  address  this  committee  on  the  subject, 
he  having  intended  to  be  here  to-day.  but  he  was  prevented.  Will  it 
be  possible  for  him  to  appear,  possibly  later  this  week  or  the  begin- 
ning of  next  week? 

The  Chairman.  We  shall  have  some  hearings  next  week.  We  will 
also  have  hearings  to-morrow  morning. 

If  you  have  finished,  the  committee  will  now  take  a  recess  until 
to-morrow  morning  at  half  past  10. 

(Thereupon,  at  4.08  o'clock  p.  m.  the  committee  adjourned  to  meet 
to-morrow,  Wednesday,  January  5,  1921,  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m.) 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 


HEARINGS 


BEFORE 


COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 

UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGRESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 

H.  R.  14461 

A  BILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZENS 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  BY  THE  TEMPORARY 

SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 

FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 


WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  5,  1921 


PART  3 

Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration 


'l^ 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT   TRINTING   OFFICE 
26911  1921 


COMMITTEE  Oy  IMMIGRATION. 

LeBAROX  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island,  Chairman. 

WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,  Vermont.  THOM.\S  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 

BOIES  PENROSE,  Pennsylvania.  JOHN  F.  NUGENT.  Idaho. 

THOMAS  STERLING.  South  Dakota.  WILLIAM  H.  KINc;,  Utah. 

HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California.  WILLIAM  .1.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 

HENRY  W.  KEYES,  New  Hampshire.  PAT  HARRISON,  Missis.^ippi. 

WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey.  JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 

He.nby   M.  Baket,   Clerk. 

n 


EMEPvGEXCY  I.ALMIGKATIOX  LEGISLATION. 


WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  5,   1921. 

United  States  Senate, 

Committee  ox  I:\rMiGRATiox, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

The  committee  met.  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m., 
in  room  235.  Senate  Office  Buildiiifr.  Hon.  LeBaron  B.  Colt  presidin<r. 

Present :  Senators  Colt  (chairman),  Dillinf^ham,  Sterlinji;,  John- 
son. Gore,  Xu<rt'nt,  Harrison,  and  Phelan. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  be  in  order.  AVe  would  be 
very  <_dad  to  hear  from  Mr.  Wallis.  The  committee  is  obli<red  to 
you,  3lr.  Wallis,  for  your  attendance  here  to-day  and  wishes  to  ex- 
press its  appreciation.  I  mi<rht  say  that  the  committee,  as  you  know, 
has  before  it  the  Johnson  bill,  as  well  as  other  bills.  Spe.-ifically,  it 
has  the  Johnson  bill  before  it.  Xow,  the  Johnson  bill  calls  for  the 
temporary  suspension  of  immi<xration.  The  subject,  therefore,  of 
immiirration  at  t]ie  present  time  lesolves  itself  into  this  immediate 
proposition :  Is  there  any  such  emer<rency  existin<r  at  the  present 
time  that  would  call  for  a  temporary  suspension  of  iinmif;ration 
coverinij  the  time  durino;  which  the  committee  misht  take  up  the 
•reneral  question  of  constructive  or  permanent  le<):;islation  i  I  am 
merely  sayin*!;  to  you  that  the  emer<:ency  feature  is  the  impoilant 
feature  in  reirard  to  the  present  investifjation  which  we  are  makinjr, 
and  the  Johnson  bill  is  based  upon  the  emerfi'ency  j^roposition. 

We  would  be  very  <rlad  to  hear  from  3"ou  upon  tlie  general  subject, 
presentinji-  it  in  such  manner  as  occurs  to  you. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  FREDERICK  A.  WALLIS,  COMMISSIONER  OF 
IMMIGRATION,  ELLIS  ISLAND,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Wallis.  Mr.  Chairman  and  <rentlemen  of  the  committee,  I 
feel  that  the  prol)lem  is  the  most  vital  and  profoundly  serious  prob- 
lem that  is  confrontino;  the  Xation  to-day.  However,  I  do  not  feel 
that  the  problem  is  so  much  immi<rration  as  it  is  the  immi<rrant  liim 
self.  I  do  not  believe  that  immifrration  is  a  national  menace ;  I 
believe  it  is  an  economic  prol)lem:  and  I  feel  confident  that  a  nation 
of  our  intellifience  and  education  Avill  be  able  to  draft  laws  of  a 
humane  character  that  will  take  care  of  the  mental,  phj^sical.  and 
morally  deficient. 

xVs  to  the  hoi'des  of  immifrrants  which  are  clamorinor  to  come  to  this 
country,  personally  I  believe  the  number  is  almost  unlimited.  I 
have  information  that  I  receive  daily  from  the  immigrants  them- 
selves— and  T  am  Avith  them  every  day — and  I  also  <ret  information 

140 


150  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

from  soiuH't's  tliat  are  hiirher  than  tliat  but  I  do  not  think  any  more 
reliah](\ 

Tor  instance,  a  State  senator  said  to  me  only  recently,  when  I  said 
to  him  I  nnderstood  l.OOO.OOO  Italians  wanted  to  come  to  America, 
that  he  had  been  over  there  studyin<r  the  situation,  and  that  he  was 
confitlent  that  there  were  between  :?.0()(),()()()  and  4.U(K).()()()  Italians 
chmiorin<r  to  come  to  America  within  12  months.  And  not  very  lon<r 
a<ro  a  <r('ntleman  who  represented  himself  as  a  member  of  the  imini- 
<^ration  commission  of  The  Hairue,  who  had  some  relation  to  the 
department  of  justice  of  The  Hairue.  came  to  P^llis  Island  and  said 
he  had  been  rea<lin<r  of  tlie  reforms  that  Ave  were  trvin<r  to  institute 
there,  and  that  he  had  come  to  this  country  to  talk  matters  over,  with 
a  view  to  settinir  up  a  bureau  of  immi<riation  in  this  country.  I  said 
to  him.  "Are  you  encourarrinfr  emiirration  from  Hollan<H  If  you 
are,  we  will  take  all  the  Hollanders  that  can  come:  they  have  some 
prior  claim  on  New  York,  anyway."  He  smiled  and  said,  ''Xo:  a 
*rreat  number  of  Hollanders  are  cominfr.  and  we  are  establishing: 
these  headquarters  to  look  after  their  welfare  even  before  they  are 
leavin<r  Holland."'  I  understand  headquarters  have  been  established 
at  Hoboken.  X.  J.  But  before  he  left  in  confidence  he  said  that  just 
before  he  had  left  The  Hafrue  a  commir-sion  came  doAvn  from  a  cer- 
tain country  and  were  seeking  the  <rood  offices  of  The  Ha<rue.  looking; 
to  the  brinfrinnf  of  8,000,000  of  people  to  America  when  peace  was 
declared. 

The  Chairman.  Senator  Dillinfrham  asked  who  this  person  was. 

Mr.  Wallis.  He  was  Dr.  Venstraw. 

Senator  Dili^ingiiam.  Can  you  give  us  his  address  so  that  we  may 
write  him  i 

Mr.  Wallis.  You  can  address  him  at  The  Hague  and  the  communi- 
cation will  reach  him  there.  I  had  a  letter  from  him  aliout  10  days 
ago.  I  said  to  him,  "  Are  von  not  extravagant  in  your  figures  on 
8.000,000?'"     He  said,  ''Xo:'!  am  within  bounds."" 

V\Q  know  that  three  or  four  weeks  ago  there  Avere  811,000  passports 
or  applications  for  passports  on  file  in  Poland,  and  we  were  told  that 
was  only  a  small  part  of  the  crowd  who  were  anxious  to  put  on  file 
their  applications. 

Personallv,  I  feel  that  all  of  Eurojie  is  bending  this  way,  not  that 
they  are  all  coming.  There  is  a  big  difference  between  an  emigrant 
who  wants  to  come  and  one  who  can  come.  There  is  none  of  us  can 
blame  Euroi)e  for  wanting  to  come  that  know  anything  about  the 
conditions  that  have  followed  the  wake  of  the  war,  I  think  the  con- 
ditions in  Europe  to-day,  from  what  I  can  learn,  are  worse  for  the 
people  than  during  the  war,  if  that  were  possible. 

The  C"iTAiuMAN.  Might  I  ask  you,  Mr.  "Wallis.  do  you  think  that 
the  remedy,  then,  for  the  present  situation  in  Europe  is  a  temporary 
suspension  of  immigration  ? 

Mr.  Wam.is.  I  do  not  think  that  I  see  any  good  that  could  come 
out  of  that.  Mr.  Chairman. 

The  temporary  susjjension  of  inmiigration  would  l>e  accompanied 
by  its  exceptions,  and  I  believe  that  those  exceptions  would  be  larffe 
enough  and  heavy  enough  to  take  up  the  entire  cajnicity  of  the 
steamships:  and  that  was  the  point  I  was  leading  to,  sir,  that  after 
all  I  tliiidv  the  advocates  of  suspension,  to  total  exclusionists  on  the 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  151 

one  hand  and  the  open-door  people  on  the  other,  mi.ss  the  whole  point 
at  issue.    That  is  my  personal  opinion. 

The  Chairman.  Commissioner  Wallis,  Avill  you  suspend  for  a  mo- 
ment. Congressman  Kahn  is  here  and  wishes  to  make  a  short  state- 
ment. 

STATEMENT  OF  HON.  JULIUS  KAHN,  MEMBER  OF  CONGRESS  FROM 

CALIFORNIA. 

Mr.  Kahn.  ]\Ir.  Chairman  and  o-entlemen  of  the  committee,  Si- 
mon AA\)lf.  who  probal)ly  is  well  known  to  all  the  members  of  the 
committee,  wanted  to  appear  and  present  his  views  upon  this  ques- 
tion. But  unfortunately  he  is  sick  abed,  and  he  sent  me  word  and 
asked  whether  I  would  not  come  here  just  to  read  his  bnef  state- 
ment ;  and  if  it  is  agreeable  to  the  committee  I  shall  be  very  glad  to 
present  his  views. 

The  Chatr^.ian.  The  committee  will  be  very  glad  to  have  you  do  so. 

Mr.  Kahn  (reading)  : 

Tho  Memi!EI{s  of  thk  Senate  CoMJtrriKE  on  Immigration. 

(Jentikmen:  Illness  prevents  my  personal  appearance  before  your  honorable 
coniniittee. 

As  the  cliairnian  of  the  board  (»f  delegates  on  Civil  Hijrhts  of  the  Union  of 
American  Hebrew  Consi-psations.  and  resident  menilier  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  R"rith,  a  national  and  international 
body,  I  bes  leave  to  sulmiit  in  brief  what  I  consider  essential  in  the  matter  of 
leirislatinjr  on  the  fireat  problem  of  immigration. 

Mr.  Siegel's  amendment  in  regard  to  fugitive  relatives  of  citizens  of  the 
United  States  who  seek  our  shores,  is  a  step  in  the  right  direction. 

In  tlie  annual  report  to  the  executive  committee  of  the  Union  of  Uongrega- 
tions,  tlie  board  of  delegates  speaks  in  emi)hatic  teruLs  of  the  great  proi)lein  of 
inuiiigration  :  that  while  heretofore  it  was  largely  a  measure  not  only  of  senti- 
ment liut  of  practical  statesmanship  to  be  lil)eral  in  legishition,  the  board  could 
not  forego  the  fact  that  owing  to  the  present  unrest  prevailing  all  over  the 
world,  and  tlie  abnormal  onrush  of  immigration,  that  a  temporary  restriction 
had  l)ecome  essential,  but  modified  so  as  to  jiermit  the  landing  of  such  refugees 
as  had  relatives  here  who  were  citizens  of  the  United  States. 

Tlie  above  report  also  discusses  quite  exhaustively  rhe  literacy  test,  which  I 
consider  a  grievous  l)lunder  on  the  part  of  a  former  Congress.  It  is  brawn  and 
bniin  that  is  neede<l.  and  that  is  never  dangerous.  The  dangerous  inimigrati<m 
comes  ill  the  shape  of  anarchists,  so'-ialists.  revolutionisrs.  and  bolshevik!,  who 
are  capalile  of  speaking,  reading,  and  writing  seven  languages  and  patriotic  in 
none.  The  other  day  a  steamer  brought  2,.")00  canary  birds,  singing  from  port 
to  port,  yet  incapable  of  any  other  act  of  lia])iiiness  save  that  of  their  glorious 
.song.  So  the  immigrant  capable  of  working  brings  a  valualile  asset  to  the 
wealth  of  the  Naticm  without  endangering  its  future. 

While  the  organizations  I  have  the  honor  to  represent  are  both  .Tewish  in 
faith,  they  are  thoroughly  patriotic  in  the  object  to  be  attained.  This  legisla- 
tion is  regarded  by  them  from  the  standi»oint  of  Americanization,  and  the  per- 
petuity of  our  institutions.  We  are  as  intensely  devoted  to  the  principles  of 
our  UfOvernment  and  to  the  Americaiiizaticm  of  all  our  peojile  as  any  other 
liortioii  of  our  common  citizenship.  Why  not  pass  an  act  temjiorarily  restric- 
tive until  absolute  peace  has  been  declared  between  all  the  Nations,  giving  the 
President  cle<-t  the  iiower  to  suspend  or  continue  the  act  until  conditions,  look- 
ing toward  a  permanent  solution  of  all  our  problems'sliall  have  brought  the 
attentic^ii  of  Congress  for  an  amelioration  of  the  legislation  or  a  still  further 
temporary  continuation. 

Hon.  Adolf  Kraus,  president  of  the  Independent  Order  of  B'nai  B'rith  in  his 
message  to  the  quinciuennial  convention  of  that  order  held  in  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
in  May  last,  took  high  ground  on  the  subject  of  undesirable  immigration  and 
in  favor  of  complete  Americanization,  and  which  declaration  was  during  the 
convention   adopted  by  a  rising  vote,  which  showed  the  temper  and  patriotic 


152  EMERGEXt'Y    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

fervor  of  that  convention  on  and  apainst  nndesirable  innnifrration.  and  the 
education  of  all  oiu*  citizens  alonjr  tlie  lines  of  Aniericanization  wliicii  has  made 
i.ur  jrreat  llei)ui)lic  a  lionie  for  the  oiii)ressed  of  all  nations,  and  in  addition  to 
this  Mr.  Kraus  has  since  written  to  nie  in  answer  to  a  letter  of  mine  as  to  his 
stand  on  the  hill  in  question,  in  part  as  follows: 

•'  We  have  jrone  <»n  record  as  beins  opposed  to  permit  undesirable  emigrants 
to  land.  That  must  apply  to  our  people  as  well  as  people  of  other  creeds.  It 
will  lie  diflicult,  however,  to  secure  an  agreement  as  to  what  cou.stitutes  un- 
deslrability." 

One  of  the  great  mysteries  of  the  present  situation  is  that  prior  to  the  war 
there  were  no  unenipl(»yed.  Ten  millions  if  not  more  of  men  have  been  killed 
or  maimwl,  and  yet  the  cry  Ls  "  unemployed."  This  is  a  suh.iect  of  supreme  im- 
portance to  be  studied  and  investipateil  along  with  the  pending  bill. 

And  finally,  why  not  have  an  international  conference  in  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington, and  secure  by  diplomatic  arrangement,  a  solution  of  this  vexed  problem 
of  immigration'.' 

Respectfully  submitted. 

Simon  Wolf. 

Cliainiwn  of  the  Board  of  Dclcpatcs  on  Civil  Rights  of  the  Union  of  American 
Hehrrir  Contncdutions,  and  Resident  Member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
B'mii   B'rith. 

^Ir.  Kaiix.  I  thank  you  very  much. 

^Ir.  Wallis  (resuming).  It  makes  no  difference.  Mr.  Chairman, 
Avhether  the  number  who  are  chimoring  to  come  to  this  country  is 
10.000.000  or  'io.OOO.OOO,  as  given  out  by  the  commissioner  general  of 
immigration  in  London  the  other  day.  or  if  it  is  lO.OOO.OOO.  There  is 
only  a  certain  number  of  people  who  can  be  brought  to  this  coimtry 
yearly,  as  a  maximum.  I  was  with  the  steamship  people  not  long  ago 
and  had  figured  out  about  what  I  thought  could  be  brought  here,  and 
they  said  my  figures  were  liberal.  I  asked  the  president  of  the  largest 
trans- Atlantic  company,  and  then  again  saw  the  secretary  of  the 
steamship  company  conferences,  which  take  in  all  of  the  steam- 
ships— the  North  Atlantic,  the  Southern,  and  the  Continental — and 
I  assimied  that  there  were  100  Aessels  bringing  steerage  to  this 
country,  and  they  said  there  were  about  85.  But  I  took  100  as  a 
figure.'  and  I  saicl.  "Would  1.000  immigrants  be  sufficient:  woiild 
that  be  an  average  for  the  carrying  capacity  of  each  ship  t  "  They 
said.  "  Yes:  800  would  cover  it."'  I  took  1.000  for  an  easy  figure,  and 
then  I  said.  "About  how  many  round  trips  will  a  ship  make  in  a 
year?  Would  10  trips  cover  "it  ?  "  And  they  said.  "They  would 
not  make  10 :  some  of  our  vessels  make  12  trips,  but  very  few  make 
more  than  10.  and  most  of  them  make  10."  Next  I  assumed  10 
round  trips.  Therefore,  if  we  had  1.000  people  on  each  of  those 
vessels,  we  would  have  100.000  people  on  one  trip,  and  in  10  trips  we 
would  have  1.000.000  immigrants. 

Then  I  set  aside  about  300.000  for  first  and  second  cabin,  and  that 
fives  us  a  total  aggregate  of  1.300.000.  which.  l)y  the  way.  is  15.000 
more  than  the  high  peak  of  innnigration  in  1017.  which  was  brought 
to  a  sudden  end  bv  the  money  panic.  I  think  the  war  record  shows 
that  during  the  war.  with  Canada's  help,  with  all  the  shii)s  on  the 
ocean  we  found  it  difficult  to  send  2.000.000  of  people  to  the  other  side. 
So  it  is  not  a  question  of  how  many  people  are  clamoring  to  come: 
that  is  interesting,  to  be  sure.  But  the  que.stion  in  my  mind,  as 
imnuLn-ation  commissioner  at  Ellis  Island,  is  what  we  are  going  to 
pick  out  of  the  25.000.000  or  more  who  want  to  come.  It  seems  to 
me  we  should  have  the  right  and  a  perfect  right  to  skim  the  cream 
off  of  this  great  crowd  who  want  to  come  here,  and  that  that  skimming 
should  begin  on  the  other  side  and  not  here. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  153 

Senator  Dillingham.  Mr.  Commissioner,  will  you  tell  us  about 
how  main'  of  the  immigrant  class  could  come  on  the  ships  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  About  1,300,000,  at  most.  That  would  include  the 
hiofher  class,  or  the  man  in  silks  and  satins — first  and  second  cabin. 

The  Chairman.  Would  that  also  include  nonimmigrants;  that  is, 
those  who  come  here  temporarily? 

Mr.  Wallis.  That  includes  everything  they  can  bring. 

Senator  Nugent.  And  that  estimate  is  based  on  the  proposition 
that  there  will  be  no  further  increase  in  the  number  of  ships? 

Mr.  A\'allis.  I  am  glad  you  asked  that  (luestiou.  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  When  you  use  the  word  *'  immigrant "  in  your 
calculations 

Mr,  Wallis.  When  I  use  that  word  I  mean  aliens. 

The  Chairman.  But  do  you  include  the  nonimmigrants,  or  those 
who  come  here  temporarily,  in  your  estimate? 

Mv.  Wallis.  That  includes  everything  in  the  steerage. 

The  Chairman.  Is  it  not  true  that  the  statistics  show  that  pos- 
sibly 25  or  30  per  cent  of  the  so-called  steerage  passengers  are  of  the 
nonimmigrant  class  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes — who  go  back. 

The  Chairman.  Therefore  your  estimate  of  1.300.000.  or  something 
of  that  kind,  would  include  those  who  come  here  temporarily,  ancl 
the  nonimmigrant  class? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes.  sir. 

The  Chairman.  Now,  if  you  should  deduct  the  nonimmigrant 
class,  roughly,  from  the  strictly  immigrant  class,  would  that  reduce 
your  number  that  could  be  transported  to  about  1.000,000  or  some- 
thing of  the  kind? 

Mr.  Wallis.  To  about  1.000,000?     Yes;  a  little  less  than  that. 

Senator  Sterling.  Is  not  the  great  proportion  of  steerage  pas- 
sengers— in  fact,  nearly  all  of  them — Commissioner  Wallis,  immi- 
grants ? 

^Ir.  Wallis.  They  come  with  a  view  of  staying,  and  they  change 
their  minds  sometimes  afterwards.  I  find  that  all  these  people — and 
I  go  down  quite  frequently  and  go  through  the  steerage,  as  I  have 
been  trying  to  clear  up  the  physical  aspect  of  it — and  they  all  say 
they  are  coming  to  stay.  It  mav  he  that  they  think  that  that  is  a 
passport  for  them  to  say  tliat.  But  I  find  that  all  of  them  expect  to 
lemnin  in  this  country,  while  they  do  not  all  remain. 

Senator  Dillingham.  If  that  is  so,  on  what  basis  does  the  de- 
partment make  its  statements?  I  ask  that  because  in  every  statement 
they  put  out  they  give  the  number  of  nonaliens  and  the  number  of 
immigrant  aliens. 

Mr.  Wallis.  AVhat  was  the  point  of  the  question?    Excuse  me. 

Senator  Dillingham.  If.  as  vou  say.  they  all  intend  to  stay,  where 
does  the  departnient  get  its  figures,  because  every  statement  they 
put  out  shows  a  division  into  two  classes? 

Mr.  Wallis.  That  is  ])erfectly  right.  If  the  department  has  the 
figures,  they  are  made  up  from  tlie  actual  number  who  arrive. 

The  CirAiR:MAN.  During  the  month  of  July  the  number  of  immi- 
grants, according  to  the  detailed  statement  of  the  de])artment,  was 
25.113.  and  the  nonimmigrants  2.782. 

Mr.  Wallis.  It  is  possible  that  when  these  aliens  are  brought  to 
the  final  test,  and  when  they  declare  their  intentions,  a  great  many 


154  KMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

of  tlieni  chan<re  their  minds.  You  know,  when  the  alien  comes  up, 
for  instance,  l)efore  the  inspector,  he  is  very  much  fri«rhtened.  We 
frecjuently  see  the  alien  when  he  can  not  talk:  he  can  not  give  you  a 
sane  answer:  in  fact,  he  does  not  know  what  to  say.  It  is  very  hard 
at  times  to  <ret  the  truth  out  of  them,  and  were  it  not  for  the  inter- 
l^reter,  who  is  kind  to  them.  1  tliink  we  would  <ret  an  entirely  diti'er- 
ent  imjiression  from  what  the  man  seeks  to  nuike. 

Senator  Dillixoiiam.  Is  it  not  true.  ^Ir.  ^^'allis,  that  these  state- 
ments are  made  up  from  the  declarations  of  those  who  are  arriving? 

Mr.  AVallis.  Yes.  sir: 

Senator  Dillingham.  And  is  there  anj'^  terrorism  in  those  exami- 
nations that  would  lead  them  to  make  false  statements? 

^Ir.  "\A'allis.  There  is  no  terrorism.  Senator.  But  there  is  a  great 
feelinrr  of  timidity.  You  have  to  know  the  spirit  and  the  tempera- 
ment of  the  alien  to  really  appreciate  his  condition.  He  does  come 
over  here  fri<zhtened.  I  do  not  say  he  is  not  f rifrhtened :  I  do  not 
say  he  is  not  excited.  He  is  looking  for  something  that  he  has  been 
dreaming  of  for  years,  and  he  stands  with  a  good  deal  of  temerity 
and  timidity  before  the  bar  of  justice,  so  to  speak,  because,  after  all, 
Ellis  Island  is  nothing  but  a  great  judgment  day  to  those  people;  it 
is  the  very  final  day  of  assize.  They  come  up  there  and  we  separate 
the  sheep  from  the  goats,  and  they  are  wondering  which  side  they 
are  going  to  stand  on. 

Senator  Dillincjiiam.  What  is  the  object  of  their  lying? 

]Mr.  AVallis.  There  are  aliens  in  certain  parts  of  this  country  we 
do  not  get  mucii  out  of  except  lies.  They  are  people  who  come  from 
not  many  countries,  but  from  some  countries  where  we  have  a  great 
deal  of  trouble  getting  the  truth.  I  am  not  saying  those  are  Euro- 
pean countries. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Do  you  mean  that  the  statements  are  not 
correct  as  given  out  by  the  department  ? 

^Ir.  Wallis.  Xo.  sir:  they  are  correct  so  far  as  I  know. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Those  statements  are  made  by  the  arriving 
aliens  at  Ellis  Island,  are  they  not  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes.  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Where  are  they  tabulated  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Everything  is  tabulated  in  Washington.  I  have  been 
at  Ellis  Island  only  a  few  months.  Before  I  went  to  Ellis  Island 
the  statistical  division  was  moved  to  Washington,  and  those  figures 
are  all  compiled  and  made  up  in  Washington  in  the  Department  of 
Labor.  They  are  made  from  the  sheets  from  their  declarations,  and 
those  sheets  are  made  up  on  the  ships  by  the  purser:  that  is  the 
manifest  sheet  we  go  by.  When  the  alien  comes  we  open  up  this  big 
manifest  sheet,  and  we  check  each  one  by  that  sheet. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  AVallis.  we  are  speaking  of  European  condi- 
tions. Do  you  think  the  conditions  in  Europe  have  changed  sub- 
stantially since  the  1st  of  July? 

Mr.  AVallis.  No,  sir;  I  do  not.  unless  thievery  and  robl)ery  have 
grown  a  little  worse. 

The  Chairman.  Then,  if  they  have  not  changed,  in  your  opin- 
ion, since  the  1st  of  July,  should  not  the  conditions  which  you  dis- 
close in  Europe  be  reflected  in  the  numi)er  of  immisriants  arriving 
in  this  country?     Now,  assuming  the   same  conditions  existed  in 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  155 

July  that  exist  to-day,  is  it  not  very  remarkable,  when  Ave  come 
clown  to  the  fact,  that  we  find  in  September  onlv  96.400  arrived  and 
31,000  went  away;  in  October  only  101,000  arrived  and  33,000  went 
away;  and  in  November  only  1()3,()00  arrived  and  31,000  went  away; 
in  other  words,  no  increase  in  the  actual  number  of  immi^jrants 
comin<r  into  this  country  durincj  the  last  four  months!? 

]Mr.  AValijs.  Do  you  not  think  that  the  reason  why  the  increase 
is  not  shown  is  because  we  have  had  no  increase  in  carry ino;  facili- 
ties? 

The  Chairman.  Then,  you  mean  it  comes  to  the  question  of 
transportation  ? 

Mr.  Wali.is.  Absolutely;  but  3^ou  see,  if  I  may  break  in,  here 
is  a  telegram  that  bears  upon  this 

The  Chairman  (interposino:).  Ri<jht  there,  because  I  think  the 
cjuestion  of  transportation  has  an  important  bearing  upon  this 
emer<rency  problem,  could  you  tell  us  the  name  of  some  person  who 
is  familiar  with  the  ciuestion  of  transportation,  could  you  ^ive  us 
the  information,  such  as  you  have  already  testified  to? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes,  sir;  you  can  jret  that  information  from  Mr. 
Morse,  who  is  the  g^eneral  secretary  of  the  steamship  companies; 
that  is.  the  combination  of  all  the  steamships. 

The  Chairman.  May  I  ask  the  committee  if  I  have  the  permission 
to  telegraph  Mr.  Morse  to  come? 

Several  Members  of  the  Co-'^ocittee.  Certainly. 

Mr.  AVallis.  And  also  jNIr.  "Whatmough.  of  the  Cunard  Line,  at  21 
State  Street.  Senator,  here  is  a  telegram  that  bears  upon  this  some- 
Avhat.  When  I  received  your  telegram  I  came  on  the  first  train 
I  could  get.  and  when  I  left  last  night  on  the  late  train,  I  asked 
that  a  telegram  be  sent  me  showing  the  number  of  arrivals  at  the 
port  during  November  and  December — that  is,  at  the  Xew  York 
l)ort — through  our  port  alone.     [Reading:] 

Ellis  Island.  N.  Y..  .Junaunj  3. 
Hon.  V.  A.  Wallis. 

Room  32.),  Seuate  Office  BuihUnij: 

Alien  arrivals  this  port  in  Novemher.  01,101;  and  in  December,  07,310. 

Uhl. 

Senator  Nugent.  Reverting  again  to  this  question  of  transporta- 
tion, have  3'ou  any  personal  knowledge  in  respect  to  that  matter? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  have  personal  knowledge  about  this.  Senator,  that 
every  ship  that  comes  in  is  crowded  to  its  full  carrying  capacity. 

Senator  Nugent.  Your  information  concurs  with  my  understand- 
ing that  there  is  a  tremendous  number  of  people  in  the  different 
countries  of  Europe  who  are  desirous  of  coming  to  the  United  States? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Great  numbers. 

Senator  Nugent.  And  that  each  ship  that  comes  to  this  country 
is  crowded  to  its  capacity? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Nugent.  It  is  my  understanding  also  that  the  carrying  I 

of  i^assengers  under  existing  conditions  is  a  lucrative  business  and  j 
may  continue  to  be  such  for  a  number  of  years? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Exceedingly  so,  I  should  judge. 

Senator  Nugent.  Assuming  that  the  premise  upon  which  your 
statements  is  based  is  correct,  is  it  not  at  least  reasonable  to  assume 


156  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

that  there  Avill  l)e  a  very  considerable  increase  in  the  number  of 
passentrer-carryin^  sliips  (hirintr  the  next  year? 

Mr.  "Wallis.  If  our  business  men  are  alert  and  a])reast  of  the  times, 
I  should  say  so. 

Senator  Dii.ltxoham.  Rijiht  in  connection  with  the  Senator's  ques- 
tion about  this  imnii*:ration  matter,  will  you  tell  us  what  percentajre 
of  it  is  nuide  up  of  women  and  children  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  "We  do  not  have  those  fifrures  at  Ellis  Island,  but  I 
can  <rive  you  my  personal  impressions. 

Senator  Dii.ijxgham.  I  would  rather  have  the  figrures.  Mr.  Wallis. 
You  are  an  official  of  the  Government. 

Mr.  "Wallis.  "We  can  o:et  those  fifrures  for  you.  As  I  say,  those 
fiofures  are  not  made  up  at  Ellis  Island.  I  find  this.  Senator,  that  I 
think  the  division  is  pretty  equal. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Pretty  nearly  equal  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes.  sir:  that  is  my  judfrment. 

Senator  Dillingham.  As  many  females  as  males? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes.  sir.  Of  course,  some  ships  brinjr  more  males 
and  other  ships  brinp:  more  females.  There  is  one  thincr  that  enters 
into  that,  and  that  is  that  before  the  war  I  understand  that  fathers 
and  brothers  and  uncles  came  to  this  country  to  establish  a  home — 
"  feather  the  nest  "  as  it  were — for  these  people  to  come  over,  and 
when  they  were  ready  they  would  send  for  them.  The  war  inter- 
vened, and.  of  course,  these  people  could  not  come,  and  so  when  I 
have  asked  certain  societies  why  it  is  there  seemed  to  be  a  grood  many 
women  and  children  comins:  of  a  certain  race  or  nationality,  it  is 
stated  that  these  people  are  comintr  to  fathers,  brothers,  and  uncles, 
or  that  their  families,  who  have  been  decimated  by  the  war,  have 
relatives  on  this  side  who  ofuarantee  that  they  will  not  become  a 
public  charore.  and  they  look  to  America  for  their  home. 

Senator  Dillingham.  That  is  exactly  what  I  wanted  to  ascertain 
from  you.  Is  that  true  of  all  the  nations,  or  jiarticularly  true  of  in- 
dividual nations.  Take  Poland,  for  instance.  AVe  had  some  testimony 
offered  about  that. 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  think  there  is  more  of  it  as  to  Poland  than  an}'- 
where  else. 

Senator  Dillingham.  ]\Iore  women? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes.  sir;  more  women  and  children. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  find  from  looking:  at  the  record  that  be- 
tween 1901  and  1910.  the  proportion  of  Polish  females  coming:  in  was 
only  30  ])er  cent  of  the  Avhole  ? 

^Ir.  AVallis.  Of  females? 

Senator  Dillingham.  Of  females.  But  you  say  now  tliat  you 
think,  as  a  whole,  they  are  pretty  nearly  equal  and  that  frt)in  Poland 
there  are  more  females  coming:? 

^Ir.  Wallis.  The  record  shows  quite  an  increase.  ♦  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  a  man  said  to  me  not  long:  a£:o.  who  represented  an  org:anization 
which  had  what  he  termed,  as  I  remember,  a  "committee."  at  least  a 
representative,  in  Poland,  and  he  said.  ''  You  may  be  prepared  to 
receive  1.000  Polish  people  a  week  for  5'2  weeks."  and  I  said.  "How 
do  you  know  that  ?  "  He  said.  "  Our  committee  is  over  there,  and  they 
have  informed  me."  I  said.  *'  You  are  breaking:  the  immifrration  law, 
then.'*    "  Oh,  no:*'  he  said,  '*  our  people  over  there  are  corraling  the 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGKATIOX    LEGISLATION.  157 

families  which  have  been  broken  up  during  the  war  and  we  are  bring- 
ing  them  over." 

That  may  account  in  a  hirge  measure  for  so  many  women  and 
children  coming  from  that  particular  country.  But  here  is  the  thing, 
Senator:  Tliere  are  so  many  people  coming  over  here  without  any 
means  of  subsistence.  They  have  no  money.  I  had  a  statement  made 
up  recently,  to  see  why  it  was  we  were  having  so  many  detentions  at 
P-illis  Island.  We  are  sleeping  them  on  the  floor;  we  are  doing  every- 
thing that  we  can  to  take  care  of  them,  and  are  working  day  and 
night.  Xight  before  last  I  did  not  get  to  bed  until  2  o'clock,  and  it 
was  midnight  last  night.  One  night  we  slept  1,000  people  on  the 
floor.  I  suppose  half  of  them  did  not  have  blanket.s — since  then  I 
have  got  blankets,  but  the  cause  of  that  detention  is  that  so  many  of 
these  people  are  coming  without  funds.  I  have  ascertained  that  on 
three  steamships  there  were  1.000  people  Avho  had  less  than  $1. 
^A  hat  are  we  going  to  do  Avith  them? 

Senator  Phelax.  The  steamship  companies  are  familiar  with  the 
law.    Why  do  they  take  them  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Suppose,  Senator,  some  of  those  people  are  expecting 
to  get  money  when  they  arrive.  That  does  not  avoid  the  detention. 
Many  of  the  steamship  companies  tell  me  that  the  immigrants  are 
robbed  in  transit :  and  the  tragedy  of  the  thing  is  that  they  are 
•  being  robbed  at  the  port  of  embarkation.  At  Danzig,  I  understand, 
the  ]:)eople  are  in  camps  and  barracks  waiting  to  come  to  this  country; 
thousands  of  them  in  line. 

Some  immigrant  women  told  me  the  other  day  that  these  people 
were  being  robbed,  and  I  thought  I  Avould  go  down  the  bay  and  go 
on  the  ship  and  talk  Avith  these  people  before  the}^  got  off  at  the 
island  and  had  an  opportunity  to  meet  any  one  at  all,  relatives  or 
friends.  I  saw  one  woman  Avho  had  five  children,  and  she  did  not 
have  enough  clothing  on  her  to  be  decently  clad  to  go  on  the  streets, 
but  who  was  l)ound  for  Chicago.  Slie  had  $1.09.  Another  woman, 
with  three  children,  going  to  Pittsburgh,  had  ST.25 ;  a  great  many 
people  had  nothing.  I  said,  '•  AVhy  is  this  ? ''  ''  Well,  at  Danzig  we 
have  to  take  a  sanitary  bath,  and  Ave  check  our  stuff,  and  when  we 
come  out  no  one  knows  us  and  the  check  is  not  recognized.  The  man 
Avho  checked  our  stuff  is  not  here."  ''  What  kind  of  a  man  Avas  he?  " 
"A  tall  man.  Avith  black  mustache."  "  He  is  not  here."  Family  after 
family  are  relating  that  story.  In  one  instance  two  girls  were  actually 
pulled  by  the  hair  out  of  line  and  robbed  and  sent  back  home:  and 
a  great  many  people  Avho  came  to  the  port  of  eml)arkation  Avhen  they 
get  here,  because  the  money  has  been  taken  from  them,  go  back. 

I  took  this  up  with  the  steamship  company  and  sent  them  the 
figures.  There  Avere  1,700  on  these  three  boats  that  had  less  than  $20. 
I  said,  ''  If  you  Avant  to  unload  the  people  in  this  port,  you  have  to 
bring  people  here  Avith  money.  We  can  not  take  these  peoj^le  who 
will  become  a  public  charge."  faster  than  accommodations  Avill  pro- 
A'ide,"  and  they  have  to  Avait  for  relatives,  friends,  societies,  or  some- 
body to  come  and  guarantee  they  will  not  become  a  public  charge.  So 
they  sent  a  cable  to  the  other  side,  l)ut  I  do  not  see  that  is  has  proA'ed 
effectiA-e,  because  1  haA-e  had  a  ncAv  table  made  up  Avhich  I  Avill  be  glad 
to  send  the  committee,  where  we  haA'e  received  over  8,000  people  dur- 
ing six  months  Avith  less  than  $20.  and  4,000  with  no  monev  at  all. 


158  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

My  contention,  fjentlemen.  is  that  this  whole  thiiijr  in  some  way, 
Avhether  by  letjislation  or  diplomatic  a<riv(Mnent  or  reciprocal  iinder- 
standinir,  has  ^rot  to  be  handled  on  the  other  side,  not  only  from  the 
standpoint  of  humanity,  but  it  is  i)oor  business  to  brin<r  people  here 
■without  funds.  I  do  not  know  what  you  would  think  of  a  man  who 
would  handle  his  business  that  way.  Suppose  we  brou<rht  all  the 
wheat  to  New  York  with  the  straw  and  chaff.  Flour  wouhl  be  woilh 
$100  a  barrel.  Suppose  coal  was  br()u<riit  to  market  with  the  slate 
and  dirt  and  the  refuse;  sui)pose  we  took  the  run  of  tiie  mine.  If  we 
do  not  take  the  run  of  the  coal  mine,  why  should  we  take  tiie  run  of 
humanity? 

The  first  day  I  was  at  Ellis  Island — and  I  knew  nothin<r  of  immi- 
jrration.  thouufh  I  knew  the  immi<rrant — I  said,  "Why  is  notall  this 
culliufr  done  on  the  other  side?  "  I  am  a  farmer,  and  I  buy  a  jrreat 
many  cattle.  I  j)resume  I  handle  some  years  800  or  i)00  head  of 
cattle.  ^Vhen  I  buy  cattle  I  cull  them  out  at  the  cattle  pens.  I  will 
not  c()mi)are  tliese  people  to  cattle,  but  I  do  say  they  are  bein":  treated 
a  irood  deal  like  cattle  to-day  in  the  steera<re  of  some  of  these  ships, 
and  that  they  should  be  selected  on  the  other  side. 

The  Chairman.  In  an  article  published  by  you  a  week  or  two  a<ro 
in  the  Xew  York  Tribune  is  what  appears  to  be  a  very  freneral  state- 
ment of  the  arrivals  here.  You  remember  the  article  in  the  Xew 
York  Tribune  of  Sunday.  Was  not  your  jieneral  comment  there  that 
the  immifrrants  arriving  were  of  the  desirable  class,  and  did  you  not 
give  specific  instances  of  different  classes? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  believe,  Mr.  Chairman,  and  the  jjeople  who  have 
been  in  the  Immi<rration  Service  at  Ellis  Island  told  me.  that  immi- 
gration is  above  the  averafre.  I  believe  Ave  are  ^ettin<r  some  of  the 
best  immiofration  we  have  ever  had.  and  I  believe  Ave  are  ^retting 
some  of  the  worst. 

The  Chairman.  Let  me  ask  you  another  question:  We  have  a  hnv 
largely  framed  by  the  Senator  upon  my  right  [Senator  Dillingham]. 
Does  not  that  laAv,  if  it  Avas  enforced,  include  undesirables^  Is  there 
not  a  mental  and  a  physical  and  a  moral  and  an  educationl  test 
proA'ided.  and  also  a  test  Avith  regard  to  anarchists?  If  the  machinery 
provided  by  the  present  immigration  law  Avas  fully  enforced.  Avould 
it  not  exclude  Avhat  Me  call  "undesirables"?  If  undesirables  were 
excluded  under  the  present  law.  then  we  Avould  come  doAvn  to  the 
proposition  of  the  admission  or  exclusion  of  desirables.  Xoav.  is  not 
part  of  the  condition  that  you  are  speaking  of  due  to  the  fact  that 
the  present  statute  is  not  stricly  enforced — I  will  not  give  the  reasons 
why:  I  am  not  blaming  any  officials;  they  may  not  have  enough 
help.  But  if  you  are  going  to  frame  legislation  and  that  legislation 
is  nf)t  enforced  Avhat  good  does  it  do  to  frame  these  complictited  hnvs? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  think  it  would  be  futile. 

The  CiLMRMAN.  We  haAC  a  law  noAv  on  the  statute  book  Avith 
regard  to  undesirables  framed  for  the  A'ery  purpose  of  excluding 
them,  and  that  was  the  sole  purpose  of  the  literacy  test,  I  umler- 
stand — not  that  it  Avas  a  good  test,  but  that  it  excluded  certain  people 
that  Ave  thought  it  Avise  to  exclude,  and  it  has  actually  excluded 
300.000  or  400.000  a  year  Avhen  immigration  Avas  at  its  height.  ^Ye 
are  trying  to  deal  with  remedies.  Xoav.  have  you  not  any  remedies 
to  suiTirest  as  to  Avhat  should  be  done? 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  159 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes,  sir.  It  is  not  an  easy  thin^r  to  su<r^est  remedies 
for  a  proposition  as  bi^  as  this,  with  its  ramifications  reaching  into 
every  nation  in  the  workl. 

The  Chairman.  Mi<rht  I  just  interrupt — and  I  will  not  do  it 
again — do  you  believe  that  the  remedy  lies  in  the  temporary  sus- 
pension of  immigration  for  the  period  of  a  year  or  longer  i 

Mr.  Wai.lis.  Not  at  all,  sir.  It  does  not  lie  in  that.  If  you  should 
suspend  immigration  for  a  year,  and  we  should  have  more  ships  built 
in  the  meantime,  you  will  have  more  people  at  the  end  of  the  3'ear 
than  you  have  now. 

Senator  Johnson.  Oh.  yes:  l)ut  let  us  make  that  a  little  plainer. 
Suppose  you  suspend  for  a  year,  in  order  to  give  opportunity  to  deter- 
mine the  appropriate  mode  in  which  you  should  act.  and  witliin  that 
year  it  be  determined  that  there  is  going  to  be  this  influx  into  the 
country  that  you  suggest,  would  a  further  period  of  restriction 
then  be  any  remedy  for  the  conditions  that  you  refer  to  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Senator,  as  all  these  restrictions  are  accompanied  by 
exceptions 

Senator  Johnson  (interposing).  I  grant  that,  and  I  think  I  under- 
stand what  you  say.  that  our  remedy  is  on  the  other  side.  That  is 
first  what  you  suggest,  is  it  not  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  quite  agree  with  you.  But  let  us  assume  that 
the  remedy  is  not  afforded  us  of  doing  the  work  upon  the  other  side. 
Let  us  assume  that  we  continue  upon  the  other  side  just  as  lax  in 
the  future  as  we  have  been  in  the  past.  Then  will  you  say  that  we 
ought  to  have  some  remedy  of  restriction  or  limitation? 

]\Ir.  Wallis.  I  believe  in  restriction,  which  within  itself  is  limita- 
tion. But  I  do  not  see  where  we  are  going  to  get  the  suspension  unless 
it  is  a  suspension  that  has  a  very  long  span  to  it. 

Senator  Harrison.  Then  you  would  advocate  a  longer  suspension? 

Mr.  Wallis.  If  we  are  going  to  do  anything  at  all.  And  that  brings 
up  a  great  economic  question,  gentlemen.  When  you  touch  on  that 
end  it  flies  back  at  the  other.  Personally  I  feel  that  this  country, 
even  to-day,  is  in  need  of  clean-minded,  clean-hearted,  clean-limbed 
immigration. 

As  an  illustration,  a  committee  came  down  from  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  from  Detroit  to  see  me.  and  they  said,  "  We  Avant  no  more 
male  immigration."  I  said,  **  AVhy  ?  "  "  People  are  walking  the 
streets  for  lack  of  work.''  And  yet  right  across  the  country  at  Peoria, 
111.,  not  very  fai  aAvay.  the  president  of  what  I  understand  to  be  the 
largest  industrial  institution  out  there,  a  great  friend  of  the  governor 
of  Illinois,  came  to  see  me  and  said,  "  I  am  here  to  spend  several  days, 
Mr.  Commissioner,  and  I  want  several  hundred  men  at  $8  a  day  to  do 
common  labor."'  AVithin  two  weeks,  I  will  say,  of  the  same  time, 
Akron,  Ohio,  said  they  wanted  no  more  immigration:  and  yet  at 
Columbus,  Ohio,  the  head  of  a  big  concern  wrote  me  a  letter  wanting 
•200  immigrants  at  $8.50  a  day  to  do  skilled  labor.  Recently  the  vice 
president  of  the  Chicago.  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  with  two 
otlier  officials,  came  to  Kllis  Island.  I  thought  they  were  seeking 
traffic.  Tliey  said.  "  "\)'i'  are  not  looking  for  freight  or  passenger 
traffic.  \Miat  we  want  is  people  to  go  into  the  Dakotas  and  out  AVest 
to  settle  up  our  country,"'  and  he  made  this  illuminating  statement — 
the  vice  president  of  the  St.  Paul  Railroad — he  said,  "  Xext  year, 


160  KMERGEXCV    IMMIGRATION    LEOISLATIOX, 

19'21  " — this  was.  I  supi)ose.  two  months  a<ro — "  60  per  cent  of  the 
around  tilled  in  the  Dakotas  this  year" — that  is,  192() — "will  ^o 
untilled  in  1921  for  the  lack  of  labor."" 

Now.  I  am  L^ettin*/  that  same  cry  from  the  South  and  Southwest, 
and  from  all  over  the  country.  There  is  con<re-^tion  in  certain  cities: 
and  you  can  iro  down  into  our  <rreat  rear  room,  with  hundreds  of 
pec*pie  standin«r  in  line,  and  question  them.  askin<r  them  as  to  their 
destination,  and  you  can  count  on  the  finjrers  of  your  hand  prac- 
tically where  all  tho^'  people  are  L^oinfr. 

Senator  Johnson.  Are  they  *roin<r  to  the  a«rricultural  districts; 

Mr.  Wallis.  Xo,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  They  will  not  j^o  there,  will  they? 

Mr.  "Wai.lis.  I  do  not  know  anythin«r  about  it.  Here  is  the 
trouble.  Senator:  They  are  followin<r  in  the  wake  of  their  cojmtry- 
men  who  have  ^one  before  and  their  relatives.  If  you  lived  in  New 
York  or  Chicajzo  you  would  see  what  I  am  talkiuL'  about,  and  you 
would  appreciate  it.  It  is  in  the  city  where  all  kinds  of  danjrerous 
elements  are  at  work.  I  consider  the  city  is  the  place  where  all 
the.se  criminal  classes  are  recruited,  and  it  is  certainly  where  anarchy 
and  bolshevism  are  fanninof  the  fires  of  discontent :  it  is  where  the 
statute  book  is  trampled  underfoot  and  lauirhed  at.  until  we  have 
holdups  by  men  in  the  middle  of  the  street  in  the  middle  of  the  day 
there  in  New  York — and  you  can  trace  it  all  to  the  foreiini  side. 
AVhere  does  it  come  from  (  I  think  it  comes  from  the  conirested  dis- 
tricts in  the  cities.  Those  peojiie  are  driven  to  where  they  have  not 
enou<rh  to  eat,  no  housins:  conditions.  By  way  of  justification  they 
claim  they  are  not  given  a  fair  show  to  earn  an  honest  livin<r.  and  so 
they  go  out  declaring  war  a«rainst  trovernment  and  ajrainst  (iod:  and 
we  have  got  to  do  something  like  that. 

Senator  Phel.\n.  You  said  thei'e  is  employment  at  S8  a  day  for 
men  in  Columbus.  Ohio  { 

^Ir.  AVallis.  For  unskilled  labor. 

Senator  Phelan.  And  what  became  of  that  application  I  You 
could  not  supply  the  men? 

Mr.  Wallis.  We  can  not  touch  them. 

Senator  Phelan.  AVhy? 

Mr.  AA'aleis.  AVe  have  no  right  to. 

Senator  Phelan.  "Was  there  any  agency  to  take  up  an  application 
of  that  kind  i 

Ml-.  Wallls.  The  Department  of  L.ibor  has.  Senator,  in  the  last 
60  days  taken  steps  looking  toward  either  the  establishment  or  the 
allocation  of  what  once  existed  and  olFered  to  ilistribute  infoi-mation. 

Senator  Phelan.  They  had  the  labor  employment  agency '. 

Mr.  Walf-l^.  That  is  what  is  being  revived  again  and  reestablished 
in  New  York.    It  is  just  being  set  up. 

Senator  Phelan.  Ha^e  they  an  appropriation  for  its  support  I 

Mr.  Wallis.  Inasmuch  as  it  does  not  come  under  my  supervision.  I 
can  not  answer  that.    I  am  not  sure  that  they  have. 

Senator  Sterling.  The  existing  law.  Mr.  Wallis,  provides  for  rep- 
resentatives or  agents  from  the  ditferent  States  and  for  their  appear- 
ance at  Ellis  Island,  for  example.  I  think — permits  it.  anyhow — to 
assist  in  the  distriliution  of  immigrants.  What  is  your  experience 
in  regwrd  to  the  States  having  their  representatives  there  at  any 
time  for  the  purpose  of  getting  desirable  immigrants  I 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  161 

Mr,  Wallis.  I  think  the  whole  solution  of  this  problem  is  the  man 
on  the  other  side,  where  the  scientific  selection  may  be  begun,  and 
on  this  side,  where  we  may  have  something  to  do  with  the  allocation 
or  dissemination  of  the  man  when  we  get  him  here.  These  people 
go  into  these  cities  and  walk  right  into  this  disappointment,  because 
there  is  no  work  for  them. 

The  Chairman.  The  man  on  the  other  side  in  Italy  has  taken 
action,  has  he  not ;  the  Italian  Government  has  taken  action  and  has 
suspended  immigration  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  see  in  the  paper  that  they  have. 

The  Chairman.  What  proportion  of  the  immigrants  that  arrive 
now  are  Italians — quite  a  large  proportion? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes,  sir.  I  find  that  it  is  between  the  Jews  and  the 
Italians  lately,  and  it  is  running  decidedly  to  the  Jew — the  largest 
proportion  is  the  Jew  and  the  Italian.  They  are  closely  followed 
by  the  Czecho-Slovak  and  the  Jugo-Slovak  and  those  people  from 
northwestern  and  western  Europe. 

The  Chairman.  If  those  two  countries,  Jugoslovakia  and  Czecho- 
slovakia, should  take  the  same  action  as  Italy  there  would  not  be 
any  emergency,  would  there? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Oh,  I  think  the  ships  would  be  crowded.  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  Still? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  believe  there  are  enough  people  coming  over  from 
Europe  with  these  restrictions  to  fill  the  ships  to  capacity. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Wallis,  you  say  that,  but  might  I  ask  you  if 
you  were  in  a  court  and  testifying  to  facts  you  would  have  anything 
more  to  substantiate  that  charge  than  the  general  statement  of  some- 
body that  may  have  told  you  something  to  the  effect  that  there 
were  1,000,000  or  3,000,000  coming? 

Mr.  Wallis.  No;  except  the  reaffirmation  almost  daily  by  the  im- 
migrants themselves  who  are  coming  here. 

The  Chairman.  If  we  could  get  the  testimony  of  the  consular 
agents  as  to  the  number  of  applications,  which  I  hope  we  will  get, 
that  would  be,  I  think,  some  evidence. 

Mr.  Wallis.  That  would  be  quite  illuminating. 

The  Chairman.  If  you  have  any  further  proof  with  regard  to 
European  countries,  etc.,  and  the  conditions  there,  and  you  certainly 
have,  because  we  know  how  familiar  you  are  with  this  subject.  I 
for  one  would  be  very  glad  to  haA*e  you  dwell  upon  that  a  little 
further. 

Your  testimony  seems  to  come  to  this :  There  is  an  immense  flow 
of  emigration  from  Europe.  The  transportation  facilities  will  not 
permit  the  landing  of  more  than  something  over  a  million  a  year. 
That  is  substantially  it,  isn't  it  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  That  is  the  whole  thing;  yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  So  that,  although  assuming  all  you  say  as  to  the 
desire  of  aliens  to  emigrate  is  founded  upon  fact,  you  are  still  met 
with  the  jn-oblem  of  their  transportation,  and  the  lack  of  transporta- 
tion is  a  barrier,  is  it  not? 

Mr.  Walijs.  Yes,  sir;  the  transportation  feature  is  a  barrier  to 
those  who  Avould  come  to  this  country. 

The  Chair^ian.  Yes. 

Senator  Harrison.  Tliat  is.  temporarily? 


162  EMEROENtY    IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  Wallis.  Ves.  Another,  statement  in  connection  with  that, 
Mr.  Senator,  that  I  would  like  to  make  is  this:  Some  time  ago  the 
representatives  of  17  steamship  companies  came  to  my  oiTice.  They 
were  men  re j) resent in<r  all  the  ^reat  transatlantic  lines.  They  came 
to  pay  not  only  their  respects,  but  to  serve  notice  that  their  vessels 
for  an  indeHnite  ])eriod  Avould  come  crowded  to  their  capacity,  and 
one  of  the  steamship  company  rejiresentatives  said — antl  I  have  the 
memorandum  of  what  he  said  at  my  olhce — that  they  could  have  sold 
their  steamships  out  for  10  seasons:  that  is  to  say.  the  people  who 
wanted  to  come  on  their  lines  in  one  year  were  equal  to  10  years' 
carrvin<r  capacity.  Now,  that  statement  a«rrees  with  what  we  get 
from  other  sources,  through  Holland,  throuffh  the  State  senator  who 
came  from  Italy,  and  from  what  the  Italians  are  tellin^r  us.  from 
what  people  who  are  cominfr  here  in  first  and  second  cabins  are 
telling  us.  that  there  are  gvvnt  croAvds  of  people  over  there  that  want 
to  come  to  this  country. 

But.  ]\Ir.  Chairman.  I  don't  think  that  the  question  as  to  the  num- 
ber of  people  that  want  to  come  over  enters  into  the  question  so  much. 
It  seems  to  me  that  at  Ellis  Island,  and  throughout  the  whole  Nation, 
what  we  are  interested  in  particularly  is  this:  What  are  we  going  to 
take  out  of  that  crowd  of  people  that  come  over  i  When  these  people 
come,  what  are  we  going  to  take  out  from  among  them  and  what  are 
we  going  to  get  out  of  them '.     That  is  the  great  problem. 

If  there  are  millions  of  ]:)eople — and  I  believe  that  there  are 
literally  millions  of  people — that  want  to  come  to  America,  why  can 
we  not  pick  out  the  best  of  these  people  before  they  come :  that  is, 
not  do  it  on  this  side,  but  on  the  other  side  ?  And  then  isn't  it  pos- 
sible on  this  side  to  have  some  intelligent  system  of  assisting  these 
people  to  the  communities  where  they  are  most  needed,  where  they 
will  find  the  best  employment,  the  best  living  and  housing  conditions, 
and  enalde  them  to  live  better  and  become  better  citizens  i 

The  Chairman.  That  is  a  question  of  distril)ution.  Xow.  you 
said  something  about  picking  them  out  on  the  other  side.  What 
Avould  you  suggest  as  a  restrictive  measure  on  the  other  side? 
AVould  you  do  this  through  the  granting  of  only  a  certain  number 
of  passports  ( 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  think  the  viseing  of  the  passports  has  been  a  god- 
send to  this  Nation.  I  think  it  has  kept  out  many  undesirables. 
But  the  foreign  consul  has  nothing  to  do  with  those  passports  from 
an  immigration  standpoint.  I  can  go  up  to  him  minus  a  leg  and 
minus  a  hand  and  with  only  one  eye.  and  if  I  am  all  right  otherwise 
I  think  he  would  have  to  Vise  my  passport.  He  might  say  to  me. 
••  Wallis.  if  you  get  over  to  Ellis  Island  they  are  going  to  turn  you 
back."  And  I  might  say.  '"  AVell.  I  am  willing  to  take  my  chances. 
I  have  got  influential  people  that  will  help  me  out."  And  in  such 
a  case  I  would  come  over  and  take  my  chances. 

Xow.  I  think.  Mr.  Chairman,  tliat.  either  through  the  foreign  con- 
sulates or  through  some  accredited  representatives  with  authority 
on  the  other  side,  there  should  be  some  way  of  dealing  i)roperly  with 
this  question  of  telling  a  man  that  he  can  not  get  in  under  any  cir- 
cumstances and  not  allow  him  to  get  on  the  l)oat. 

Senator  Dillin(;ham.  Mr.  Wallis.  may  I  ask  you  one  question? 
You  have  referreil  to  the  fact  that  those  arriving  now  follow  racial 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  163 

lines,  and  they  follow  those  Avho  have  come  fronl  their  immediate 
neighborhood  ov  eoinitry  in  the  past :  and  wherever  you  find  a  colony 
of  a  certain  nationality,"  tliose  coming  from  tliat  nation  or  from  some 
l^articular  portion  of  "that  nation  will  follow  them.  They  move,  in 
other  words,  in  racial  groups.  I  think  that  you  are  entirely  right 
about  that,  and  the  statistics  all  show  it.  Now,  a  great  proportion 
of  all  the  males  that  have  come  in  in  the  last  15  or  20  years  have 
either  been  farm  laborers  or  common  laborers.  I  think  that  is  the 
fact,  is  it  not? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  believe  that  is  true. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  have  some  figures  before  me  that  show, 
for  instance,  that  85  per  cent  of  the  south  Italians  that  have  come 
in  are  common  laborers  or  farm  laborers,  and  yet  none  of  these  men 
will  break  away  from  their  racial  groups  to  go  out  individually  and 
live  on  an  American  farm  with  Americans.  That  is  almost  un- 
heard of,  is  it  not  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  I  think  that  is  true.  Xow,  you  are  familiar, 
perhaps,  Avith  the  method  that  has  been  adopted  of  late  by  Canada. 
I  wanted  to  ask  you  whether  you  thought  there  was  any  virtue  in  that 
method.  For  instance,  during  tlie  winter  months  they  put  a  very 
heavy  pressure  to  bear  upon  those  coming  in  by  requiring  them  to 
have"  in  their  possession  $250.  or  something  of  that  kind — that  is, 
during  certain  months.  But  if  these  people  who  come  in  will  pled*^e 
themselves  to  go  into  agricultural  work,  and  to  remain  in  the  agri- 
cultural districts,  and  be  subject  to  deportation  if  they  fail  to  do 
so,  they  will  let  them  in  without  any  money  whatever,  and  they  will 
find  places  for  such  people  and  aid  them  in  the  matter  of  trans- 
portation. 

Xow,  Mr.  Wallis,  what  would  you  say  about  the  possibility  of  our 
adopting  some  such  system  in  this  country  for  the  distribution  of 
aliens  ? 

Mr.  AVallis.  You  mean  as  to  increasing  the  amount  of  money  tliat 
tliey  must  have  in  order  to  allow  them  to  come  into  this  country? 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  that  is  one  element  of  it.  But  par- 
ticularly I  wish  to  ask  you  what  you  think  of  the  possibility  of 
our  adopting  some  such  system  as  they  have  in  Canada  for  the  dis- 
trilmtion  of  aliens — to  encourage  the  incoming  males  to  go  to  the 
agricultural  sections  of  the  country  where  their  labor  is  so  much 
needed  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Without  knowing,  but  with  a  very  strong  belief, 
my  impression  is  that  all  these  efforts  that  have  been  made  in  the 
wily  of  artificial  distribution  of  aliens — allocation  of  aliens — have 
been  made  in  a  spirit  of  exploitation.  These  methods  have  not  had 
a  fair  show. 

Senator  Gore.  Did  you  say  that  a  great  deal  of  this  has  been  done 
in  a  spirit  of  exploitation  ? 

Mr.  Waij.ts.  Selfish  exploitation. 

Senator  Dillingham.  That  is,  by  outside  organizations? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes,  sir;  and  that  is  where  the  interference  lias  been 
quite  serious. 

Xow,  I  understand  that  the  situation  in  Canada  is  something  like 
this:  (\inada  says.  "We  Avant  immigration,  but  you  can  not  go  to 
tliis  Province  and  you  can  not  go  to  that  Province;  you  can  not  go 

'    26911— 21— PT  3 2 


164  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

here  and  you  can  not  ^o  there."  Xow,  in  the  Ar^rentine  Republic, 
instead  of  the  restriction  beinfr  ne<rative,  they  are  just  the  reverse. 
In  Ar<rentine  they  say  to  the  inconiin<r  imnii<rrant :  ''  You  must  po  to 
a  certain  section."  ^s"o^v.  if  Canada  says.  "  You  can  not  <ro  to  cer- 
tain sections."  and  Arjzentina  says.  '*  You  mu.st  <ro  to  certain  sections," 
it  does  seem  to  me  that  we  luive  a  ri<j:ht  to  say  both  or  Ave  have  a  rif^ht 
to  say  either. 

Senator  Dillin(;ham.  Let  me  say  rifrht  there  that  years  ago  we 
gave  to  the  department  authority  to  take  up  this  question  and  to 
assist  immigrants,  to  give  aid  in  directing  them.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  in  practice  I  don't  believe  it  has  amounted  to  very  much,  but 
the  authority  does  exist  in  the  department,  and  we  have  a  man  at 
the  head  of  it.  Xow.  what  would  you  say  al)out  giving  that  depart- 
ment some  authority,  elastic  in  its  nature,  to  deal  with  that  question? 

Mr.  Wallis.  It  Avould  be  a  magnificent  thing. 

Senator  Gore.  You  don't  think  that  at  present  they  follow  eco- 
nomic lines,  and  respond  to  economic  pressure,  and  go  Avhere  they 
are  needed? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  was  just  saying.  Senator,  that  I  think  this  whole 
question  is  not  a  national  menace  but  I  think  it  is  an  economic 
problem.  If  we  had  a  commission  to  regulate  immigration  on  this 
side,  and  if  we  were  able  to  make  scientific  selection  on  the  other 
side,  and  could  give  intelligent  di>tribution  of  information,  and  such 
assistance  as  can  be  given  on  this  side,  then  I  think  that  the  immi- 
gration problem  would  be  solved. 

Senator  Johnson.  AVell.  Mr.  Wallis.  Avhat  is  scientific  selection 
on  the  other  side,  from  your  point  of  view,  please  ? 

]Mr.  AVallis.  Physical  and  moral.  I  don't  believe  the  day  of 
judgment  will  disclose  cases  as  sad  as  we  haA'e  at  Ellis  Island.  One 
is  taken  and  the  other  is  left  every  day.  It  is  wrong,  in  my  opinion, 
to  bring  these  people  OA'er  here,  sometimes  2.000  of  them  on  one 
vessel,  and  begin  the  system  of  fanning  the  chaff  from  the  wheat 
over  here. 

Senator  Gore.  Could  that  process  be  as  well  applied  over  there  as 
on  this  side? 

'Sir.  Wallis.  Not  entirely  so.  But  I  believe  that  90  per  cent  of 
those  we  send  back  could  be  culled  out.  And  instead  of  sending 
back  the  full  100  per  cent  that  we  send  back  now  I  believe  that  we 
would  only  have  to  send  back  10  per  cent  of  that  number  if  the  mat- 
ter was  taken  care  of  on  the  other  side. 

Senator  Phelan.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  how  many  do  you  return 
at  the  expense  of  the  steamship  companies  monthly? 

Mr.  "Wali^s.  Oh.  I  understand  it  is  less  than  1  per  cent.  It  runs 
into  the  thousands,  but  it  is  less  than  1  per  cent. 

Xow,  this  is  the  point  that  I  was  making.  Senator.  Most  of  these 
people  who  come  over  here  have  spent  all  the  money  they  have  got 
to  come  here.  Instead  of  paying  $25  to  $27  fare  like  they  used  to 
pay  some  years  ago.  they  noAV  pay  $110.  $120.  and  $1?>0.  and  from 
Danzig  they  pay  from  $^140  to  $150,  and  in  fact  all  the  way  up  to 
$160  to  travel  in  steerage,  and  we  used  to  travel  first  class  cheaper 
than  that.  And  they  are  brought  over  here,  2.000  of  them  in  the 
hold  of  a  boat  and  we  examine  them.  And  when  we  send  these 
people  back  they  have  no  money  at  all,  and  of  course  they  are  sent 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  165 

back  at  tlie  expense  of  the  steamship  companies.  But  when  such  a 
man  is  sent  back  he  is  bankrupt.  Now,  that  in  itself  is  tragic 
enou<rh,  but  the  awful  thin<j  al)out  it  is  that  he  is  bankrupt  in  spirit. 
His  spirit  is  broken,  and  he  iroes  back  to  his  own  country,  and  he 
says,  "  Well,  I  thoutjht  I  was  coming  to  a  new  heaven  and  a  new 
earth,  but  I  did  not."  And  he  comes  back  absolutely  at  war  against 
liis  country  and  his  God,  and  he  is  ready  for  any  seed  that  falls  into 
his  mind,  anarchy,  disrespect  for  authorit3\  and  everything  else  that 
is  bad. 

Senator  Phfxax.  Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you  send  them 
back  because  they  have  no  means  of  support?  Is  that  the  principal 
reason  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  That  is  one  of  the  reasons.  IMany  of  them  have  sold 
their  homes  and  all  their  belongings  to  enable  them  to  pay  their 
way  over  here,  and  when  they  are  turned  back  they  have  nothing. 

Senator  Phelax.  If  a  man  comes  over  here  and  is  rejected,  and 
he  has  to  return,  and  he  has  no  money,  having  paid  $130  for  his 
fare,  he  would  have  a  just  grievance.  Now,  is  the  lack  of  monej'  the 
principal  cause  why  you  return  them? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Xo;  but  many  who  are  returned  do  not  have  money 
when  they  do  go  back,  because  they  spend  it  all  in  paying  their  way 
over  here. 

Senator  Sterling.  Now,  do  you  turn  back  many  of  those  that  have 
no  money  ? 

]\Ir.  Wallis.  Yes ;  unless  those  people  whom  they  come  to  here  pay 
the  money,  or  guarantee  that  for  a  period  of  time  such  persons  will 
not  become  public  charges. 

Senator  Phelan.  Is  that  done  pretty  generally? 

Mr.  Wallis.  That  is  done  quite  a  good  deal. 

Senator  Phelan.  The  Jews  take  care  of  their  own  peoj^le  quite 
generally,  do  they  not  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  More  than  any  other  people. 

Senator  Phelan.  And  how  about  the  Italians? 

Mr.  AVallis.  The  Italians  are  pretty  good  at  that. 

Senator  Phelan.  Well,  who  are  not  good  at  it? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Well,  outside  of  the  Jews  they  are  all  about  the  same. 

Senator  Gore.  Now,  that  brings  to  my  mind  something  that  I  saw 
in  the  morning  paper  about  Admiral  McCully,  who  was  willing  to 
take  care  of  a  number  of  children  that  he  was  bringing  over  to  ^his 
country  from  Russia. 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes ;  he  was  taking  six  or  seven  children  over. 

Senator  Gore.  And  he  was  willing  to  take  care  of  them,  and  to 
see  that  they  were  given  an  education. 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes. 

Senator  Gore.  Is  it  true  that  those  children  would  be  denied  ad- 
mission into  this  country? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes;  they  would  be  denied  admission.  They  could 
not  come  in,  because  they  would  become  a  public  charge.  I  saw  the 
admiral  last  night  and  had  a  talk  with  him,  and  he  said  he  was 
ready  to  give  homes  to  these  children,  he  was  willing  to  educate 
them,  and  he  told  mo  several  harrowing  stories  of  how  the  fathers 
of  some  of  these  children  were  killed,  and  he  had  mercy  on  these 
boys  and  girls  and  took  them  over  with  him.     I  think  there  were 


166  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

five  girls  and  tAvo  boys.  He  wants  these  children  to  come  in.  There 
is  no  power  on  earth  by  which  we  can  do  anythino;  for  him  at  Ellis 
Island,  but  he  can  p:o  to  Washinfrton  to  the  Department  of  Labor, 
and  in  the  discretion  of  that  department  they  can  admit  these  chil- 
dren under  bond. 

Senator  Goiie.  That  is  what  I  Avanted  to  know. 

Mr.  Wallis.  That  is  tlie  only  way  that  can  be  done. 

Senator  Phelax.  Could  not  those  lar<re  funds  that  are  being  raised 
to  feed  people  in  Europe  be  better  employed  in  feeding  and  taking 
care  of  those  who  are  willing  to  come  to  this  country  and  live  in 
America,  thus  saving  the  lives  of  these  people  and  at  the  same  time 
enriching  America  by  their  presence? 

Mr.  AA\\EiJs.  Senator  Phelan.  this  country  is  acting  as  a  savior  of 
other  peoj^les.  and  by  sending  our  boys  over  to  Europe  we  brought 
the  Great  "War  to  a  close,  but  I  think  America  ought  to  be  saved  first. 

Senator  Piielax.  And  you  would  like  to  see  these  large  funds 
diverted  into  this  very  work  that  you  speak  of  ? 

!Mr.  Wallis.  I  would  like  to  see  these  large  funds  devoted  to  clean- 
ing up  the  large  cities  in  America,  and  making  genuine  citizens  of 
all  the  people  that  come  to  these  large  cities. 

Senator  Gore.  Isn't  there  any  method  of  selecting  the  good  from 
the  bad.  the  undesirables  from  the  desirables  on  the  other  side? 

Mr.  "Wallis.  Canada  has  this  situation.  Canada's  laws  are  dif- 
ferent from  ours,  and  this  is  rather  strange  that  Canada  would  take 
people  who  are  denied  entrance  into  this  country,  and  in  some  cases 
we  take  people  who  are  denied  admission  into  Canada.  Now.  Canada 
has  put  $250  upon  the  male  immigrant.  Sl'25  on  the  female,  and  $50 
on  the  child.    That  is,  during  the  winter  season. 

Senator  Gore.  That  is,  they  must  have  that  much  money  in  order 
to  gain  admission  into  Canada  ? 

;Mr.  "Wallis.  That  is  for  admission:  yes.  Xow.  I  heard  that  the 
other  day  out  of  50  cases  that  went  to  Ottawa  on  appeal,  only  one 
appeal  was  granted.  I  don't  know  whether  that  statement  is  true 
or  not.  but  that  is  what  I  heard. 

Xow,  a  high  immigration  official  of  Canada,  Mr.  Chairman,  said 
that  there  were  15.000,000  people  in  Europe  who  wanted  to  come  to 
Canada.  And  this  is  another  thing  that  shows  the  trend,  and  I 
don't  think  any  of  us  doubt  for  a  moment  the  trend  of  immigration 
from  Europe  to  this  country.  And  I  was  wondering  how  many  of 
those  people  wanted  to  cross  the  invisible  line  and  come  into  America. 
That  is  a  great  gateway  to  come  through  into  this  country. 

Senator  Johnson.  Xow.  there  would  be  no  difficulty  if  they  wanted 
to,  would  there?  However,  that  is  not  a  pro])er  question  for  you. 
We  are  dealing  more  or  less  with  the  border  and  the  ease  with  which 
people  come  across. 

Mr.  "Wallis.  But  as  long  as  we  touched  on  this  thing,  and  we  are 
on  it  now,  I  would  like  to  bring  up  one  point,  and  that  is  the  matter 
of  the  seamen.  That  is  a  very  important  matter.  And  also  the  matter 
of  the  stowaways.  Xow,  we  had  an  approximation  made  at  my  office 
the  other  day  as  to  the  numlier  of  seamen  that  are  coming  into  this 
country — anil  I  don't  know  that  they  are  coming  in  any  unusual 
manner — that  if  there  are  as  many  seamen  coming  into  the  port  of 
Xew  York  during  the  next  1'2  months  as  have  come  in  in  the  last  6 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  167 

months  we  will  have  to  examine  or  inspect  800,000  seamen.  And 
that  is  a  lot  of  work. 

Senator  Gore.  Well,  we  need  those  fellows. 

Mr.  W-ALLis.  Now,  the  seaman  is  a  man  who  works  on  the  ship, 
and  he  is  supposed  to  go  back  on  the  ship. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Hoaa'  many  did  you  say  you  would  have  to 
inspect  i 

Mr,  Wallis.  Eight  hundred  thousand;  the  way  the  seamen  are 
coming  in  we  will  have  to  inspect  in  the  next  12  months  800,000  sea- 
men— that  is,  the  man  that  is  on  the  ship.  Now,  I  will  show  you 
what  I  am  getting  at.  There  is  a  great,  open  way  there  for  un- 
desirables to  come  in  unless  we  have  a  very  severe  check  put  upon 
them. 

Senator  Nugent.  You  mean  that  the  number  of  vessels  coming 
into  the  harbor  of  New  York  in  the  next  year  will  have  on  them  in 
the  aggregate  800,000  men? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes;  and  every  one  of  those  men  will  have  to  be  in- 
spected and  checked. 

Senator  Phelan.  Do  I  understand  that  they  will  desert  the  ship 
and  remain  on  shore? 

Mr.  Wallis.  That  is  the  happiest  way  of  getting  into  this  country. 

Senator  Phelan.  That  is  what  j^ou  intimate  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes. 

Senator  Phelan.  They  will  land  from  the  ship  and  stay  ashore, 
remain  in  this  country? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes ;  and  there  is  no  way  of  stopping  that. 

Senator  Sterling.  You  inspect  them  as  seamen  in  the  first  place? 

Mr.  Wallis.  We  inspect  them  as  seamen  and  get  a  line  on  them. 
They  are  fingerprinted,  and  they  are  photographed,  and  they  must 
haA'e  their  seaman's  card  and  be  checked.  Now,  as  soon  as  a  ship  is 
made  fast  to  the  pier  the  seamen  get  off  of  that  ship  like  rats  runnino- 
out  of  a  burning  building. 

Senator  Phelan.  And  there  is  no  law  to  prevent  that? 

Mr.  Wallis.  There  is  no  law  to  prevent  them  from  leaving  the 
ship,  except  they  must  be  checked  up  first. 

Now,  I  had  a  meeting  with  a  number  of  officials  of  the  various 
steamship  lines,  and  I  told  them  that  a  great  many  seamen  were 
coming  ashore  that  we  had  no  line  on  at  all.  There  were  200  that 
deserted  one  boat.  The  other  day  we  had  the  first  boat  from  Con- 
stantinople, and  that  boat  is  now  held  up  in  the  bay  by  somebody 
who  has  levied  on  it;  and  there  were  73  seamen  that  deserted  that 
boat  the  other  day,  and  they  were  all  Arabs,  Armenians,  and  so  on. 
and  out  of  the  73  1  don't  believe  there  were  a  dozen  that  ought  to  be 
in  this  country. 

Now,  those  desertions  were  increasing  so  rapidly  that  I  gave  orders 
to  the  inspectors  who  inspect  those  who  are  coming  over  on  these 
ships  that  as  soon  as  they  had  finished  picking  out  the  citizens  of 
this  country  in  steerage  and  in  second  and  first  cabins,  that  before 
they  examined  the  first  and  second  cabin  alien  passengers  they  should 
begin  on  the  seamen  and  examine  those  seamen  between  quarantine 
and  the  pier,  and  by  doing  that  we  would  get  some  line  on  those  men. 
AA'ell,  I  can  appreciate  that  that  will  place  some  discomfort  on  the 
man  Avho  rides  in  first  or  second  cabin,  who  is  a  foreigner,  but  that 


168  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

is  not  ncarlv  so  important  as  the  matter  of  jrettinfj  a  line  on  these 
aliens  who  are  gettinir  aboard  these  ships  as  memi)ers  of  the  crew 
and  when  they  come  to  this  side  desert  the  ship.  80  now  we  have  a 
system  of  insj^ection  of  the  seamen  before  the  boat  t^ets  into  the  pier, 
and  I  think  from  now  on  we  will  have  a  check  on  those  people.  I 
do  not  believe  we  will  be  able  to  stop  this  practice  altogether,  but  we 
will  be  able  to  minimize  it. 

Then.  a<iain.  we  have  the  stowaway.  "We  had  18  stowaways  on 
three  vessels.  We  had  24  stowaways  on  one  other  ves.sel.  And  the 
other  day  a  Aessel  came  in  with  43  stowaways  on  board.  Xow,  no  one 
can  tell  me  that  43  stowaways  can  oret  on  a  vessel  and  come  over  to 
this  country  on  that  vessel  without  the  crew,  the  i)eople  in  charj^e  of 
the  vessel,  knowing  about  it. 

Recently  when  the  Presidente  W/'Ison  came  in  there  were  two  stow- 
aways on  board  who  jumped  overboard  out  near  the  narrows,  and 
there  was  a  heavy  sea  ebljing  with  the  wind,  and  one  of  these  men 
was  never  found.  The  other  man  was  washed  up  on  Hoti'man  Island, 
and  we  got  him.  He  was  brought  to  Ellis  Island,  and  we  begged  liim 
to  tell  us  his  story.  And  this  is  a  very  serious  matter.  We  asked  him 
to  tell  us  his  story,  and  we  said,  ''  If  you  will  tell  us  your  story  we 
will  see  what  we  can  do  for  you."  He  said  when  that  boat  left  Trieste 
they  put  off  18  stowaways.  When  they  came  to  Palermo  the  vessel 
was  searched :  they  moved  the  passengers  to  one  end  of  the  boat,  and 
searched  the  boat,  and  they  found  12  more  stowaways  and  they  put 
them  off.  They  then  came  up  to  Xaples.  and  they  had  tlie  marines 
at  Xaples  help  them  search  that  ship,  and  they  found  and  put  off  14 
more  stowaways.  Then  that  vessel  made  for  this  country.  And  this 
boy  said.  "  If  you  go  over  to  Brooklyn,  to  the  foot  of  Thirty-fourth 
Street,  you  will  find  12  more  stowaways  in  that  ship."  So  I  sent  two 
men  over  there,  and  they  saw  the  captain  and  the  officers  of  the  ship, 
but  they  were  all  afraid  to  go  down  and  search  that  boat,  so  we  got 
some  policemen,  and  they  went  down  and  searched,  and  we  found  12 
more  stowaways  on  that  vessel. 

Xow,  when  they  saw  this  boy  they  said  to  him.  '*  We  will  cut  your 
heart  out  when  we  get  back  to  Xaples."  and  the  boy  began  crying. 
We  sent  this  bunch  of  stowaways  back,  but  we  did  not  send  the  boy 
back  at  the  same  time. 

This  boy  told  us  that  this  system  extended  all  the  way  from  Greece 
around  to  Liverpool ;  that  there  was  a  complete  system  whereby  these 
people  were  taken  on  these  ships,  after  paying  $40.  and  they  were 
given  immunity  and  protection,  and  they  were  fed  on  the  ship.  Sun- 
day we  had  IGO  stowaways  in  our  building:s.  That  is  an  vindesirable 
class  as  a  rule. 

Senator  Piiei.ax.  Boys? 

Mr.  Wali.is.  Boys  and  men.  We  had  one  woman  since  I  have  been 
there  who  was  a  stowaway. 

Senator  Gore.  Are  the  shipping  companies  responsible  for  their 
return? 

Mr.  W^ALLis.  Yes :  the  shipping  companies  are  responsible  for  the 
return  of  these  people. 

Senator  Xuoent.  Commissioner  Wallis.  let  me  ask  you  this  ques- 
tion about  a  matter  that  you  adverted  to  some  time  since.  You  stated, 
if  I  understood  you  correctly,  that  a  ver}'  considerable  number  of 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  169 

immigrants  now  coming  into  this  country  have  relatives  in  the  United 
States  who  came  here  prior  to  the  war.  I  am  somewhat  curious  to 
know  if  you  can  advise  me.  or  if  you  have  any  means  of  ascertaining 
the  facts,  how  many  of  those  prewar  immigrants  have  become  citizens 
of  the  United  States  or  have  declared  their  intention  of  becoming 
citizens  of  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  don't  know. 

Senator  Nugent.  You  have  no  knowledge  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  No.  That  is  a  veiT  interesting  question.  I  think  we 
ought  to  do  more  to  encourage  these  ]^eo])le  to  become  citizens.  I 
believe  they  should  become  citizens.  We  slioidd  encourage  naturali- 
zation in  this  country  more  than  we  are  doing  now. 

Senator  Nfgext.  But  you  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  how 
many  of  those  prewar  people  have  become  citizens  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  No,  sir.  The  naturalization  department  is  entirely 
separate  and  distinct  from  the  immigration  department.  AVe  are  not 
connected  with  them  at  all. 

Senator  Phei^ax.  Concerning  the  seamen:  I  am  informed  that  if 
the  (xovernment  should  require  the  reshi]Dment  of  an  equal  number 
of  men  on  the  return  voyage  there  would  be  no  increase  of  popula- 
tion on  account  of  the  desertion  of  the  seamen.  But  a  large  crcAV 
comes  in  and  a  small  crew  is  sent  out.  Do  vou  know  anything  about 
that? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Well.  I  think  these  boats,  of  course,  must  have  some- 
where near  a  full  complement  in  sailing.  A  great  many  of  these 
men  have  been  hanging  around  the  wharf.  They  are  a  very  un- 
reliable, shiftless  lot  of  people. 

Senator  Piielan.  Is  there  any  law  that  requires  a  full  complement 
to  a  ship  in  going  out  ?  That  is,  that  it  should  go  out  with  a  com- 
plement equal  in  size  to  that  Avhich  it  had  when  it  came  in? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  don't  know.  That  matter  does  not  come  under  us, 
Senator,  at  all.    I  wish  we  did  have  that  under  our  control. 

Senator  Gore.  Do  you  have  any  reason.  Commissioner,  to  believe 
that  these  shipping  concerns  wink  at  the  shortage  in  the  creAv  going 
out?  That  they  wink  at  such  conditions,  where  perhaps  that  is  done 
for  the  purpose  of  leaving  some  of  these  people  over  here? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Not  tlie  shipping  people:  no. 

The  Chair:max.  AVe  will  noAV  take  an  adjournment  until  2.15. 
(Thereupon,  at  12  o'clock  m.,  tlie  committee  took  a  recess  until  2.15 
o'clock  p.  m.) 

AFTER  RECESS. 

At  2.15  o'clock  p.  m.  the  committee  reassembled  pursuant  to  the 
taking  of  recess. 

The  Chair:max.  I  will  state  for  the  information  of  those  present 
that  the  committee  will  sit  this  afternoon  until  half  past  3.  and 
will  then  adjourn  until  Friday  at  half  past  10.  Owing  to  the  im- 
perative engagements  of  members  of  the  committee  we  will  have  no 
session  to-morrow. 

Mr.  Wallis.  will  j-ou  resume  your  testimony? 

]Mr.  Wallis.  Do  you  wish  to  ask  me  questions,  sir,  or  shall  T  con- 
tinue where  I  left  off  this  morning? 

Senator  Joiixsox.  Would  you  prefer  that  we  ask  you  questions? 


170  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

^Ir.  Wallis.  At  your  pleasure.  Senator. 

Senator  Johnson.  There  are  one  or  two  things  that  I  would  like 
to  ask  the  commissioner,  with  the  chairman's  permission. 

The  Chairman.  Yes. 

Senator  Johnson.  First :  Are  there  advertisements  of  the  steura- 
ship  companies  published  aliroad  allurin<r  in  chararter? 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  FREDERICK  A.  WALLIS.  COMMISSIONER  OF 
IMMIGRATION.  ELLIS  ISLAND.  N.  Y.— Resumed. 

^Ir.  AVallis.  I  have  never  seen  one  of  those  advertisements,  if 
they  are  sendinor  advertisements  out.  I  said  recently  to  the  steam- 
ship companies'  representatives  that  we  were  oretting  too  many 
people  without  money,  and  occasionally  an  illiterate,  or  we  would 
occasionally  have  an  outstandintr  case  where  a  man  had  a  loathsome 
or  contaofious  disease,  and.  of  course,  the  ships  brinofinjr  such  people 
in  have  to  take  those  people  back  at  the  steamship  companies"  ex- 
pense. And  I  said  to  these  people.  ""Why  do  you  brinof  them  in?" 
And  the  reph-  was  that  in  the  runninjr  of  any  business  somethinor  of 
that  kind  will  occasionally  slip  in.  Xow,  whether  they  are  puttin*^ 
out  attractive,  winsome  literature  or  not  I  don't  know. 

Senator  Johnson.  You  don't  know  anything  about  their  methods 
of  obtaining  passengers? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Xo.  I  am  under  the  impression,  though,  that  there 
are  so  many  people  that  would  like  to  come  to  this  country  that  they 
do  not  have  to  advertise. 

Senator  Dillingham.  The  law  is  very  stringent  on  that  point. 

Senator  Johnson.  Yes.  But  what  I  was  getting  at  was  this:  Mr. 
Wallis  has  suggested,  and  I  think  it  is  the  fact,  that  it  is  wholly  un- 
necessary to  do  any  advertising  or  to  present  any  inducements  be- 
cause of  the  very  great  number  of  people  who  are  desirous  of  coming 
here. 

Mr.  AVallis.  Yes.  sir. 

J^enator  Johnson.  Xow.  you  said  that  you  were  getting  some  of 
the  best  and  some  of  the  worst  at  the  present  time  from  abroad. 
What  do  you  mean  by  "  some  of  the  worst."  if  you  please  ? 

Mr.  "Wallis.  Well,  we  are  getting  people  who  are  without  funds, 
and  I  don't  think  they  ever  had  funds,  and  they  are  coming  over  here 
to  be  taken  care  of  by  relatives  or  friends,  who  guarantee  their  bond. 

Senator  Juhnson.  AYell.  is  that  what  you  mean  by  the  worst? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  am  speaking  now  of  the  grade  of  the  immigrant 
who  is  coming  in.  Occasionally  we  can  pick  up  a  man  Avho  says  out- 
right that  he  is  opposed  to  government  and  believes  in  the  destruc- 
tion and  overthrow  of  the  Government  by  violence,  and.  of  course, 
he  is  returned.  We  had  an  anarchist  recently  who  for  a  long  time 
refused  to  have  his  picture  taken  or  have  his  finger  prints  made. 
But  as  to  the  general  run  of  immigration,  the  men  at  the  station  tell 
me  that  it  is  not  only  normal  in  quality,  but  they  believe  it  is  better 
than  has  come  to  this  country  for  a  long  time.  We  notice  that  the 
immigrant  seems  to  have  more  luggage,  he  is  l>etter  clothed,  and  a 
great  manv  of  them  seem  to  me  to  have  as  much  money  as  they  need. 
It  is  nothing  to  hear  a  man  say  that  he  has  $1,000  or  82.000  or  $2,500. 
Manv  of  them  show  vou  Libertv  bonds. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  171 

The  other  day  a  boat  came  in,  and  Ave  were  oblitred  to  detain  85 
per  cent  of  the  people  on  that  ship. 

The  Chairman.  You  detained  them  for  what  purpose? 

Mr.  Wallis.  We  detained  them  for  further  inspection — for  eye  in- 
spection or  for  further  examinations  of  other  kinds.  Kecenth'  a  French 
boat  came  in  that  had  1,082  passenjTers  on  it,  and  I  took  a  Cono;ress- 
man  out  to  that  boat  to  let  him  see  the  condition.  We  immediately 
sent  47  of  the  people  on  that  boat  to  the  hospital.  There  were  over 
400  people  on  that  boat  that  had  less  than  $1.  There  were  over  200 
of  them  detained  for  special  inquiry  boards.  Perhaps  a  total  of  65 
per  cent  of  the  people  on  that  boat  we  could  not  pass  upon  imme- 
diately. 

Senator  Johnson.  Where  did  they  come  from? 

]Mr.  Wallis.  They  came  from  Palermo,  from  Sicily.  And  the 
record  of  that  boat  is  in  the  Congressional  Record.  I  see  that  Con- 
gressman Vaile  in  his  speech  used  our  findings  on  that  boat.  He 
wrote  to  me  and  asked  me  for  the  figures,  because  he  was  present 
on  the  boat  and  saw  the  conditions, .  and  the  exact  figures  can  be 
gotten  from  the  Congressional  Record. 

Senator  Johnson.  Xow,  is  there  a  large  proportion  of  the  char- 
acter that  you  indicate  coming  in  now?  Let  us  take  the  last  two 
months,  for  example. 

iSIr.  Wallis.  Well,  in  the  last  two  months  the  congestion  at  Ellis 
Island  has  been  very  heavy,  and  congestion  is  a  pretty  good  test. 
The  congestion  at  Ellis  Island  during  the  last  two  months  has  been 
so  heavy  that  we  have  been  compelled  to  sleep  people  on  the  floor.  I  will 
say,  however,  that  a  large  part  of  that  congestion  is  due  to  the  lack 
of  funds  on  the  part  of  these  people  Avith  which  to  proceed  to  their 
destinations,  although  our  hospital  is  so  full  of  people  that  our 
doctor,  who  is  the  head  of  the  Public  Health  Service,  told  me  that  not 
long  ago  he  Avas  compelled  to  have  in  some  cases  two  people  sleep- 
ing in  one  bed.  But  I  think  this  condition  arises  from  the  fact  that 
Ellis  Island  Avas  built  to  handle  not  half,  perhaps,  of  the  immigra- 
tion that  Ave  receiA'e  now.  The  accommodations  are  not  adequate  to 
handle  what  the  boats  can  bring  in  at  full  capacity. 

Senator  Johnson.  Well  now,  summing  u]d  AA-hat  you  saA^,  Mr. 
Wallis,  see  if  I  do  it  correctly  :  Judging  from  Avhat  the  steamship  com- 
panies tell  you,  from  your  OAvn  observation,  and  from  your  couA-ersa- 
tions  Avith  immigrants  and  pasesngers,  the  indicati\'e  influx  is  one 
that  is  very,  veiT  great,  is  it  not? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  you  would  consider  that  within  the  next 
year  we  will  haA^e  all  that  the  traffic  will  be  able  to  carry? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes;  I  think  that  immigration  will  remain  at  a 
level  Avhere  it  is  now,  coming  into  this  port.  Even  under  restrictions, 
I  think  it  Avill  remain  leA^el. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  noAv  it  equals  the  carrying  capacity? 

Mr.  AVallis  The  carrying  capacity  of  the  ships;  yes,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  Xoav,  let  me  turn  to  your  suggested  remedy,  be- 
caiise  Ave  are  all  intensel}-  interested  in  doing  AvhateA'er  can  be  done 
Avith  this  question  constructively.  You  say  that  you  would  begin 
your  work  on  the  other  side;  that  there  you  Avould  begin  to  cull 
among  the  immigrants  on  the  other  side,  so  that  vou  would  jret  the 


172  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

character  of  immigrant  who  woukl  be  ready  practically  to  do  as  we 
desire  he  shall  do  in  this  conntr3\  Now,  jnst  how  would  you  go 
about  accomplishing  the  desired  result  abroad? 

^Ir.  Wali.is.  A^''ell,  I  think  it  is  a  delicate  situation.  My  opinion 
is — and  I  think  perhaps  you  would  Imow  a  great  deal  more  about  it 
than  I  would,  Senator — that  it  could  be  arranged,  if  it  coukl  be 
arranged  at  all,  dijilomatically,  and  not  l)y  k'gislation. 

Senator  Johnson,  "\^^len  you  say  "  diplomaticalh',"  what  do  you 
mean '. 

Mr.  AA'allis.  I  mean  liy  some  reci])rocal  arrangement  with  those 
countiies  by  which  we  would  have  a  right  to  have,  at  least  at  the 
ports  of  embarkation,  our  own  inspectors  and  our  own  physicians. 

Senator  Johnson.  Xow,  would  you  have  your  inspectors  and  your 
physicians  at  the  port  of  embarkation  determine  the  physical  and  the 
moral  condition  of  the  emigrants? 

]Mr.  Wai.lis.  Yes.  sir;  to  ])ass,  in  so  far  as  possible,  upon  their 
condition,  with  the  understandin<z  that  they  are  to  go  through,  if 
])ossib!e,  a  more  rigid  examination  when  they  reach  this  side,  so  as 
to  be  sure  that  the  undesiraliles  \\\\\  not  come  in. 

Senator  Johnson.  So  that  on  the  other  side  of  the  world  you  v.-ould 
have  some  particular  official  of  this  Government  who,  ])assing  upon 
a  man's  moral  qualification  in  the  first  instance,  would  determine 
v.-hether  or  not  he  would  liave  a  riirht  to  cross  the  ocean  to  submit 
himself  to  another  examination? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes,  sir;  I  Avould  have  them  culled  out  the  same  as 
the  doctors  cull  them  out  to-day  at  Ellis  Island.  I  perhaps  can 
ex])lain  this  better  if  T  illustrate  the  way  it  is  done  at  Ellis  Island. 
When  the  immigrants  walk  off  the  barge  at  Ellis  Island  they  form 
in  line,  and  the  first  doctor  they  pass  simply  looks  at  the  hands  and 
the  face  to  see  if  there  are  any  skin  abrasions,  and  tlien  he  says 
something  to  them  to  see  whether  they  are  deaf  or  dumb  or  not ;  and 
then  they  move  over  to  the  next  doctor,  and  he  makes  a  superficial 
examination  of  the  lungs  and  the  heart;  and  then  they  pass  to  the 
next  doctor,  and  he  turns  back  the  eyelids  looking  for  trachoma. 
NoAv.  if  ^invthing  unfavorable  i>;  discovered,  a  mark  is  made  on  the 
man's  coat  With  a  piece  of  chalk;  if  there  is  any  difficulty  with  the 
eye,  he  marks  an  "'  E  '•  on  him :  if  he  has  tuberculosis,  he  is  mai-ked 
with  a  "T,"  and  so  on.  Antl  then  these  people  that  are  marked  are 
put  off  into  different  rooms. 

Xow.  at  least  to  that  extent  we  could  have  an  examination  on  the 
other  side,  which  would  not  require  a  great  amount  of  work.  Those 
people  who  are  suspicioned  at  all  cotild  be  set  aside  and  given  a  more 
thorough  examination,  and  in  that  Avay  a  great  number  of  undesir- 
ables would  be  caught  in  the  first  place. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  quite  folloAV  you  there  that  that  would  be  a 
possibility  not  difficult  of  accomplishment,  to  determine  the  physical 
condition  on  the  other  side.    But  won't  you  go  beyond  that? 

Mr.  AYali.is.  Into  the  moral  side? 

Senator  Johnson.  That  was  what  I  was  asking  you. 

Mr.  Wallis.  Xow,  when  you  come  to  the  moral  side  of  this  question, 
it  is  always,  I  think,  difficult  to  find  out  about  a  man's  morals.  I  think 
judgment  day  will  come  nearer  revealing  that  to  a  great  many  of  us 
than  it  can  be  revealed  to  us  in  anv  other  way. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  173 

But  there  is  a  way  of  finding  out  whether  a  man  is  a  criminal  or 
not,  and  whether  he  has  served  in  prison.  There  is  a  way  of  getting 
a  man's  penal  and  police  record,  and  there  is  a  way  of  finding  out 
whether  that  man  in  his  community  has  been  a  desirable  citizen 
or  not.  Xow.  if  we  can  not  find  it  out  over  there  we  certainly  can  not 
find  it  out  over  here.  But  we  can  find  out  a  great  deal  more  over  there 
than  we  can  here. 

Senator  Johnson.  "Well,  what  is  running  through  my  mind  is  the 
difficulty  of  maintaining  an  organization  on  the  other  side  of  the 
world  tiiat  would  enter  into  the  speculative  realm,  as  of  necessity  it 
must,  in  determining  a  man's  moral  condition  or  his  political  opinions. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Senator  Johnson,  I  wish  you  would  ask  the 
witness  if  any  attempt  has  ever  been  known  to  have  been  made 
before. 

Senator  Johnson.  Yes.    Will  you  answer  that? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Xot  to  my  knowledge,  Senator. 

Senator  Dillingham.  "May  I  interrupt  for  just  one  moment.  Sena- 
tor Johnson,  to  ask  a  question  of  Commissioner  Wallis  ? 

Senator  Johnson.  Yes ;  I  wish  you  would,  because  I  am  ver}"  much 
interested  in  this  question.    Make  any  suggestions  you  wish. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Mr.  Wallis,  you  are  not  conscious  that  any 
similar  arrangement  was  ever  proposed  by  our  Government? 

Mr.  Wallis.  No,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  my  recollection  is  that  the  Department 
of  Labor  for  several  years  in  its  report  recommended  something  of 
this  character,  and  it  was  finally  suggested  that  the  foreign  Govern- 
ments might  have  some  objection  to  that  matter,  and  under  my  advice 
it  was  referred  to  the  Secretary  of  State.  He  took  the  matter  up  with 
the  European  Governments,  and  my  recollection  is  that  China  and 
Italy  were  the  only  two  that  were  favorable  to  it;  that  the  others 
objected. 

We  had  an  officer  of  the  Public  Health  Service  stationed  at  Xaples 
thereafter,  a  very  able  man.  too,  a  man  of  determination  and  judg- 
ment. We  were  at  that  time  receiving  substantially  one-fourth  of 
our  immigration  from  Italy,  and  the  examinations  were  made  under 
our  direction  at  Naples.  But  my  recollection  is  that  there  was  a 
larger  number  of  rejections  when  the  Italians  reached  this  country, 
from  among  those  that  had  been  examined  there,  than  there  has  been 
under  our  present  law,  where  the  steamship  companies  have  compelled 
a  physical  medical  examination  before  coming  on  board,  showing 
that  the  examination  that  is  now  made  by  the  steamship  companies  to 
protect  themselves  against  the  necessity  of  taking  back  those  who 
are  not  found  fit  to  be  admitted  here  is  a  closer  examination  than 
was  made  by  our  own  officer  at  Xaples  at  that  time.  Xow,  that 
is  my  recollection  of  it. 

Senator  Harrison.  Senator,  that  examination  was  made  under  the 
old  law.  •  ^ 

Senator  Dillingham.  Yes:  that  examination  Avas  made  under  the 
old  law. 

Senator  Harrison.  And  it  Avas  not  as  strict  as  the  ])resent  hiw. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well.  I  don't  know  about  that.  That  was 
mnde  as  late  as  1900. 

AFr.  Wallis.  I  should  not  like  to  admit  that  a  steamship  company 
would  be  able  to  eet  more  efficient  doctors  than  the  Government :  that 


174  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    IXGISLATIOX, 

tliey  would  make  a  better  examination  tlian  we  avou1<1.  AVe  have  the 
welfare  of  the  Nation  at  luart.  an<l  the  steamshii)  company  would 
only  have  the  Nation's  Avelfare  at  heart.  1  mijrht  say.  secondarily; 
that  they  would  not  have  it  primarily  at  heart,  as  we  would  have  it. 
Now,  1  am  in  the  insurance  business:  I  have  been  in  the  insurance 
business  all  my  life,  and  I  have  dealt  with  doctors. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Just  a  moment.  Mr.  Commissioner.  Let  me 
say  that  I  am  speaking  from  my  general  recollection  of  this,  but  I 
have  asked  that  an  examination  l)e  made  of  that  subject,  and  we  will 
have  it  before  we  get  through  with  this  hearing,  to  know  how  far  I 
am  right  in  my  recollection. 

Senator  Johnson.  It  may  interest  you  to  know  that  I  have  before 
me  an  interview  with  Surgeon  General  Cummings.  It  is  true  this  in- 
terview was  had  in  San  Francisco  on  September  19.  but  he  takes  up 
this  very  subject  of  examination  on  the  other  side,  and  he  says,  if  you 
will  follow  me  for  a  moment : 

To  lessen  the  dangers  this  country  is  sul)jected  to  from  these  sources  the  United 
States  I'ultlie  Health  Service  has  medical  officers — 

And  he  was  speaking  of  the  possibility  of  plague  at  the  time — 

stationed  at  r»anzig  and  at  Dutch  and  Belgian  ports,  as  well  as  at  the  more  im- 
portant Greeli  ports,  to  inspect  all  vessels  and  see  that  proper  precautions  are 
taken  in  the  case  of  the  emigrants.  For  many  years  we  have  had  this  service  in 
operation  in  Italian  ports.  Recently,  however,  and  without  any  formal  notice, 
the  Rome  Government  has  raised  objections  to  United  States  me<lical  officers 
being  stationed  in  Italian  ports,  basing  its  position  upon  an  old  treaty  which  was 
dug  up  from  goodness  knows  where. 

This  is  an  interview  with  Surgeon  General  Cummings.  which  ap- 
peared in  the  Xew  York  Times  on  September  '20.  1920.  Do  you  know 
anything  about  that  ( 

Mr.  "Wallis.  Xo.  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  It  would  indicate  that  there  might  be.  on  the 
theory  that  you  suggest,  objections  from  the  foreign  Governments, 
even  to  the  physical  examination. 

Mr.  Wallis.  Well.  I  can  readily  understand,  and  I  think  that  is  the 
delicate  side  of  the  Cjuestion.  that  these  countries  would  object,  but 
we  can  not  help  that.  But  right  on  that  suljject  I  would  like  to  read  a 
few  lines  of  something  that  I  have  prepared  for  another  purpose,  but 
which  came  to  my  mind  when  the  vSenator  from  California  spoke. 

Now.  if  all  of  our  reports  are  true — and  some  of  them  must  be  true, 
and  I  get  them  from  the  Puljlic  Health  Service,  from  our  own  doctor. 
Dr.  Kerr,  and  from  other  doctors  associated  with  him.  some  50  or  60 
doctors  at  Ellis  Island — the  condition  of  things  in  Europe  since  the 
war  is  bad.  The  health  of  the  people  is  not  so  good  as  it  was  before 
the  war.  The  functioning  of  the  Governments  and  ever^-thing  that 
makes  for  good  government  is  more  or  less  torn  to  ])ieces.  disorgan- 
ized, and  in  many  in.stances  disintegrated.  The  health  of  the  people 
over  there,  following  the  war.  is  not  good.  Thei'e  is  disease  in  a  great 
many  parts  of  P^urope. 

Now.  according  to  this  memorandum  which  I  had  prepared  for 
another  purpose,  we  are  told  that  eastern  Europe,  i^articularly  that 
which  we  call  "  Congress  Poland.''  and  (xalicia,  are  in  the  actual  grip 
of  four  great  epidemics — ^typhus  being  the  woi^st.  typhoid  second  in 
importance,  then  dysentery  and  tuberculosis. 


EMEEGElSrCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  175 

Xow.  I  want  to  saj'  that  I  think  at  this  particuhir  minute  the  epi- 
demic question  is  a  question  of  greater  importance  than  the  moral 
question.  Xow,  the  figures  accepted  by  the  League  of  Nations'  ex- 
perts ])laced  the  reported  typhus  cases  in  Congress  Pohmd  at  about 
160.000  and  in  Galicia  at  more  than  70,000.  Eleven  thousand  and  odd 
cases  of  typhoid  are  reported  from  the  same  countries,  with  more 
than  15,000  cases  of  dysentery,  and  a  tremendous  death  rate  from 
tuberculosis. 

Xow,  here  is  the  point :  With  those  dread  diseases  over  there  we 
hear  that  at  the  frontiers  of  other  nations,  quarantine  officials  are  con- 
fronted by  a  singular  problem.  Most  of  the  refugees'  clothing  is  so 
rotted  that  it  will  not  stand  the  strain  of  disinfection.  It  simply 
disintegrates.  If  new  clothing  is  not  at  hand  to  give  the  suspected 
person,  it  is  not  less  than  criminal  to  disinfect  the  old.  One  must  not 
freeze  the  helpless.  So  some  can  not  be  made  safe  to  society  under 
existing  methods.  ^ledical  officials  tell  us  that  if  we  could  eliminate 
the  body  louse  we  could  eliminate  typhus  fever. 

Xow.  we  held  one  of  cur  biggest  ships  at  quarantine  some  time  ago 
for  17  days  on  account  of  one  typhus  case.  Typhus,  I  understand, 
has  l)roken  out  in  London  and  other  places  quite  removed  from  these 
seats  of  trouble.  Medical  officials  tell  us  that  if  we  could  eliminate  the 
body  louse  we  could  eliminate  typhus  fever,  precisely  as  America  has 
eliminated  yellow  fever  in  her  great  Canal  Zone  by  the  elimination  of 
the  mosquito. 

This  leads  me  to  say  that  if  Ellis  Island  needs  anything  in  the 
world,  next  to  a  new  Ellis  Island,  it  needs  a  great  system  of  baths,  so 
that  every  man,  woman,  and  child  passing  through  our  gateway  shall 
receive  a  disinfectant  bath  before  entering  the  buildings,  while  they 
are  being  cleansed,  their  luggage  sterilized  and  made  free  of  vermin. 

Xow,  not  a  mother's  son  of  all  of  those  that  went  over  on  the  other 
side  and  fought  for  the  liberties  of  the  world  can  come  back  to  this 
country  unless  they  have  taken  this  bath,  and  until  their  clothing  is 
sterilized  so  that  they  would  be  made  safe.  Yet  we  let  these  people 
come  from  tliese  infected  districts  to  our  Ellis  Island  and  sleep  there 
for  weeks  with  this  clothing  of  the  kind  I  have  just  been  speaking 
about,  covered  with  vermin.  The  doctor  tells  me  that  his  greatest 
trouble  with  the  people  we  send  over  to  the  hospital  is  to  get  rid  of 
the  vermin  that  they  bring  in  with  them  here.  Xow,  the  ships  are  ' 
bringing  them  over  by  the  shipload,  and  many  of  them  are  covered 
with  vermin,  and  vermin  is  a  means  of  transmission  of  various  dis- 
eases. And  I  do  not  believe  that  a  man  should  be  brought  over  here 
on  a  ship  who  has  a  loathsome  disease  or  a  contagious  disease.  But 
liow  are  you  going  to  know  about  it  unless  you  have  some  one  there  to 
look  out  for  it  and  find  out  about  it  ? 

Senator  Dillingham.  But  under  thfe  quarantine  law,  Mr.  Com- 
missioner, if  there  is  any  disease  of  that  kind  prevalent  in  any  part 
of  Europe,  and  the  fact  is  simply  brought  to  the  attention  of  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  he  has.  under  the  quarantine  law,  the 
right  to  forbid  any  person  coming  from  such  section  to  enter  the 
United  States. 

]\rr.  Wallts.  "Well,  the  only  answer  to  that.  Senator,  is  that  they 
are  coming,  and  as  many  of  them  are  coming  as  we  can  bring  from 
that  district:  that  is  all.'  And  it  is  pretty  serious. 


176  EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Senator  J()iixst)X.  Here  is  what  Sur<r.  Gen.  Cummings  said  on  that 
score : 

Seven  million  people  jire  tryin^r  to  pet  here  from  that  p.iit  of  Kviropc  which 
is  at  present  a  hotheil  of  typhus  and  yellow  fever. 

Do  you  agree  with  that? 

Mr.  "Walli.s.  I  don't  know  how  many.  Tliere  are  million.s  of  people 
over  there  that  want  to  come  over  here,  and  tliev  are  comino;  from 
infected  districts;  that  is  the  trouble. 

Senator  Johnson.  And  Surg.  Gen.  Cummings  adds: 

The  United  States,  therefore,  is  in  considerahle  danger.  The  large  majority 
of  these  woiild-he  emigrants  are  trying  to  come  from  Asia  Minor  and  fntm  the 
Black  Sea  district  of  Ilnssia  through  the  ports  of  Danzig'.  Bremen,  and 
Rotterdam. 

Is  that  correct? 

Mr.  AVallis.  Yes;  they  are  coming  from  those  pki'.es  and  from 
Antwerp. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well.  I  should  suppose  that  the  Surgeon 
General  would  bring  that  to  the  attention  of  the  President  if  he  is 
carrying  out  that  quarantine  law. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  know  nothing  further  about  it.  Senator,  ex- 
cept what  I  have  read  in  this  particular  interview  which  was  called 
to  my  attention,  dated  September  19.  and  which  was  published  in 
the  Xew  York  Times  on  the  20th  of  September,  1920. 

The  Chairman.  Will  you  put  that  statement  into  the  record,  Sen- 
ator Johnson? 

Senator  Johnson.  Yes,  sir. 

(The  newspaper  articles  presented  by  Senator  Johnson  are  here 
printed  in. full,  as  follows:) 

[From   New   York   Times,   Oct.   20,   1920.      Spi-cial    to   the   Times  l\v   Cornelius 

Yanderbilt,  jr.  J 

AVARXS     THAT     PLAGUE     MENACES     AMERICA SVRG.     GEN.     CX"MMIXG.<.     FEARS     THAT 

EUROPE'S     EPIDEillCS     WILL     OBTAIN     A     FOOTHOL')     HERE TELLS     OF     PREVENTIVE 

STEPS mGES   THE   PUBLIC   TO   AID   THE   GOVERNMENT   HEALTH    SERVICE   BY   REPORT- 
ING   ANY    CASES. 

San  Francisco,  September  19,  1920. 

Surg.  Gen.  H.  S.  Cummings,  in  charge  of  the  United  States  Puhlic  Health 
Service,  in  an  interview  to-day  .said  there  was  considerahle  danjier  to 
America  at  the  present  time  l)ecause  <if  conta.cious  disease  ramjiant  in  middle 
Europe  which  mifrht  he  hroucrht  here  throujrh  the  emisrration  of  peasants  and 
other  refugees  who  have  been  exposed  to  these  maladies. 

Gen.  Cununings  has  had  a  notable  career  during  the  past  three  years.  In 
1917  he  was  adviser  in  sanitation  to  the  Navy  Department.  In  the  following 
year  he  was  sent  to  Europe  to  look  after  the  sanitation  of  troops  and  ports. 
This  trip  led  him  among  other  places  to  southern  liussia.  where  he  spent 
many  weeks,  acting  as  sanitary  adviser.  He  then  rejtresented  this  Government 
at  the  International  Sanitary  Convention  at  Home  and  also  helped  to  draft  the 
sanitary  clauses  of  the  league  of  nations  covenant,  which  he  says  have  since  been 
adopted. 

"  Seven  million  people  are  trying  to  get  here  from  that  part  of  Europe  which 
is  at  present  a  hotbed  of  typhus  and  yellow  fever."  said  (ieii.  Cununings. 
"The  United  States  therefore  is  in  considerable  danger.  The  lariie  majority  of 
these  would-be  emigrants  are  trying  to  come  from  Asia  Minor  and  the  Black 
Sea  district  of  Russia  through  the  ports  of  r>an7.ijr,  Bremen,  and  Itotterdam. 
^Ve  are  therefore  tryinji  to  reconcentrate  them  in  Greek  and  Italian  jiorts  for 
transportation  to  the  Unite<l  States.  In  adtlitioii  to  tyiibus.  l»ul>oiuf  plaj^ue  is 
present  in  all  Mediterranean  ports.  Several  outbreaks  have  occurred  and 
recently,  I  hear,  there  have  been  20  cases  in  Paris,  which  means  that  the  disease 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATIOX.  177 

evidently  reached  Havre  or  other  ports  and  so  the  cases  found  their  way  to 
the  capital. 

"  Tliis  is  outrageous,  for  while  one  can  well  understand  that  with  tlie  un- 
sanitary conditions  prevailing  in  uncivilized  or  dirtier  southern  localities  these 
diseases  are  frequent,  in  the  nortli  they  are  almost  unheard  of. 

"  To  lessen  the  dangers  this  country  is  subject  to  from  these  sources  the 
United  States  Pul)lic  Health  Service  has  medical  officers  stationed  at  Danzig 
and  at  Dutch  and  IJelgian  ports,  as  well  as  at  the  more  important  Greek  ports, 
to  inspect  all  vessels  and  see  that  proper  precautions  are  taken  in  the  case  of  the 
emigrants.  For  many  years  we  have  had  this  service  in  operation  in  Italian 
ports.  Recently,  however,  and  without  any  formal  notice,  the  Rome  (lovern- 
ment  has  raised  objections  to  United  States  medical  officers  being  stationed 
in  Italian  ports,  basing  its  positi(»n  upon  an  old  treaty  which  was  dug  up  from 
goodnes  knows  where.  We  CJin,  therefore,  do  nothing  except  prevent  vessels 
from  infected  ports  entering  I'uited  States  waters.  I  believe  this  measure  will 
cause  Italy  to  change  her  unreasonable  attitude. 

"  In  Mexico  both  plague  and  yellow  fever  are  rampant,  as  well  as  in  Guate- 
mala and  Salvador.  We  are  taking  precautions  there  and  have  agents  aboard 
American  steamships  plying  to  those  places. 

"  In  the  United  States  we  are  represented  at  all  quarantine  stations  and 
our  agent  are  boarding  incoming  foreign  vessels  in  order  to  fumigate  them 
and  destr<;y  every  rat  aboard.  This  is  the  only  way  to  keep  the  bubonic  plague 
out  of  America. 

"  It  is  high  time  that  the  people  antl  Government  awoke  to  a  realization  of 
the  fact  that  Europe's  plagues  will  olitain  a  foothold  here  ere  many  mouths 
go  by  unless  we  keep  close  watch  uiion  all  inunigrants  newly  arrived  in  this 
country.  I  can  not  emphasize  too  strongly  that  the  I'ulilic  Health  Service  wishes 
the  peiiple  themselves  would  aid  us  with  full  information  of  any  suspicious 
cases  occurring  so  that  prompt  assistance  can  l»e  rendered  and  precautions 
taken." 

[Editorial  from  New  York  Times,  Oct.  21,  1920.] 

THE    PLAOUK    >[KNACE. 

Siirg.  Gen.  Cummings  again  warns  the  country  that  it  uuist  protect  itself 
by  stringent  sanitary  measures  against  the  post-war  plagues  of  the  Near 
East  and  Europe.  He  thinks  that  the  United  States  is  in  grave  danger,  because 
"  7,0(K).(XIO  people"  (he  is  quoted  as  saying)  "are  trying  to  get  here"  from 
Asia  Minor,  the  Black  Sea  district  of  Rus.sia,  and  other  parts  of  eastern 
Europe  where  the  Inibonic  plague,  typhus,  and  smalli)ox  are  raging.  Perhaps  as 
many  people  hope  to  reach  America  to  escape  from  famine,  pestilence,  and 
misgovernment,  but  they  will  have  to  reckon  with  the  proper  enforcement  of 
our  immigration  laws.  It  was  estimated  in  July  that  300.(KW  aliens  would 
arrive  at  the  port  of  New  York  in  the  tirst  eight  months  of  the  year.  Before 
the  war  half  that  numi)er  sometimes  came  in  a  single  month.  With  amended 
inunigration  laws  and  vigilance  in  dealing  with  plague  conditions  there  is  no 
danger  that  ".millions"  of  refugees  and  undesirables  will  be  admitted.  At 
the  same  time  it  must  be  considered  that  the  shiploads  of  a  single  week  might 
bring  in  the  germs  of  a  deadly  infection.  It  becomes  necessary  for  boards  of. 
health  and  port  officers  to  be  constantly  on  their  guard  with  all  the  resources 
at  their  comnmnd. 

Bub!)nic  plague  was  reported  at  Pensacola,  New  Orleans,  and  Galveston  early  in 
the  sununer.  At  Vera  Cruz,  with  which  the  United  States  does  considerable 
business  in  the  course  of  a  year,  the  plague  was  cheeked  by  the  use  of  serum 
furnish(>d  by  the  American  hospital  avithorities,  but  several  scores  of  per.sons 
died.  It  is  to  be  noted,  however,  that  the  percentage  of  fatalities  was  not  high; 
indeed,  the  bul»onic  plague  that  appeal'e<l  in  the  Mexican  seaitort  was  described 
as  of  a  mild  type.  During  the  summer  patients  have  died  in  the  South  and  South- 
west, but  there  .seems  to  have  been  no  approach  to  an  epidemic.  Conditifins  were 
not  nearly  so  bad  as  at  Vera  Cruz.  Our  authorities  were  forewarned  and  were 
better  prepared  to  stamp  out  the  inftx-tion.  Galveston  made  ruthless  war 
upon  the  rat,  which  often  carries  about  with  it  the  infecting  flea.  From  the 
rat.  when  dead,  the  parasite  goes  to  anyone  who  happens  to  be  on  shipboard. 
Hence  the  need  of  rigid  fumigation  and  other  preventive  measures  when  an 
immigrant   ship  arrives  at   port;   also,  no  rats  must  be  allowed  to  find   their 


178  EMERGENCY    I.MMIGIIATIOX    LKGISLATION. 

way  ashore.  If  the  liealth  autlioiities  of  New  York  are  alert  and  lake  system- 
atic iirecautioiis  there  will  he  coinparntive'.y  little  daiifxer  of  the  vermin  makinp 
a  landin}?.  Every  hawser  hole  is  snpiMised  to  \n^  i»roteeted  hy  a  coverin;;  that 
makes  the  passable  of  a  rat  ini[)ossible.  However,  there  is  no  sueh  thing  as 
abs(»lute  thoroughness  in  enforcinfj;  rejndations.  and  it  therefore  behooves  every- 
body to  lend  the  guardians  of  the  publie  a  hand. 

Hubonic  plague  seems  to  be  more  insidious  than  typhus  and  smallpox;  at 
least,  that  is  the  general  impression.  As  a  matter  of  faet.  it  is  probably  more 
dittieult  to  eheek  typhus.  Surg.  Gen.  Cummings  says  that  "it  is  hi;;h  time 
that  the  people  and  the  Government  awoke  to  a  realization  oi  the  fact 
that  Europe's  plagues  will  obtain  a  footh<ild  here  befttre  many  months  go  by 
unless  we  keep  close  watch  upon  all  immigrants  newly  arrived  in  this  country." 
He  urges  that  every  citizen  hold  himself  responsible  for  rei»orting  suspicious 
cases  of  illness.  The  citizen  can  do  more  than  that ;  lie  should  make  it  hi.s 
concern  to  help  to  exterminate  the  rats  wherever  fou:id.  Every  commtuiity 
should  begin  a  war  upon  this  pestilence-bearing  animal,  wliich  in  all  ages  has 
been  one  of  tb.e  most  terrible  enemies  of  the  human  race.  No  rats,  no  bubonic 
plague;  or,  at  the  worst,  sporadic  ca.ses  that  may  not  be  dangerous. 

Senator  Johnson.  Mr.  "Wallis,  if  you  -would  like  to  glance  through 
that  interview,  you  may  do  so.  and  see  if  you  take  exceptions  to 
any  part  of  it  and  if  voii  do.  will  you  state  those  parts  that  you  think 
are  inaccurate ( 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Commissioner,  could  these  conditions  be  met 
by  increasing  the  forces  of  doctors  and  inspectors  at  Ellis  Island  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  That  brings  up  a  yery  interesting  subject,  ^Ir.  Chair- 
man, and  a  point  on  which  I  would  say  the  safety  of  the  Xation 
rests.  Very  few  people  appreciate  the  importance  of  an  inspector — 
yery  few  people  appreciate  his  position.  These  inspectors  are  daily 
called  upon  to  pass  upon  cases  that  have  to  do  with  these  aliens — 
their  entire  future  life — and  these  inspectors  must  mete  out  justice 
both  to  the  Xation  and  to  the  alien.  We  have  lost,  so  I  am  told, 
most  of  our  competent  inspectors.  They  are  so  woefully  underpaid 
that  they  can  make  more  than  double  and  many  times  more  than 
that  at  other  positions  than  as  inspectors.  An  inspector  at  a  great 
immigration  station  should  be  a  man  of  education,  a  man  of  dis- 
cernment, a  man  of  apprehension  and  comprehension,  and  you  can 
not  get  him  for  the  prices  we  pay  him.  You  can  not  get  a  man 
for  $100  or  $125  or  $150  a  month  to  do  competent  inspection  work. 
He  won't  last  long,  because  somebody  will  pick  him  up. 

Xow,  here  are  three  inspectors  that  sit  at  a  table  like  this  [indicat- 
ing] with  stenographers.  Here  is  a  family  brought  in  before  them. 
There  is  not  a  judge  in  Xew  York  City,  that  I  know  of.  that  passes 
upon  more  important  cases.  Xow,  the  whole  secret  of  this  thing 
is  centered  in  that  inspection  board.  They  are  the  men  who  decide 
whether  a  man  is  admissible  or  not.  And  I  must  say  that  if  immi- 
gration needs  anything  to-day  at  Ellis  Island  it  needs  a  higher 
grade  of  inspection:  that  is.  on  the  average  I  am  speaking  of,  be- 
cause, of  course,  there  are  exceptions  to  this,  but  Ellis  Island  needs 
an  infinitely  higher  grade  of  inspections. 

Senator  Sterling.  "\Miat  is  the  average  pay,  Commissioner  Wal- 
lis,  may  I  ask.  of  the  inspectors? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  should  say  $1,800  or  $2,000.  We  have  them  work- 
ing, however,  for  $1,200  and  $1,400. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Commissioner,  we  are  here  to  legislate,  we 
are  here  to  propose  legislation.  Here  is  the  i^resent  immigration  act 
that  calls  for  certain  tests.     Xow,  I  want  to  know  whether  you  can 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  179 

suggest  any  further  test  that  would  tend  to  keep  out  undesirables 
than  those  tests  that  are  contained  already  in  the  law  and  if  the 
law,  enforced  according  to  its  terms,  would  exclude  undesirables? 
The  machinery  is  there  to  exclude  them,  and  the  complaint  arises 
from  the  nonenforcement  of  the  law.  An  act  would  not  help  that? 
Senator  Dillingham.  The  commissioner  says  that  they  are  not 
sufficiently  paid. 

The  Chairman.  I  know  that.  Now,  therefore,  I  am  approaching 
this  point,  which  seems  to  hit  this  whole  subject,  and  that  is  the  in- 
sufficienc}^  of  the  forces  which  enforce  these  tests ;  that  is,  that  suffi- 
cient machinery  is  not  provided,  nor  are  sufficient  funds  provided. 
If  the  present  law,  properly  enforced,  excludes  undersirables,  then 
so  far  as  legislation  is  concerned,  that  problem  is  solved  if  enough 
money  is  appropriated  to  have  a  sufficient  force. 

Then  if  undesirables  are  excluded  under  the  law,  we  come  to  the 
second  proposition:  How  manj^^  desirables  do  you  wish,  and  do  you 
wish  to  regulate  the  incoming  of  desirables?  And  that  raises  an- 
other question. 

Xow,  on  that  point  might  I  call  your  attention  to  the  Johnson 
bill,  which  is  a  bill  for  temporarj^  suspension  of  immigration,  but 
under  section  4  of  the  act  certain  relatives  or  dependents  are  ad- 
mitted. If  that  exception  remains  in  force,  what  effect,  if  any, 
would  it  have  upon  the  present  congestion  at  Ellis  Island? 

ISIr.  Wallis.  If  the  Johnson  bill  should  be  enacted  into  a  law ;  if  it 
should  go  through  ? 

The  Chairman.  If  it  should  go  through. 

Mr.  Wallis.  You  are  asking  what  effect  it  would  have  upon  con- 
gestion at  Ellis  Island  ? 
The  Chairman.  Yes. 
Mr.  Wallis.  I  think  very  little,  if  any. 
The  Chairman.  Why? 

Mr,  Wallis.  Because  the  bill,  Mr.  Chairman,  provides  that  cer- 
tain relatives,  blood  relations,  shall  come  in.  I  believe  that  the 
people  who  want  to  come  to  America  from  abroad  are  of  such  a 
large  number  that  enough  blood  kin,  and  if  not  blood  kin,  sup- 
posedly blood  kin,  could  come  in  to  keep  the  island  congested.  And 
it  would  not  only  congest  there,  but  the  congestion  would  be  extended 
to  the  city.  If  you  are  only  going  to  bring  in  blood  kin,  fathers  and 
mothers,  doubtless  dependents,  and  sisters  and  brothers,  you  are 
adding  to  the  congestion  not  only  in  the  tenement,  or  the  already 
congested  district,  but  you  are  adding  to  the  congestion  in  the  in- 
dividual houses,  in  the  individual  rooms,  because  you  are  only  bring- 
ing over  the  people  who  live  within  the  bosom  of  their  families. 

I  don't  think  this  remedy  right  now  quite  answers  the  question 
that  is  confronting  the  Nation.  I  don't  think  it  is  the  answer  to-day 
to  our  problem. 

Furthermore,  I  think  that  we  all  feel  that  this  question,  as  I  said 
this  morning,  was  one  of  economic  and  not  one  of  national  menace. 
If  we  are  going  to  bring  over  the  children  and  the  mothers  and  the 
fathers  and  the  grandparents  of  these  people,  we  are  bringing  over 
in  a  large  sense  dependents,  not  constructive  elements.  We  are 
bringing  over  people  who  are — and  I  do  not  like  to  use  the  word — 
parasites — and  yet  they  are  parasitical ;  we  are  bringing  over  people 

2G911— 21— PT  3 3 


108  EMERGENCY    I M  .M  KiRATION   LEGISLATION. 

who  are  pfoinjr  to  live  in  the  families  that  are  here,  children  and 
old  joeople.  Xow.  I  don't  know,  but  I  don't  believe  that  this  bill 
ever  intended,  in  the  beginninof,  that  this  should  be  confined  just  to 
blood  relatives  in  that  respect. 

Senator  Sterling.  "What  do  you  think,  Commissioner  Wallis,  of 
the  cliances  for  fraud  and  imposition  under  the  terms  of  that  bill 
which  admits  relatives  in  a  certain  degree? 

^Ir.  Wallis,  I  fear  the  chances  for  fraud  and  imposition  are  tre- 
mendous. Senator.    I  fear  it  opens  the  gateway  for  fraud. 

Senator  Dillingham.  As  a  matter  of  personal  curiosity.  Mr.  Com- 
missioner; you  were  speaking  about  tlie  congestion  at  Ellis  Island. 
My  recollection  is  that  there  have  been  many  times  during  the  history 
of  Ellis  Island  when  larger  numbers  have  come  in  monthly  than 
have  been  coming  in  lately,  and  while  they  were  crowded,  they  got 
along  fairly  well.  I  was  wondering  if  this  congestion  has  not  to 
some  extent  resulted  from  you  being  compelled  to  hold  people  there 
that  you  did  not  have  to  hold  before,  by  reason  of  their  not  having 
any  money.  You  spoke  of  a  very  large  numl^er  of  people  in  one 
month — I  have  forgotten  just  what  your  figures  were — that  did  not 
have  more  than  a  dollar  each.  Xow,  is  that  a  condition  that  has 
helped  this  congestion  {  That  is  to  say,  have  you  not  been  compelled 
to  hold  immigrants  longer  than  they  would  have  been  held  before,  be- 
cause they  did  not  have  enough  money,  and  they  could  not  be  ad- 
mitted Avithout  danger  of  becoming  public  charges  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  hope  it  is  because  of  more  efficiency. 

On  two  occasions  recently  I  have  called  all  the  doctors  and  all  the 
inspectors  in,  and  I  have  said  to  them  that  we  are  not  going  to  allow 
this  rising  tide  of  immigration,  as  I  referred  to  it,  to  be  an  excuse 
for  allowing  undesirables  to  come  into  this  country.  In  other  words, 
we  are  not  going  to  brush  hurriedly  over  these  people,  but  we  are 
going  to  take  time  to  examine  them  and  inspect  them — that  the 
meshes  of  the  net  drawn  across  the  island  shall  be  drawn  finer  and 
tighter.    And  I  believe  we  are  doing  that. 

Xow.  I  have  some  figures  here  on  this  subject,  from  which  I  will 
give  you  onlv  a  few.  On  December  1  we  detained  2,039  people  in 
that  one  building,  many  of  them  sleei)ing  on  the  floor.  And  I  want 
to  say  right  here  that  the  Department  of  Labor,  since  I  have  been 
Immigration  Commissioner,  has  rtsi)onded  not  only  generously  but 
promptly  to  every  request  that  I  have  brought  to  them.  I  got  Secre- 
tary Wilson  hiiiLself  to  come  over  to  Ellis  Island.  I  wanted  him  to 
see  the  conditions.  After  we  had  gone  through  two  rooms,  I  think 
it  was  certainly  not  more  than  three,  he  said.  '*  Commissioner,  I 
can't  stand  this  any  longer."  and  the  next  day.  I  think  it  was,  he  gave 
me  114  or  115  extra  people. 

Xow,  immigration  sprang  overnight  from  nothing  to  the  80,000, 
we  will  say.  that  come  in  a  month  now.  Tliat  is  a  very  large  number 
of  people.'  We  were  short  of  blankets  at  Ellis  Island.  We  had  no 
place  where  we  could  place  many  of  these  people:  that  is,  we  had  not 
sufficient  sleeping  quarters,  and  we  were  compelled  to  put  500  of 
them  on  the  floor,  without  so  much  as  a  cover  as  big  as  my  hand. 
We  had  nothing  for  them  to  sleep  on.  And  I  took  Mi-s.  Wallis  over 
with  me,  and  invited  several  other  ladies  to  come  over  and  help  us 
arrange  for  these  people  to  sleep  on  the  floor,  and  they  were  sleeping 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  181 

on  the  floor  without  any  accommodation.  I  came  to  Washingfton  the 
next  day,  called  on  the  War  Department,  and  before  I  trot  back  that 
night  10,000  new  blankets  were  at  Ellis  Island,  and  we  made  these 
people  comfortable. 

Xow.  there  were  2.117  detained  on  December  2.  "Without  giving 
you  the  individual  figures  for  each  day.  I  will  give  you  the  total. 
From  the  1st  to  the  31st  of  December,  both  dates  inclusive,  we  de- 
tained, fed,  and  slept  56,987  people  at  Ellis  Island.  And,  gentlemen, 
that  is  a  big  business. 

Xow.  there  is  one  thing  in  connection  with  this  work  at  Ellis 
Island  that  the  committee  should  appreciate.  If  we  do  not  get  more 
money  to  run  the  island  we  can  not  run  it  properly,  and  this  com- 
mittee may  have  some  influence  in  the  matter  of  appropriations. 

There  are  three  things  to  keep  in  mind  in  connection  with  this. 
It  takes  double  the  work  to-day  to  examine  a  thousand  men  that  it 
did  before  the  war.  In  the  first  place,  we  have  these  seamen,  and  as 
I  said  this  morning,  if  the  next  12  months  equal  in  proportion  the 
last  6  months,  we  will  have  to  inspect  and  examine  close  to  800,000 
men.    That  is  a  big  job  in  itself,  examining  these  800.000  men. 

Secondly,  we  have  to  open  up  ever^^  passport  that  comes  into  Xew 
York,  whether  it  is  that  of  a  citizen  or  an  alien,  to  see  that  that  pass- 
port is  properly  vised.  Xow.  that  adds  at  least  10  per  cent  to  our 
work ;  I  expect  it  is  more  than  10  per  cent,  as  a  matter  of  fact.  But 
I  will  say  that  it  adds  10  per  cent  to  our  work.  Xow,  if  those  pass- 
ports are  not  properly  vised  there  is  difficulty.  The  Department  of 
Labor  is  helpless,  impotent,  in  that  matter;  that  is  a  matter  for  the 
Department  of  State.  And  there  comes  further  congestion.  The 
work  of  inspecting  the  passport  of  ever^^  alien  and  of  every  citizen 
has  added  at  least  20  per  cent  to  our  work. 

Xow,  where  does  the  big  work  come  in  in  addition  to  that  ?  That 
is  the  third  thing — the  literacy  test.  It  requires  more  time  to  handle 
the  literacy  test.  I  suppose,  than  any  other  one  thing  we  do.  We 
have  to  get  out  the  copy,  the  person  has  to  read,  sometimes  in  a  stam- 
mering tongue,  and  sometimes  not  at  all. 

Xow,  with  those  three  things  we  have  easily  added  50  per  cent,  if 
not  more,  to  the  labors  that  have  to  be  performed  at  the  port  of  Xew 
York. 

This  additional  work  has  been  added  to  that  which  we  had  before, 
and  then  if  we  are  going  to  try  to  draw  the  meshes  of  the  net  finer, 
draw  them  more  closely  together,  Ave  are  naturally  going  to  have  more 
congestion.  And  in  addition  to  all  this  we  have  these  people  that 
come  without  proper  funds. 

Xow,  in  these  days  of  vast  epidemics  in  Europe  we  have  to  go 
slow  with  those  people.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  would  rather  send  back  a 
thousand  of  those  people  to-day  than  let  in  one  of  them  Avho  would 
blow  up  Wall  Street  or  admit  typhus.  That  is  the  way  I  feel  about 
the  question.  And  these  people  must  stay  on  the  ships  and  suff'er 
the  consequences.  We  are  there  to  protect  the  gateway  to  this  Xa- 
tion,  and  not  to  see  how  many  people  we  can  pass  in.  That  is  the 
point  I  wish  to  make. 

The  Chairmax.  Mr.  Wallis.  I  understood  you  to  say  that  you  did 
not  think  that  the  Johnson  bill  for  temporary  suspension  of  immi- 
gration was  a  practical  solution  of  the  problem  ? 


182  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  Wallis.  Not  at  all,  if  you  are  going  to  allow  these  relatives  to 
come  in.    I  would  infinitely  rather  see  the  thing  absolutely  blocked. 

The  Chairman.  Now.  let  me  go  further,  Mr.  Wallis.  because  I 
want  to  o;et  somethin^^  that  is  constructive  out  of  you  if  I  can. 

Mr.  ^\  ALLis,  I  don  t  know  whether  you  will  or  not. 

The  Chairman.  Now,  you  know  the  general  feeling  in  the  country 
that  something  should  be  done,  and  I  don't  say  whether  that  opinion 
is  well  grounded  or  not,  but  we  are  trying  to  go  into  the  facts.  I 
want  to  know  what  you  would  substitute  for  the  Johnson  bill  as  a 
practical  solution  of  the  present  general  problem,  pending,  I  might 
say.  a  full  and  careful  investigation  of  this  Avhole  subject  of  natu- 
ralization with  a  view  to  the  enactment  of  some  permanent  legisla- 
tion. Have  you  any  practical  remedy  to  propose  in  the  interim  as 
a  substitute  for  the  Johnson  exclusion  bill,  or  suspension? 

Mr.  Wallis.  That  is  asking  a  good  deal.  Mr.  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  let  me  put  it  in  this  way.  Do  you  think, 
looking  at  the  immigration  for  the  last  three  months,  that  there 
would  be  any  great  menace  to  the  country  if  the  present  immigration 
lajiv  remained  in  force  and  there  was  no  change  in  the  law  of  a  con- 
tructive  character  for  six  months? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Xo.  sir;  I  do  not. 

The  Chairman.  You  do  not? 

Mr.  Wallis.  No.  sir. 

The  Chairman,  You  do  not  so  regard  it  then,  owing  to  the  lack  of 
steamship  facilities,  etc.? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  don't  think  six  months  can  have  anything  to  do 
with  it.     It  is  too  big. 

The  Chairman.  I  think  your  statement  is  borne  out  by  the  very 
slight  increase  in  the  actual  number  of  immigrants  during  the  last 
three  months.  Therefore — and  that  is  important  to  my  mind,  and 
as  one  member  of  the  committee,  I  would  like  to  get  your  views — 
you  don't  think  that  the  country  would  be  injured  in  any  way  par- 
ticularh'  if  the  present  immigration  law  remained  in  force  for  six 
months  pending  the  preparation  of  a  constructive  bill  on  this  sub- 
ject? 

Mr.  Wallis.  No,  sir;  I  think  that  is  only  playing  with  it.  I  think 
it  is  dodging  the  issue  instead  of  meeting  it. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  think  Mr.  Wallis  has  in  mind  a  limitation  of 
six  months,  instead  of  what  you  suggested,  Mr.  Chairman. 

The  Chairman.  I  did  sny  six  months. 

Senator  Johnson.  Were  you  laboring  under  the  impression  that 
the  Chairman  meant  a  limitation  of  six  months  of  immigration? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes. 

Senator  Johnson.  Well,  that  is  not  what  he  meant.  He  meant  to 
do  nothing  before  six  months. 

The  Chairman.  I  meant  to  do  nothing  for  a  period  of  six  months. 

jVfr.  Wallis.  Well,  he  said  that  at  first,  and  then  I  said  I  thought 
that  was  better. 

The  Chairman.  Enforce  the  present  law,  we  will  say,  for  six 
months,  increasing  the  force  at  Ellis  Island  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  can  see  no  danger  in  that. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  think  any  harm  would  come  to  the  coun- 
try if  the  present  law  remained  in  force  and  no  constructive  legisla- 
tion was  pa.ssed  for  six  or  eight  months? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION,  183 

Mr.  Wallis.  No  greater  harm  than  just  now,  Mr.  Chairman.  No 
greater  harm  than  right  now. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  is  there  any  harm  right  now? 

Senator  Ppielan.  What  about  this  condition  of  disease  and  insuf- 
ficient clothing? 

Mr.  Wallis,  That  all  means  that  we  have  got  to  go  slow  and  in- 
spect these  people,  and  take  time  about  it,  Mr,  Senator,  and  see 
whether  or  not  they  are  afflicted  with  any  contagious  or  loathsome 
diseases. 

Senator  Phelan.  Do  I  understand  that  these  people  who  are  cov- 
ered with  vermin  (and  vermin  are  a  means  of  conveying  disease), 
and  whose  garments  are  of  such  flimsy  character  that  they  can  not 
be  disinfected,  and  you  not  having  any  means  of  supplying  them 
with  fresh  garments,  are  landed  under  such  conditions,  if  they  are 
landed  at  all,  with  their  infected  garments  on  their  bodies? 

Mr.  Wallis.  No,  sir.  We  can  take  these  people  that  cone  from 
the  infected  regions  over  to  Hoffman  Island,  where  we  have  this  sys« 
tem  of  baths,  and  if  there  is  any  apparent  danger,  any  impending 
danger,  we  can  give  those  people  a  bath  down  there,  and  if  tlieie  is 
any  danger  of  their  clothing  being  so  bad  that  it  can  not  be  disin» 
fected — well,  I  think  we  have  plenty  at  Ellis  Island  to  take  care  of 
these  people,  clothing  that  is  given  to  us  for  the  purpose  of  takijig 
care  of  these  people  that  come  in. 

Senator  Phelan,  So  they  don't  keep  their  infected  clotning  on 
them,  then? 

Mr,  Wallis.  No  ;  the  clothing  is  always  disinfected,  and  so  is  the 
luggage.  Now,  conditions  over  in  Europe,  as  I  said  before,  are  so 
bad  that  some  of  these  people  over  there  have  clothing  thai:  will  not 
stand  disinfecting.  Now,  the  people  who  come  to  us  are  better 
clothed.  Of  course,  there  are  exceptions,  and  where  we  see  people 
who  are  in  need  of  clothes  we  give  them  clothes,  as  I  just  said.  We 
have  a  great  room  full  o:£  clothing  and  shoes,  and  we  supply  those 
who  are  in  actual  need  of  clothes,  and  that  is  done  through  the  char- 
ity and  benevolence  of  people  in  this  country. 

Now,  on  our  present  basis,  I  dont't  see  where  we  would  run  into 
any  grave  danger  during  a  period  of  six  months  if  this  continued.  I 
would  be  willing  to  see  all  immigration  to-day  stopped,  if  it  was 
possible,  if  we  can  get  down  to  some  practical  measure  that  would 
give  us  the  handling  of  this  question  largely  on  the  other  side — not 
altogether  on  the  other  side,  by  any  means — and  give  us  at  Ellis 
Island  inspectors  of  a  high  character  of  mind  and  heart,  and  pay 
them  for  the  work,  and  then  give  us  sufficient  room  down  at  Ellis 
Island  to  sleep  these  people. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  mean  to  stop  the  immigration  until  those 
things  are  brought  about? 

Mr,  Wallis.  I  would  rather  stop  this  thins:  entirely  than  to  allow 
the  relatives,  the  grandparents,  and  the  children  of  those  who  are 
here  to  come  in  alone. 

The  Chairman,  Now,  Mr.  Wallis,  you  said  it  would  not  be  more 
harmful  than  it  is  now. 

Mr,  Wallis,  No,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  in  September  96,000  came  into  this  country 
and  31,000  went  out.  In  October  101.000  came  in  and  33.000  went 
out.    In  NoA'ember  133,000  came  in  and  3-1,000  went  out. 


184  KMERCEN(;V    JMAllCRATION    LECISLATIOX, 

Mr.  Waixis.  That  is  all  over  the  United  States,  all  ports? 

The  Chairman.  Yes.  sir.  I  am  reading  those  figures  from  the 
report  of  the  Secretary  of  Labor. 

Mr.  AVai.lis.  Yes.  That  includes  the  Mexican  border,  as  well  as 
the  Canadian  border. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  the  condition  now.  And  you  used  the 
term  "harmful";  you  said  it  would  not  be  any  more  "harmful" 
than  it  is  now.  Do  you  regard  the  admission  of  108.000  who  came 
in.  as  against  84,000  who  went  out,  leaving  about  60.000  net,  as  harm- 
ful? 

Mr.  Wallis.  No,  sir ;  I  do  not  if  they  are  good  citizens  and  have 
any  idea  of  American  ideals. 

The  Chairman.  Have  j^ou  any  reason  to  suppose,  looking  at  the 
steamship  situation,  looking  at  the  difficulties  of  obtaining  passports 
and  vises,  that  the  influx  will  be  any  greater  during  December, 
January,  and  Februaiy  than  it  was  in  November  ? 

Mr.  AVallis.  Not  if  you  keep  up  your  viseing  of  passports.  That 
should  be  extended. 

The  Chairman.  Then,  so  far  as  a  problem  of  dealing  with  any 
emergency  is  concerned,  the  situation  is  about  this :  We  have  got  a 
practice  fairly  well  established,  and  that  practice  will  probably  con- 
tinue during  the  next  six  months  to  keep  conditions  as  they  are  now, 
and  you  say  that  in  your  opinion  such  immigration  is  not  harmful 
to  the  country ;  that  is,  about  60,000  a  month  ? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Xot  at  all. 

The  Chairman.  I  did  hear  you  say  this,  but  some  of  your  state- 
ments rather  seemed  to  limit  it,  that  you  regarded  the  present  class 
of  immigration  as  above  the  normal. 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes,  sir ;  we  agree  on  that  at  Ellis  Island.  Of  course, 
my  pei'sonal  knowledge  in  immigration  does  not  run  back  so  very 
far,  but  other  officials  at  the  island  tell  me  that.  Some  of  them  say 
that  it  is  far  above  the  normal,  others  say  that  it  is  a  little  above  the 
normal,  and  I  have  heard  no  one  say  that  it  was  below  the  normal 
or  that  it  was  normal.  Some  say  a  little  above  normal,  and  some  say 
greatly  above  normal. 

The  Chairman.  But  there  are  certain  immigrants  that  you  class 
a«  undesirable  which  do  obtain  admission  into  this  country,  are  there, 
Mr.  Wallis? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Well,  they  are  undesirable  for  a  good  many  reasons, 
but  they  are  admissible,  and  they  are  admitted  just  the  same.  ]May  I 
illustrate?  I  had  a  visitor  at  Ellis  Island  the  other  day,  and  I  was 
showing  him  through,  and  we  passed,  I  should  say,  20  or  25  or  30 
people,  magnificent  in  frame  and  in  make-up,  and  I  said,  "  Look  at 
that  for  immigration."  And  that  man  said,  "  Well,  they  are  not  im- 
migrants." I  said,  "  Yes:  they  are."  "  Well,"  he  said.  "  how  is  that? 
Look  at  the  fui\s.  and  the  cloaks  they  wear,  and  their  new  luggage." 
Really,  it  was  beautiful.    But  these  people  were  immigrants. 

And  following  that  we  came  to  some  families,  and  tlu'se  jieojile 
were  exceedingly  small,  fi-ail  of  build,  and  not  overly  briglit  looking; 
and  I  could  not  see  vei^y  much  about  them  that  would  make  me  think 
that  they  Avould  be  a  constructive  element  in  this  country,  though 
they  miirht  develop  in  time,  but  they  did  not  compare  at  all  with  this 
first  group  of  ])eoi)le  we  saw.    They  did  not  compare  with  the  first 


txMERGEXCY    IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  185 

group  of  people  from  the  point  of  view  of  morals,  money,  healthy 
or  mentality :  but  they  could  read  40  words,  and  they  were  achnissible. 
These  other  people  in  the  first  group  had  money:  they  had  position 
among  their  own  people:  they  were  strong,  broad-shouldered  people, 
and  could  do  manual  work — would  make  good  farmers  and  me- 
chanics. Xow^,  those  are  what  I  call  our  best  immigrants,  and  the 
others  are  what  I  c^ll  not  so  desirable. 

The  Chairman.  When  you  see  that  some  of  these  people  only  have, 
as  you  said.  50  cents  or  a  dollar,  what  C[uestion  do  you  then  put  to 
them  ?  "What  test  is  made  of  them  (  Aren's  such  people  liable  to 
become  charges  on  the  public  C 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes.  sir:  and  that  is  the  reason  they  are  held.  Mr. 
Senator,  and  that  is  what  is  causing  a  large  part  of  our  heavy  con- 
gestion. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  saw  a  statement  a  few  days  ago.  Mr.  Wallis, 
telling  of  the  arrival  of  a  vessel  with  something  over  1.900  immi- 
grants. And  the  statement  went  on  to  say  of  these  1.900  about  894 
were  without  money.  And  of  that  1.900  there  were  over  200  that 
had  less  than  S5.  and  of  that  1.900  there  were  something  over  200 
that  had  less  than  $10.  Xow.  what  do  you  do  with  those  immigrants 
that  haAe  no  money,  or  that  have  such  small  amounts? 

Mr.  Wai.lis.  I  think  65  per  cent  of  those  people  were  detained. 

Senator  Sterling.  Why  Avere  they  permitted  to  stay  ( 

Mr.  Wallis.  They  were  held  at  the  island,  and  some  of  them  will 
be  deported.  Forty-seven  of  them  went  to  the  hospital.  Those 
people  were  held  until  their  relatives  or  friends  were  notified  of 
their  condition.  We  first  send  a  telegram  to  their  relatives  or  friends, 
and  if  that  does  not  bring  a  reply  we  send  another  telegi'am  saying 
that  so-and-so  is  detained  at  Ellis  Island  for  lack  of  funds.  We 
send  two  telegrams.  If  we  don't  hear  within  two  or  three  days  from 
the  first  one  we  repeat  that  telegram.  Others  in  that  same  group 
were  held  because  we  were  not  sure  that  they  had  a  place  to  go  to  or 
that  there  would  be  any  position  for  them  in  sight.  They  may  have 
money,  but  we  are  not  sure  that  they  haA^e  a  home  to  which  to  go 
or  that  there  is  any  position  in  sight  for  them,  and  they  may  become 
a  public  charge,  and  then  we  wire  for  affidavits,  the  same  as  we  do 
for  money,  and  we  keep  on  sending  those  telegrams  for  a  while :  and 
then,  if  we  hear  nothing  from  them,  if  no  one  comes  for  these  people, 
or  if  no  affidavits  are  made  for  them — and  freciuently.  of  course, 
more  than  one  affidavit  is  required — and  no  one  comes  and  puts  up 
a  l)ond  for  them,  then  those  people  are  subject  to  deportation. 

The  Chairman.  Xow,  you  rely  on  the  immigrant  himself,  the  one 
who  is  without  means,  to  inform  you  as  to  who  the  relatives  are  that 
are  to  come  for  him? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes ;  and  the  sheet  shows  it  also.  Our  sheet  shows  the 
nearest  relative  and  his  address,  and  we  are  able  to  get  it  even  with- 
out conversing  with  the  immigrant  at  all. 

Senator  Phelan.  The  Government  has  to  pay  for  the  deportation? 

Mr.  Wallis.  The  steamship  companies  pay  for  the  deportation. 

Senator  Phelan.  The  steamship  companies? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Phelan.  If  an  immigrant  arrives  and  he  has  no  money 
and  is  deported,  the  steamship  companv  has  to  pay  for  the  deporta- 
tion? 


186  K.MKlUiENe'V    IMMKiKATlON    I.EGISLATION. 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes ;  the  steamship  company  has  to  pay  for  it. 

Senator  Phelan.  The  company  has  to  ascertain,  then,  before  sell- 
ing his  a  ticket,  that  he  has  the  means  to  enable  him  to  remain  after 
his  arrival? 

Mr.  AVallis.  I  did  not  quite  get  your  point. 

Senator  Phelan.  Do  I  understand  that  the  shipping  company  is 
obliged  to  ascertain  in  advance  that  the  man  has  money  before  he 
sails  for  America? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Well,  whatever  they  do  is  not  performing  the  work, 
because  we  get  this  great  number  without  funds,  and  when  we  send 
them  back  the  ship  must  take  them  back. 

Senator  Phelan.  The  ship  takes  them  back? 

•Mr.  Wallis.  Yes. 

Senator  Phelan.  Well,  then,  as  I  understand  the  arrangement  be- 
tween the  Government  and  the  shipping  companies,  they  are  obliged 
to  take  back  anybody  whom  you  recommend  for  deportation? 

Mr.  Wallis.  In  any  case  where  we  deport  a  man  we  send  him  back 
on  the  first  ship  that  goes  back  to  the  port  that  he  came  from.  We 
must  send  him  back  to  the  port  he  came  from. 

Senator  Phelan.  Then  I  should  think  that  the  shipping  company 
would  be  a  very  effective  agency  for  inspection.  They  would  ascer- 
tain in  that  case  whether  a  man  has  any  money  or  not.  They  would 
not  only  ascertain  as  to  whether  he  has  any  disease  but  they  would 
be  careful  in  other  respects,  such  as  ascertaining  whether  he  has 
sufficient  funds. 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  don't  know  anything  about  that,  but  let  us  take  it 
this  way:  I  have  no  idea  what  it  costs  to  ship  a  man  back,  but  I 
know  they  must  have  ballast,  and  I  know  that  it  doesn't  cost  much 
to  feed  these  people  when  they  are  taking  them  back. 

•  Senator  Phelan.  Well,  it  is  no  fun  for  the  stockholders  of  the 
steamship  companies  to  have  to  take  these  people  back. 

Mr.  Wallis.  If  the  steamship  companies  used  to  be  able  to  take 
people  over  here  for  $25  and  make  money  on  it.  they  surely  should 
be  able  to  make  money  when  they  charge  as  much  as  $150  and  $160 
for  the  passage. 

Senator  Phelan.  You  ha^-e  no  sympathy,  then,  with  the  shipping 
companies? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  have  no  ax  to  grind  with  them. 

Senator  Sterling.  So  they  can  afford  to  take  chances,  can  they. 
Commissioner  Wallis? 

!Mr.  Wallis.  It  looks  to  me  as  if  it  would  be  a  good  business 
proposition. 

Senator  Phelan.  Why  not  use  the  Ignited  States  shipping  fleet, 
and  we  could  then  have  full  control :  wo  could  inspect  them  en  voy- 
age. 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  was  told  the  other  day,  and  I  got  it  pretty  straieht. 
that  there  are  20  ships  in  process  of  ronstruction.  the  contracts  hav- 
ing been  let  for  their  construction,  they  lieing  sliips  not  of  the  great, 
large  type,  for  the  large  ty]>e  of  ship  lias  proven  to  be  not  so  good  as 
the  smaller  shi]).  but  of  the  conservative  type  of  the  Caronin.  for  in- 
stance. Now,  those  ships  will  be  able  to  carry  a  great  number  of 
immigrants,  and  they  are  able  to  bring  in  a  lot  of  freight.  I  remem- 
ber during  the  shipping  war — and  I  was  not  in  immigration  in  those 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  187 

days,  althoug-h  that  is  not  po  very  lono;  afro — that  an  inimifjrant  was 
brought  all  the  way  from  Hamburg;  to  New  York  and  on  to  Chicago 
for  $11,  his  passage  to  New  York  being  $10,  and  his  passage  from 
New  York  to  Chicago  being  $1. 

The  Chairman.  Mr,  Wallis,  I  understood  that  you  desired  to  get 
aAvay  at  a  comparativeh'  early  hour.  Senator  King  wishes  to  ask 
you  a  question. 

Senator  King.  I  just  want  to  ask  you  one  or  two  questions,  Mr. 
Wallis,  and  it  may  be  that  you  have  already  answered  them,  and  if 
so,  I  wish  3'ou  would  tell  me  so  and  in  such  case  I  will  withdraw  the 
question. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  there  is  a  feeling  of  unrest  in  the  United 
States,  that  a  large  part  of  the  people  are  out  of  employment,  and  it 
is  quite  apparent  that  lack  of  employment  may  continue  for  some 
little  time;  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  feeling  prevails  here  that 
there  are  a  large  number  of  persons  in  the  Old  World,  many  of  whom 
are  unfitted  for  citizenship,  who  propose  coming  here  at  the  earliest 
possible  moment ;  and  in  view  of  the  fact  that  we.  perhaps,  do  not 
have  sufficient  data  to  frame  a  scientific  bill  that  would  deal  justly 
with  the  immigrant,  as  well  as  with  America  itself,  don't  you  think 
it  would  be  the  part  of  wisdom  to  cut  oif  all  immigration  for  six 
months,  and  in  that  time  make  full  investigation  as  to  conditions  in 
Europe,  and  by  that  time  our  dislocations  here,  industrially  and 
economical!}^,  might  have  adjusted  themselves  partially,  and  we 
would  be  in  a  better  frame  of  mind,  and  have  more  information  so 
that  we  could  draft  a  proper  and  scientific  and  sensible  and  rational 
bill?    Don't  you  think  that  would  be  a  desirable  course  to  take? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Well.  Senator,  that  really  has  all  been  gone  over  quite 
thoroughly,  if  you  will  permit  me  to  say  so,  and  it  has  been  answered 
to  the  best  of  my  ability. 

Senator  King.  Well,  if  that  is  the  case,  very  well. 

Mr.  Wallis.  But  I  would  like  to  say  this,  Mr.  Chairman,  if  I  may, 
as  a  matter  of  information :  I  believe  there  are  sections  of  this  coun- 
try that  need  immigration  to-day  more  than  ever  before.  I  believe 
there  are  certain  sections  of  the  country,  certain  cities,  that  ought  not 
to  have  immigration  right  now. 

Senator  King.  For  instance.  New  York  and  Cleveland  and  Detroit? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Yes,  sir.  There  are  places  that  are  suffering  from 
the  cancellation  of  war  contracts.  There  are  other  places  willing 
to  pay  $8  and  $8.50  a  day  for  unskilled  labor,  and  I  say  that  as  soon 
as  our  readjustment  is  effected  following  the  war  that  the  commercial 
and  industrial  life  of  this  Nation  will  again  go  forward  with  irre- 
sistible momentum.  This  country  needs  immigration.  It  has  always 
had  immigration.  It  has  it  to-day,  and  I  believe  it  will  always  have 
it.  But  the  thing  to  do  is  to  take  out  the  best  of  it.  That  is  my 
contention. 

Senator  Johnson.  Have  you  read  this  Johnson  bill  carefully,  Mr. 
Wallis? 

Mr.  Wallis.  I  have  gone  over  it ;  yes,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  Let  me  read  section  5  to  you : 

Sec.  5.  Nothing?  in  spction  2  shall  bo  hold  to  prevont  tho  iiuportatiini  of  skilled 
labor  under  the  conditions  prescribed  in  the  foxu'th  proviso  to  section  .3  of  the- 
imniisration    act,    nor    to    the    importation    of   persons   employed   as   domestic 
servants. 


188  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LECJISLATION. 

Has  tliat  particular  subdivision  of  this  bill  Ijeen  called  to  vour 
attention  at  all.  Mr.  "NVallis? 

Mr.  Wallis.  Well,  not  with  any  sjjecial  si^mificance:  no,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  Now,  in  regard  to  that  portion  which  I  read 
about  skilled  labor,  do  you  know  whether  or  not  it  would  enable 
skilled  labor  to  come  in? 

^Ir.  AVallis.  The  skilled-labor  proposition  is  a  pretty  sensitive 
thin^r. 

Senator  Joiix.son.  Yes.  And  aren't  there  some  cases  that  are 
pendinjj  in  connection  with  one  of  the  steel  companies  concerning 
that  proposition  i 

Mr.  AVallis.  It  says: 

Xothiufr  in  section  2  shall  be  held  to  prevent  the  iuii)i>riation  of  skilled  labor. 

Senator  Johnson.  Xow.  if  there  were  an  attempt  made  to  limit  or 
restrict  immi<rration  that  would  blow  a  biii  hole  in  it.  wouldn't  it  ? 
^Ir.  AVallis.  It  certainlv  would.     I  want  to  sav  that  I  like  that 

bill.  '  .       '.  .  . 

Senator  Johnson.  AA'ell.  you  have  damned  it  with  faint  praise. 

Mr.  AA'allis.  I  like  that  bill.  You  asked  me  if  I  was  not  in  favor 
of  it. 

Senator  Johxsox.  Xo  :  I  was  asking  you  simply  about  that  pro- 
vision. l)Ut  the  chairman  asked  you  about  the  l)ill. 

]SIr.  AA'allis.  The  Johnson  bill  { 

Senator  Johnson.  Yes:  the  Johnson  bill. 

Mr.  AA^ALLis.  I  thouofht  you  took  up  the  Sterling  bill. 

Senator  Johnson.  Xo;  I  was  talking  about  the  so-called  Johnson 
bill.  It  is  a  name  that  is  very  familiar,  you  know,  but  I  have  nothing 
to  do  with  the  bill  or  its  authorship  at  all. 

The  Chair:man.  Mr.  Commissioner,  the  committee  feels  obliged 
to  you  for  yoiu'  testimony,  for  what  you  have  said  on  this  subject, 
and  expresses  its  appreciation  for  your  presence  here. 

Senator  Phelan.  Commissioner  AVallis  said  he  was  not  afraid  of 
immigration,  j^rovided  the  vise  stamp  was  mairitained.  Is  there  any 
danger  of  that  being  abandoned?  Is  that  only  a  regulation  of  the 
dej^artment  ? 

Mr.  AA^ALLis.  I  think  it  is  a  rule  there. 

The  Chairman.  It  is  a  rule  there,  and  continues  until  the  1st  of 
March.  Senator. 

Senator  Phelan.  AA>11.  the  commissioner  recommends  that  it  be 
reonacted. 

^Ir.  AA'alms.  By  all  means. 

Senator  Phklan.  The  committee  has  that  in  mind.  That  is  not 
contained  in  that  l)ill.  though. 

Mr.  AA'ali.ts.  I  suppose  that  is  a  separate  and  distinct  proposi- 
tion.   It  is  not  a  part  of  the  bill. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Max  Levy,  of  Xew  York,  representing  the 
Jewi.sh  AA'ar  A>terans  and  other  organizations,  requested  that  he 
might  be  allowed  to  file  a  statement  in  the  form  of  a  series  of  resolu- 
tions. I  will  not  read  them  now.  but  if  it  is  the  sense  of  the  com- 
mittee that  they  be  received,  they  will  be  filed.  AA'e  will  have  them 
incorporated  in  the  record. 

The  organizations  represented  by  Mr.  Levy  are :  Young  Israel 
Synagogue  of  Brooklyn.  Young  Israel  of  Williamsburg,  Young  Israel 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  189 

of  Boro  Park,  Young  Israel  of  Bronx,  Young  Israel  S3^nagogue  of 
Jersey  City.  Sister-Hood  of  I.  S..  Jewish  Veterans  of  Worlds  AVar, 
League  of  the  Jewish  Youth,  Y.  M.  H.  A,  of  Williamsburg,  Y,  M. 
H.  A.  of  Bathbeach.  Y.  W.  H.  A.  of  110th  Street.  Intercollegiate 
Zionist  Association.  Zionist  Advancement  League,  Harlem  Zionist 
Society.  Tifereth  ]\Iizrachi,  Junior  Mizrachi.  Bnos  Yohuda  Mizrachi, 
Hebrew  League  Mizrachi,  Hebrew  League  of  Xew  York,  Institu- 
tional Cynagogue,  Bnai  Am  (?hai  Y.  M.  Talmudical  Society,  Jewish 
Sabbath'  Alliance,  Xew  Era  Club,  Slutzker  Progressive  Y.  M.  B.  A., 
Pamela  Girls  Social  Club. 

(The  statement  referred  to  by  the  chairman  and  submitted  by  Mr. 
Levy^  is  here  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

[Presented  bv  Mr.  Max  Lew.  of  Xew  York  City,  to  the  Senate  Committee  on  Immigration, 

Jan.  4,  1921.] 

KESOI.UTIONS  L'NANIHOUSLY  ADOPTED  AT  MASS  MEETING  OF  THE  HARLEM  FORUM 
FOR  THE  DI.SSKMIX  \TIOX  Ol"  JEWI.SH  KNOWLEDGE,  AT  AVADLEIGH  HIGH  SCHOOL, 
NEW  YOKK  CITY.  OF  JANfAKY  2.   1021. 

This  ireetius:  was  addressed  by  Hon.  Frederick  A.  Walli.s,  Commissioner  of 
Tmmijrration,  and  the  following  resolution  had  tlie  commissioner's  enthusiastic 
support : 
AVhereas  there  are  pendins?  before  the  Senate  of  tlie  United  States  measures  to 

regulate  and  restrict  immigration  ;  and 
Whereas  these  measures  if  enacted  into  law  in  their  present  form  wiM  malve 

impossible  the  entrance  into  America  of  vast  numbers  of  persons  from  eastern 

Europe  wlio  are  at  this  time  tlie  victims  of  political,  religious,  and  racial 

persecution,  and  these  populations  having  in  the  past  contributed  serviceable, 

self-sustaining,  and  law-abiding  elements  to  our  American  population ;  and 
AVhereas  these  persecutions  are  brutal,  merciless,  and  frequently  bloody,  and  its 

victims  include,  in  large  numbers,  our  own  fellow  Jews :  Now,  therefore,  in 

public  assembly,  be  it 

Resolved  by  the  Harlem  Forum  for  the  Dissemination  of  Jewish  Knowledge, 
formed  to  he  a  point  of  contact  between  Ajnericans  inspired  by  the  tcealth  of 
the  content  of  Jewish  culture  and  our  fellow  Americans,  That  it  is  the  sense  of 
this  gathering  that  wliatever  crisis  shall,  in  the  judgment  of  the  Congress  neces- 
sitate a  departure  from  the  traditional  American  policy  of  free  access  to  all 
law-abiding  peoples,  that  it  would  be  a  denial  of  fundamental  concepts  of  the 
Republic  to  broadly  shut  our  doors,  as  never  before,  upon  refugees  from  political, 
religious,  and  racial  persecution  and  oppression,  and  so,  in  the  spirit  of  mercy 
and  by  witness  of  the  notable  character  of  our  immigrant  citizenship  in  the 
past,  we  call  upon  the  Senate  to  make  provision  that  law-abiding  persons  who 
are  refugees  from  political,  racial,  and  religious  per.secution  shall  continue  to 
find  in  America  a  safe  and  protecting  shelter ;  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  submitted  to  the  United  States  Senate 
Conunittee  on  Immigration  at  its  public  hearing  on  the  3d  day  of  Januarv,  1921. 

Dated  January  2,  1921, 

Henry  Keller,  Chairman. 
Max  luExr,  Associate  Director. 

The  Jewish  Veterans  of  the  "World  War,  in  conference  assembled  this  30th 
day  of  December,  1920,  in  Pacific  Hall,  city  of  New  York,  unanimously  adopt  the 
following  resolutions : 

Whereas  there  is  at  present  a  bill  pending  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States 

of  America  whhch  would  restrict  immigration  ;  and 
Whereas  this  bill  is  opposed  to  our  historic  policy  of  an  open-door  America ; 

and 
Whereas  it  has  been  through  this  historic  policy  that  America  has  reached  her 

present  state  of  power  amongst  the  nations  of  the  world :  Now,  therefore, 

be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  Jewish  Veterans  of  the  World  War  who  fought  for  and 
who  helped  vindicate  the  traditional  principles  and  policies  of  true  American- 
ism do  hereby  protest  against  the  passage  of  this  bill :  And  be  it  further 


190  EMEKGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  presented  to  the  Senate  hearing 
committee  iu  Washington  lor  the  purpose  of  having  said  committee  reiKjrt  unfa- 
vorably upon  this  bill. 

Joseph  'M.  Klein, 

Chairman  J.  V.  W.  W. 


The  Anti-Pogrom  Society,  in  behalf  of  the  amalgamated  societies  it  represents, 
registers  with  the  United  States  Senate  Committee  on  Immigration  a  solemn 
protest  against  the  pending  bills,  which  it  is  considering. 

So  long  as  pogroms  are  sulferi'd  to  continue,  America  must  be  open.  The  way 
to  stop  immigration  from  I'oland.  the  Ukraine,  and  Hungary  is  to  stop  pogroms. 
But  until  organized  murder  is  abolished  America  must  not  condemn  pogrom 
victims,  and  that  is  the  effect  of  rigorous  exclusion. 

We  urge  the  rejection  of  these  un-American  and  inhumane  proposals  of  the 
bills  your  committee  is  considering. 

The  Chairman.  I  would  also  suggest  to  those  who  are  present  that 
before  bringing  this  hearing  to  a  close  all  those  who  will  be  unable  to 
appear  later  before  the  committee  are  entitled  to  submit  their  state- 
ments in  the  form  of  briefs. 

Mr.  AVallis.  ]Mr.  Chairman,  may  I  extend  an  invitation  to  this 
committee.  I  wish  that  the  members  of  this  committee,  when  you 
are  in  Xew  York,  would  come  over  to  Ellis  Island.  I  think  you  can 
get  more  there  in  five  minutes  from  a  visit  to  the  island  than  I  could 
tell  ,you  upon  the  subject  in  a  hundred  years. 

The  Chairman.  Thank  you,  ^Nlr.  Wallis. 

The  committee  now  stands  adjourned  until  Friday  morning  at 
half  past  10. 

(Thereupon,  at  3.30  o'clock  p.  m.,  the  committee  adjourned  to 
meet  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m.,  Friday  morning,  January  7,  1921.) 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 

HEARINGS 

BEFORE 

COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 
UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGKESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 

H.  R.  14461 

A  BILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZENS 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  BY  THE  TEMPORARY 

SUSPENSION  OF  lAIMIGRATION,  AND 

FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 


FRIDAY,  JANUARY  7,  1921 


PABT  4 

Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Immiffration 


1^ 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT   PRINTING   OFFICE 

1921 


com:mitti:e  ox  immigration. 

LeBARON  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island,  Chainnan. 
WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,  Vermont.  THOMAS  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 

BOIES  PENROSE,  Pennsylvania.  JOHN  F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 

THOMAS  STERLING.  South  Dakota.  WILLIAM  H.  KING,  Utah. 

HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California.  WILLIAM  J.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 

HENRY  W.  KETES,  New  Hampshire.  PAT  HARRISON,  Missls.sippi. 

WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey.  JAMES  D.  PHELAM.  California. 

He-NRT   M.   Barry,   Clerk. 
n  r 


EMERGEXCY   IM:\IIGEATI0N   LEGISLATION. 


FRIDAY,  JANUARY  7,   1921. 

T'xiTED  States  Senate, 

Committee  ox  Immigration, 

Wa-shiiu/to7i,  T).  C . 
The  Committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at   10.30  o'clock 
a.  m.  in  room  285,  Senate  Office  BnikUng,  Senator  LeBaron  B.  Colt 
presiding. 

Present:  Senators  Colt  (chairman).  Dillingham,  and  Sterling. 
The  CHAiR:\rAN.  The  committee  will  come  to  order.    We  have  pres- 
ent with  us  Mr.  Siege!  ,■  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  who  framed 
the  minority  report  on  the  Johnson  bill,. and  the  committee  would  be 
ver}^  glad  to  hear  from  him. 

STATEMENT  OF  CONGRESSMAN  ISAAC  SIEGEL,  REPRESENTATIVE 
FROM  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK. 

Representative  Stegee.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen  of  the  com- 
mittee, under  the  Johnson  bill  no  person  who  is  at  present  a  declarant 
in  the  United  States  and  might  leave  this  country  for  the  purpose  of 
going  abroad  in  order  to  bring  a  relative,  whether  mother,  father, 
sister,  op  anybody  else,  back  here  could  possibly  return  to  this  coun- 
try, because  no  provision  has  l)een  made  in  that  bill  for  that  purpose. 
Xo  political  refugee  could  possibly  enter  this  country  under  any  con- 
ditions. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Siegel.  I  might  say  that  I  had  a  letter  from 
Senator  Nelson  in  which  he  called  my  attention  to  a  number  of  . 
Italian  aliens  who  left  Minnesota.     He  said  they  were  a  high  class 
of  men,  that  they  went  to  Italy  to  enlist  in  the  army,  and  that  they 
can  not  return  to  this  country  under  the  Johnson  bill. 

Representative  Siegel.  There  is  no  question  about  that. 

The  Chair.aian.  Is  that  in  line  with  what  you  are  saying? 

Representative  Siegel.  That  is  correct.  >s^ot  only  that,  but  a  num- 
ber of  these  men  left  America  to  join  the  allied  forces,  under  the 
legislation  passed  by  Congress  during  the  war  urging  them  to  go  to 
Europe  and  enlist  over  there.  In  other  words,  we  furnished,  by  our 
own  legislation,  the  means  whereby  these  men,  who  were  aliens  in  this 
country  and  who  desired  to  go  abroad,  could  do  so,  and.  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  we  gave  authority  to  their  recruiting  officers  to  recruit  them 
in  the  United  States. 

I  might  also  direct  attention  to  the  fact  that,  assuming,  for  the 
sake  of  argument,  that  immigration  was  to  drop,  sa}'.  one-half,  the 
Secretar}^  of  Labor  does  not  possess  the  facilities"  to  handle  the 
applicants  under  the  Johnson  bill,  because  this  is  what  Avould  occur: 
Assuming  that  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  has  a  father  or  a  mother 
on  the  other  side  and  he  desires  to  bring  that  father  or  mother  to 
America,  in  order  to  do  that  he  would  have  to  make  his  application  to 

1!»1 


192  EMEra?:x('v  immicration  legislation. 

the  Secretary  of  Labor.  If  there  were  only  to  be  300,000  immigrants 
c'oiiiino-  to  America  inside  of  one  year's  time,  that  wonhl  mean  that 
(),(){)()  applications  i^er  week  wouhf  have  to  be  handled  by  the  Secre- 
tary of  Ijabor. 

At  the  ])resent  time  the  total  number  of  appeals  wliich  the  Secretary 
of  Labor  handles  in  Washin<i:ton  is  ai)])ro.\imately  2.9G9  per  year,  as 
sliown  by  the  Commissioner  (Teneral's  report  for  the  fiscal  year  1920. 
It  Avould  mean  that  the  staif  in  AA'ashinirton  alone  woidd  have  to  be 
increased  by  at  least  from  40  to  50  times  the  number  of  clerks  and  em- 
plo,yees  which  we  have  at  the  [)resent  time,  in  order  to  function. 

I  would  ,0:0  a  step  further,  and  say  that  under  the  Johnson  bill, 
assuming  that  the  ambassador  of  France  or  (h'eat  Britain  would 
desire  to  come  to  America  he  would  have  to  obtain  two  vises,  one  at 
the  place  he  starts  from  and  the  second  at  the  place  at  which  he 
embarks  on  the  ship.  It  makes  no  provision  for  exemptions  from 
those  provisions  for  anj'body  coming  to  this  country,  if  he  is  not 
ccmiing  to  permanently  reside  here. 

Now,  the  agitation  for  the  Johnson  bill,  I  think,  is  best  illustrated 
by  a  cartoon  which  appeared  in  the  XeAV  York  Evening  Post  on 
Wednesday  evening,  January  25,  entitled  "  The  Bogey  Man,"  It  is 
a  very  good  cartoon.  It  shows  some  of  the  statements  which  were 
made  upon  the  floor  of  the  House,  namely,  that  25.0()0.000  immigrants 
were  coming,  and  it  reminds  one  of  a  balloon  fron^i  which  gas  is 
escaping,  indicating  poverty  in  Europe,  anti-American  feeling,  the 
shortage  of  ships,  the  low  foreign  exchange,  etc..  and  it  is  being 
blown  up  by  a  couple  of  gentlemen  who  have  done  the  same  thing  at 
other  times. 

On  Wednesday  of  this  week,  the  Washington  Herald's  economic 
expert,  in  an  article  covering  the  whole  immigration  situation,  points 
out  the  fact  that  the  net  gain  in  immigration  i)opulati()n  last  year 
w^as  142,000,  while  in  1913  the  net  gain  was  890.000. 

With  the  permission  of  the  committee.  I  would  like  to  insert  the 
entire  article,  because  it  gives  figures,  going  back  to  1910.  of  those 
who  have  come  to  this  country  and  those  who  have  left.  It  refers 
also  to  the  nationality  of  the  immigrants,  and.  I  may  adil.  it  a])pears 
to  be  more  accurate  than  the  figures  Avhich  have  been  received  by  the 
committee  from  either  the  Department  of  Labor  or  from  Ellis 
Island,  because  at  Ellis  Island  three  years  ago  we  practically 
abolished  the  statistical  bureau. 

The  Chairman.  If  there  are  no  objection  the  article  may  be 
received. 

(The  article  referred  to  by  Eepresentative  Siegel  is  here  printed 
in  full,  as  follows :) 

jrATERIAL  IMMIGRATION  DECLINE  OVER  PREWAR  DAYS NET  GAIN   IN   IMMIGRANT 

POPULATION  LAST  YEAR   142.000  TO  890,000  IN   1913. 

[Washinston  Herald,  Jan.  •".  lOi.'!.] 

Congress  is  ffivins  serious  considoration  to  tlie  question  of  liinitins  ininiiprii- 
tion  to  this  country.  The  present  tenure  of  the  discussion  indicates  that  most 
classes  of  innniiivjints  will  he  harred  for  a  period  of  one  or  two  years.  Tlie 
press  of  the  country  has  also  had  nuicli  to  say  concernin.u:  the  jrreat  intlnx  of 
InnniaTants.  particularly  from  Kuroix'an  countries.  F(U-  these  reasons  it  is 
worth  while  to  examine  some  of  the  fiirures,  so  far  as  they  hear  on  this  question. 
In  the  tirst  place,  the  followins  tahle  shows  the  total  numher  of  innniirrants  into 
this  country  for  each  Hscal  year  since  1910.    The  tahle  includes  only  immigrants 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


193 


iind  iKit  the  nonininiigrant  arrivals.    The  latter  are  chiefly  people  on  business  or 
plcasun^  tiips  who  expect  to  return  to  their  native  country  after  a  brief  period. 

Total  immigrants. 
Year  eiulin.i;  .lune  30 —  Number. 

iniO _'___  1,  041,  o70 

1011 878,587 

15)12 838,172 

ini3 1. 197, 892 

1914 1.218.480 

1915 326,700 

1910 298,820 

1917 295,403 

1918 110.(518 

1919 141.132 

1920 430,001 

July  to  November,  1920 '350,000 

Tlic  Director  of  the  Census  trives  as  one  reason  for  the  small  gain  in  juipula- 
tion  during  the  last  decade  the  great  decrease  in  innnigratiou.  This  decrease  is 
very  clearly  shown  in  th<*  ;'.l)ove  table.  Iii.  the  yeai';:  innnedi'itely  prec:-dir;g  the 
war.  more  than  a  million  immigrants  a  year  were  arriving  in  this  country.  In 
1918  only  a  little  over  110,000  arrived.  For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1920,  the 
total  arrivals  are  given  as  J30.000.  or  about  o!u<-tbird  t>ie  launber  in  1914.  The 
ntnuber  arriving  between  .July  fyid  November.  1920.  is  estimated  at  approximatelv 
3.5{».000,  or  e(|ual  to  a  yearly  rs-te  of  8.50,000. 

In  .spite  of  the  large  niunber  of  complaints,  it  is  clear  that  the  number  of 
innnigrants  arriving  i.-;  not  anywhere  nearly  as  great  as  before  the  war.  It  would 
•.<eeni  that  as  we  were  able  to  .••bsorb  more  than  a  million  innnigrants  a  year 
before  the  war.  we  might  now  be  able  to  utilize  the  smaller  numbers  whieb  are 
arriving.  In  th.e  past  we  hav(>  had  to  depend  upon  immigrants  for  a  very  large 
proportion  of  our  unskilled  and  farm  labor.  It  has  been  only  a  few  months 
since  the  country  was  complaining  because  of  a  shortage  of  labor.  The  farmers 
in  V'ii'ticular  faced  a  very  serious  situation  last  spring.  The  present  business 
degression  is  only  temporary.  The  question  of  whether  we  may  not  need  the 
better  class  of  these  inmiigrants  in  our  ^industries  and  on  our  farms  a  few 
months  hence  should  be  given  careful  consideration. 

In  any  consideration  of  this  nnestion.  it  is  important  to  note  the  principal 
sinirces  of  mn*  present  stream  of  innnigration.  The  following  table  gives  the 
nationalitv  of  the  immiirrants  from  the  principal  countries  for  the  fisc-!]  vears 
1913  and  1920: 

Xntionalif]/  of  immigrants. 


Princinal  countries. 


Riissii,  Finland,  and  Poland. 

Itnlv 

Aiistria-Hunearvo 

United  Finsrdom 

Germany 

Greece .'. 

Pweden 

Turkey  in  Europe 

Portural 

France 

Spain 


All  Europe. 


British  North  America. 
Mexico 


We.st  Indies  and  Bermuda. 

All  America 

Total  A>ia 


Total  Africa... 
Total  Oceania. 
All  other 


25t 
88 
34 
79. 

1"; 

15, 
M. 


Per  cert 
of  tot.^I. 


1,05."..S.T,T 


7.3, 9i)2 
11,926 
l-.>.4.-S 

3.1.. 3-58 

1.409 

1,340 

23 


Grand  total :  .'1, 197, 892 


1920     P";  f  "t 

of  total. 


24.3 
22.1 
21.3 
7.4 
2.9 
1.9 
1.4 
1.3 
1.2 
.8 
..5 


6,  .564 
9.T,l!.=i 

6,666 
4S,062 

1,001 
ll.PSl 

r,,  862 

1.933 
1.^.  472 

8,9!.^ 
18, 8?1 


88.1  \    246,29.5 


6.3 
1.0 
1.0 
8.7 
2.9 
.1 
.1 


90,02.5 

.5?.  361 

13. SOS 

152.  666 

17,  .505 

648 

2,1S5 

702 

430,001 


1.5 

22.1 

1.6 

11.2 

..2 

2.8 

1.4 

.4 

3.6 

2.1 

44 


.57.3 

20.9 
12. 2 

3.2 
37.8 

4.1 
.1 


a  1920  fiRures  include  Austria-HunjKiry,Czccl!Oslovakii,  and  the  Ferb,  Croat,  and  Slovene  ICin^dcms. 
'Approximate  nunilur  for  five  month.s  ((luivaUnt  to  year!y  rate  of  ahoi.t  850,000. 


194 


EMERGEXCV    l.M.AIlcnATIOX    LKGISLATIOX. 


^  It  bas  been  st.-ited  frequently  tliat  we  are  reeeiviiijr  a  ^'rcat  iiiuiKhitioii  from 
Eiirojie.  Yet  during'  1913,  88  per  cent  of  our  tota  iiiiiui^rants  came  from  Europe 
and  in  lOl'O  only  TiT  per  cent.  Tbe  frreatest  in.crease  in  the  relative  number  of 
inimiirrants  to  tliis  country  lias  lieen  in  tbe  case  of  Canada,  wliicb  in  1920  fur- 
nished 21  jier  cent  of  the  total  immi^'rants,  awtinst  a  littl"  over  (J  jier  cent  in 
1913.  Larj,'e  numbers  are  also  coming:  from  Mexico.  The  total  number  coming 
from  Asia  is  oidy  about  one-half  as  larjre  as  in  1918,  althoufili  tbe  proportion  of 
the  total   is  .somewhat  {ireater. 

Another  matter  of  no  smal  con-secpience.  and  one  which  is  not  ordinarily  dis- 
cussed in  this  connection,  is  the  larfre  number  of  emigrants  which  have  left  tbe 
country  durinj;  recent  years.  For  tbe  year  endint:  June  80,  1920.  288,31")  aliens 
emi^'rated  from  this  country.  This  is  almost  as  larjre  a  number  as  in  tbe  pre- 
war years.  For  example,  in  1913  tbe  total  emi^rration  was  303,338.  Our  net 
gain  in  population  durintr  the  last  year  was  only  141.P>S«;,  compared  with  889.702 
in  1913.  When  the  number  of  inunigrants  and  emigrants  for  tbe  last  year  are 
arranged  according  to  the  principal  grand  divisions,  it  is  seen  that  240,29.i  per- 
sons came  to  this  country  from  Europe,  wbi'e  256,433  left  this  country  for 
European  destinations.  This  is  a  loss  of  over  10,000  persons  so  far  as  Europe 
is  concerned.  The  big  net  gain  in  population  for  the  last  year  came  from  other 
countries  in  tbe  Western  Hemisphere.  This  was  chiefly  from  Canada  and 
^Mexico. 

Gatu  or  loas  in  population.  l!tl9-20. 


Grand  Division. 

Immi- 
grants. 

Emi- 
grants. 

Gain  or  loss 

Gain  or 
lo's  in 
1913. 

246.295 

162, 666 

17,505 

648 

1,340 

702 

2.56. 433 

21,776 

9,441 

121 

519 

25 

-    10, 138 
+  140,890 
-f-      8,064 
+          527 
-1-          821 
-f          677 

+  807,296 

America 

-t-    49,863 
-i-    30,668 

+      1,200 

+         666 

All  other. 

+             9 

Total 

430,001 

288.315 

-f  141.686 

~  S8O,702 

lu  view  of  the  fact  that  the  present  business  depression  is  only  temporary,  it 
might  be  a  great  mistake  to  put  an  absolute  ban  on  immigration.  For  example, 
tlie  heavy  immigration  from  Canada  is  largely  farm  laborers :  and  if  we  expect 
to  omtinue  to  produce  large  crops  an  abundant  suppl.v  of  labor  willing  to  worli 
on  our  farms  is  necessary.  A  mistake  in  this  matter  may  have  serious  con- 
sequence.s. 

Ky  all  meiins  our  laws  should  be  so  made  and  so  enforced  as  to  keep  out  the 
undesirable  elei.ients  from  foreign  countries.  It  should  be  perfectl.v  possible 
to  do  ti:is  and  still  allow  the  better  class  of  immigrants  to  enter. 

Kepresentative  Siegel,  Xow,  it  will  be  of  interest  to  the  committee 
to  learn  tliat  of  those  who  arrived  here  up  to  June  30.  1920,  191,000 
people  were  such  as  had  left  America  and  were  returning.  estal)lish- 
inof  beyond  contradiction  the  fact  that  they  were  cominnr  back  with 
their  wives  and  children  and  other  relatives. 

Senator  Dillingham.  ^Miat  class  do  you  refer  to.  Mr.  Sieofol  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  I  am  referrinji  to  tliose  who  left  America 
and  returned  with  their  relatives. 

Senator  Diij.ixgham.  But  Avhat  were  the  dates? 

Representative  Siegel.  Between  June  30.  1919.  and  June  30.  1920. 

Senator  Dillixgiiam.  Durinof  the  last  fiscal  year  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  Duiin<r  the  la.st  fiscal  year. 

Senator  Sterling.  And  the  number  wlio  had  left  America  and 
were  returning  was  191.000,  j'ou  say? 

Representative  Siegel.  Yes.  If  you  go  up  to  Ellis  Island  you 
will  find  that  mv  statement  will  be  confirmed,  gentlemen.     If  vou 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  195 

go  down  the  bay  to  the  ship,  as  I  believe  Senator  Sterling  did.  you 
will  find  large  numbers  of  women  and  children  coming  in,  and  you 
will  notice  a  very  remarkable  thing,  gentlemen,  and  that  is  that  a 
large  number  of  them  speak  English. 

Keference  was  made  in  the  majority  House  report  to  the  Xew 
Amsterda/n.  I  was  on  board  the  .Yew  Amsterdam  and  interrogated 
the  children  on  board,  speaking  to  a  good  many  of  them  in  English. 
They  had  learned  English,  and  were  coming  to  America  with  their 
mothers — coming  back  with  fathers  who  had  left  America  in  order 
to  go  over  there  and  get  them — and  they  were  going  to  various  places 
in  the  United  States. 

A\'e  hear  a  considerable  amount  of  talk  concerning  these  different 
nationalities  that  are  coming  in,  about  these  children,  women,  and 
men.  I  want  to  say,  gentlemen  of  the  committee,  that  I  have  in  my 
own  congressional  district  27  different  nationalities;  yet  Speaker 
Gillett  of  the  House,  when  I  took  him  into  one  of  the  schools  in  my 
district,  school  Xo.  83,  on  east  One  liundred  and  tenth  Street,  in  the 
heart  of  Xew  York,  was  astonished  with  what  he  saw  in  that  school. 
There  he  saw  a  boys'  orchestra  :  and  the  members  of  the  House  Immi- 
gration Committee  saw  a  pageant  given  by  the  children  of  those 
schools  showing  the  history  of  the  country  from  the  beginning  up  to 
date.     What  they  all  saw  astonished  them  greatl3\ 

Senator  Sterling.  What  was  the  nationality  of  those  pupils,  for 
the  most  part,  Mr.  Siegel? 

Kepresentative  Siegel.  Those  were  children  whose  parents  were  of 
Jewish  faith  or  thej^  were  children  of  Italian  descent.  It  may 
astonish  the  committee  to  know  that  90  per  cent  of  those  who  are 
attending  the  City  College  of  the  city  of  Xew  Tork  to-day  are  those 
of  the  Jewish  faith,  and  that  12  per  cent  of  those  attending  Columbia 
University  are  of  Italian  descent. 

I  know  of  no  other  way  of  judging  immigration  than  to  judge  it 
by  the  immediate  past.  During  the  war  the  great  State  of  Xew  York 
gave  to  this  countiy  465,000  men;  in  our  State  we  gave  the  Xation 
an  average  of  between  11,000  and  12.000  men  per  congressional  dis- 
trist ;  and  you  must  realize,  gentlemen,  that  most  of  the  213.000  men 
Avho  waived  exemption  for  the  purpose  of  going  into  the  war  were 
people  who  had  not  been  in  this  country  five  years. 

I  might  call  another  matter  to  your  attention :  Of  the  total  of 
1,722  declarants  in  America  who  gave  up  their  declarant's  papers, 
over  900  had  come  to  this  country  from  Xorway  and  Sweden,  and 
approximately  90  had  come  from  Spain.  The  others  represented  all 
the  other  different  countries  of  Europe. 

Of  course,  this  question  of  congestion  at  Ellis  Island  is  another 
proposition.  I  might  say  to  the  gentlemen  of  the  committee  that 
relief  can  be  obtained  very  quickly.  There  is  no  logical  reason  in  the 
world  Avhy  an  Assistant  Secretary  of  Labor  should  not  be  stationed 
at  Ellis  Island  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  and  determining  appeals. 
It  is  admitted  by  all  of  us  that  87  per  cent  of  all  the  immigration  of 
America  passes  through  Ellis  Island.  Yet  we  provide  only  one-sixth 
of  the  entire  force  for  Ellis  Island.  Xow,  there  were  2,729  appeals 
heard  during  the  last  fiscal  year. 

Senator  1)illixgtia:m.  Have  you  figured  up  what  percentage  that 
would  be  of  the  whole  number  coming  in  1 


196  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Representative  Siegel.  That  would  l)c  less  than  one-half  pin-  cent; 
I  am  liirurin<jf  on  the  basis  of  11,795  who  were  excluded  a!  to  (rot  her. 
Senator  Stkrlixg.  Those  are  appeals  from  the  si^ecial  boards  of 
inquiry  at  Ellis  Island? 

Kei)resentative  Siegel.  Correct.  Now,  let  me  explain  this  to  you, 
frentlemen:  You  undoubtedly  knoAv  the  situation  and  condition  that 
has  existed  in  the  department  here;  that  the  Commissioner  (leneral 
of  Immi<>ration,  Mr.  Caminotti,  asserted  that  he  liad  certain  ri<rhts; 
the  Assistant  Secretary  of  Labor,  Mr.  Post,  asserted  that  he  had 
certain  rijrhts.  The  result  was  that  all  of  these  appeals  were  held 
up,  some  for  weeks,  and  some  eyen  for  months. 

The  natural  result  of  that  was  that  con<restion  occurred  at  Ellis 
Island.  Under  the  remedy  Avhich  I  have  repeatedly  sufjfrested.  that 
an  Assistant  Secretary  of  Labor  be  stationed  at  Ellis  Island,  this 
condition  could  be  cleared  up.  Incidentally,  the  Assistant  Secretary 
of  Lal)()r  receives  the  same  salary  as  the  Commissioner  of  Immijrra- 
tion  at  Ellis  Island,  but  the  Commissioner  of  Immiirration  at  Ellis 
Island  lias  no  power  of  an}^  kind  or  description  in  the  why  of  ex- 
penditures; he  can  not  expend  a  sinfjle  dollar  withc^ut  first  makinf^ 
apiilication  to  Washino;ton.  The  Commissioner  General  of  Immi- 
irration irets  $5,000,  while  the  Commissioner  of  Immiirration  at  Ellis 
Island  frets  $6,000  per  year.  There  is  no  separate  budget  for  Ellis 
Island. 

This  is  Avliat  occurred  in  the  House  yesterday:  We  made  an  effort 
to  increase  the  appropriation  from  $3,000,000'  to  $3,500,000  for  the 
purpose  of  pro])erly  handling  the  immia-ration  situation  that  exists 
to-day  at  Ellis  IslantV  but  tlie  House  simply  allowed  $3,000,000. 
Senator  Sterling.  What  has  been  the  amount  heretofore  allowed? 
Representative  Siegel.  We  have  allowed  a  little  over  $3,000,000, 
but  we  have  allowed  extra  money  for  the  deportation  of  anarchists, 
etc.  This  is  simply  the  result  of  one  lump-sum  appropriation.  Let 
me  call  the  attention  of  the  committee  to  the  fact  that  this  is  the 
only  department  where  there  is  no  specific  amount  allowed  for  an 
inspector,  or  providing,  for  example,  that  an  inspector  should  be 
allowed  a  certain  salary-.  It  is  a  lump-sum  appropriation,  of  which 
we  give  the  entire  amount  to  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  but  we  do  not 
provide  what  the  salaries  of  the  inspectors  shall  be. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Does  the  Secretary  of  Labor  determine  the 
salaries  of  the  inspectors? 

Representative  Siegel.  The  Secretary  of  Labor  determines  the 
salaries  of  every  employee. 

Senator  Dillingham.  So  there  is  really  no  reason,  then,  for  the 
complaint  made  by  Mr.  Wallis  that  the  inspectors  are  not  properly 
paid? 

Representative  Siegel.  Oh.  there  is  every  reason  in  the  world  for 
it,  and  I  would  like  to  explain  that  to  you,  gentlemen,  if  I  may. 
Senator  Dillingham.  Will  you  make  that  clear  to  us? 
Representative  Siegel.  I  will  endeavor  to  make  that  clear,  Senator. 
Side  by  side,  working  with  the  immigrant  inspectors  are  the  men 
of  the  customs  service.  The  customs  service  men  are  allowed  to  re- 
ceive for  overwork  extra  pay  from  the  steamship  companies.  That 
is  allowed  them  under  the  provisions  of  a  law  which  originated  in 
the  Senate  and  Avhicli  was  passed  by  the  House.  They  are  now  per- 
mitted to  receive  the  compensation  in  that  way.     The  immigrant 


i:mergexc'y  immigratiox  legislation.  197 

inspectors,  on  the  other  hand,  must  work  these  lon<r  hours  that  you 
gentlemen  have  been  told  about,  from  12  to  1-1  hours,  and  7  days 
a  week,  Aery  often,  for  the  original  amount  which  Avas  fixed  l»y  the 
Secretary  of  Labor.  Xow.  we  are  not  giving  them  a  living  wage, 
gentlemen.  One  of  the  men  resigned  the  other  day.  going  into 
private  emplo}'.  where  he  was  given  $3,500  a  year  to  begin  with, 
under  a  written  contract  of  em])loyment. 

Senator  Stp:i{lixg.  Will  a  lump-sum  appropriation  permit  of  ade- 
quate pay  for  the  number  of  ins]iectors  required  ? 

iJcpresentatiA'e  SiKr.F.L.  Xot  Avith  the  amount  Avhich  is  alloAved. 
And  let  me  say  this  to  you,  gentlemen :  If  you  put  an  Assistant  Sec- 
retary of  Labor  at  Ellis  Island,  and  haAc  him  determine  all  of  these 
ap})eals.  all  of  these  anarchist  cases,  etc.,  Avhich  may  arise.  Avhich 
are  brought  in  from  all  over  the  country,  you  Avill  immediately  re- 
lieA'c.  according  to  my  estimate,  at  least  20  or  80  clerks  and  stenog- 
ra pliers  to  begin  Avith.  because  it  is  the  constant  correspondence 
betAveen  Xcav  York  and  Washinoton.  as  you  can  see.  which  O'^ca- 
sions  the  use  of  all  these  clerks. 

In  the  second  i>lace.  there  Avould  be  a  saAing  of  time  by  doing  this. 
I  don't  haA'e  to  go  A-erv'  far  to  find  an  illustration  of  that  point, 
gentlemen.  Just  take  the  case  of  these  orphans  that  Avere  brought 
oA'er  by  Admiral  McCulh'  the  other  day.  The  admiral  brought 
thHin  with  him  intending  to  take  care  of  them,  but  it  was  decided, 
Avhen  they  came  to  Ellis  Island,  that  under  the  act  as  it  stands 
to-day  they  could  not  be  admitted,  because  they  might  become  public 
charges.  An  appeal  had  to  be  taken  to  Washington.  These  children 
had  to  be  sent  oA^er  to  Ellis  Island,  and  the  surroundings  in  Avhich 
they  might  be  placed  there  are  at.  the  present  time  not  of  the  best. 
The  admiral  had  to  come  down  to  Washington,  see  the  Secretary  of 
Labor,  or  the  Assistant  SecretaiT  of  Labor,  and  take  up  the  question 
Avith  him.  and  these  children  haAe  noAv  been  released  temporarily  upon 
bond. 

Xow.  if  Ave  had  had  an  Assistant  Secretary  of  Labor  at  Ellis  Island 
he  could  haA'e  acted  on  this  cpiestion  immediately,  and  this  red  tape, 
as  it  is  called,  could  haAc  been  cut  at  once.  He  could  either  haA'e 
decided  on  the  spot  that  these  children  could  come  into  this  coimtry 
or  he  could  have  determined  that  these  children  should  not  be  alloAved 
to  come  to  America,  and  action  could  have  been  taken  Avithout  delay, 
and  they  could  haA'e  been  put  back  on  the  same  ship  and  returned 
to  the  port  from  which  they  embarked. 

But  in  the  ordinary  course  of  business  this  is  Avhat  occurs,  gen- 
tlemen:  The  appeal  would  be  taken:  the  Cjuestion  Avould  be  taken 
up  at  Washington:  and  sometimes  a  week,  sometimes  a  month,  and 
often  seA'eral  months,  would  elapse  before  the  case  Avas  finallj'  deter- 
mined. Meanwhile  these  Avomen  or  children,  or  whoeA^er  was  being 
detained.  Avould  be  kept  at  Ellis  Island  pending  the  decisions  on  the 
appeal. 

XoAv.  gentlemen.  I  say  that  the  placing  of  an  Assistant  Secretary  of 
Labor  at  Ellis  Island  is  one  Avay  of  relieving  congestion  there. 

Senator  DiLLiXGHA^r.  ]Mr.  Siegel.  I  want  to  ask  you  one  practical 
question  to  clear  a  matter  in  my  oAvn  mind.  The  complaint  that  has 
been  made  to  us  is  that  there  is  not  a  sufficient  number  of  inspectors, 
and  that  Ave  are  unable,  at  the  salaries  paid,  to  obtain  those  Avho  are 


198  EMERGENCY    LM .MIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

best  qualified  for  tliat  service.  Now.  how  should  we  remedy  that 
condition  ( 

Kepresentative  Siegel.  The  first  remedy.  Senator,  is  to  increase 
the  number  of  inspectors  at  Ellis  Island  Avithout  dela\-.  Second,  fix 
the  salaries  of  the  inspectors:  pass  a  bill  in  Congress  providing  that 
inspectors  should  receive  a  certain  salary.  Third,  we  could  relieve 
conditions,  as  far  as  inspectors  are  concerned,  by  passing  the  same 
kind  of  a  law  which  we  have  passed  applying  to  the  customs  service. 

I  might  say  this,  gentlemen,  as  long  as  you  have  brought  up  the 
question  of  inspectors  and  clerks  at  Ellis  Island,  that  we  have  only 
85  inspectors  to  do  all  this  work.  Heretofore  we  have  not  examined 
the  crews  of  the  ships.  That  is  being  done  now.  Last  year  I  called 
attention  to  the  fact  that  most  of  the  two  hundred  and  fort}-  and 
odd  men  that  were  shipped  away  on  the  Buford  under  the  action 
that  the  committee  took  under  what  is  called  the  "  Siegel  resolution  " 
were  found  to  be  men  that  came  into  America  as  sailors  or  seamen. 
There  is  a  distinction  between  "  sailors "'  and  "  seamen."  the  distinc- 
tion being  that  men  who  are  known  as  first-class  sailors  are  called 
seamen,  the  other  men  being  called  sailors,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  the 
terms  are  used  interchangeably.  Xow.  a  lot  of  these  people  used  to 
come  in  as  sailors,  landing  in  Xew  York  and  deserting  their  ships. 
The  majority  of  those  two  hundred  and  forty  and  odd  men,  as  I 
have  stated  before,  came  into  the  United  States  in  that  fashion. 

For  that  reason,  u^ion  our  urgent  request,  the  Commissioner  of 
Immigration  at  Ellis  Island  started  a  proper  inspection,  as  should 
have  been  done  long  ago.  of  the  seamen  and  sailors  arriving  upon 
these  ships.  He  must  examine  18.000  of  these  men  every  week, 
because  there  arrive  at  the  port  of  Xew  York  every  year  800.000  of 
these  men. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  you  mean  sailors  and  seamen? 

Representative  Siegel.  Sailors  and  seamen. 

Senator  Dillingham.  How  many  of  these  men  do  you  say  arrive 
at  tha.t  one  port,  the  port  of  Xew  York,  every  year? 

Representative  Siegel.  Eight  hundred  thousand.  Senator.  Xow. 
have  we  increased  the  staff  i  Xot  at  all.  We  have  the  same  85  in- 
spectors ready  for  duty  daily. 

In  addition  to  that,  we  have  passed  vise  laws,  and  the  inspectors, 
before  admitting  the  immigrant,  must  examine  his  passport  to  see 
whether  it  is  correct  in  every  particular. 

Then  comes  the  literacy  test  which  the  inspector  must  apply  to 
the  immigrant,  and  in  which  he  must  use  very  great  care  to  make 
certain  that  he  does  not  pass  an  immigrant  who  is  not  able  to  qualify, 
and  he  must  also  be  very  careful  not  to  hold  an  immigrant  who 
knows  another  language. 

Gentlemen,  we  are  asking  the  inspector,  for  the  salary  which  we 
are  paying  him.  to  be  able  to  understand  all  of  these  languages,  to  be 
a  man  with  ability,  possess  some  judicial  discretion,  and  then  we 
ask  him  further  to  work  12  and  l-i  hours  a  day.  practically  7  days 
a  week  in  most  cases,  and  then  we  give  him  the  big  salary  which  we 
pay  him.  starting  at  around  SI .200  to  $1,300  a  year,  though  I  think 
most  of  them  are  getting  between  $1,700  and  $1,800.  including  their 
bonuses. 

Senator  Dellingham.  Is  there  any  legislation  in  the  House,  Mr. 
Siegel,  to  correct  that  situation  ? 


EMERGEXCY    l.MMIGRATIOX    LEGISLATION.  199 

RepresentatiAe  Siegel.  I  have  presented  a  l)ill  in  the  House  pro- 
viding for  the  giving  to  these  men  of  the  same  extra  pay  from  the 
steamship  companies  which  we  have  given  to  the  customs  men.  l)ut 
some  of  the  members  of  the  committee,  and  others,  have  felt  that  it 
woukl  1)e  wrong  to  have  the  steamship  companies  pay  these  men. 
and  for  that  reason  we  have  never  been  able  to  get  it  out. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Why  should  the  steamship  companies  pay 
them  { 

Representative  Siegel.  AYell.  they  really  should  not. 

Senator  Dillingham.  With  the  head  tax  that  we  have  we  have 
money  enough  out  of  this  business  to  pay  our  own  bills '. 

Representative  Siegel.  Yes:  to  pay  more  than  that.  With  the 
head  tax  we  have  made  a  profit  of  over  $5,000,000  over  all  appropria- 
tions, including  the  millions  of  dollars  which  were  appropriated  for 
these  anarchist  and  deportation  cases. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Xow.  excuse  me.  Mr.  Siegel.  but  with  that 
clause  requiring  the  steamship  companies  to  pa^^  that  expense  elimi- 
nated, can  that  bill  not  be  hurried  out '. 

Representative  Siegel.  The  Committee  on  Immigration  and  Natu- 
ralization. Senator,  is  not  an  appropriating  committee.  If  you  can 
find  time  to  read  the  record  of  what  occurred  yesterday  on  the  floor 
of  the  House,  at  which  time  I  endeavored  to  obtain  >'500.000  addi- 
tional for  the  purpose  of  enforcing  the  law.  you  will  find  the  position 
in  which  I  found  myself,  with  only  twenty -odd  men  of  the  House 
taking  my  view,  although  every  member  of  the  Immigration  Com- 
mittee was  present  upon  the  floor  of  the  House  and  urged  its  passage. 
Mr.  Box.  from  Texas,  and  Mr.  Wilson,  from  Louisiana,  and  every 
other  man  of  the  committee  was  present  upon  the  floor  of  the  House 
at  the  time  and  urged  the  passage  of  this  bill. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  would  an  independent  measure  pass 
vour  committee? 

Rei)resentative  Siegel.  An  independent  measure  could  pass  my 
committee:  yes:  if  it  came  from  the  Senate  first.  You  have  asked 
me  a  question.  Senator,  and  I  am  telling  you  the  candid  and  blunt 
truth  about  it. 

.Senator  Dillingham.  That  is  what  I  wanted  to  know.  I  Avanted 
to  know  how  we  could  best  do  it. 

Representative  Siegel.  Let  me  say  to  you,  gentlemen,  that  these 
S5  inspectors,  by  reason  of  this  increased  work,  are  practically,  to 
all  intents  and  purposes,  reduced  to  42  men  to  handle  the  arriving 
imniiiirants. 

Under  the  amendment  which  I  put  into  the  Burnett  Act  it  was 
provided  that  two  doctors  should  carefully  examine  each  immigrant, 
because  I  have  alwavs  felt  that  great  care  should  be  exercised  in  the 
mental,  the  moral,  and  physicafexaminations  of  all  the  immigrants 
arriving  in  this  country.  'It  was  at  my  suggestion  that  this  provi- 
sion went  in  as  one  of  the  amendments  to  the  bill. 

Now,  what  is  the  situation?  In  many  instances  the  examinations 
are  made  so  rapidly  that  grave  errors  are  found  to  creep  in,  Avhich 
is  not  the  fault  of  the  doctors  themselves  but  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
we  have  an  insufficient  number  of  doctors. 

I  was  up  at  the  Canadian  border  about  six  weeks  ago  looking  into 
conditions,  and  I  found  that  we  have   76  ports  of  entry,  and  23 


200  EMERCENCY   TMMICHATIOX    T.ECISLATION. 

doctors  to  do  the  examining  idon*::  that  entire  line.  The  same  com- 
plaints as  are  made  by  the  inspectors  at  Ellis  Island  were  made 
to  me  by  these  employees  up  along  the  Canadian  border.  I  will 
show  you  the  great  injustice  that  is  being  done  to  these  men.  For 
example,  in  one  building  the  doctors  of  the  United  States  Public 
Health  Service  are  located  in  the  room  next  to  the  one  in  which  these 
men  are  located,  and  these  doctors  of  the  United  St  sites  Public 
Health  Service  were  receiving  their  salaries,  i)lus  the  amount  al- 
lowed them  for  board  and  lodging,  while  the  ins])ectors  in  the  room 
adjacent  were  simply  getting  their  salaries — nothing  else.  The  un- 
fairness of  it  is  disclosed  immediately.  The.se  insi)ectors  have 
families,  and  there  is  not  a  man  among  them  who  wants  to  remain 
up  there  in  the  service,  and  the  result  is  that  there  is  a  continuous 
transfer  and  change  in  ordei-  to  keep  competent  men — but  we  are  not 
keeping  competent  men.  They  are  leaving  us,  and  leaving  us  very 
rapidly,  because  it  is  the  only  branch  of  the  service,  outside  of  the 
custodians  of  public* buildings,  which  has  not  received  a  fair  deal 
either  at  the  hands  of  Congress  or  anj^one  else. 

Senator  Dillingham.  All  this  you  think  bears  u])()n  the  cjuestion 
of  the  congestion  at  Ellis  Island  at  the  present  time  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  There  is  no  question  about  that.  Senator; 
no  doubt  of  it.  Now.  I  will  go  a  step  farther.  A  couple  of  years  ago, 
I  believe  it  was  you.  Senator,  who  suggested  that  Ave  have  doctors 
on  the  other  side  for  the  })urpose  of  making  medical  examinations, 
and  there  was  at  that  time  at  least  some  correspondence  between  our 
State  Department  and  the  countries  of  Europe,  if  my  recollection 
serves  me  correctly. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Siegel.  doesn't  it  also  bear  upon  the  question 
of  the  admission  of  undesirables? 

Eepresentative  Siegel.  It  does.  I  was  alluding,  of  course,  to  the 
inspection  b}^  doctors,  because  we  just  touched  upon  it.  and  I  wanted 
to  say  a  few  words  about  it.  The  European  countries  at  that  time 
objected  to  the  doctors  being  over  there,  although  at  the  present 
time  I  understand  tliat  the  Public  Health  Service  has  a  number  of 
its  best  men  on  the  other  side.  The  suggestion  which  I  have  to 
make  is  that  we  put  into  the  bill  a  proviso  that  medical  inspection 
shall  take  place  aboard  ships,  as  well  as  a  general  inspection,  while 
the  immigrants  are  coming  over  here. 

Senator  Sterling.  Can  you  inform  us.  Mr.  Siegel.  as  to  what 
countries  objected  to  inspection  by  the  Public  Health  Service,  and 
what  countries  now  have  permitted  such  inspections? 

Representative  Siegel.  Well,  at  that  time  I  understood  that  Ger- 
many and  Italy  had  filed  protests.  Senator. 

Senator  Dillingham.  T  think  that  Italy  and  China  agreed  to  it  at 
that  time,  and  we  had  officers  stationed  at  Naples  who  were  in  the 
Public  Health  Service.  It  was  so  when  I  was  over  there  in  1009;  they 
were  then  making  examinations. 

Representative  Sjegel.  I  understand  that  later  Italy  i)ermitted  it, 
but  I  also  understand  that  there  has  been  some  question  about  it 
again  lately.  But  we  possess  the  power  to  say  to  these  steamshij) 
companies:  "If  you  Avant  to  bring  these  immigrants  over  here.  Ave 
will  place  our  medical  examiners  on  board  your  shii)s,  and  Ave  Avill 
place  our  ins})ectors  on  board  3'our  ships." 


;::«ii;rgexcy  immigration  legislatio:'.  201 

Senator  Diij^ixgham.  Your  idea  is  to  have  this  Government  make 
its  own  examinations  durin<r  the  passage  over,  instead  of  after  the 
immifrrant  reaches  Ellis  Island  i 

Representative  Siegel.  Correct.  I  think  we  would  save  time  and 
we  would  save  money,  and  we  would  relieve  the  congestion  at  Ellis 
Island  very  promptly,  and  in  addition  to  that  we  would  have  a 
more  thorough  examination. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Well,  the  present  law,  Mr.  Siegel.  provides  for 
negotiations  with  foreign  (xovernments  in  regard  to  that  very  matter 
of  the  inspection  on  board  ship,  does  it  not  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  Yes:  that  is  true,  but  we  do  not  have  to  wait 
until  we  can  get  that  permission  through  diplomatic  channels.  AVe 
can  say.  "  we  will  not  recei>"e  these  immigrants  unless  you  permit 
us  to  make  these  inspections  and  examinations.'" 

Senator  Sterling.  Mr.  Siegel,  do  you  know  to  what  extent  such 
examination  and  inspection  is  made  on  board  ship  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  At  the  present  time? 

Senator  Sterling.  Yes. 

Representative  Siegel.  In  the  port  of  Xew  York  there  is  a  litt 'e : 
not  very  much.  The  reason  they  have  done  it  lately  is  because  of 
the  congestion  that  occurs  in  Xew  York,  and  Commissioner  AVallis 
urged  that  authority  be  given  for  such  examinations  on  board  ship. 

The  Chairman.  Let  me  say.  Mr.  Siegel.  the  inspection  may  be  at 
three  places — the  port  of  embarkation,  on  board  ship,  or  on  the  ar- 
rival at  Ellis  Island.  Xow.  so  far  as  the  matter  of  inspection  in  the 
foreign  countries  is  concerned,  that  might  have  to  be  arranged  dip- 
lomatically, but  your  idea  is  that  inspection  on  board  the  steamship 
is  entirely  within  our  control,  because  we  could  say  to  the  steamship 
company,  ''  You  can  not  land  immigrants  in  America  unless  you 
submit  to  an  inspection  on  board  the  ship.'"    Is  that  the  idea  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  That  is  my  view. 

Senator  Sterling.  Could  not  the  same  principle  be  extended  to  in- 
spection at  the  port  of  embarkation? 

Representative  Siegel.  Xo  :  and  I  will  tell  you  why :  If  you  en- 
deavor to  do  that  over  there,  you  would  take  away  the  very  safeguard 
which  AA'e  have  here  by  virtue  of  the  practice  of  putting  different  in- 
sjiectors  on  board  those  ships  from  time  to  time,  changing  around 
the  same  as  a  police  force  would  be  changed  around. 

Xow  that  this  subject  has  been  brouglit  up.  gentlemen,  let  me 
say  that  you  can  not  realize  the  conditions  that  have  arisen  as  a 
result  of  the  vise  provision.  Practically  every  immigrant  coming 
over  here  has  told  the  same  story  about  it,  that  there  is  corruption 
OA-er  there,  not  on  the  part  of  our  own  officials  over  there,  but  on  the 
part  of  the  subordinate  officials  of  the  particular  countries  in  which 
our  consulates  exist.  I  will  go  a  step  further  and  say  this,  that  even 
some  of  our  own  Department  of  Justice  men  who  were  investigating 
certain  applications  for  vises  here  were  corrupt.  And  in  making 
that  statement  I  want  to  point  out  one  specific  case.  A  certain  De- 
partment of  Justice  agent,  who  Avas  in  Xew  York  making  a  large 
number  of  iuA-estigations,  had  the  audacity,  the  nerve,  to  write  a  letter 
to  a  man.  in  his  own  handwriting,  sayins:.  ••  If  you  desire  the  vise 
to  go  through  you  must  pay  the  sum  of  $75  to  a  certain  attorney  in 
Washington,  otherwise  your  vise  can  not  go  through.""  He  signed 
his  name  to  it.  and  iiave  the  Department  of  Justice  telephone  number. 


202  KMKnC'KNC'Y    I.MMIC.RATIOX    LPZGISLATIOX. 

and  the  phue  where  he  conhl  he  reached,  so  that  the  money  couM  he 
•riven  to  him  either  in  Xew  York  or  passed  to  him  liere  in  Washin<r- 
ton  throu<rh  certain  attorneys.  And  we  indicted  a  number  of  these 
l)eople  in  Xew  York.  The  Department  of  Justice,  let  me  add.  is 
cleanin<r  its  own  house. 

I  am  opposed  to  inspection  on  the  other  side  for  another  reason. 
You  would  not.  if  you  had  the  inspection  on  the  other  side.  <rive  the 
immi<rrant  the  ritrht  of  appeal.  The  immi<rrant.  the  father  or 
mother,  or  whoever  is  cominji  over,  is  entitled  to  the  riirht  of  appeal, 
because  inspectors  might  have  certain  decided  views  against  particu- 
lar nationalities  or  against  certain  cfeeds.  and  the  immigrants  should 
have  the  right  of  apj^eal.  But  if  the  inspections  were  made  on  the 
other  side  this  right  of  appeal  would  be  denied  them. 

Senator  Sterling.  Does  it  necessarily  follow.  Mr.  Siegel,  that  he 
would  not  have  the  right  of  appeal  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  He  would  not  have  the  right  of  appeal. 
My  idea  with  regard  to  having  an  Assistant  Secretary  of  Labor  at 
Ellis  Island,  gentlemen,  is  this :  If  we  had  an  Assistant  Secretary  of 
Labor  there  that  official  himself  could  determine  personally  upon  an 
examination,  seeing  the  individual  himself,  as  to  whether  he  should  be 
admitted  or  not.  And  if  you  adopt  my  idea  of  inspection  on  board 
ship,  the  number  of  cases  to  be  handled  would  be  so  very  few  that  it 
would  relieve  this  congestion  very  much,  because  over  90  odd  per  cent 
of  the  work  would  have  been  completed  on  board  ship.  Another 
deterrent  is  the  proviso  that  we  put  into  our  Burnett  bill,  the  present 
law,  to  the  etfect  that  not  only  must  the  immigrant  who  is  not  ad- 
mitted be  returned  at  the  company's  expense,  but  they  must  return 
the  passage  money.     That  is  the  law. 

The  inspection  on  the  other  side,  to  be  put  into  effect,  will,  of  course, 
involve,  in  many  cases,  diplomatic  negotiations,  whereas  under  the 
suggestion  which  I  have  made  we  could  make  these  inspections  with- 
out having  to  have  any  diplomatic  negotiations. 

I  also  want  to  call  your  attention  to  another  matter,  if  I  may.  that 
during  the  fiscal  year  1920  there  were  only  11.79.")  immigrants  who, 
after  arriving  here,  were  excluded.  Of  that  number  more  than  one- 
half  were  excluded  because  they  might  become  public  charges. 
Twelve  hundred  and  forty-one  were  excluded  because  they  were  stow- 
aways. And  as  a  result  of  the  literacy  test.  1.639  were  excluded: 
contract  laborers.  1,164:  criminals,  355:  loathsome  or  contagious 
and  dangerous  diseases.  541.  In  other  words,  all  of  these  excluded 
individimls  made  up  a  very  small  number  as  compared  with  the  total 
number  of  those  who  arrived  here. 

I  might  say  that  we  hear  considerable  talk  in  regard  to  crime,  for 
instance,  in  the  city  of  Xew  York,  and  even  my  dear  friend  Commis- 
sioner Wallis.  who  was  at  one  time  deputy  police  commissioner,  is  not 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  true  conditions. 

Senator  Dillingham.  How  long  has  Mr.  AVallis  been  occupying 
his  present  position  ? 

Representative  Slegel.  Just  about  six  months.  You  may  recollect 
that  Commissioner  Howe  retired  to  become  the  head  of  the  Plumb 
plan. 

Senator  Dellixgham.  What  was  Commissioner  Wallis  l)efore  he 
became  commissioner  of  immigration  at  Ellis  Island  ?  AMiat  position 
did  he  hold  before  he  became  commissioner? 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATIOX    LEGISLATION.       '  203 

Representative  Siegel.  He  Avas  third  deputy  police  commissioner 
of  New  York  City,  a  Kentuckian  by  birth,  a  <rentleman  of  the  hi<rhest 
type,  a  man  who  is  endeavoriii<r  to  do  the  proper  thin<(  at  Ellis  Island, 
but  who  has  had  to  threaten  to  resi<rn  before  he  could  ol)tain  sufficient 
help  with  which  to  run  the  island. 

i  want  to  say  that  as  far  as  crime  is  concerned — and  we  hear  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  talk  and  read  a  lot  about  it — the  city  of  Xew 
York  is  practically  the  most  orderly  city  in  the  United  States.  That 
is  a  very  broad  statement  to  make,  but  I  make  it  just  the  same.  Let 
us  compare  the  city  of  Xcav  York  with  the  city  of  Washintrton,  which 
has  approximately  from  107.000  to  110,000  employees  workinfr  for 
Uncle  Sam.  The  total  poj^ulation  of  Washincrton.  accordinf;  to  the 
census  of  1920,  is  435.000.  Durinfr  the  past  year.  1920.  -12.000  crimes 
were  committed  in  the  city  of  Washintrton :  in  other  words,  about  10 
per  cent  of  the  population  was  charfred  with  havin^r  committed  a 
crime.  Xow.  the  city  of  Xew  York,  with  its  five  million  six  hundred 
and  some  odd  thousand  people,  according  to  the  census  of  1920,  had  a 
total  number  of  about  240,000  cases.  We  have  some  problems  in  Xew 
1  ork  City  which  do  not  exist  in  Washington.  If  a  boy  plays  base- 
ball on  the  public  street,  or  "  pussA^  cat,"  or  if  a  woman  han<rs  out  her 
washinor  on  the  backyard  line,  they  constitute  crimes,  or  if  a  man 
for<rets  himself  so  far  as  to  Avalk  down  in  the  subway  with  a  li<rhted 
cifrar.  or  if  he  expectorates  on  the  sidewalk,  he  is  fruilty  of  an  offense 
which  constitutes  a  crime.  In  addition  to  that,  ffuite  a  lar<Te  number 
of  push-cart  peddlers  are  arrested  each  A-ear.  Xow,  all  those  offenses 
<j:o  into  this  total  of  240,000  cases.  But  even  so,  we  are,  as  you  can 
•rather  from  those  figures,  comparatively  a  pretty  orderly  city. 

And  as  far  as  murder  is  concerned,  you  are  three  times  as  safe 
in  the  city  of  Xew  York  as  you  are  in  the  District  of  Columbia. 
I  have  the  statistics  on  this  subject,  and  I  base  my  statements  on 
those  statistics. 

The  CHAimrAx.  AVhat  bearin<r  has  that,  Mr.  Siefrel.  upon  the 
Johnson  emergency  legislation  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  It  has  a  bearing.  Senator,  for  the  reason 
that  on  the  floor  of  the  House  the  statement  was  made  that  crime  was 
greater  in  the  cities  where  the  foreign-born  predominate,  and  that 
was  one  of  the  things  which  caused  some  of  the  members  there  to  vote 
for  the  bill.    And  that  is  why  I  have  called  attention  to  it.  Senator. 

Xow.  gentlemen,  you  very  fre(iuently  hear  the  statement  made 
that  one  of  the  reasons  why  there  should  be  restriction  of  immigra- 
tion is  l)ecause  of  the  failure  of  aliens  to  naturalize.  And  there  I 
say  that  the  responsilulity  rests  upon  us.  We  do  not  provide  suffi- 
cient courts.  I  yesterday  made  an  effort  to  obtain  $25,000  additional 
for  Xew  York  City  for  the  coming  year,  because  one  of  our  courts 
had  to  shut  down  for  a  week  this  month  because  we  did  not  provide 
the  clerks,  but  that  amendment  failed  of  ])assage  yesterday. 

I  have  the  figures  here  which  were  obtained  only  yesterday,  show-' 
ing  the  number  of  declarants,  and  those  who  have  filed  petitions  for 
naturalization.    I  will  give  you  the  figures  : 

Declaration  of  intention  and  petitions  for  naturalization  filed  in 
the  United  States  during  the  fiscal  year  1920,  exclusive  of  soldier 
petitions,  300,106. 


204  i:.Mi:n(  KNcv  i.m.migration  legislation. 

Petitions  filed  for  naturalization  during  the  li.scal  ^ear  1920, 
16G.92.>.  Making:  a  total  of  467,031  who  are  endeavoring  to  become 
citizens. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  think,  Mr.  Siegel,  that  has  any  very  great 
bearing  upon  the  emergency  proposition,  the  flood  of  immigrants 
about  to  come  over? 

Kej^resentative  Sieoei..  It  has:  yes,  sir,  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  Of  course,  we  are  dealing  now  with  this  thing 
purely  from  an  Americanization  standpoint,  fjut  the  Americaniza- 
tion standpoint,  while  it  has  a  certain  bearing,  has  not  a  very  marked 
bearing  upon  the  immediate  problem  that  confronts  us.  It  would 
have  more  of  a  bearing  when  we  come  to  deal  with  the  problem  of 
constructive  legislation. 

But  I  want  to  know  now,  to-day.  about  the  threatened  flood  of 
immigration  from  Europe,  and  whether,  if  we  do  not  pass  some- 
thing similar  to  the  Johnson  l>ill,  the  immigration  arriving  at  the 
port  of  New  York  and  other  ports  will  be  of  phenomenal  extent. 

Representative  Sie(;ei..  If  I  may  say  so.  Senator,  the  reason  that  I 
discussed  the  naturalization  Cjuestion  was  that  one  of  the  members 
of  the  committee  here  the  other  day  made  incjuiry  as  to  whether  the 
men  who  were  going  abroad  to  bring  their  relatives  here  were  either 
citizens  or  declarants.  He  stated  that  that  would  be  an  indication 
as  to  whether  they  were  becoming  American  citizens  or  trying  to 
become  American  citizens.  And  I  was  endeavoring  to  point  out 
that  practically  the  whole  of  the  191,000  that  come  over,  bringing 
their  relatives,  were  Ameriian  citizens  or  had  declared  to  become 
American  citizens, 

Xow.  in  Xew  York  City  the  situation  is  this,  gentlemen,  that  many 
immiofrants  have  not  become  citizens,  but  the  reason  therefor  is  not 
anv  lack  of  desire  on  their  part  to  become  citizens,  but  because  they  are 
obliged  to.  repeatedly,  day  after  day,  go  to  the  clerk's  office  and  are 
turned  avray  because  of  the  lack  of  facilities  for  taking  care  of  them. 
They  go  to  the  courts  and  to  the  clerk's  office,  but  they  can  not  be 
taken  care  of.  as  I  say.  because  of  lack  of  facilities  to  take  care  of 
them. 

Xow.  I  want  to  saj-'to  you.  gentlemen,  that  there  is  not  the  grave 
danger  which  some  of  our  friends  who  favor  the  Johnson  bill  would 
have  this  committee  or  the  country  believe  exists. 

In  the  first  place,  conditions  in  Poland  have  changed  during  the 
past  few  weeks.  Poland  has  awakened  and  commenced  to  realize 
that  her  success  as  a  nation,  to  the  extent  that  she  is  either  to  exist 
or  to  fall  as  a  nation,  depends  upon  her  al)ility  and  capacity  to  have 
all  of  her  people,  regardless  of  race,  creed,  or  religion,  obtain  the 
same  rights,  so  that  all  might  work  in  harmony  together  to  build 
up  the  economic  structure  in  Poland.  There  is  every  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  the  majority  and  the  minorities,  as  they  are  called  over 
there,  will  be  able  in 'the  very  near  future  to  make  more  progress 
along  those  lines  than  they  have  made  in  the  year  gone  by.  And 
thev  are  making  at  the  present  time,  and  have  made  especially  during 
the'  past  few  weeks,  considera1)le  progress,  gentlemen,  along  those 
lines.    They  are  commenciu«  to  turn  from  war  to  peace.     And  that 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  205 

is  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  episodes  that  has  occurred  in  Euro- 
pean history  during  tlie  past  few  Aveeks. 

The  Chaikman.  You  are  now  dealing  with  the  cross  currents  that 
may  check  emigration? 

Representative  Siegel.  Yes, 

The  Chairman.  And  j^ou  are  dwelling  upon  the  proposition,  as  I 
understand  it,  that  these  new  nations  which  have  sprung  up  will  exert 
all  the  influence  they  can  to  retain  their  own  nationals  in  order  to 
build  up  the  new  nations;  and  while  you  said,  I  think,  a  short 
time  ago  that  those  who  went  home  went  home  to  get  their  families, 
is  it  not  also  true  that  the  alien  Poles  and  other  aliens  are  drawn  to 
their  old  country  for  the  very  purpose  of  remaining  there  perma- 
nently and  building  up  these  new  nations? 

Rej^resentative  Siegel.  That  is  true,  and  we  are  losing,  beyond 
any  question,  a  great  number  of  them. 

The  Chairman.  And  when  you  see  that  34,000,  if  you  please,  went 
over  in  the  month  of  November — if  that  is  the  right  figure? 

Representative  Siegel.  That  is  the  correct  figure. 

The  Chairman  (continuing).  Isn't  it  fair  to  assume  that  that 
cross  current  is  checking  immigration  to  this  country  from  these 
new  countries? 

Representative  Siegel.  That  is  true. 

The  Chairman.  There  are  other  cross  currents  affecting  this  sit- 
uation, but  that  is  one  of  the  cross  currents? 

Representative  Siegel.  That  is  one. 

The  Chairman.  Now,  that  all  has  a  bearing  upon  this  emergency 
problem.  What  forces  are  checking  immigration?  The  unemploy- 
ment in  this  country  is  checking  immigration.     It  ahvays  has. 

Representative  Siegel.  Yes,  Senator;  unemployment  has  checked 
immigration  to  this  country  since  the  beginning  of  the  history  of 
this  countr3\ 

The  Chairman.  It  always  has.  Immigration  is  at  the  flood  when 
there  is  prosperity  here.  Immigration  falls  immediately  when  busi- 
ness conditions  are  depressed  here. 

Now,  we  have  new  factors  here  entering  into  this  situation,  owing 
to  present  Avorld  conditions,  and  among  the  strongest  factors  is  the 
domination  of  this  new  nationalism  which  these  nations  feel.  I  have 
myself  talked  with  Poles  who  said  they  were  going  back  to  Poland 
because  now  thev  could  acquire  land.  That  is  a  cross  current,  is 
it  not? 

Representative  Siegel.  That  is  a  cross  current.  Furthermore,  I 
might  call  attention  to  the  dispatch  which  appeared  in  the  Phila- 
delphia Public  Ledger  yesterday  and  in  the  Brooklyn  Eagle,  reading 
as  follows : 

London,  January  6. 
Within  a  iiiontli  all  the  large  passongor  sliii)s  iu  the  British-American  service 
will  lie  withdrawn.  The  White  Star  liner  Oli/nipic  and  the  Ciinarders  Aquitania, 
Mnuretanla.  and  Impcrator  will  be  laid  up.  ostensibly  for  repairing  and  refit- 
ting, but  in  reality  because  of  the  unprecedented  slump  in  ocean  travel.  The 
Brooklyn  Eagle-Public  Ledger  foreign  service  learned  to-day  from  a  shipping 
and  travel  bureau  in  I>ondon. 

The  Olj/mpic  already  is  undergoing  repairs  and  enlargement  of  her  oil  tanks 
and  the  Aquitania  will  make  her  tinal  voyage  from  Liverpool  instead  of 
Southampton  on  January  22. 

26911— 21— PT  4 2 


206  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX. 

A  large  number  of  freifrhters  also  are  being  withdravNii  from  the  Atlantic 
service,  becaiii*^  the  world-wide  trade  depression  has  strangled  foreign  trade 
and  seriously  affected  both  freights  and  express.  In  the  British  shipping  world, 
accnrding  to  to-night's  statements,  a  situation  has  arisen  which  is  without 
precedent. 

The  slump  in  freights,  coupled  with  high  cost  of  building  ships,  has  caused 
wholesale  cancellations  of  new  merchant  and  passenger  vessels. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Sie<rel.  I  will  not  interrupt  you  ajrain.  but  I 
just  Avant  to  ask  you  one  question.  Do  you  know  how  far  Italy. 
Greece.  Rumania.  Jujroslavia.  Czechoslovakia.  Poland,  and  other 
nations — that  is.  the  Governments  themselves  of  those  nations — are 
takinof  action  to  check  emifrration? 

Representative  Siegel.  As  far  as  Italy  is  concerned,  the  State  De- 
partment gave  out  the  statement 

The  Chairman.  "We  know  about  Italy. 

Representative  Siegel.  As  far  as  Poland  is  concerned  I  have 
already  described  the  conditions  there  as  I  have  learned  them  during 
the  past  few  weeks.  As  far  as  Jugoslavia  and  Czechoslovakia  are 
concerned,  we  know  that  they  are  exerting  their  best  efforts  to  retain 
their  nationals.  When  I  say  '*  we."  I  refer  to  Congressman  Saliath 
and  myself  and  the  others  who  have  kept  in  touch  with  the  situation. 
Rumania  at  the  present  time  is  trying  her  very  best  to  retain  in  her 
country  those  who  are  of  the  Jewish  faith.  They  realize  the  neces- 
sity of  their  people  working  together  harmoniously,  and  they  are 
making  every  effort  to  retain  their  subjects  who  are  of  the  Jewish 
faith.  In  fact,  they  have  advanced  so  far  as  to  offer  one  of  the 
cabinet  appointments  to  one  of  the  Jewish  faith,  in  an  effort  to  check 
emigration.  ' 

The  Chairman.  Isn't  that  situation  in  regard  .to  the  effort  to  check 
emigration  also  true  of  Greece? 

Representative  Siegel.  It  is  also  true  of  Greece.  They  are  en- 
deavoring there  to  check  emigration. 

The   Chairman.  Isn't   it  true  that  Greece   not   only  discourages 

emigration  but  also  seeks  to  direct  the  emigrants  to  a  country  that 

will  treat  them  fairly,  and  to  care  for  them  when  they  arrive  there? 

Representative  Siegel.  "Well,  that  is  the  agitation  which  has  been 

going  on  there,  and  particularly  since  the  arrival  of  the  king. 

The  Chairman.  But  it  is  true,  is  it  not.  that  Greece  also  discourages 
emigration  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  That  is  true.  Emigrants  have  a  very  hard 
time  getting  passports  to  come  here  now. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  has  that  been  a  policy  in  Greece  in  the 
past,  or  is  it  something  of  recent  origin  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  It  is  the  policy  of  Greece  within  the  past 
few  months.  I  know  that  we  are  not  receiving  the  number  of  people 
from  Greece  that  we  used  to  receive.  And  I  will  say  this  also :  You 
probably  have  noticed  that  the  so-called  Irish  Republic  has  issued  a 
proclamation  asking  its  nationals  to  remain  in  Ireland,  not  to  leave 
Ireland.  It  is  having  some  effect  over  there,  because  there  has  been 
quite  a  drop  in  the  number  leaving  Ireland.  A  few  months  ago  we 
were  receiving  quite  a  number  of  people  from  Ireland,  and  when  I 
was  over  to  the  island  I  noticed  that  they  were  coming  over  here  in 
quite  large  numbers. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Have  you  any  opinion,  either  from  your  ob- 
servation or  otherwise,  as  to  the  relative  number  of  men  and  women 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGKATIOX    LEGISLATIOX.  "201 

who  have  arrived?  What  is  the  proportion  of  men  as  compared  to 
women  who  have  come  into  this  country  recently?  We  are  unable 
to  net  the  statistics  from  the  department. 

Representative  Siegel.  I  have  been  on  board  the  \eir  AmMfe/rhi/i, 
and  have  been  on  board  the  Adriatic,  and  have  been  on  board  of  sev- 
eral ships  arriving  in  Xew  York,  and  in  addition  to  that  I  have 
seen  about  18,000  people  per  week  at  Ellis  Island;  I  have  been  over 
to  the  island  repeatedly  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  conditions  over 
there,  and  as  a  matter  of  fact.  Commissioner  Wallis  always  ur^es 
me  to  come  Avhen  I  am  in  Xew  York,  for  the  purposes  of  looking 
things  over.  The  number  of  children  that  are  coming  in  is  very, 
very  large.  The  percentage  is  very  great.  The  number  of  women 
coming  in  exceeds  the  number  of  men.  Anyone  who  goes  over  to 
the  island  and  observes  them,  can  see  that.  You  would  only  have 
to  notice  what  occurred  in  the  last  week  to  see  what  the  condition  is. 
A  large  number  of  families  arrived  in  the  last  week  with  eight  or 
nine  children;  families  with  seven  children  are  not  at  all  unusual. 
And  there  are  more  women  coming  over  than  men.  The  men  who 
are  coming  over  are  mainly  older  men.  But  we  are  getting  very  few 
men  who  are  coming,  except  those  who  were  in  this  country  before. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  What  conclusion  do  vou  draw  from  that 
fact? 

Representative  Siegel.  That  they  are  uniting  families:  in  other 
words,  those  who  were  in  this  country  before  are  bringing  their  fami- 
lies in.  Those  who  could  not  come  here  during  the  war,  namely,  the 
women  and  children  and  parents  or  grandparents,  are  now  coming  in. 
In  other 'word,s,  it  has  been  a  process  of  reuniting  families :  these  people 
were  held  back  for  several  years  as  the  result  of  the  war ;  everybody 
was  exceedingly  anxious  to  get  his  relatives,  his  next  of  kin,  over.* 
This  could  not  be  done  while  the  war  was  on.  but  it  has  been  going 
on  since  the  armistice,  and  it  is  now  gradually  reaching  the  end. 

Senator  DiLi,ixGHAM.  Have  you  observed  those  coming  from  Po- 
land, in  respect  to  these  matters  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  I  have.  I  have  spoken  to  many  of  these 
people.  As  a  matter  of  fact.  Congressman  Gould,  of  New  York, 
and  myself  were  over  there.  We  saw  one  incident  there  which  at- 
tracted our  attention.  There  was  a  grandmother,  78  years  of  age. 
bringing  her  three  grandchildren  over  to  this  country,  and  they 
were  going  to  Cincinnati,  and  we  asked  her  what  the  conditions  Avere 
in  Poland,  and  she  told  us  what  was  going  on  in  Poland  at  the  time. 
On  l)oard  the  Xew  Am.sfet'dam  I  spoke  to  TO  or  SO  ))eople  for  the 
purpose  of  getting  information.  Only  the  other  day  I  spoke  to  a 
young  boy,  18  years  old,  whose  parents  had  been  killed  over  there, 
and  who  was  coming  over  here  via  Riga ;  he  was  a  very  intelligent 
boy,  had  attended  school  over  there  that  would  be  the  same  as  our 
high  school  here,  and  knew  very  much  more  about  our  (lovernment 
than  most  of  our  boys.  I  asked  him  how  many  Members  of  Congress 
we  had,  and  he  answered  accurately. 

Senator  Dillixgita:m.  Wliat  have  you  learned  from  this? 

Representative  Siegel.  I  have  learned  from  this  that  those  who  are 
coming  over  here  are  of  the  better  element:  they  are  a  higher  class 
of  immigrants,  they  are  people  who  have  education,  trying  to  get 
away  from  conditions  over  there  which  are  bad;  that  women  and 


:>08  r.MKRCEXCY    I.M.MIGRATIOX    LEGISLATION. 

chiklien  are  tivin»  to  come  over  and  join  the  heads  of  the  families. 
And.  jjentlenien.  these  people  are  not  <ioin<r  to  stay  in  New  York. 
They'scatter :  they  don't  remain  in  New  York  very  lon«r.  The  drift 
is  away  from  the  lower  east  side  in  Xew  York  to  farther  up.  and 
from  New  York  the  drift  is  to  "Wisconsin  and  other  States:  that 
movement  is  <roin<r  on  continually,  gentlemen. 

Senator  Dillin(;ham.  Mr.  Sie<iel.  what  I  was  <ietting  at  was  this: 
We  have  been  unable  to  get  Government  fifrures  on  this  question. 

Representative  Siegel.  There  are  no  official  fifrures. 

Senator  Dillingham.  For  some  reason  or  other  we  have  been  un- 
able to  jret  them.  You  evidently  have  been  there  a  jrood  deal  and 
have  inspected  the  incomers,  and  I  wanted  to  know  how  the  recent 
immiirration  compares  with  the  ordinary  immigration  that  came  in 
before  the  war. 

Representative  Siegel.  Far  better. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Wait  one  moment,  please.  How  does  it  com- 
pare with  respect  to  the  number  of  females  coming  in  in  proportion 
to  the  number  of  males,  and  in  respect  to  the  number  of  children  that 
are  coming  in? 

Representative  Siegel.  The  number  of  women  and  children  that 
are  coming  in  far  exceeds  the  number  that  came  in  before  the  war. 
As  I  explained  to  you.  gentlemen,  before,  the  majority  of  those  com- 
ing here  now  are  coming  to  meet  their  relatives:  the  families  are 
being  reunited.  All  you  have  to  do.  Senator,  is  to  board  one  of  these 
ships  coming  from  Poland,  or  from  some  other  country,  and  you 
will  see  the  large  number  of  women  and  children,  as  compared  to 
men.    That  is  something  which  attracts  your  attention  immediately. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Siegel.  Avhile  the  statistics  shoAv — and  Sena- 
'tor  Dillingham  knows  that  the  fact  is  about  that — that  during  the 
fiscal  year  the  number  of  men  always  exceeds  the  numbei^of  Avomen. 
when  you  come  to  July  and  August  I  think  you  will  find  the  num- 
ber of  females  increases. 

Representative  Siegel.  Yes:  they  have  increased. 

The  Chairman.  I  have  the  figures  for  July  and  Auon.ist.  but  I 
have  not  seen  the  figures  for  September.  But  in  no  month  of  which 
we  have  a  record  has  the  number  of  females  exceeded  the  number 
of  males,  though  they  have  nearly  equaled  them. 

Representative  Siegel.  They  abolished  the  statistical  bureau  about 
three  vears.  whicli  was  a  most  serious  mistake.  That  was  done 
for  the  sake  of  economy.  But  I  will  say  this  to  you.  gentlemen,  that 
as  far  as  the  children  are  concerned,  there  -eems  to  be  more  male 
children  coming  in  than  female  children,  and  as  those  male  children 
are  figured  as  males,  it  may  seem  as  though  there  are  a  great  number 
of  males  coming  in.  But  "a  great  proportion  of  the  males  are  chil- 
dren.   There  are  more  male  children  than  female  children. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  due  to  the  war:  there  are  always  more 
boys  than  girls  born  during  or  after  a  war. 

Senator  Sterling.  You  were  speaking  awhile  ago  about  the  char- 
acter of  immigrants  that  were  now  coming  in.  their  standards  of 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION,  209 

living,  etc.,  as  compared  with  those  that  have  previously  come  in. 
You  had  just  started  on  that  subject,  Mr.  Siegel. 

Representative  Siegel.  I  had  just  started  on  that,  Senator,  and  I 
want  to  say  that  the  character  of  the  immigrants  that  are  now 
coming  in  is  far,  far  above  the  average. 

Senator  Stekijng.  Well,  now,  Mr.  Siegel,  I  made  the  statement  to 
Commissioner  Wallis  the  other  day  that  I  had  seen  his  statement 
regarding  the  arrival  of  a  certain  immigrant  ship  on  which  there 
Avere  1,924  immigrant  passengers,  as  I  remember  it.  Of  those  1.92-4 
immigrants  there  were  390  odd,  I  think,  that  did  not  have  any. 
money:  there  were  over  200  that  had  less  than  $5;  and  there  were 
over  '200  that  had  less  than  $10.  How  do  you  account  for  that  con- 
<lition  of  things? 

Representative  Siegel.  That  is  very  simple,  Senator,  to  account 
for.  Over  at  the  port  of  embarkation  there  is  theft  of  everything 
which  the  average  immigrant  possesses.  That  theft  is  going  oii  right 
along.  Even  on  board  of  these  vessels  many  of  these  immigrants 
are  being  robbed  right  and  left. 

Senator  Sterling.  Is  that  going  on  more  now  than  it  has  been  in 
the  past? 

Representative  Siegel.  Oh,  j^es ;  there  is  far  more  of  it  going  on 
noAv  than  there  has  been  in  the  past.  We  never  had  those  complaints 
before.  If  you  talk  to  the  average  immigrant  who  comes  over  now, 
either  talk  to  him  through  an  interpreter,  or  talk  English  to  those 
who  can  speak  English,  you  will  be  startled  by  the  statements  that 
are  made  to  you  as  to  what  occurs  on  board  ship  and  at  the  port  of 
embarkation. 

Senator  Sterling.  Why  should  there  be  so  much  more  of  that 
exploiting  of  the  immigrant  and  of  theft  now  than  in  the  past  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  There  should  not  be,  but  the  condition  is 
there;  it  exists.  We  are  not  dealing  with  a  theory',  we  are  dealing 
with  an  actual  condition,  actual  facts.  As  far  as  the  ships  them- 
selves are  concerned,  we  do  not  seem  to  have  any  jurisdiction  over 
them,  because  they  are  under  different  flags,  and  we  have  no  i:)0wer 
to  try  any  of  these  men.  There  have  been  instances  where  immi- 
grants have  pointed  out  the  sailors,  pointed  out  those  who  have  done 
acts  of  which  they  have  complained,  but  we  can  not  try  them  here 
because  we  have  no  jurisdiction  over  them.  You  can  only  try  these 
men  in  the  particular  country  from  which  the  ship  comes,  in  the 
country  whose  flag  the  ship  sails  under.  The  committee  is  un- 
doubtedly familiar  with  the  international  law  covering  that. 

The  Merchants  Association  of  Xew  York  has  passed  the  follow- 
ing resolution: 

Your  couiinittee  bi'lieves  that  these  iiie;isnivs  iire  .sound — 

Referring  to  the  present  law — 

ami  leetinuiieiHls  that  emphasis  at  this  tinre  be  placed,  not  on  the  addition  of 
further  restrictive  measures,  but  rather  on  the  efficient  administration  of  those 
already  on  the  stattite  books. 

Those  of  us  who  live  in  New  York,  and  those  of  us  who  have  made 
a  study  of  conditions  at  Ellis  Island,  can  only  say  that  tinkering 
with  the  present  law  is  not  going  to  do  any  good,  but  it  is  only  by 
the  enforcement  of  the  law,  by  providing  sufficient  men  and  paj'ing 


210  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

them  a  livinji  wage  that  you  can  obtain  relief  from  this  congestion 
and  meet  tlie  situation  thorou<ihly. 

I  was  referring  a  little  time  ago  to  crime,  because  the  question  was 
brought  up.  We  have  a  provision  in  the  present  immigration  law  by 
wiiich  a  man  wlio  is  an  alien,  convicted  of  a  crime  involving  moral 
turpitude,  can  be  deported.  But  how  many  times  have  you  found  a 
court  or  a  judge  making  use  of  that  provisicm  in  the  immigration 
hnv  i  At  no  time,  practically.  AVe  have  all  the  law  tliat  we  need  at 
the  present  time  to  meet  the  situation.  \\e  might  make  changes  re- 
garding the  Assistant  Secretary  of  Labor  at  the  island;  we  might 
put  doctors  and  ins])ectors  on  board  of  ships.  But  what  is  the  use 
of  enacting  further  laws  if  you  do  not  enforce  those  laws  which  are 
now  in  effect  i 

Senator  Sterling.  AVell.  as  a  general  proposition  what  would  you 
think  about  the  establishment  of  an  immigration  board,  rather  than 
having  it  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Secretaiy  of  Labor  !■ 

Representative  Siegfx.  I  don't  know.  Senator,  whether  you  liad 
time  the  other  day  to  read  the  message  of  Gov.  ^liller.  of  the  State 
of  XeAv  York,  wherein  he  recommends  the  abolition  of  all  boards 
having  three  or  four  or  five  members.  He  comes  back  to  the  old 
proposition  of  haA'ing  one  man  do  it.  What  I  would  do  would  be  this : 
I  would  provide  an  Assistant  Secretary  of  Labor  who  shall  have  ex- 
clusive charge  of  passports,  citizenship,  naturalization,  and  immigra- 
tion, to  determine  the  question  of  admissibility  or  nonadmissibility 
of  immigrants,  to  put  all  that  into  one  bureau,  giving  him  the  ex- 
clusive jurisdiction  to  determine  the  questions  and  handle  the  work. 

Senator  Sterling.  Are  there  not  certain  questions  connected  with 
immigration,  such  as  the  economic  and  industrial  conditions  of  the 
United  States  and  of  different  sections  thereof,  that  could  better  be 
considered  bv  a  board  of  competent  men.  assuming  they  will  be.  than 
by  one  single  official? 

RepresentatiAC  Siegel.  v'^enator.  I  want  to  say  this,  that  there  is 
not  a  member  of  this  committee,  nor  a  Member  of  Coiiirress.  who. 
when  he  acts  or  votes,  does  not  do  so  for  the  benefit  of  the  entire 
country.  One  man.  if  he  would  devote  himself  exclusively  to  the 
question  of  immigration,  naturalization,  and  passport  regulation, 
could  accomplish  the  same  result,  and  better,  than  a  board  could.  We 
see  this  in  the  trial  of  cases.  In  some  States  we  have  a  single  judge 
tryinir  cases  up  to  felony  and  murder,  if  the  defendant  consents 
thereto.  You  get  the  same  result  as  you  get  with  a  jury,  and  you  get 
less  disagreements. 

Senator  Sterling.  And  vet.  ^fr.  Siegel.  we  find  it  necessary  to  ap- 
point committees  rather  than  to  leave  it  to  one  man  of  the  Senate  or 
the  House  to  determine  questions  that  are  brought  up  for  consideration. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Siegel.  we  sometimes  learn  things  from  Can- 
ada, of  course.  Xow.  in  Canada  the  governor  and  council  have  the 
entire  charge  of  immigration,  selection,  refirulation.  and  distribution. 
They  have  therefore  an  elastic  system  for  the  selection  of  immigrants, 
the  regulation  of  the  number,  and  the  regulation  of  the  distribution. 

It  f^eems  to  me — because  this  subject  in  its  broader  lines  is  com- 
parativelv  new  to  many  of  us — that  the  subject  of  immigration  is 
a  great  world  ])roblem."  having  a  great  many  angles  to  it.  Xow.  if 
we  had  a  board  that  had  tlie  poAver  of  regulation  as  to  numbers,  that 
had  the  power  of  selection  as  to  the  classes  of  immigrants  we  needeil. 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION,  211 

that  had  the  power  of  distribution,  wouldn't  that  come  pretty  near 
to  solving  the  problem  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  No. 

The  Chairman.  Wouldn't  it  help  to  solve  it? 

Representative  Siegel.  It  might  help  to  solve  it.  But  bear  this  in 
mind  :  When  the  Texas  delegation  wanted  to  have  the  Mexicans  come 
in  without  paying  a  tax  of  any  kind  or  passing  the  literacy  test,  it 
went  down  to  the  Secretary  of  Labor  and  obtained  that  order  imme- 
diately; but  when  the  East — New  York — desired  to  have  domestic 
servants  come  in  under  the  same  conditions,  that  order  could  not  be 
obtained.  Now,  it  would  depend  in  a  great  measure  where  your 
board  would  come  from.  If  the  board  came  from  various  parts  of 
the  country,  then  it  might  operate  and  work  effectively.  If,  however, 
a  President  might  see  fit  to  select  a  board,  as  some  boards  have  been, 
whereby  some  parts  of  the  country  would  be  favored  while  other 
parts  of  the  country  would  not  obtain  representation,  it  would  be  a 
bad  thing.  Personally,  I  feel  that  one  man  could  perform  a  job  as 
well  as  any  board  can. 

The  Chairman.  Why  wouldn't  one  man,  if  he  came  from  the  North, 
or  if  he  came  from  the  South,  have  the  same  defects  that  a  board 
selected  either  from  the  North  or  the  South  exclusively  would  have? 

Representative  Siegee.  He  Avould  not  have  any  more  defects. 

The  Chairman.  We  carry  on  the  business  of  the  Government  of 
the  Ignited  States  on  the  assumption  that  its  officers  will  do  their  duty. 

Representative  Siegel.  But.  Senator,  you  will  readily  agree  with 
me  that  one  man  performing  his  duty  does  that  duty  just  as  well 
as  5  or  10  or  15  or  20.  My  theory  is  that  rather  than  have  some 
of  these  boards  of  five  members,  just  as  your  Shipping  Board  and 
some  of  these  other  boards,  one  man  be  appointed,  and  we  can  say  to 
that  one  man,  "  You  are  responsible  for  that  condition."  With  five 
men  you  can  not  do  that. 

The  Chairman.  This  subject  of  immigration  is  so  large  that  I 
would  not  lodge  the  power  in  any  one  man's  hands.  I  think  the 
experience  of  government  shows  that  it  might  perhaps  be  lodged  in 
the  hands  of  a  small  board. 

Representative  Siegel.  Well,  a  board  of  three  or  a  board  of  five 
or  a  board  of  seven,  to  my  mind,  could  not  accomplish  much  more 
than  one  man,  because  we  have  watched  and  seen  that  it  is  so  in 
many  cases.  We  have  seen  the  appellate  courts,  for  example,  in 
some  places  with  three  judges  doing  just  as  good  work,  or  far  bet- 
ter, than  courts  of  five,  seven,  or  nine  members.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
we  all  know  that  one  judge  will  accomplish  more  work  along  those 
lines  than  several. 

Senator  Sterling.  Would  you  want  to  confer  upon  one  man  the 
powers  and  duties  of  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission,  for 
example,  or  would  you  want  to  confer  upon  one  man  the  powers  and 
duties  of  the  Federal  Trade  Commission? 

Representative  Siegel.  Well,  let  me  say  this  Senator,  that  I  don't 
know  but  what  your  final  results  would  be  just  as  effective  if  one 
man  had  charge  of  either  of  these  organizations.  We  are  going  to 
abolish  boards  in  the  State  of  New  York.  The  public  service  com- 
mission is  going  to  be  reduced  to  one,  because,  according  to  the  gov- 
ernor's theory,  one  man  can  do  the  work  more  efficiently  than  a 
board  can,  and  the  governor  is  a  \eri\  very  competent  man.     This 


212  emkhl;en(  V  immigration  legislation. 

new  governor  of  ours  is  a  very  able  man,  one  of  the  ablest  men  in 
the  United  States.    He  was  a  very  able  judge. 

The  Chairman.  Would  you  limit  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States  to  the  Chief  Justice  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  No;  I  would  not.  But  that  is  another 
question.  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  Absolutely  not.    It  is  the  same  question. 

Eepresentative  Siegel.  Well,  now,  let  us  take  a  board  of  five  for 
a  moment.  Suppose  on  a  certain  question  they  would  stand  three  to 
two.  The  decision  of  the  three  would  prevail,  wouldn't  it,  Senator? 
Xow.  if  we  had  a  board  of  five  to  determine  immigration  questions, 
the  decision  of  three  men  on  that  board  would  prevail  in  determin- 
ing any  question.  If  we  had  a  commission  of  three,  the  decision  of 
two  of  those  members  would  prevail.  We  have  that  condition  pre- 
vailing in  all  the  courts  all  the  time,  and  we  have  dissenting  opin- 
ions. Two-thirds  of  all  the  cases  that  are  appealed  and  decided 
have  dissenting  opinions. 

Xow.  personally,  I  feel  that  the  question  of  immigration,  naturali- 
zation, and  passports  should  be  put  under  the  jurisdiction  and  con- 
trol of  one  bureau.  I  don't  like  to  see  these  things  scattered  the  way 
thev  are  now.  I  have  simply  given  you  my  views  upon  this  subject, 
and  I  have  tried  to  be  as  practical  as  a  man  can  be.  As  to  who 
should  be  admitted  and  the  qualifications  for  admission,  that  is 
exclusively  for  Congress. 

I  want  to  call  your  attention  to  another  thing,  gentlemen,  and  that 
is  this :  That  if  we  do  not  keep  our  doors  open  for  desirable  immi- 
grants we  are  not  going  to  get  our  unskilled  labor.  There  is  no  dis- 
pute about  that. 

The  unskilled-labor  situation  is  a  very  peculiar  one.  Under  this 
bill  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  the  Secretary  of  Labor  from  allow- 
ing skilled  labor  to  come  into  this  country.  There  is  a  special  ex- 
ception there  in  favor  of  bringing  in  skilled  labor.  But  you  can  not 
bring  unskilled  labor  into  this  country;  you  can  not  bring  farm 
labor,  you  can  not  bring  domestic  servants  into  this  country.  What- 
ever we  do  here  we  have  to  bear  in  mind  that  we  need  unskilled  lalior. 

We  are  having  considerable  trouble  in  the  East  with  that  question 
right  now,  and  we  are  having  considerable  trouble  all  over  the  coun- 
trv.  We  can  get  all  we  want  of  the  white-collar  brigade,  but  we 
can  not  get  a  sufficient  number  of  those  belonging  to  the  other  bri- 
gade, the  unskilled  laborers,  to  do  the  rough  work.  And  that  applies 
both  to  males  and  females.  We  can  get  all  the  stenographers  we 
desire,  but  we  are  getting  rather  short  of  dressmakers  and  milliners. 
I  have  watched  that  condition  in  New  York,  and  I  know  it  is  a  fact. 
And  I  have  observed  the  same  state  of  affairs  all  the  way  from  New 
York  to  the  coast. 

As  far  as  clothing  is  concerned,  it  is  going  to  increase  in  price  un- 
less we  can  begin  to  teach  the  American  boy  that  being  an  operator 
or  a  cutter  is  just  as  honorable  and  just  as  high  a  calling  as  being  a 
clerk,  and  unless  we  can  teach  the  American  girl  that  being  a  dress- 
maker is  just  as  important  and  just  as  high  a  position  as  being  a 
stenographer.  We  have  less  people  engaged  in  the  actual  work  of 
manufacturing  clothing  to-day  than  we  had  before  the  war. 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  proportion  of  those  employed  in  the 
manufacture  of  clothinjr  are  immigrants? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION,  213 

Representative  Siegel.  In  Xew  York  City  practically  all  of  those 
employed  in  the  manufacture  of  clothing  are,  Senator.  The  native- 
born  boy  will  not  take  to  it,  and  the  native-born  girl  will  not  take  to  it. 
It  might  astonish  you  to  loiow  that  we  are  up  against  a  verj^  hard 
proposition  in  obtaining  that  kind  of  help.  The  war  decimated  the 
number  of  those  employed  in  those  trades.  A  large  number  of  the 
boys  engaged  in  that  line  of  work  went  into  the  Seventy-seventh 
Division,  and  a  large  number  of  those  who  were  employed  in  the 
clothing  and  needle  trades,  as  we  call  them,  who  were  lost  in  the 
battle  that  the  "  Lost  Batallion "  engaged  in,  were  from  Xew  York 
City. 

Xobod}^  wants  to  be  a  tailor,  nobody  wants  to  be  a  cutter,  despite 
the  fact  that  the  wages  are  higher  than  those  paid  to  the  so-called 
white-collar  brigade.  In  Xew  York  City  we  make  that  distinction, 
designating  those  who  are  employed  as  clerks,  etc.,  as  the  white-col- 
lar brigade,  to  distinguish  them  from  those  in  other  lines  of  work, 
in  that  way  drawing  a  line  of  demarcation. 

Xow.  I  can  go  along  on  these  lines,  gentlemen,  giving  you  statistics 
and  figures,  but  I  don't  believe  it  is  necessary  to  give  you  any  further 
statistics.  I  do  not  see  that  there  is  any  menace,  nor  can  I  see  any 
danger  in  letting  the  immigrant  come  in.  The  immigrant  that  came 
to  Xew  York  has  done  his  best  in  the  past.  He  is  going  to  do  it  in 
the  future.  Intellectually,  mentally,  morally,  and  physically,  the  im- 
migrant that  is  now  coming  into  this  country  is  far.  far  al)ove  the 
immigrant  that  has  been  coming  into  this  country  in  years  gone  by. 
A  conversation  Avith  the  average  immigrant  coming  into  this  country 
to-day  will  immediately  demonstrate  it.  I  have  no  fear  for  the 
future  welfare  of  America  upon  that  score.  If  we  provide  a  sufficient 
amount  of  money  to  enforce  the  laws  that  we  now  have,  and  if  we  do 
enforce  them,  we  can  look  forward  to  making  the  same  kind  of  prog- 
ress in  the  future  that  we  have  made  in  the  past. 

Senator  Sterling.  What  do  you  think  of  this  as  something  of  a 
menace,  or  at  least  as  detrimental  to  our  best  interests,  namely,  the 
disposition  on  the  part  of  so  many  of  the  foreign  element  to  settle 
in  the  same  community  in  the  big  cities,  as  you  find  does  occur  in 
New  York? 

Representative  Siegel.  That  is  only  a  temporary  condition.  Sen- 
ator. It  might  astonish  you  to  know.  Senator,  that  during  the  past 
10  years  800  families  of  the  Jewish  faith  have  settled  in  Sullivan 
County,  going  into  farming,  and  all  of  those  800  families  formerly 
resided  in  Xew  York  City. 

Senator  Sterling.  "Well,  somethirtg  over  a  year  ago  I  walked  in 
one  ot  the  streets  of  Xew  York  for  a  mile  and  a  half  or  perhaps 
2  miles,  and  it  seemed  to  me  as  though  I  was  in  a  foreign  country. 

Representative  Siegel.  It  might  astonish  you  to  know.  Senator, 
that  the  boys  from  that  very  district  where  you  were  have  come  out 
first  in  every  gymnastic  competition  in  the  city  of  Xew  York,  and 
that  three  of  the  boys  who  won  honors  for  the  United  States  in  the 
last  Olympic  games  came  from  that  same  territory  where  you  walked. 
The  people  in  that  district  are  of  a  high  class  physically  and  men- 
tally, and  they  make  good  citizens.  And  they  do  not  remain  in  that 
district  very  long:  they  move  out. 

J-^enator  Sterling.  It  is  very  interesting  to  me  to  know  that  they 
do  not  remain  there.     Mv  understanding  was  that  thev  did.  and  that 


214  EMKRCEXCV    IMMKiKATION    LKGISLATION. 

they  were  satisfied  with  those  surroundino;s,  with  those  conditions, 
and  remained  there. 

Kepresentative  Siegel.  Uptown  in  my  con<rressional  district  the 
removals  from  that  district  amount  to  42  per  cent  of  the  popidation. 
and  we  know  that  by  the  fact  that  that  percentag^e  of  the  literature 
that  we  send  out  comes  back  to  the  office,  and  we  also  know  it  by  the 
number  of  voters  in  that  district  that  are  constantly  moving,  cHang- 
in«r  their  residence.  We  have  not  had  the  increase  in  population 
that  we  anticipated  in  New  York  City. 

Senator  Dillix(;iiam.  Have  you  recent  fijinres  showin<r  the  rela- 
tive proportion  of  the  children  of  forei^rn  born  to  native  born  in 
the  schools  of  Xew  York,  and  the  len^h  of  time  they  remain  in  the 
schools;  in  other  words,  the  advantage  that  they  take  of  the  public 
schools  i 

Representative  Siegel.  Senator,  there  is  no  question  but  what  the 
foreign-born  child  in  Xew  York  exerts  every  possible  effort  to  stay 
in  school.  By  the  Avay.  our  truancy  proportion  is  very,  very  small. 
AA  e  have  got  the  smallest  proportion  of  truancy  of  any  place  in  the 
countrj'.  The  children  of  the  foreign  born  do  take  advantage  of  our 
schools,  our  elementarv  schools  and  our  high  schools.  And.  as  I 
pointed  out  to  you  before.  Senator.  90  per  cent  of  those  attending 
our  city  college  are  either  foreign  born  or  the  children  of  people  who 
are  foreign  born. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  I  know  when  I  last  investigated  that  ques- 
tion I  was  satisfied  that  the  children  of  foreign-born  parents  were 
availing  themselves  more  generally  of  the  full  advantages  offered  by 
pulilic  instruction  than  the  children  of  the  natnve  born. 

Representative  Siegel.  There  is  no  question  about  it. 

Senator  Dillix'gham.  I  didn't  know  how  it  was  recently. 

Representative  Siegel.  That  is  more  true  now  than  it  ever  was 
before.  The  children  of  foreign  born  and  the  foreign-born  children 
are  more  and  more  availing  themselves  of  the  advantages  of  the 
public  schools. 

Senator  Sterlix'g.  Let  me  ask  you  one  thing.  Mr.  Siegel.  concern- 
ing the  Catholic  denomination.  Is  there  not  a  disposition  on  the 
part  of  those  of  the  Catholic  denomination  to  send  their  children 
to  the  parochial  schools,  and  isn't  that  particularly  true  in  the  great 
industrial  districts  of  the  country  ? 

Representative  Siegel.  "Well.  1  will  say  that  outside  of  Xew  York 
that  disposition  is  very  marked.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  one  of  the 
judges  of  the  State  of  Illinois  appeared  before  our  committee  at 
one  time,  and  he  stated  that  •children  were  attending  parochial 
schools  in  Chicago,  and  that  they  were  being  taught  at  that  time, 
if  I  recollect  correctly,  in  a  foreign  language.  I  told  him  at  once 
that  we  would  not  tolerate  that  for  five  minutes  in  New  York  City, 
and  that  I  was  astonished  that  they  did  not  have  legislation  forbid- 
ding that  in  their  State.  That  condition  does  not  exist  in  Xew 
York  City. 

Any  time.  Senators,  that  you  come  down  to  Xew  York  City  I 
W(»idd  like  to  have  you  go  through  our  public  school  system,  and  I 
am  sure  that  you  will  be  agreeal^ly  surprisevl  at  the  intelligence  of 
the  pupils  and  at  the  progress  they  are  making. 

The  Chairmax.  I  want  to  say  for  the  in+'ormation  of  the  committee 
that  we  shall  take  a  recess  now  until  half -past  2.  and  that  we  will 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  215 

sit  for  a  while  this  afternoon,  and  then  take  a  recess  until  Monday  at 
half-past  10.  On  Monday,  Senator  Sterling,  your  people  will  be 
here.  My  suggested  plan  is  to  take  up  the  labor  and  the  industrial 
situation  on  Monday,  and  on  Tuesday  I  think  Senator  Dillingham 
will  have  Mr.  Bennet  here,  and  on  Wednesday  Ave  will  take  up  the 
subject  of  transportation,  and  later  the  subject  of  passports,  endeav- 
oring to  get  at  the  closing  part  of  this  direct  testimony  on  the  John- 
son bill,  the  situation  in  Europe,  so  far  as  we  can,  from  the  pass- 
port standpoint,  going  into  the  passport  conditions  that  we  have 
now:  and  having  finished  with  that  it  is  the  purpose,  if  it  is  agree- 
able to  the  committee,  to  call  several  witnesses  upon  the  general  . 
subject  of  emergency  legislation,  as  well  as  constructive  legislation. 

I  thank  j'ou  very  much.  ]Mr.  Siegel.  for  your  very  able  discussion 
of  this  subject.     We  will  now  take  a  recess  until  half-past  2. 

(Thereupon,  at  11.55  o'clock  a.  m.,  a  recess  was  taken  until  2.30 
o'clock  p.  m.) 

AFTER  RECESS. 

At  2.30  o'clock  p.  m.  the  committee  reassembled  pursuant  to  the 
taking  of  recess. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Andrew  Furuseth.  of  the  seamen^B  union,  has 
been  present  during  the  testimony  of  Commissioner  Wallis  and  also 
during  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Siegel.  and  he  desires  to  give  us  certain 
information  in  regard  to  the  seamen.  Commissioner  Wallis  and  Mr. 
Siegsl  both  having  made  some  remarks  on  that  subject.  His  testi- 
mony, I  understand,  is  confined  to  the  seamen  aspect  of  the  question. 

You  may  proceed,  Mr.  Furuseth. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  ANDREW  FURUSETH,  PRESIDENT  OF  THE 
INTERNATIONAL  SEAMEN'S  UNION  OF  AMERICA. 

Mr.  Furuseth.  Mr.  Chairman  and  members  of  the  committee,  Mr. 
Wallis  made  a  statement  that  about  600,000  seamen  arrive  in  Xew 
York  every  year. 

The  Chairman.  I  understood  him  to  say,  and  I  am  confirmed  in 
that  understanding  by  Senator  Dillinffham.  that  it  was  800,000. 

Mr.  Furuseth.  All  right,  800,000.  ^ 

The  Chairman.  That  is  my  recollection  of  it,  Mr.  Furuseth. 

Mr.  Furuseth.  And  that  the  easiest  way  to  get  into  the  United 
States  is  to  come  here  as  a  seaman.  The  inference  from  his  testimony, 
as  I  understood  it.  would  be  that  there  is  serious  danger  of  the  United 
States  becoming  crowded  with  undesirables  because  of  the  desertion 
of  seamen.  He  seemed  to  indicate,  or  the  implication  seemed  to  be. 
at  any  rate,  that  these  800.000  all  desert,  and  that  thev  all  remain. 

Mr.  Chairman.  I  can  not  quite  understand  where  he  has  obtained 
his  information.  I  have  not  inquired  very  carefully  into  the  number. 
It  may  be  possible  that  the  crews  of  seamen  coming  into  the  port  of 
New  York  during  a  year  may  amount  to  that  number.  Concernin<r 
that  I  could  not  say.  But  the  statement  that  these  men  desert  and 
stay  on  shore  here  in  the  United  States  is.  of  course,  based  upon  the 
merest  presumption,  and  in  fact  upon  a  misunderstanding  of  the 
facts. 

The  Chairman.  In  order  that  it  may  get  into  the  record,  will  you 
please  state  your  qualifications  upon  this  subject.  Mr.  Furuseth,  what 


216  Ei\li:i.CEN«.  \     )AI.\ii(,ltATi(<.\    l.K(iiSLATl().\. 

vour  position  is.  and  how  long  you  have  been  interested  in  the  sub- 
ject ^ 

Mr.  FuRUSETH.  My  name  is  Andrew  Furuseth ;  i  am  president  of 
the  International  Seamen's  Union  of  America,  and  aside  from  hav- 
in<r  sailed  continuously  for  some  12  years,  I  have  spent  some  2.")  or  26 
years,  perhaps  a  little  more,  in  the  closest  study  of  seamen  and  sea-* 
men's  affairs,  of  which  I  was  capable. 

The  so-called  La  Follette  Seamen's  Act.  passed  in  1915.  "fives  to  the 
seamen  of  the  United  States  a  right  to  leave  their  vessel  by  sacrificing 
what  money  they  leave  behind,  in  any  port  of  the  United  States,  or 
anywhere  else  in  the  world,  if  the  port  be  a  safe  port.  The  law  gives 
exactly  the  same  right  to  foreign  seamen  coming  to  the  United  States 
in  foreign  vessels. 

The  result  of  this  is  that  the  wages  of  seamen  in  Europe,  and  for 
that  matter  in  Japan,  have  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  there  is 
now  very  little  difference  in  the  wages  of  seamen  signing  on  in  the 
Scandinavian  countries  or  in  England  as  compared  with  the  wages 
that  are  paid  the  seamen  signing  on  in  the  United  States.  There 
would  be  practically  no  difference  at  all  in  those  wages  any  more,  as 
far  as  men  sailing  before  the  mast  are  concerned,  if  it  were  not  for 
the  disorganization  of  the  currency. 

When  this  act  was  passed  less  than  7  per  cent  of  the  men  sailing 
before  the  mast  in  American  vessels  were  native-born  Americans. 
On  July  15.  1917.  the  percentage  had  increased  to  nearly  26  per  cent. 
On  September  1.  1919.  it  had  increased  to  a  little  over  44  per.cent. 
And  on  December  1,  1920,  it  was  a  slight  fraction  over  49  per  cent, 
that  is.  native-born  Americans  sailing  under  the  American  flag. 

Senator  Dillingham.  That  is,  49  per  cent  of  what  ? 

Mr.  Furuseth.  Forty-nine  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of  men 
sailing  under  the  American  flag  before  the  mast.  In  other  words, 
the  number  of  American-born  and  naturalized  citizens  sailing  before 
the  mast  under  the  American  flag  will  come  considerably  above  50 
per  cent,  as  tb.e  matter  now  stands.  This  figure  includes  seamen  who 
are  American-born,  the  number  of  whom  I  don't  know,  and  I  have 
no  means  of  finding  out.  But  the  total  number  of  American-born 
and  naturalized  citizens  will  come  considerably  aljove  50  per  cent  of 
the  total  number  of  those  sailing  before  the  mast  under  the  American 
flag.  I  think  that  is  a  pretty  good  answer  to  the  statement  that 
Americans  won't  do  such  and  such  kinds  of  work,  if  they  have  an 
opportunity  to  do  it. 

Senator  Dillingham.  How  do  you  account  for  that? 

Mr.  FxRi-SETH.  I  account  for  it  in  this  way.  The  conditions  in 
American  vessels  were  such  that  the  Americans  did  not  want  to  go  to 
sea.  But  now  the  conditions  have  been  so  improved  that  the  Ameri- 
can is  willing  to  go  to  sea.  And  the  United  States  could  afford  to 
make  the  improvements,  because  the  wages  paid  in  American  vessels 
became  knoAvn  to  the  sailors  on  foreign  vessels,  causing  these  men,  on 
coming  to  the  Ignited  States,  to  desert  in  order  to  get  the  higher 
wages,  and  the  foreign  vessel  from  which  they  had  deserted  neces- 
sarily had  to  get  another  crew,  and  she  had  to  pay  the  American 
wage  rate,  and  then  she  had  to  pay  the  crimp's  fee  in  addition  thereto, 
and  this  cost  the  foreign  shipowner  so  much  money  that  he  found 
that  it  was  cheaper  for  him  to  pay  a  sufficient  wage  in  his  own 
country,  .so  as  to  keep  his  crew  voluntarily  on  board  his  vessel  when 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  217 

tliey  came  here.  The  facts  are  that  at  the  present  time  desertions 
from  foreifijn  vessels  are  decreasin*!  very  materially.  It  is  so  because 
the  wap'es  have  come  up  practically  to  the  American  standard  in  the 
most  important  maritime  nations  in  Kurope. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Has  the  Avar  also  had  some  effect  to  increase 
the  number  of  American  sailors  ? 

Mr.  P^uruseth.  An  extremely  small  effect,  Senator.  Those  "v\dio 
came  durin^j  the  war  to  join  the  merchant  service  seem  to  have  come 
very  largely  to  avoid  the  trenches,  because  they  left  promptly  after 
the  armistice.  Some  of  them,  of  course,  remained.  And  then  others 
came  after  that  for  the  purpose  of.  remaininjj:.  Some  of  those  who 
come,  of  course,  will  always  *ro  away  a*2;ain,  but  the  fact  as  to  the 
increase  is  here. 

I  have  said  that  the  men  will  desert  in  order  to  reship  for  the 
hijrher  wage.  There  will  be  no  addition  to  the  population  of  the 
United  States  from  the  desertion  of  seamen  if  it  is  seen  to  that  the 
laws  dealin<;  with  seamen  and  Avith  immi<iration  are  both  carried 
out  completely.  This  will  compel  a  vessel  to  take  as  many  men  out 
as  she  brinofs  in,  and  then  there  will  be  no  increase.  Of  course  there 
may  be  .some  men  coming;  here  under  the  fruise  of  seamen,  and  Mr. 
Siefrel.  by  the  Avay.  has  .some  peculiar  notion  as  to  who  is  a  seaman. 
He  explains  it  by  sayino;  that  there  are  seamen  and  sailors. 

Now,  the  fact  is  that  everyone  Avho  is  serving:  on  board  a  vessel  is 
a  seaman.  The  word  ''  seaman  "  is  the  fjeneric  term  for  all  of  the  men 
servino:  on  a  vessel,  in  the  operation  and  handlin<r  of  the  vessel,  and 
in  furnishing  the  food,  etc..  for  those  who  are  operating  and  hand- 
linc:  the  vessel.  The  word  "sailors"  is  used  with  reference  to  the 
men  in  the  deck  department :  those  whose  duty  it  is  to  handle  the 
vessel,  to  opeiate  her  and  keep  her  in  order  and  keep  her  safe.  Those 
who  are  furnishing  the  power  in  a  steamer  are  called  firemen,  oilers, 
or  water  tenders,  and  those  who  are  furnishing  food  for  all  are  csilled 
rooks  or  steAvards,  but  we  are  all  seamen. 

XoAv,  it  may  be  that  some  men  who  could  not  otherwise  come  into  the 
Ignited  States  may  come  here  as  cooks  or  stewards  or  coal  passers  or 
something  of  that  kind,  but  all  these  men  are,  according  to  the  rules 
of  the  immigration  service,  examined  on  their  arrival  in  the  United 
States.  They  are  given  a  preliminary  examination  and  if  it  is  ascer- 
tained that  they  ought  not  to  come  here  at  all.  that  they  must  be 
absolutely  excluded,  why,  then  they  are  excluded. 

Of  course,  it  is  difficult  to  find  out  from  anvbody  Avho  Avants  to 
keeiJ  his  mouth  shut  about  it  what  opinion  he  may  have  with  refer- 
ence to  religion  or  gOA'ernment  or  anAi:hing  else,  and  the  examiners 
can  not  ahvays  tell  that.  But  as  far  as  sickness  or  mental  unfitness 
generally,  weak-minded  or  something  like  it.  is  concerned,  that  cau 
be  ascertained,  and  then  they  are  not  permitted  to  land,  Avhether  they 
are  seamen  or  not.  So  that  the  danger  of  the  country  becoming 
crowde.'l  or  to  any  a})preciable  extent  being  injured  1)a'  the  coming 
of  seamen  and  the  desertion  of  seamen,  has  tio  foundation  in  fact. 

I  should  say  that  Commissioner  Wallis  has  possibly  had  some  con- 
A'ersation  Avith  some  very  keen,  smooth  Englishmen,  because  the  Eng- 
lish Avould  give  their  fingernails  to  abolish  that  laAv  that  giA'es  free- 
dom to  the  seamen.  It  comi^els  the  English  to  pay  the  Avages  that  the 
Americans  are  paying,  or  substantially  those  Avages,  and  it  gives  to 
the  American  flag  an  equality  Avith  them  on  the  ocean. 


218 


EMEKCENCV    I.MMKIKATION    LEGISLATION, 


I  have  here  a  copy  of  three  censuses  that  have  been  taken  in  tlu- 
United  States  of  tlie  seamen  actually  sailin*j.  One  was  taken  <^)n 
.July  15,  1917;  one  on  Sei)teniber  1,  1010:  and  one  on  December  1, 
10i>().  These  censuses  were  taken  in  this  way:  When  a  man  comes  to 
join  the  seamen's  or^janization  he  is  asked  about  his  nativity  and  the 
names  of  his  nearest  relatives  in  order  that  they  may  be  notified  if 
anythin<r  should  happen  to  him,  so  he  ^ives  those  thini;s  ti'uthfully. 
Now,,  it  occurred  to  us  that  we  might  find  out  the  nationality  of  the 
dilFerent  men  who  were  sailing  under  the  American  flag  by  just  sim- 
ply counting  uj)  these  men,  each  one  having  a  separate  card  in  our 
in.-^titution,  and  that  is  Avhat  we  have  done.  I  have  simply  sent  out 
orders  to  the  different  districts  asking  them  to  count  the  cards,  giving 
the  nativity,  and  to  send  the  results  to  me.  I  have  handed  those  re- 
sults to  the  Shipping  Board,  and  the  Shipping  Board  lias  made  up 
these  tables,  so  they  come  as  near  being  genuine  as  we  i)ossiljly  can 
make  them  under  the  circumstances. 

The  CHAiR^rAX.  At  the  suggestion  of  Senator  Dillingham  those 
figures  may  go  into  the  record. 

(The  tables  furnished  by  Mr.  Furuseth  are  here  printed  in  full, 
as  follows:) 

XatioiKiUtj/   of  mcmbcrH   of  International   teamen's    I'nion.    Nr/y/.    J.    ini!>.   as 
compared  icith  July  Jo,  1911. 

[Table  compiled  by  United  States  Shipping  Board  on  basis  of  information  furnished  by  ihe  International 

Seamen's  Union.1 

SEPT.  1,  1919. 


All  dis- 
tricts. 


Atlantic  and  Gull 
coasts. 


Counirv  o!  birth. 


|Num- 
I  ber. 


Per     Sail- 
cent,    ors. 


Fire- 
men. 


All  count ries 89, 167 

United  States 139, 347 

Scandina-v-ia 16, 078 

Briti.^h  Empire 10,990 

Mediterranean  coimtries i  9, 700 

Eastern      and      southeastern 

Europe '  5,072 

Central     and      southwestern 

Europe 4,937 

Latm      America      (including 

Dutch  West  Indies) 2,465] 

Philippines  and  Hawaii 576' 

All  others I         2, . 


Cooks 

and 
stew- 
ards. 


100.019,06825,286 

44.  1  8, 4f>3  10, 123 

18.0  5,614   .3,489 

12.3  1,070|  2,503 

10.9  1,2231  5,962 

5.7  1,610|      888 

5. 5  9691      915 


Great  Lakes. 


Sail-    Fire- 
ors.  1  men. 


2.9 
.6 


119 


907 
499 


11,594   7,104'  6,938 

4,857   3,888  4,079 

559!  1,315  706 

934,  1,052 

164]  310 


2,674- 
1,3.37 


135 

1,040 

992 


4431      424 
357|      367 


Cooks 
and 
stew- 
ards. 


3,702 

2,910 

111 

448 

47 

86 


Pacific  coast. 


Cooks 
Sail-    Fire-  i    and 
ors.    men.    stew- 
:  ards. 


8,781  3,570 

1,609  2,192 

3,625  367 

1,266  328 

160  303 


l,-330 
669 
122 


125 
151 


101 
3 


3,124 

1,226 

292 

715 

194 

31 

374 

218 
74 


JT'LV  l.i,  1917. 


.\  11  countries 

42,407 

100.0 

7.9.56 

6.567 

5,629 

i.-m 

4,416 

1,073    6,669 

3,011 

2,847 

I'nited  States....                    .   . 

12,219 
10,854 
6,866 
3,061 

28.8'  1,327    1.2.50 

1,910 
230 

2, 152 
465 

1,910 

1,006 

614 

56 

2,234 
457 
926 
134 

799       529 

70   3,102 

135       651 

6         83 

1,.350 
550 
352 
311 

910 

Scandinavia 

25. 6|  3,413 
16. 2  i      .VW 
7.3       374 

1,739 

709 

1,441 

287 

Rrit  ish  Empire 

797 

Medil erranean  countries 

191 

Eastern  and  southeastern  Eu- 

rope  

3,423 

8.1 

1.144 

378 

47 

260 

206 

16    1,225 

1U8 

39 

Central  and  northwestern  Eu- 

1 

rope 

5,582 

13.2    1,163 

\,m: 

748 

361 

454 

46    1,038 

321 

459 

Latin      America      (including 

1 

, 

Dutch  West  Indies) 

258 

.6;        5 

48 

54 

1 

41 

19 

90 

All  others 

144 

.3 

23 

42 

4 

1 



74 

EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 


DEC.   1,   1920. 


219 


[The  Pacific :  About  90  per  cent  orsaniztd ;  sailor.s  practically  all  A.  B.'s.  The  (ireat 
Lakes:  About  50  per  cent  organized;  sailors  are  in  the  majority  A.  B.'s,  a  minority 
ordinary  seamen.     The  Atlantic:  Practically  00  per  cent  organized.] 


Nationality. 

All  districts. 

Atlantic  and  Gulf 
coasts. 

Great  Lakes. 

Pacific  coast. 

Num- 
ber. 

Per 
cent.' 

Sail- 
ors. 

Fire- 
men. 

Cooks. 

Sail- 
ors. 

Fire- 
men. 

Cooks. 

Sail-    Fire- 
ors.    men. 

Cooks. 

Argentina 

323 

917 

1,197 

19,065 

16 

837 

275 
4,937 
3,574 

476 
2,767 
3,045 

7 

45 

19 

1,415 

7' 

26 

29 

494 

2 
49 

2 

40 

10 

617 

2 

91 

8 

1,141 

'""60 

13 

839 

5 

2 

34 

1 

473 

3 

5       298 

114       320 

376       405 

3,520   4,650 

Austria 

187 

BelRium 

Britain  • 

336 
5,934 

6 
6 

Chile 



50 

40 

692 

Cuba 

1 
17 
12 
15 
59 
12 

4 
24 

218 

2,246    1,296 

56 

Denmark                  

580 
925 
'45 
605 
140 
164 

50 

180 

1,675 

14 
7 

17 

74 

""'"io 

103 
1S2 
38 
18 
78 
182 
3 

95 
10 
25 

250 
12 
52 
30 
70 

169 

1.39 

151 
11 

179 
21 
45 

159 

29 
64 

7 
130 
75 
21 

18 

461 

Finland 

1,874 

-.542 

76 

1,154 

463 

538 
113 
478 

2,182 
541 
645 
468 

2,865 
699 

"   "250 

Germany 

421 

Greece..            

345 

Holland 

2,  776 

757 

Italy 

1,818 

935 

8,810 

716 

107 

1,281 

1,091 

57 

3,653 

1,103 

7,251 

8,3.50 

292 

295 

79,563 

475 

411 

139 

Norway 

696 

1.52 

53 

2,427 

591 

Poland     . 

71 

29 

12 

2 

161 

62 

536 

1,269 
47 
532 

476 

4 

lOo 

4 

435 

10 

292 

34!  1.643 

471 

52 

275 

181 

8 

38 

4,146 

195 

342 

2,464 

20,' 963 

100 

4,890 

3,249 

68 

197 

23,695 

756 

Spain 

Sweden 

Switzerland 

1        32 

1  1,348 

13 

13 

2,335 

79 

60 

30 

3 

1,802 

15 

431 

9 

2 

4,914 

1        22 

31 

201 

17 

3 

3,191 

8 

2 
38 
13 

1 
3,718 

1,585 
336 
132 

38 

United  States 

14,801 

Others  3 

27i          2       416 

1 

Total 

1.56,002 

.iin.  ins 

5,170 

3,468 

8,328 

5,044 

4, 576 

38, 9.54  50. 871 

28,483 

1  United  States  49  per  cent:  all  other  countries  51  per  cent. 

2  Includes  all  British  possessions. 

3  Includes  Serbia,  Hawaiian  Islands,  Lithuania,  Hungary,  Bohemia,  SjTia,  Jugo-Slavia,  Porto  Rico, 
Asia.  Iceland. 

Note.— Total  active  membership  is  about  104,000.  An  active  member  is  one  paid  up  witiiin. six  months. 
The  total  as  given  arises  from  the  great  turnov^er,  especially  on  the  Lakes  and  among  the  firemen  on  thr 
Atlantic. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Furusetli,  what  have  yoii  to  say  with  regard 
to  the  statement  of  800,000  sailors  comino;  into  New  York  in  a  year? 

]Mr.  FuRUSETH.  Of  course,  the  statement  about  800,000  sailors  is 
simph'  absurd;  800,000  seamen  would  mean  everyone  employed  on  all 
these  vessels.  That  would  be  a  dirt'erent  thing.  But  it  makes  no 
difference  whether  there  are  200,000  or  400,000  or  800,000.  If  the 
law  is  carried  out  as  it  ought  to  be  carried  out,  there  will  be  the  same 
number  going  out  as  there  are  coming  in.  And  if  that  is  considered 
the  hole  in  the  immigration  system,  it  might  be  a  very  good  thing 
to  put  in  a  proviso  requiring  thtit  any  vessel  coming  to  the  Ignited 
States  shall  carrj-  away  in  her  crew  the  same  number  of  men  that 
she  brought. 

The  Chairman.  I  understood  you  to  say  that  that  was  the  rule. 

Mr.  FuRUSETii.  Well.  I  think  that  that  is  really  the  law.  I  think 
that  that  is  so,  though  Mr.  Chamberlin,  the  Commissioner  of  Navi- 
gation, seems  to  have  held  otherwise.  That  fiuestion  is  now  up  for 
the  consideration  of  Mr.  Alexander,  the  Secretary  of  Commerce,  and 
it  came  to  him  in  this  way:  A  vessel  named  China,  belonging  to  a 
San  Francisco  corporation  and  sailing  under  the  American  Hag,  but 


220  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

hirin<)-  her  men  in  Hon^kon<r  under  a  law  adopted  in  1884,  came  in 
with  a  certain  nunil)er  of  men.  The  hist  ni<rlit  she  Avas  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  after  siie  had  cleared.  80  of  the  Chinese  deserted.  She  was 
permitted  to  <j:o  away  by  hirinfr  14  Fili|)inos  in  place  of  these  30 
Chinamen  that  had  deserted,  and'  as  a  result  of  these  30  Chinamen 
clesertin<x.  and  the  hirino;  of  14  Filipinos,  the  vessel  left  San  Fran- 
cisco with  IG  less  men  in  her  crew  than  she  iiad  when  she  came  in. 

I  protested  a«xainst  that  to  the  collector  of  customs.  The  collector 
of  customs  referred  the  matter  to  the  Department  of  Commerce,  and 
the  Secretary-  of  Commerce  has  it  now  under  consideration.  If  it 
should  turn  out  that  it  is  not  the  law  that  vessels  must  leave  with 
the  same  number  in  their  crew  as  they  had  when  they  came  in,  then 
it  surelv  ouofht  to  be  the  law.  because  otherwise  vessels  maj^  come 
here  with  a  crew  of  400  men  and  leave  with  a  crew  of  200. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  that  leads  me  to  the  inquiry:  How 
many  men  are  actually  needed  by  the  vessel  in  the  outgoing  passage 
as  compared  to  the  number  needed  coming  in? 

Mr.  FuRUSETii.  There  are  just  as  many  men  needed  going  from 
west  to  east  as  there  are  going  from  east  to  west.  No  matter  whether 
it  is  going  across  the  Atlantic  or  whether  it  is  going  across  the 
Pacific,  the  A-essel  will  need  as  man}'  going  l)ack  to  Japan  or  to  China 
as  she  needed  coming  from  China  or  Japan  to  the  United  States. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  do  they  go  with  a  lesser  number  some- 
times ? 

Mr.  FuRUSETH.  They  do  sometimes  go  with  a  lesser  number,  as  in 
the  case  of  the  China. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  now.  how  generally  is  that  true  that 
they  do  go  back  with  a  lesser  number  than  they  had  on  tlie  vessel 
coming  in? 

Mr.  FuRUsETH.  Well,  now.  Senator,  that  is  more  than  I  can  say, 
because  it  is  only  in  the  last  two  months  that  I  liave  reall}''  had  my 
attention  called  to  this  condition. 

Senator  Dillingham.  But  you,  as  a  seaman,  have  a  general  knowl- 
edge of  the  requirements  of  the  vessels? 
Mr.  FiRusETH.  Yes.  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  percentage  of  the  ordinary  crew  would 
V)e  absolutely  required  in  the  outbound  voj'age  ?  How  few  could 
they  get  along  with? 

Mr.  FuRUSETH.  To  begin  with,  a  vessel  never  carries  any  greater 
number  of  men  than  she  really  needs  when  she  begins  her  voyage. 
For  every  man  that  she  carries'it  takes  so  much  space,  so  much  food, 
and  so  niuch  wages,  and  she  is  not  going  to  carry  any  more  than  she 
has  to. 

Besides,  every  nation  either  has  a  law  or  a  regulation  dealing  with 
the  number  that  must  be  carried  as  a  minium.  With  us  here  in  the 
United  States  the  power  to  regulate  that  is  given  to  the  inspection 
service,  to  the  local  inspectors,  in  fact,  and  vessels  are  not  supposed 
to  sail  or  to  go  anywhere  until  they  have  that  number  of  men  on 
board.  Now,  ever}^'  nation  whose  laws  I  know  anything  about  have 
regulations  or  laws  dealing  with  this  subject,  just  like  we  have. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Now,  what  I  want  to  get  at  is  this :  I  want 
your  judgment  as  to  the  extent  of  our  danger  by  reason  of  these 
desertions. 


EMEEGEKCY   IMMIGRATIO^ST   LEGISLATION.  221 

Mr.  FuRusETH.  None  at  all. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Xow,  just  a  moment.  We  will  say  that  a 
vessel  comes  in  here  with  400  seamen.  Now,  then,  that  vessel  has  got 
to  go  back ;  it  must  have  a  certain  number  of  seamen.  Now,  in  your 
judgment,  what  is  the  smallest  number  they  could  get  along  with  and 
get  permission  to  sail,  and  what  number  could  be  left  in  the  United 
States? 

Mr.  FuKusETH.  There  would  be  practically  none  left,  unless  the 
foreign  owners  of  the  vessel,  or  the  master  of  the  vessel  is  purposely 
signing  men  on  his  articles  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  them  to  the 
United  States  and  of  obtaining  so  much  money  therefor.  Now,  that 
is  possible.  Men  will  do  those  things  once  in  a  while.  But  outside 
of  that  there  is  no  danger  at  all  from  this  proposition.  When  the 
ordinary  vessel  leaves  port  with  30  to  35  or  40  men  all  told,  she 
having  no  more  men  than  necessary  to  manage  her,  if  she  loses 
any  of  those  men  under  the  laws  of  the  different  nations  she  is 
obliged  to  replace  them  with  other  men.  So  that  there  is  no  danger 
at  all.  except  from  vessel  owners  or  masters  who  are  directly  and 
specifically  dishonest,  and  who  want  to  take  advantage  of  a  hole  in 
the  law  or  ruling  that  has  been  made,  or  punch  a  hole  in  the  law,  as 
the  case  may  be. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  think  I  understand  you  now. 

The  Chairman.  Then,  Mr.  Furuseth,  on  this  proposition  of  these 
800,000  seamen  coming  into  New  York  during  a  year,  your  under- 
standing is  that  substantially  800,000  would  leave? 

Mr.  Furuseth.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  And  therefore  that  there  is  no  menace  or  danger 
by  reason  of  these  seamen? 

Mr.  Furuseth.  That  is  right.     That  is  my  position. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  think  that  the  number  of  800.000  is  an 
exairgeration  ^ 

Mr.  Furuseth.  I  think  so.  sir. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  any  general  idea  of  the  number  that 
come  in? 

Mr.  Furuseth.  I  should  judge  that  it  would  be  probably  more  like 
600,000,  but  that  there  is  a  large  number  coming  to  New  York  there 
is  no  doubt. 

The  Chairman.  I  would  say,  and  you  reason  it  out  very  clearly, 
that  it  doesn't  make  any  difference  whether  there  were  a  million  of 
them,  that  the  result  is  the  same,  in  substance. 

Mr.  Furuseth.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  There  might  be  a  few  left,  but  in  substance  the 
same  number  go  back  as  came  in? 

Mr.  Furuseth.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Do  you  think  that  the  law  that  allows  sea- 
men to  leave  the  vessel  in  other  ports  has  operated  to  increase  the 
number  of  available  men  for  the  American  merchant  marine? 

Mr.  Furuseth.  Why,  I  not  only  think  so.  Senator,  but  I  am  abso- 
lutely sure  of  it.  It  would  have  been  utterly  impossible  to  have 
gotten  the  American  young  man  to  go  to  sea  under  the  old  condi- 
tions. He  knew,  first  and  foremost,  that  he  was  tied  to  the  vessel 
in  exactly  the  same  way,  temporarily,  at  any  rate,  during  his  con- 
tract, as  the  Negro  was  tied  to  his  master  previous  to  the  issuance  of 

26911— 21— FT  4 3 


222  EAiERGBiSCY    IMMiGKATIOX    LEGISLATION. 

the  emancipation  proclamation.  The  way  to  get  a  seaman  back  to 
the  vessel  was  by  using  exactly  the  same  njethod  as  was  used  to  cap- 
ture and  bring  back  a  runaway  Negro  slave.  Xow,  the  American 
boy  knew  this,  and  he  said,  "  Xo ;  what  do  you  think  I  am  ?  I  am 
not  going  to  voluntarily  go  into  a  condition  like  that."  Of  course, 
there  were  a  few  men  of  fairly  good  families  who  went  in  with  the 
expectation  of  becoming  officers  within  three  or  four  years,  and  they 
didn't  care.  But  the  man  who  hasn't  got  any  such  assurances,  who 
has  got  to  labor  for  a  living  somewhere,  necessarily  and  surely 
would  pick  some  place  where  he  has  at  least  got  the  promise  of  the 
law  that  he  shall  be  as  free  as  other  men. 

Now,  the  result  has  been  to  bring  the  American  citizens  in  as  sea- 
men. And  as  long  as  we  keep  and  enforce  that  law,  as  long  as  we 
can  induce  the  shipowners  and  the  Shipping  Board  to  give  the  first 
chance  of  emplojTiient  to  the  American  citizen,  and  to  carry  out  the 
language  clause  of  the  law,  we  will  not  only  have  50  per  cent  of 
citizens  as  sailors,  but  in  two  or  three  years  from  now  we  will  have 
75  i^er  cent  of  citizens  on  board  our  American  ships.  Of  course,  if 
in  dealing  with  immigration  it  is  possible  for  our  friends,  the 
English,  in  some  way  to  destroy  that  law,  then  we  won't  have  those 
men  very  long. 

Thank  j^ou. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  stand  adjourned  until  Mon- 
day at  half-post  10. 

("Whereupon,  at  3  o'clock  p.  m.,  January  7,  1921,  the  committee 
adjourned  to.  meet  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m.,  Monday,  January  10,  1921.) 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 


HEARINGS 

BEFORE 

COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 

UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGRESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 

H.  R.  14461 

A  BILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZENS 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  BY  THE  TEMPORARY 
SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 
FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 


MONDAY,    JANUARY    10.    1921. 


PART  5 

Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Immiorration 


^^ 


WASHINCTOX 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 

23911  I9:;i 


COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION. 


LeBARON  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island,  Chairman. 


VriLLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,   Vermont. 
BOIES   PENROSE,  Pennsylvania. 
QHOMAS  STERLING,  South  Dakota. 
HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California. 
HENRY  W.  KEYES,  New  Hampshire. 
■WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey. 


THOMAS  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 
JOHN   F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 
WILLIAM  H.  KING,  Utah. 
WILLIAM  J.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 
PAT  HARRISON,  Mississippi. 
JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 


Hexet  M.  Barby,  Clerk. 


EMEEGENCY  IMMIGllATION  LEGISLATIOI^. 


MONDAY,   JANUARY    10,    1921. 

United  States  Senate, 

comimittee  on  immigration, 

Washington,  D.  C . 
The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournmout,  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m.^ 
in  room  285,  Senate  Office  Building,  Senator  LeBaron  M.  Colt  pre- 
siding. 

Present:  Senators  Colt  (chairman),  Dillingham.  Johnson,  Keyes,. 
Harris,  Harrison,  and  Phelan,  members  of  the  committee. 

The  Chairman.  We  will  first  hear  from  Mr.  John  C.  Box.  Con- 
gressman from  Texas. 

STATEMENT  OF  HON.  JOHN  C.  BOX,  REPRESENTATIVE  IN 
CONGRESS  FROM  THE  SECOND  DISTRICT  OF  TEXAS. 

Representative  Box.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen  of  the  commit- 
tee, at  the  instance  of  the  House  Committee  on  Immigration,  and  in 
my  own  behalf,  representing  what  I  take  to  be  the  sentiment  of  the 
people  of  Texas,  I  appear  in  opposition  to  any  provision  for  the  free 
admission  of  Mexicans  or  other  laborers  in  disregard  of  the  restric- 
tions of  the  immigration  laws. 

This  general  proposition  divides  itself  up  into  two  specific  propo- 
sitions: 

First.  Shall  Mexicans  and  a  few  others  be  admitted  by  general 
law  or  under  administrative  orders  by  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  not- 
withstanding the  restrictions  of  the  immigration  laws  ? 

Second.  Shall  the  proposition  be  enlarged  so  as  to  include  laborers 
from  other  countries,  to  meet  the  demands  of  all  sections  of  the 
United  States  ? 

To  let  in  a  few  Mexicans  or  a  few  blacks  from  the  West  Indies  or 
Bahama  Islands  to  meet  the  demands  of  Texas.  Florida.  Xew  Mexico, 
Arizona,  and  southern  California,  and  the  sugar-beet  industry  of 
Colorado  and  neighboring  States,  would  be  practicing  favoritism 
as  between  sections,  and,  if  the  policy  were  a  wise  one  from  other 
standpoints,  it  would,  in  my  judgment,  be  indefensible  and  impos- 
sible because  of  the  favoritism  to  certain  sections  involved.  People 
near  the  Canadian  borders  desire  the  admission  of  Canadian  labor- 
ers; people  of  New  York  desire  the  admission  of  servant  girls  and 
of  clothing  workers*  builders  of  New  York  and  other  cities  and 
other  interests  of  the  North  and  East  have  asked  for  the  admission 
of  some  four  or  five  million  laborers  to  meet  their  demands.  They 
want  them  from  Europe.     I  shall  therefore  assume  that  whatever 

223 


224  KMEUGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

is  done  will  not  be  done  in  a  local  or  a  sectional  way — that  is,  it  will 
not  be  local  or  sectional  in  its  application. 

I  assume,  without  knowin<r,  of  course,  what  is  in  the  minds  of  the 
proponents  of  this  measure  as  it  is  being  presented  to  this  com- 
mittee, that  it  will  finally  take  some  such  shape  as  that  in  which  it 
appeared  in  the  Rainey  amendment  before  the  House,  when  this  bill 
was  still  being  considered  in  the  House.    He  proposed  to  add  this : 

Bona  litle  farm  laburcrs  who  niny  enter  the  rnited  States  solely  for  the 
purpose  of  en.u^a^ing  in  labor  on  a  farm  or  farms,  or  in  a  truck  garden  or  in 
truck  gardens,  and  upon  the  completion  or  discontinuance  of  such  employment 
they  shall  not  be  entitled  to  remain  in  the  United  States. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Was  that  proposed  as  an  amendment  in  the 
House  ? 

Eepresentative  Box.  That  was  proposed  as  an  amendment  in  the 
House  and  voted  down. 

I  would  further  assume  that  if  that  proposition  were  seriously 
considered  the  restriction  which  confined  this  relief,  if  relief  it  be 
called,  to  the  farmers  would  be  eliminateil  from  any  well-considered 
measure  and  that  the  rest  of  the  country  would  not  be  required  to 
deny  itself  or  be  denied  and  be  burdened — and  there  will  be  burdens, 
as  I  will  undertake  to  show  the  committee — in  order  to  provide  one 
class  of  its  citizens,  however  worthy  that  class  might  be,  with  some- 
thing which  they  desired  or  needed  but  which  others  also  desire  and 
need,  but  which  is  to  be  denied  them. 

The  first  difRculty  which  suggested  itself  in  this  connection  to  me, 
and  which  did,  I  am  sure,  suggest  itself  to  my  colleagues  in  the 
committee  of  the  House,  and  also  to  the  House,  is  the  administrative 
difficulty.  I  have  to  assume  some  things  without  knowing  the  exact 
or  final  form  of  the  proposition.  If  these  people  are  admitted,  first 
they  will  have  to  come  in  in  disregard  of  the  literac}^  test,  which  was 
prett}^  thoroughly  considered  and  acted  on  by  Congress.  Thej^  will 
have  to  come  in  in  disregard  of  the  contract-labor  laws.  I  under- 
stand that  the  contract-labor  laws  are  a  part  of  the  permanent  policy 
of  the  Government.  They  have  been  on  the  statute  books  some  35 
or  40  years.  I  very  seriously  doubt  whether  either  the  House  or  the 
Senate  would  seriously  consider  making  any  serious  inroads  on  the 
provisions  of  the  contract-labor  laws.  As  aliens  are  brought  from 
Mexico  to  Texas — and  the  same  proposition  ai)plies  to  all  classes  of 
laborers  from  everywhere — they  are  brought  in  by  men  who  have 
induced  them  to  come.  They  are  brought  under  contract.  They 
are  brought  under  a  provision  which  virtually  commits  them  to  the 
custody  of  somebody.  They  are  brought  in  in  trainloads.  In  a  very 
ineffective  and  unsatisfactory  sort  of  a  way  the  immigration  bureau 
has  undertaken  to  keep  check  on  them.  If  a  man  does  not  stay  with 
liis  bond  master,  he  is  reported  as  a  "  deserter." 

The  CiiAiRMAX.  Mr.  Box.  I  understand,  and  I  presume  you  do. 
that  the  Secretary  of  Labor  issued  this  order  under  some  discretion- 
ary ]5ower  found  in  the  present  law.  Now.  I  assimie  that  this  John- 
son bill  would  repeal  that  discretionary  power,  would  it  not? 

Representative  Box.  Mr.  Chairman,"  I  think' that  in  fact  he  did 
not  have  that  discretion. 

The  CiiAiRMAX.  Well,  very  well,  we  won't  discuss  that. 

Representative  Box.  But  he  construes  tlie  law  as  giving  him  that 
discretion. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  225 

The  Chairman.  I  assume  so. 

Representative  Box.  Yes.  And  as  a  matter  of  fact  he  said  in  his 
first  orders  that  it  was  stricth'  as  a  war  measure,  and  couUl  be  justi- 
fied on  no  other  grounds.  But  it  soon  developed,  as  such  matters  go, 
that  a  thing  once  done  b}'  a  strained  construction  of  the  Law  soon 
becomes  a  precedent  for  continued  action.  I  doubt  if  the  policy  can 
be  discontinued  without  some  positive  action  on  the  part  of  Congress 
in  that  direction. 

The  Chairman.  "Well,  couldn't  it  be  fairly  said  that  the  House 
committee  was  opposed  to  any  such  construction  of  the  present  law, 
and  that  it  would  be  made  clear  that  he  had  no  such  power? 

Representative  Box.  It  is  a  fact.  I  think.  Mr.  Chairman,  that  the 
House  committee  doubted  the  correctness  of  that  construction  and 
did  not  approve  it.  The  former  chairman  of  the  House  committee, 
Hon.  John  Burnett,  complained  vor^-  bitterly  of  that  action  on  the 
part  of  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  and  I  think  I  do  not  speak  at  any 
great  risk  when  I  say  that  the  overwhelming  majority,  if  not  all  of 
the  members  of  the  House  committee,  now  think  that  that  law  does 
not  authorize  the  action  taken. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  do  I  understand  you  that  the  House  com- 
mittee is  opposed  in  principle  to  any  such  exception? 

Representative  Box.  Yes.  Mr.  Chairman. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  the  point  I  wanted  to  get  at. 

Representative  Box.  Yes;  and  the  matter  was  squarely  presented 
a  year  ago,  and  the  action  of  the  House  committee  was  unanimous 
against  it. 

As  to  the  difficulties  in  administering  the  law,  I  have  this  to  say: 

Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen,  these  people  are  brought  in  in  this 
way  in  somebody's  custody,  or  something  so  much  akin  to  custody 
that  they  are  required  to  report  their  deaths  and  report  their  de- 
sertions. The  report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Immigration  for  1920 
shows  some  10,000  desertions,  and  that  report  of  these  desertions  has 
been  brought  forward  in  former  reports.  I  would  be  glad  to  exhibit 
it  to  the  committee. 

Xow,  aside  from  all  other  questions,  the  question  of  peonage  is 
involved,  and  that  is  not  to  be  taken  from  what  I  conclude  about  it, 
from  what  might  be  a  biased  viewpoint,  but  from  the  official  records 
the  system  of  peonage  is  involved.  For  instance,  if  Ave  take  the 
Rainey  amendment,  it  requires  that  when  men  come  in  tliey  must  con- 
fine their  labor  to  certain  kinds  of  work,  and  that  if  they  don't  do  it, 
they  must  be  deported.  That  system  of  peonage,  Mr.  Chairman, 
involves  anj-thing  but  freedom.  We  have  in  the  past  had  in  my  own 
great  portion  of  this  still  greater  country  enough  of  that  which  is  the 
opposite  of  freedom — slavery.  My  candid  opinion  is  that  great 
damage  was  done  to  our  part  of  the  country  when  the  advice 
of  the  great  founders  of  our  country,  men  like  Washington  and 
Jefferson,  was  ignored,  and  the  slave  traffic  continued  with  all  of  its 
evil  consequences,  with  the  Civil  AVar  not  at  the  end  but  followed 
by  difficulties  and  grave  problems  yet  unsolved.  That  condition  re- 
tarded the  development  of  the  South  for  50  years  before  the  war 
started.  When  I  stand  here  I  represent,  I  think,  not  only  the  views 
of  the  majority  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  Texas  as  to  the  specific 
question  of  bringing  hundreds  of  thousands  of  Mexicans   among 


226  KMEIiCEXCY    ira^nORATION    LEGISLATION, 

them,  but  I  stand  for  that  whicli  we  all  ought  to  stand  for,  which  is 
the  very  opposite  of  having  men  working  in  somebody's  custody  and 
under  somebody's  control,  subject  to  the  penalty  of  deportation  if 
they  depart  from  the  service  of  that  particular  master  or  that  in- 
dustry. It  does  not  smack,  gentlemen,  of  freedom,  and  it  won't  help 
conditions  in  the  South  or  anywhere  else,  to  have  these  people  brought 
into  this  country  in  that  way. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Regardless  of  that,  Mr.  Box,  do  you  see  any 
legal  difficulty  in  the  way  of  the  Government  exercising  that  right? 
That  question  has  sometimes  been  raised. 

Representative  Box.  I  have  not  considered  whether  there  would  be 
legal  difficulties  if  the  proposition  were  enlarged  so  that  it  does 
not  become  class  legislation,  so  that  it  is  not  sectional.  When  it  is  so 
enlarged  I  think  it  would  be  a  virtual  destruction  of  all  restriction 
on  immigration. 

Senator  Dillingham,  You  don't  think  there  would  be  any  legal 
difficulty  in  a  provision  that  would  admit  laboiers  for  a  particular 
service;  that  is,  like  those  wanting  to  go  onto  the  farms  of  the 
country,  with  a  provision  that  if  they  failed  to  remain  in  that 
service  they  might  be  deported? 

Representative  Box.  I  would  see  very  pronounced  difficulties  in 
that. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  would? 

Representative  Box.  I  think  I  would. 

Senator  Dillingham,  Yes :  but  would  there  be  any  legal  difficulty 
in  the  way  of  any  such  provision  as  that  ? 

Representative  Box.  Yes ;  I  think  so. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  really  think  so  ? 

Representative  Box.  I  do. 

Senator  Dillingham,  I  would  like  to  have  you  address  yourself 
to  that. 

Representative  Box,  I  have  not  thought  out  that  particular  branch 
of  it,  but  if  I  were  attacking  the  law  in  the  first  instance  my  first 
impulse  would  be  to  say  that  the  restriction  was  invalid  in  making 
provision  at  the  expense  of  other  classes  for  one  class  of  our  own  peo- 
ple that  it  did  not  make  for  another.  The  eifective  enforcement  of 
such  a  provision  for  the  admission  of  millions,  as  has  been  requested 
of  the  House  committee,  would  require  a  great  and  very  expensive  ad- 
ministrative force  to  be  paid  for  largely  by  men  who  are  denied  its 
supposed  benefits. 

Now,  gentlemen,  the  administrative  expenses  if  the  law  is  to  be  ef- 
fective at  all.  if  these  people  are  to  be  checked  up  and  reported  when 
they  desert  and  then  deported,  the  organization  and  expense  would  be 
vast.  The  administration  of  such  a  law  involves  having  a  force  of  men 
to  follow  these  people  who  come  in  in  the  number  of  hundreds  and 
thousands  and  are  scattered  far  into  the  interior.  It  would  be  neces- 
sary to  have  a  considerable  force  of  men  to  follow  them  up.  This  force 
would  have  to  be  i)rovided.  at  public  expense,  to  see  that  the  man  who 
is  constructing  a  railroad  or  operating  a  saw  mill  shall  not  have  the 
benefit  of  the  services  of  these  Mexicans  and  that  the  farmers  shall, 
I  think  the  court  would  listen  to  me  while  I  urged  a  proposition  of  that 
kind,  and  I  tliink  that  could  be  followed  out  and  other  equally  serious 
ditlifultic*!  found. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  227 

The  Chairman.  Doesn't  that  tend  to  undermine  what  you  might 
call  the  selective  feature  of  immio;ration  ?  Wouldn't  it  help  solve  the 
problem  if  we  could  select  agricultural  laborers,  if  we  desired?  Sup- 
posing under  an  agreement  with  another  nation,  with  Italy,  for  in- 
stance, they  would  furnish  a  certain  number  of  farm  laborers,  or  a 
certain  number  of  domestic  workers.  I  was  only  thinking  whether 
the  proposition  Avhich  you  advanced  did  not  rather  tend  to  undermine 
the  selective  feature  of  immigration? 

Representative  Box.  At  first  suggestion  I  would  doubt  the  validity 
of  any  law  providing  for  a  selection,  looking  to  favoritism  as  between 
classes  of  our  own  people  or  industries.  I  think  we  might  go  into  a 
selection  involving  fitness  for  citizenship  or  desirability  from  other 
standpoints  effecting  the  general  welfare,  but  probably  not  in  such 
manner  as  to  show  favoritism  as  bet weeix  different  classes  of  our  people 
who  have  industries  to  maintain. 

The  Chairman.  Canada  has  a  selective  system.  As  I  understand 
it,  in  Canada  if  a  farm  laborer  comes  in  as  an  an  immigrant  he  is  not 
obliged  to  have  $250  in  money.  If  a  domestic,  a  house  servant,  comes 
in  she  is  not  obliged  to  have  any  such  amount  of  cash. 

Representative  Box.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  would  have  to  consider  that 
law  of  Canada  before  I  would  accept  it  as  thoroughly  American  in 
character. 

The  Chairman.  I  am  speaking  only  about  my  general  impressions. 
In  fact,  I  have  read  certain  of  the  provisions. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  was  not  troubled  on  that  question,  Mr. 
Chairman,  because  I  suppose  the  majority  of  those  who  have  come 
into  our  country  as  immigrants  have  been  either  ordinary  laborers 
or  farm  laborers  before  they  came  here,  and  yet  the  statistics  show 
that  eventually  all  of  them  go  to  the  cities  where  the  great  industries 
are  located,  and  that  they  do  not  go  to  the  farms,  and  it  is  very  diffi- 
cult to  segregate  even  an  individual  from  a  racial  group  and  get  him 
to  go  to  an  American  family  on  a  farm  as  a  laborer,  and  the  thought 
that  I  had  in  mind  was  whether  we  would  have  the  right,  if  we  ad- 
mitted them  as  farm  laborers,  to  insist  that  they  should  engage  in 
farm  work.  That  has  been  suggested  by  a  great  many,  and  I  didn't 
know  but  what  you  had  been  giving  some  thought  to  it. 

Representative  Box.  I  had  from  the  administrative  standpoint, 
and  also  from  the  general  standpoint  of  the  general  spirit  of  our 
institutions.  I  think  if  they  were  admitted  under  the  requirement 
that  they  should  work  on  the  farm  that  the  administrative  difficul- 
ties would  break  it  down.  For  instance,  suppose  30,000  came  in — 
that  is  about  the  number  of  Mexicans  reported  up  to  1920 — and  they 
go  for  2,000  miles  into  the  interior.  Who  is  going  to  see  that  they 
work  on  the  farms?  Who  is  going  to  hold  them  there  and  see  that 
they  do  not  find  and  enter  other  employment  which  is  to  them 
more  attractive? 

Then  there  is  another  difficulty :  ^Many  of  them  bring  their  fami- 
lies. I  know  many  of  the  Mexicans  do  bring  their  families,  and  I 
know  that  manv  of  the  most  desirable  immigrants  bring  their  fami- 
lies. Generally  the  attitude  of  the  public  toward  these  people  is  that 
the  man  who  'comes  to  establish  his  home  here  is  more  desirable 
than  one  who  comes  as  a  transient  and  expects  to  return  to  the  coun- 
try from  which  he  came.     They  have  children  born  here.     Now, 


228  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

these  Mexicans  often  bring  their  families.  They  have  children  born 
here.  Those  children  are  American  citizens.  Who  is  going  to  sep- 
arate the  family  and  say  that  a  part  of  it  shall  be  deported  if  they 
do  not  remain  in  the  service  of  certain  masters,  or  that  the  whole 
family  shall  be  deported?  That  woidd  either  force  the  deportation 
of  American  citizens  or  separate  the  families.  AVho  is  going  to  do 
that?     How  is  it  to  be  done?     Is  it  desirable? 

Senator  Harrison.  Congressman,  do  any  of  these  Mexicans  come 
into  your  district? 

Representative  Box.  Yes;  a  considerable  number  do.  But  not  so 
many  as  do  come  into  other  districts. 

Senator  Harrison.  How  far  is  your  district  from  the  Mexican 
border  ? 

Representative  Box.  I  would  say  it  is  300  miles.  I  would  say  that 
perhaps  one-quarter  of  the  population  of  the  State  is  within  the 
territory  where  these  people  come  in  great  numbers.  Something 
like  that.  I  notice  in  a  telegram  from  my  colleague  and  friend,  Mr. 
Hudspeth,  the  statement  about  the  attitude  of  other  Members  of 
the  House,  in  which  he  reports  to  certain  people  of  Texas  that  no 
other  Member  of  the  House  supported  his  attempt  to  exempt  Mexican 
labor  from  the  ])rovisions  of  the  immigration  bill.  I  think  there  is  a 
slight  error  in  that,  because  I  believe  there  are  other  Members  of  the 
House  from  Texas  who  would  like  to  support  it. 

Senator  Harrison.  Did  the  State  authorities  take  any  action  ? 

Representative  Box.  Not  within  my  knowledge. 

Senator  Harrison.  So  far  as  expressing  themselves  is  concerned^ 
I  mean 

Representative  Box.  It  may  be  that  some  official  has,  in  some  un- 
official way.  There  is  a  tendency,  gentlemen,  that  in  my  brief 
career  in  public  life  I  have  seen  and  regretted,  that  when  a  certain 
small  minority,  having  some  special  interest  to  promote,  brings 
pressure  to  bear  upon  a  Member  of  the  House  or  a  Senator,  or  some 
member  of  the  State  administration,  he  forgets  the  great,  silent  95 
per  cent  at  home  who  are  saj^ng  nothing  about  what  they  want  or 
what  their  interests  are,  and  listens  to  that  small,  clamorous  interest. 
The  silent  majority  has  no  chance  to  speak  unless  officials  remember 
them  and  speak  and  work  for  them  in  promoting  the  general  welfare 
as  against  the  demands  of  special  interests. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Do  you  live  in  that  part  of  Texas  in  which 
Mexican  labor  has  been  introduced,  that  was  represented  by  several 
speakers  last  week? 

Representative  Box.  There  may  have  been  some  gentlemen  of  my 
district.     I  don't  know.     I  wasn't  here.  Senator. 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  do  you  think  about  the  necessity 
existing  ? 

Representative  Box.  I  think  there  is  a  necessity  for  labor.  I 
think  it  is  not  a  lack  of  people  there  who  should  Avork.  We  have, 
for  in.stance,  the  colored  population  that  has  usually  done  this  work 
that  has  gone  to  the  cities.  And  the  same  influences  operate  on 
these  Mexicans  and  other  alien  people.  Then  many  white  ])eople 
who  should  work  do  not,  but  we  will  not  correct  the  evil  by  bringing 
in  thousands  more  to  become  equally  idle. 

I  have  here,  for  instance,  a  clipping  from  one  of  the  papers  in 
Texas  which  would  indicate  that  these  people  are  collecting  in  the 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  229 

cities.  When  they  come  into  a  town,  they  see  the  bulletin  boards, 
for  instance,  of  employment  agencies,  and  on  these  bulletin  boards 
they  will  have,  as  it  has  been  reported  to  me,  a  statement  saying  that 
$3  a  day  is  being  paid  for  Mexican  labor  in  certain  industries  as 
against  $1  a  da}'^  paid  to  them  for  farm  labor.  It  can  easily  be  seen 
where  they  will  go  under  those  conditions.  They  are  soon  in  town, 
where  they  are  often  idle. 

This  newspaper  clipping  came  to  me  in  the  mail  from  a  citizen 
of  southwest  Texas.  This  article  appeared  in  one  of  the  San  Antonio 
p  aiders : 

SOUP   KITCHEN    FOK    MEXICANS    HERE   WITHOUT    WOKK   OPENS. 

Systematic  plans  to  feed  the  hundreds  of  hungry  and  penniless  ^Mexicans  find- 
ing their  way  into  San  Antonio  since  the  head  tax  and  literacy  test  were  lifted 
on  Mexicans  wishing  to  emigrate  to  this  country  have  been  perfected  by  the 
associated  charities,  and  a  soup  kitchen  will  be  opened  to-day  at  the  market 
house,  it  was  announced  yesterday. 

Heretofore  these  unfortunates,  lured  across  the  Rio  Grande  by  reports  of 
plenty  of  work  and  high  wages,  have  been  fed  in  a  sporadic  way  wherever 
found,  but  with  the  increasing  numbers  whicii  are  pouring  into  the  city  daily 
the  associated  charities  have  felt  it  necessary  to  adopt  a  broader  plan  of  relief. 

This  clipping  was  sent  to  me  from  southwest  Texas  several  months 

I  have  from  another  citizen  from  that  portion  of  the  fetate  a  clip- 
ping from  the  San  Antonio  Evening  News,  dated  Jahuary  4,  1921, 
in  which  the  report  of  the  proceedings  of  the  courts  in  dealing  with 
criminals  who  had  forfeited  their  appearance  bonds  appears.  Twen- 
ty-three cases  were  dealt  with,  and  12  of  those  23  absconding  de- 
fendants were  Mexicans.  That  is  in  a  communitj^  where  the  Mexican 
population  does  not  anything  like  equal  in  numbers  the  white  popu- 
lation, as  I  understand  it. 

I  have  done  a  great  deal  of  work  on  the  Rio  Grande  border.  I 
have  done  trial  work  from  one  end  of  the  Eio  Grande  nearly  to  the 
other.  I  have  been  in  many  of  these  counties  that  are  involved.  I 
have  tried  cases  there  and  Imow  people  there  and  know  conditions 
fairly  well.  I  have  not  found  anywhere  any  class  of  people  that 
were,  as  a  class,  less  desirable  from  any  standpoint  as  American  citi- 
zens. They  even  rush  into  the  elections  to  vote.  And  there  is  no 
use  to  say  that  they  do  not. 

I  have"^  here  an  official  report,  which  I  will  be  glad  to  read  to  the 
committee  if  you  so  desire,  showing  that  great  numbers  of  these 
people  voted  without  even  applying  for  naturalization  papers. 
Somebody  asked  one  of  them,  "'How  did  you  vote?"  "Well,  I 
voted  for  Mr.  Democrat."  '"  AVell,  who  is  Mr.  Democrat  ?  Did  you 
ever  see  him  ?"  And  the  Mexican  said,  "  No ;  I  never  saw  him.  They 
never  tell  us  anything." 

A  large  percentage  of  them  remain  within  the  State.  Some  of 
them  do  return,  it  is  fair  to  say.  but  a  large  per  cent  of  them  remain. 
And  that  means  that  the  very  class  of  people  whose  presence  has  gen- 
erally been  unacceptable  to  the  people  of  the  United  States,  and 
whose  presence  has  been  regarded  as  dangerous,  which  I  think  is 
seriously  so,  remains.  They  do  not  stand  for  good  citizenship. 
When  we  have  a  large  number  of  illiterate  or  ignorant  or  degraded 
people,  however  they  may  be  degraded,  inwhatever  their  degradation 


230  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

consists,  they  become  the  tools  of  the  few  men  who  are  willing  to  use 
that  kind  of  people.  It  is  not  a  matter  of  my  party  or  somebody 
else's  party;  the  fact  is  that  there  is  in  every  community  a  number  of 
people  Avho  are  willing  to  use  that  class,  and  their  eilect  is  to  degrade 
the  politics  of  the  country.  Gentlemen,  I  know  that  j^our  time  is 
limited,  and  I  can  not  go  fully  into  this  question,  but  another  thing 
was  thrown  out  bj^  the  suggestion  of  your  chaii-man  shortly  after  I 
began  my  remarks,  and  that  is  the  fact  of  bringing  people  in  exclu- 
sively for  labor.  I  don't  believe  that  it  is  safe  to  divide  America 
into  an  upper  and  an  under  world.  I  don't  believe  that  it  is  good 
to  have  thousands  or  millions  of  people  among  us  w^ho  can  have  no 
part  or  parcel  with  us  except  as  our  menial  servants,  wdiose  condition 
in  life  is  such  that  they  do  not  have  sympathy  with  us  and  our  im- 
pulses. If  we  do  have  great  numbers  of  such  people  with  us,  we  will 
have  a  condition  such  as  some  of  the  older  nations  had  when  there 
were  millions  of  slaves  and  few  citizens.  I  think  it  tends  to  destroy 
democracy.     I  think  it  tends  to  make  our  own  people  helpless. 

I  learned,  as  a  member  of  the  House  Committee  on  Immigration 
and  Xaturalization,  in  studying  the  Japanese  question  in  California 
last  summer,  that  the  college  boys  and  girls  used  to  go  to  the  fields 
during  vacations  to  gather  berries  and  fruit.  But  they  do  not  do  it 
so  much  now.  And  we  asked  them  Avhy.  "  Well,"  a  mother  said,  "  I 
can  not  let  my  girl  go  out  there  and  work  among  those  oriental 
coolies  in  the  fields."  Some  of  the  boys  said,  "  That  is  a  Chink's  or 
a  Jap's  job." 

Down  in  that  country  that  I  love  so  much  one  large  class  of  our 
people,  a  few  generations  ago,  thought  it  was  a  dishonorable  thing 
for  their  boys  to  go  and  work  among  the  blacks  in  the  fields.  There 
was  a  feeling  that  labor  was  degrading,  and  it  tended,  therefore,  to 
create  helplessness  and  even  weakness  among  the  people  who  ought 
to  have  been  made  strong  by  industry. 

"We  could  not  make  a  greater  mistake  than  to  cultivate  that  idea 
by  bringing  in  Mexicans  or  any  other  class  of  people  here  with  the 
understanding  that  they  are  not  fit  for  citizenship,  that  we  are  not 
going  to  try  to  make  citizens  out  of  them,  that  we  are  either  going 
to  work  them  like  slaves  or  peons  and  send  them  out  when  they  do 
not  suit  us,  or  that  we  are  going  to  turn  them  out  among  us  where 
they  will  multiply  into  millions,  and  always  fill  that  lower  stratum 
of  our  life. 

The  wholesale  admission  of  Mexicans  under  suspension  of  the 
literacy  test,  contract-labor  laws,  and  the  head  tax  has  been  urged 
by  certain  interests  here  and  elsewhere  in  the  Southwest.  They 
usually  urge  these  claims  in  the  name  of  the  farmer,  and  I  think  a 
few  farmers — that  is,  men  who  live  in  town  and  own  farm  lands  in 
the  country — have  urged  their  admission;  but  by  far  the  greater  part 
of  the  demand  has  come  from  commercial  organizations  representing 
other  interests,  and  from  corporations,  large  industrial  concerns, 
such  as  sawmills,  coal  mines,  sugar-beet  industry,  railroads,  and  con- 
cerns of  that  kind.  I  have  not  heard  of  a  single  farmer  who  lives 
on  his  own  farm  and  works  with  his  own  hands  ask  for  the  admission 
of  these  people. 

I  am  not  authorized  to  speak  for  my  Texas  colleagues  in  this  mat- 
ter, and  shall  not  undertake  to  do  so,  but  I  will  undertake  to  express 
the  opinion  that  they  are  overwhelmingly  against  this  proposition. 


EMERGEiSrCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATIOX.  231 

Mr.  Hudspeth,  and  possibly  two  or  three  others  favor  it,  though  Mr. 
Hudspeth  wired  to  Texas  the  followino^  about  the  time  the  matter 
was  pendinfr  in  the  House : 

I  dill  tverything  possible  to  exempt  Mexican  labor  from  provisions  of  immigra- 
tion bill,  but  bad  no  sup()ort  whatever  from  Texas  Congressmen.  *  *  *  But 
it  occurs  to  me  that  Texas  Congressmen  should  take  more  interest  in  securing 
labor  than  they  do  in  keeping  out  a  few  undesirables. 

These  words  of  ^Ir.  Hudspeth  may  not  be  accurateh'^  expressive  of 
the  attitude  of  two  or  three  of  his  colleagues,  but  I  venture  the 
opinion  that  they  do  indicate  the  views  of  an  overwhelming  majority 
of  the  Texas  ^lembers  of  the  House. 

As  to  the  desirability  of  Mexicans  as  citizens.  If  we  should 
forget  all  we  know  about  the  degraded  inhabitants  of  ^Mexico  and 
our  dealings  with  them,  and  shut  our  eyes  to  the  inconsistencies  of 
all  statements  as  to  their  desirability  as  inhabitants,  and  take  only 
bald  statements  about  their  good  citizenship,  we  might  look  on  them 
as  good  Americans,  or  capable  of  becoming  such.  But  the  maraud- 
ing armies  or  bands  of  guerrillas  which  have  raided  Mexico,  and 
sometimes  the  Texas  border,  and  chaos  and  famine  which  have  pre- 
vailed in  Mexico  almost  from  the  beginning  and  have  run  their 
bad  course  for  many  years  now,  show  that  they  are  a  people  who 
can  be  corralled  and  smuggled  and  handled  as  degraded,  ignorant 
people  are  always  handled.  They  are  a  mixture  of  Spaniard.  Indian, 
and  Xegro,  who  have  been  crossed  and  have  lived  under  adverse  con- 
ditions for  many  generations.  Americans  could  not  live  with  them 
on  congenial  terms  in  Texas  80  years  ago.  In  a  contest  which  arose 
then  the  Mexican  showed  both  his  inferiority  and  his  savage  nature. 
The  same  traits  which  prevailed  with  them  in  the  days  of  the  Aloma 
and  Goliad  show  themselves  in  their  dealings  with  each  other  and 
with  Americans  now.  I  could  go  on  indefinitely,  for  the  story  has 
no  end.  Villa.  Huerta.  O-ozco.  Can-anza.  and  their  l)ands.  and  the 
conditions  of  Mexico  have  exhibited  Mexican  character,  and  con- 
ditions on  our  side  of  the  Eio  Grande  border  as  they  sometimes 
exist  are  exhibits  of  the  effects  of  great  numbers  of  them  in  America. 

Many  immigrant  Mexicans  who  have  neither  declared  their  inten- 
tion to  become  American  citizen-^  nor  been  naturalized  as  such  vote 
in  Texas  elections  when  political  rivalry  begets  enough  interest  to 
induce  it.  The  majority  of  them  are  very  ignorant  voters,  with  no 
•conception  of  American  citizenship. 

They  will  come  in  thousands  to  help  fill  America  with  a  people 
who  have  no  mission  here  but  to  fill  an  underworld  of  millions  who 
can  not  share  in  the  impulses  and  best  hopes  of  American  life.  We 
want  less  rather  than  more  of  such  a  division. 

I  thank  you  very  much  for  this  opportunity  to  be  heard. 

The  CHAiR:srAX.  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Box. 

We  will  now  hear  from  Mr.  Liggett,  deputy  commissioner  of  immi- 
gration of  North  Dakota. 

STATEMENT    OF   MR.    WALTER   W.    LIGGETT,    DEPUTY    COMMIS- 
SIONER OF  IMMIGRATION,  STATE  OF  NORTH  DAKOTA. 

Mr.  Liggett.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen,  I  represent  the  immi- 
gration department  in  the  State  of  North  Dakota.  At  the  last  ses- 
sion of  the  legislature  we  appropriated  about  $200,000  for  the  pur- 
pose of  getting  settlers  on  the  idle  land  of  our  State.    AVe  have  about 


232  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   IJiGISLATION. 

20,000,000  acres  in  our  State  that  are  not  under  cultivation,  simply 
because  we  haven't  sufficient  people  to  cultivate  them,  and  we  feel  that 
it  would  be  a  iireat  mistake  to  absohitely  shut  off  immi«rration  to 
this  country,  but  we  do  feel  that  immigration  to  this  country  should 
be  materially  restricted.  We  feel  there  is  a  great  menace  in  letting 
anybody  and  everybody''  from  Europe  flock  to  this  country,  especially 
as  the  great  proportion  of  those  who  do  come  into  this  country  as 
immigrants  go  immediately  to  the  cities  and  towns.  Of  course  you 
know  more  about  that  condition  than  I  do,  gentlemen,  as  you  have 
been  hearing  expert  testimony  here  on  that. 

AVe  feel  that  what  is  needed  in  this  country  is  an  intelligent,  con- 
certed effort  between  the  Federal  immigration  authorities  and  the 
various  State  immigration  and  labor  authorities,  so  that  the  re- 
stricted immigration  that  is  allowed  to  come  into  this  country  can 
be  placed  on  our  idle  farm  lands  throughout  the  western  part  of  the 
United  States. 

We  feel  that  we  have  a  great  problem  before  us,  due  to  the  short- 
age of  farm  labor.  Out  in  the  States  of  North  Dakota,  ^Minnesota, 
South  Dakota,  and  all  those  western  farming  States  at  the  present 
time  it  is  almost  impossible  to  get  competent  farm  labor.  The  prices 
that  have  to  be  paid  to  farm  laborers  are  exorbitant,  but  even  at  the 
present  exorbitant  prices  you  can  not  get  men  who  understand  farm- 
ing and  who  will  stay  on  the  farm  the  year  around,  and  as  a  con- 
sequence of  that  production  in  our  States,  and  the  farm  production 
in  practically  all  the  Western  States,  is  curtailed.  We  feel  that  we 
do  need  farm  labor,  and  we  feel  that  we  can  and  should  get  a  great 
proportion  of  our  farm  labor  by  means  of  foreign  immigration. 

Now,  we  feel  that  if  intelligent  efforts  were  made  to  restrict  this 
immigration  and  sift  this  immigration  abroad  instead  of  when  it 
arrives  at  our  ports,  we  could  get  immigrants  who  would  be  very 
glad  to  settle  on  the  land.  es]:)ecially  if  the  States  in  turn  passed 
some  helpful  legislation  which  would  assist  these  immigrants  in 
getting  settled  on  the  land. 

That  is  precisely  what  we  have  done  in  North  Dakota.  We  have 
a  law  at  the  present  time  in  North  Dakota  whereby  any  man  who  is 
a  resident  of  the  State,  or  who  intends  to  become  a  resident  of  the 
State,  who  has  a  thousand  dollars  and  wants  to  buy  a  home,  may 
deposit  that  $1,000  with  the  State,  and  the  State  will  advance  him 
$4,000  with  which  to  buy  him  a  home.  The  State  will  keep  the  title 
to  the  home  and  give  this  man  20  years  in  which  to  pay  for  it  in 
yearly  payments.  And  under  this  law  many  men  are  buying  farms 
and  paying  for  those  farms  less  than  they  paid  yearly  in  rent  for 
farms  which  they  rented.  In  other  words,  it  is  a  constructive  step, 
and  a  step  which  will  put  a  stop  to  farm  tenancy. 

Senator  Keyes.  What  rate  of  interest  does  tlie  man  who  borrows 
this  money  pay  on  it? 

Mr.  Liggett.  He  pays  5  per  cent,  Senator.  It  is  on  the  amortiza- 
tion plan. 

Senator  Johnsox.  And  in  the  selection  of  your  lands,  are  those 
lands  to  which  the  State  already  has  title? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Principally  not.  Senator  Johnson.  We  have  so 
much  idle  land  in  North  Dakota  which  is  on  sale  on  such  exceed- 
ingly reasonable  terms  that  we  do  not  apprehend  any  difficult}'  on 
that  score. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  233 

Senator  Johnson.  Does  the  State  in  advance  obtain  the  land  and 
attemj^t  to  colonize  it? 

Mr.  Liggett.  No;  we  have  not  done  that  as  yet.  I  understand 
that  you  were  doing  that  in  California.  Senator. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  was  verj^  much  interested  in  listening  to  you 
because  of  the  endeavor  we  have  made  in  California,  and  successfully 
made,  to  do  that. 

Mr.  Liggett.  Yes;  I  understand  that,  but  we  have  not  found  it 
necessary  to  do  that.  But  what  we  have  done  is  this:  The  State 
immigration  department  lists  all  the  lands  in  the  State  that  are  for 
sale ;  all  the  idle  lands. 

Senator  Johnson.  That  is,  that  are  in  private  ownership  ? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Yes.  The  State  immigration  department  lists  those 
lands  at  the  prices  fixed  by  the  owners,  and  then  those  lands  are  sold 
to  the  immigrants  by  the  State,  there  being  no  commission  charged, 
the  lands  being  sold  at  cost;  that  is,  there  is  no  realty  agent's  com- 
mission. 

Senator  Johnson.  Oh ;  your  price  is  fixed  by  the  owners  of  title  ? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Oh,  yes ;  certainly.  We  do  not  make  any  attempt  to 
confiscate  land. 

Senator  Johnson.  Yes ;  I  know,  but  our  plan  has  been  to  acquire 
in  the  first  instance,  and  then  after  acquisition  by  the  State  to  put 
our  people  upon  it. 

Mr.  Liggett.  Yes;  I  know  that,  Senator.  Your  plan  is  radically 
different  from  ours.  But  we  have  in  our  State,  I  presume  more  idle 
land  than  you  haA'^e  in  California. 

Senator  Johnson.  Yes.  Now,  let  me  ask  you,  what  has  been  the 
success  of  your  plan  ? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Well,  I  think  we  have  been  very  successful.  Senator 
Johnson.  You  see,  we  have  only  been  doing  this  for  about  a  year, 
but  up  to  March  of  last  year  our  records  show  that  we  had  put  about 
385  families  out  on  land  in  this  way ;  that  is,  we  had  put  these  families 
on  the  farm,  through  the  immigration  department  alone,  where  we 
had  handled  the  sale  of  the  land  ourselves.  And  we  know  of  a  great 
many  other  cases  where  we  did  not  handle  the  sales  ourselves. 

Senator  Johnson.  Does  the  State  assist  in  obtaining  the  necessary 
personal  property  for  the  tilling  of  the  land,  or  does  your  assistance 
cease  with  putting  up  four  for  one  for  the  original  purchase  of  the 
soil  itself? 

Mr.  Liggett.  That  money  is  intended  to  buy  equipment  too,  and 
houses.  And  I  might  say  that  in  the  city  the  plan  also  applies  to  buy- 
ing houses.  And  there  it  is  limited  to  $5,000,  because  we  feel  that 
$5,000  will  buy  a  reasonable  house  for  anyone. 

Senator  Johnson.  That  is  new  to  me.  You  apply  it  in  your  centers 
of  population  as  well  as  in  your  agricultural  districts? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Johnson.  Would  you  tell  me,  please,  what  has  been  its 
result  in  its  application  to  the  centers  of  population  to  the  cities? 

Mr.  Liggett.  We  have  built  at  the  present  time,  in  little  less  than 
a  year's  operation,  125  houses.  We  have  more  applications  than  we 
can  handle.  And  in  the  country  the  limit  is  raised  to  $10,000.  because 
there  you  not  only  have  to  buy  a  man  a  home  but  have  to  build  him  a 
barn  and  buy  the  land.     But  you  see.  Senator,  the  average  land  in 


234  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

North  Dakota  can  be  bought  at  such  a  reasonable  figure  that  $10,000 
vrill  buy  a  man  a  very  substantial  farm,  and  also  the  house  and 
equipment. 

Senator  Johnson.  May  I  ask  about  what  is  the  average  price  of 
land  in  North  Dakota  ? 

]Mr.  Liggett.  Well,  Senator,  the  price  in  North  Dakota  runs  from 
$30  to  $40  and  $50  an  acre. 

Senator  Johnson.  Will  you  pardon  me  for  going  into  this  subject 
in  so  much  detail.  Senator  \ 

The  Chairman.  Yes. 

Senator  Johnson.  It  is  a  subject  that  interested  us  in  California 
years  ago.  and  in  which  I  was  glad  to  have  a  part  in  undertaking  a 
land  colonization  scheme  which  proved  very  successful. 

Mr.  Liggett.  I  might  say  to  you,  Senator  Johnson,  in  that  connec- 
tion, that  the  last  legislature  of  our  State  passed  a  law  which  was 
called  the  good-cow  law.  that  being  the  popular  title  of  the  law, 
which  law  permits  10  or  more  farmers  to  get  together  and  mutually 
pledge  their  credit,  and  the  county  in  which  they  are  located  may 
issue  bonds  for  the  purchase  of  bulls  so  they  can  improve  the  dairy 
strains,  the  dairy  cattle,  and  we  have  passed  a  number  of  other  such 
laws  encouraging  cooperative  dairy  work,  cooperative  creameries,  and 
that  sort  of  thing  in  the  State,  and  the  result  has  been  that  in  two 
years  our  dairy  products  increased  from  $30,000,000  to  $53,000,000; 
m  other  words,  we  practically  doubled  our  dairy  product  in  two 
years. 

Senator  Johnson.  It  is  a  sort  of  cooperative  credit  association? 

!Mr.  LiGCJETT.  Precisely. 

Senator  Johnson.  Is  that  founded  upon  the  rice-growers^  plan? 

^Ir.  Liggett.  It  is  founded  on  the  Danish  law.  and  also.  I  think, 
on  the  German  law. 

The  Chairman.  Have  the  aliens,  to  any  considerable  extent,  taken 
advantage  of  this.  Mr.  Liggett  ? 

Mr.  Liggett.  You  mean  immigrants? 

The  Chairman.  Immigrants:  yes. 

Mr.  Liggett.  No:  as  a  matter  of  fact,  they  have  not.  Most  of  our 
new  settlers  in  North  Dakota  have  come  from  surrounding  States. 
There  is  a  little  story  connected  with  that.  too.  Senator.  These  people 
who  come  in  from  these  surrounding  States  to  North  Dakota  feel 
that  in  our  State  they  get  fairer  grain  grading:  that  we  have  a  fairer 
grain-grading  law,  for  instance.  Of  course,  we  have  what  is  called 
a  farmers'  government  in  North  Dakota.  The  governor  is  an  honest 
on-the-land  farmer,  and  practically  all  of  the  State  officials  are  farm- 
ers, and  nearly  two-thirds  of  the  legislature  consists  of  farmers,  and 
there  really  is'  a  feeling  among  the  neighboring  States  that  they  get 
a  squarer  deal  in  North  Dakota :  that  the  Government  is  more  con- 
cerned about  their  welfare.  So  that  the  majority  of  the  settlers  we 
have  got  in  the  State  are  from  adjoining  States,  and  a  few  have  come 
down  from  Canada,  but  not  very  many. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  suppose  you  have  some  aliens  coming  into 
the  State? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Yes;  we  have  some. 

Senator  Dillingham.  TMiat  class  of  aliens  come  in  for  the  most 
part ;  that  is,  what  nationalit}'  ? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  235 

Mr.  Liggett.  About  two-thirds  of  the  people  of  the  State  are 
either  of  Scandinavian  birth  or  of  Scandinavian  descent.  A  ma- 
jority of  them  are  of  Scandinavian  descent.  You  see,  the  great  influx 
into  North  Dakota  was  about  35  5''ears  ago,  and  the  bulk  of  it  came 
from  the  Scandinavian  countries.  The  new  generations  are,  of 
course,  born  and  brought  up  in  this  country,  but  they  are  of  Scandi- 
navian descent. 

The  Chairman.  You  say  that  two-thirds  of  the  population  are 
Scandinavians  or  of  Scandinavian  descent? 

Mr.  Liggett,  Yes ;  the  majority  of  the  population  of  North  Dakota 
are  of  Scandinavian  birth  or  Scandinavian  descent.  We  have  quite 
a  number  of  Germans  down  in  the  southern  counties,  and  we  have 
also  about  50.000  or  60,000  Russians  in  the  State,  in  the  western 
part  of  the  State.  And  we  find,  Senator,  that  they  all  make  ex- 
cellent citizens.  They  make  very  good  farmers.  They  are  indus- 
trious, hard  working.  Their  wants  are  few  and  easily  satisfied. 
They  are  not  extravagant,  and  they  stick  out  there  on  those  barren 
farm  lands.  If  any  of  you  gentlemen  have  gone  through  North 
Dakota  you  will  laiow  that  it  is  not  a  State  of  very  beautiful  sceneiy. 
It  is  flat,  and  there  are  but  few  trees,  and  the  country  presents  a 
rather  desolate  appearance.  But  those  men  of  foreign  birth  or  for- 
eign descent  are  content  with  their  lot  out  there;  they  will  stay  out 
there,  and  they  make  good  farmers,  persevere  year  after  year  in  the 
face  of  discouragements  that  would  daunt  the  average  American. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  include  the  Russians  in  that  statement  ? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Yes;  the  Russians  make  very  good  citizens,  indeed. 
Yes,  I  would  include  them  in  that  statement.  Senator.  A  great  many 
of  them  are  Menonites.  They  are  very  religious.  They  are  very 
moral  people  and  are  lawabiding. 

Senator  Harrison.  Are  the  Mennonites  frugal  and  thrifty  people  ? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Yes,  sir;  the  IMennonites  are  extremely  frugal,  thrifty 
people. 

Senator  Harrison.  They  are  desirable  people,  are  they  ? 

Mr.  Liggett.  I  think  they  are ;  yes.  In  fact,  we  consider  them  sa 
desirable  that  we  wanted  another  colony  of  these  people  to  come  into 
North  Dakota.  We  had  prospects  of  getting  another  colony  from 
Canada,  and  I  went  down  to  see  Mr.  Caminetti,  and  he  flatly  refused 
to  allow  any  JSIennonites  to  come  into  the  country,  his  theory  being 
that  they  were  an  unlawful,  unruly  people. 

Senator  Johnson.  Why? 

Mr.  Liggett.  I  asked  him  what  he  based  that  on,  and  he  couldn't 
giA'e  any  specific  reasons,  but  I  gathered  from  the  general  tenor  of 
his  remarks  that  he  based  his  belief  on  the  fact  that  some  of  them 
were,  during  the  war,  conscientious  objectors. 

The  Chairman.  You  say  that  some  of  these  Mennonites  were  dur- 
ing the  war  conscientious  objectors? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Yes;  some  of  them  were  conscientious  objectors  dur- 
ing the  war.  Of  course,  they  are  pacifists.  They  are  very  much  like 
the  Quakers,  and  they  are  pacifists,  and  on  the  religious  grounds  they 
took  the  position  during  the  war  of  conscientious  objectors.  Now, 
that  thing,  in  the  mind  of  Mr.  Caminetti,  seemed  to  outweigh  their 
general  desirability  as  citizens. 

I  might  say,  that  while  I  brought  up  the  matter  personally  with 
Mr.  Caminetti,  the  general  immigration  department  of  North  Da- 


286  ?:MERGEisrcY  immigration  legislation. 

kota  has  been  trying  to  cooperate  with  Mr.  Caminetti.  and  with  the 
Department  of  Immijrration,  to  the  end  that  we  could  (jet  some  people 
to  come  into  North  Dakota,  and  I  honestly  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion, have  been  forced  to  come  to  the  conclusion,  that  Mr.  Cami- 
netti is  more  concerned  about  eniicrration  than  he  is  about  immigra- 
tion. In  other  words,  every  time  I  went  down  to  his  office  to  discuss 
plans  about  getting  new  citizens  into  this  country  I  found  his  desk 
stacked  high  with  deportation  matters,  and  his  mind  seemed  to  be 
so  firmly  fixed  on  the  question  of  getting  people  out  of  the  country 
that  he  never  had  time  to  consider  how  we  ought  to  get  citizens  into 
this  country.  And.  gentlemen.  I  am  not  saying  that  in  a  spirit  of 
captious  criticism,  but  I  think  this  committee  ought  to  know  that, 
although  we  have,  for  more  than  six  months  attempted  to  cooperate 
with  him  along  the  lines  that  I  have  outlined,  we  have  been  unable 
to  do  anything.  His  mind  seems  to  be  obsessed  with  the  question 
of  shipping  people  out  of  this  country. 

The  Chairman.  Are  you  referring  to  the  last  six  months,  or  was 
that  during  the  war  period? 

Mr.  Liggett.  The  last  six  months.  We  have  been  endeavoring  to 
do  this  during  the  last  six  months.  But,  as  I  say,  we  have  been 
unable  to  do  anything. 

Senator  Harrison.  May  I  ask  you  about  this  Mennonite  colony, 
Mr.  Liggett,  that  you  spoke  about  in  Canada.  Did  you  investigate 
that  colony? 

Mr.  Liggett.  I  did  not.  but  my  chief,  Mr.  J.  H.  "Worst,  commis- 
sioner of  immigration  of  Xorth  Dakota,  did. 

Senator  Harrison.  You  did  not  investigate  this  Mennonite  colony 
yourself,  personally? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Xo,  sir. 

Senator  Harrison.  How  many  of  them  are  there  ? 

Mr.  Liggett.  A  great  many  of  them  are  in  Canada  now.  The 
<;olony  which  I  referred  to  was  a  considerable  colony. 

Senator  Harrison.  ^^Tiy  did  they  want  to  leave  Canada  ? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Well.  I  don't  know  why  they  wanted  to  leave  Canada. 
I  understand  that  they  are  not  altogether  satisfied  with  the  Canadian 
Government. 

Senator  Harrison.  They  are  dissatisfied? 

Mr.  Liggett.  They  are  dissatisfied;  yes.  sir.  That  is  what  I  un- 
derstand. 

Senator  Dillingha:m.  Do  you  happen  to  know  whether  the  State 
of  Minnesota  has  made  an  attempt  to  get  immigration  of  ^lennonites 
from  Canada  into  that  State? 

Mr.  Liggett.  I  am  not  positive,  but  I  think  that  they  have.  I 
believe  Dr.  Worst  wrote  me  that  Minnesota  was  also  after  this  colony, 
and  he  would  like  to  get  after  this  colonj'  first.  I  am  not  positive 
about  that,  however. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  was  shown  what  purported  to  be  a  com- 
munication issued  by  the  governor  of  Minnesota  inviting  them  and 
guaranteeing  certain  privileges  to  them.  I  don't  Icnow  whether  it 
was  authentic  or  not. 

Mr.  Liggett.  I  am  sure  that  they  are  after  this  colony,  Senator. 
Dr.  AVorst  wrote  me  a  letter,  I  believe,  to  the  effect  that  they  were 
after  this  same  colony. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  237 

Senator  Johnson.  How  large  a  colony  is  this  ? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Ten  thousand  people. 

Senator  Harrison.  I  understood  that  the  Immigration  Department 
had   ruled  that  they  could  come  into  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Liggett.  Well,  the  Immigration  Department  may  have  ruled 
that  way  since  we  had  it  up. 

Senator  Harrison.  I  understood  that  that  was  C{uite  a  recent  rul- 
in<r  on  the  part  of  the  Immigration  Department. 

jSIr.  Liggett.  When  I  was  down  there  three  months  ago  Mr. 
Caminetti  was  very  indignant,  and  he  made  quite  an  eloquent  oration 
on  the  subject. 

Senator  Harrison.  He  has  not  been  there  for  two  or  three  months, 
you  know.  The  reason  I  am  asking  about  these  INIennonites  is  that 
they  were  trying  to  get  them  to  come  to  my  State,  and  that  there  was 
some  chance  of  their  coming  into  Mississippi. 

Mr.  Liggett.  I  think  there  was  some  spirited  competition  among 
the  various  States  to  get  them,  and  those  who  investigated  the  matter 
considered  that  they  would  make  very  good  citizens.  But  Mr.  Cami- 
netti, as  I  said,  in  the  last  talk  that  I  had  with  him  on  the  subject, 
got  very  indignant,  and  insisted  that  they  would  make  very  bad 
citizens,  and  that  they  would  not  be  permitted  to  come  into  this 
country  at  all.  And  I  so  reported  to  my  chief,  Mr.  Worst,  who  has 
charge  of  the  immigration  department  of  North  Dakota,  and  that 
is  the  last  communication  I  have  had  on  the  subject. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  anything  further,  Mr.  Liggett? 

Mr.  Liggett.  Yes,  sir;  I  have  just  one  more  thing,  Mr.  Chairman, 
and  that  is  this :  I  feel  that  there  should  be  a  conference  between  the 
Federal  immigration  officials  and  the  various  State  immigration  and 
labor  officials  for  the  purpose  of  working  out  some  machinery  for  the 
plan  I  have  suggested  in  the  rough — that  is,  of  getting  these  people 
on  the  farms;  of  finding  out  what  the  needs  are  for  farm  labor, 
where  there  are  idle  lands,  on  Avliat  basis  and  what  plan  these  lands 
can  be  obtained,  and  also  of  establishing  in  Europe  an  agency 
whereby  this  information  in  a  careful,  accurate,  impartial  way  can 
be  presented  to  people — people  of  the  better  elements — who  are  likely 
to  come  to  this  country  in  search  of  land. 

Now  we  feel  that  that  can  be  done.  We  took  that  up  with  Mr. 
Caminetti,  and  at  first  he  was  inclined  to  think  that  that  was  a  vio- 
lation of  the  immigration  laws,  but  after  some  discussion  he  finally 
ruled  that  we  could  do  that.  But  the  State  of  North  Dakota  has  not 
done  that  as  yet,  because  we  feel  that  we  can  not  afford  to  do  it.  We 
feel  that  we  could  carry  on  this  publicity  abroad  and  undoubtedly 
attract  some  settlers  here,  but  we  would  not  get  all  of  them.  We 
feel  that  all  the  Western  States  who  desire  farmers  and  farm  laborers 
should  join  with  us  in  this  matter,  and  with  that  purpose  in  view 
I  recentl}?^  wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  Powderly,  since  Mr.  Caminetti  left, 
and  if  the  committee  please  I  would  like  to  read  this  letter,  because 
that  embodies  my  final,  constructive  suggestion. 
The  Chairman.  Very  well ;  you  may  read  it. 

Mr.  Liggett.  I  may  say,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  I  had  a  conversation 
with  Mr.  Powderly,  and  Mr.  Powderly,  as  well  as  Mr.  Hampton, 
of  the  Immigration  Bureau,  appeared  to  be  very  favorable  to  this 
26911— 21— PT  5 2 


238  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

suggestion,  as  did  also  Mr.  Dinsmore,  of  the  Department  of  Labor, 
who  told  me  repeatedly  that  it  was  a  splendid  thing.  But  none  of 
them  could  take  the  responsibility  of  calling  a  conference  until  the 
matter  has  been  put  up  to  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  Secretary  Wilson, 
and  I  wrote  this  letter  to  Mr.  Powderly,  at  his  solicitation,  so  he  could 
take  the  matter  up  with  Mr.  Wilson  and  get  a  final  de^rmination  on 
this  matter.    The  letter  reads  as  follows : 

Wahington,  D.  C,  November  18,  1920. 
Mr.  Terkence  V.  Powderly, 

Chief  of  Dii'isioti  of  Information, 

United  States  Bureau  of  Immigration. 

My  Deab  Mr.  Powderly:  Pursuant  to  our  conversation  this  morning,  I  will 
advance  m.v  reasons  for  believing  that  a  general  conference  of  immigration, 
agricultural,  and  labor  commissiduers  of  the  various  States  of  the  Union,  called 
in  session  at  Washington,  D.  C,  in  connection  with  the  Federal  immigration  and 
labor  agents,  will  have  a  very  helpful  effect  at  this  time. 

In  the  fir.st  place,  the  problem  of  maintaining  farm  production  is  one  of  the 
most  vital  that  concerns  the  United  States.  Farm  production  can  not  be  con- 
tinued at  its  present  volume,  much  less  increased  to  keep  pace  with  our  growing 
population,  unless  some  means  is  devised  of  getting  more  immigrant  labor  for 
the  farms  and  of  inducing  a  larger  per  centage  of  the  incoming  aliens  to  settle 
on  the  land  instead  of  in  industrial  centers.  I  will  admit  this  problem  offers 
many  difficulties,  but  it  is  by  no  means  insuperable,  and  a  conference  of  this 
sort  is  bound  to  h)ring  out  helpful  suggestions. 

The  question  of  distributing  tlie  influx  of  foreign  lalxtr  so  as  to  least  unsettle 
the  domestic  employment  situation  is  also  of  prime  impoi'tance.  The  Federal 
Immigration  Department  has  taken  some  steps  in  this  matter,  but  the  coopera- 
tion of  State  labor  and  agricultural  agents  must  be  had  to  make  this  work 
effective  and  this  cooperation  can  best  be  obtained  by  the  thorough  under- 
standing which  will  result  from  a  personal  conference. 

These  are  the  two  main  problems  which  I  think  the  proposed  conference 
should  take  up,  but  there  are  a  number  of  other  important  matters  arising  from 
our  greatly  increased  immigration  after  the  war  which  require  discussion. 
Practicall.v  every  State  would  be  represented  at  such  a  conference  as  I  have 
suggested,  and  the  proceedings  naturally  would  be  of  a  nonpartisan  nature.  A 
number  of  authorities  on  various  subjects  undoubtedly  would  attend,  and,  after 
complete  discussion,  any  recommendations  adopted  would  be  invaluable  in 
clarifying  the  confused  existing  situation  in  regard  to  immigration  problems. 

A  number  of  "Western  States,  so  I  am  given  to  understand,  are  willing  to 
pass  special  legislation  in  an  effort  to  induce  immigrants  to  settle  upon  their 
idle  lands,  and  it  is  by  no  means  Utopian  to  suppo.se  that  the  recommendations  of 
such  a  conference  might  result  in  helpful  laws  being  passed  by  both  State  and 
National  Legislatures.  I  suggest  that  the  conference  be  called  not  later  than 
December  13.  The  week  of  December  13  to  17  would  be  a  good  time  in  my 
opinion,  as  Congress  theo  will  be  in  session  and  many  national  legislatoi-s  un- 
doubtedly would  attend  and  participate  in  the  discussions. 

The  expense  of  such  a  conference  would  be  trifling,  as  practically  all  the 
delegates  would  come  at  the  expense  of  the  States  they  represent.  It  seems  to 
me  that  the  benefit  likely  to  be  derived  from  such  a  conference  outweighs  all 
other  considerations,  and  that  the  educational  value  of  such  a  conference,  called 
to  discuss  these  grave  problems  in  an  atmosphere  free  from  political  prejudice 
and  partisan  pas.sion,  is  bound  to  result  in  some  constructive  steps. 

I  only  have  attempted  to  outline  the  most  salient  features  of  the  proposed  con- 
ference, but  your  own  experience  undoubtedly  will  suggest  many  other  important 
features  where  cooperation  lietween  State  and  Federal  authorities  in  immigra- 
tion and  labor  matters  will  be  beneficial. 

I  sincerely  hope  that  you  can  interest  of  the  Secretary  of  Labor  in  this  matter, 
and.  as  a  result,  that  a  call  for  this  conference  will  soon  be  issued.  I  can  assure 
you  that  a  number  of  Western  States  are  greatly  interested  in  having  such  a 
conference  called  and  will  cooperate  with  your  department  in  making  it  a 
success. 

Yours,  very  truly, 

Walter  W.  I.,iggett, 
Publicity  Deputy  Xorth  Dakota  Department  of  Immigration. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  239 

Mr.  Liggett.  The  Secretary  of  Labor,  Mr.  AVilson.  refused  to  take 
any  action  at  all.  He  decided  that  it  was  not  opportune,  for  reasons 
best  known  to  himself.  I  never  could  get  a  valid  reason  for  his  re- 
fusal to  consider  it,  especially  as  most  of  his  subordinates  were 
heartily  in  f aA'or  of  it ;  but  he  did  refuse  it  at  any  rate. 

The  one  constructive  suo^f^estion  I  want  to  m.ake  to  this  committee 
to-day  is  that  such  a  conference  be  called.  I  think  that  the  Immip^ra- 
tion  Committee  of  the  Senate  and  of  the  House  could  properly  call 
such  a  conference,  and  I  believe  that  if  they  ask  the  incoming  Secre- 
tary of  Labor  to  call  such  a  conference  he  will  do  so. 

Senator  Harrison.  Who  is  he:  do  you  know  i 

Mr.  Liggett.  "Well,  I  don't  think  he  has  been  appointed  yet ;  but  I 
think  he  will  be  reasonable  in  this  matter.  I  may  say  that  I  have 
taken  up  the  matter  with  Representative  Albert  Johnson  of  the  House 
Immiofration  Committee,  and  he  said  that  he  thoroughly  agreed  with 
me  that  such  a  conference  coidd  be  called,  and  he  agreed  to  take  it  up 
after  March  4. 

I  think  that  is  all  I  have,  gentlemen,  unless  there  are  some  ques- 
tions you  wish  to  ask. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Are  you  getting  immigration  from  some  of 
the  Scandinavian  countries  at  the  present  time  i' 

Mr.  Liggett.  Yes;  we  are  getting  some.  And  I  will  say  that  we 
induce  that  immigration  in  this  way :  We  have  a^ked  all  of  our  Scan- 
dinavian citizens  who  are  satisfied  and  like  the  conditions  in  the  State 
to  write  letters  to  friends  and^relatives  back  in  Scandinavia,  outlining 
the  conditions  in  the  State,  as  to  what  they  can  do  and  what  they 
have  been  able  to  do,  and  in  that  way  we  are  gettinir  some  of  the 
better  class,  the  younger  sons,  etc.,  who  can  not  hope  to  inherit  land 
there  and  who  want  land  and  who  are  excellent  farmers. 

Senator  Dillingham.  And  you  Avant  more  of  such  immigration,  do 
you  ? 

Mr.  Liggett.  We  certainly  do.  We  feel  there  is  no  danger  of  en- 
dangering the  foundations  of  our  State  out  there,  or  undermining  our 
institutions  by  haAnng  these  peopk  come  to  our  State.  We  find  that 
if  these  people  are  properly  treated  they  make  very  good  citizens, 
indeed,  and  it  is  our  aim  to  treat  them  properly. 

I  thank  you  very  much. 

STATEMENT  OF  WILLIAM  S.  BENNET.  FORMER  MEMBER  OF  CON- 
GRESS AND  FORMER  MEMBER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  IMMI- 
GRATION COMMISSION. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Mr.  Chairman.  I  represent  no  organization  or  State, 
but  while  a  Member  of  Congress  I  was  a  member  of  the  immigration 
commission,  of  which  Senator  Dillingham  Avas  chairman,  and  as  the 
country  spent  about  $750,000  to  educate  nine  of  us  on  immigration 
subjects.  I  thought  it  was  rather  a  duty  to  con^e  here  and  give  my 
views  of  this  particular  bill. 

I  want,  at  the  outset,  to  submit  one  observation  in  relation  to  the 
last  statement  of  the  last  speaker,  which  illustrates  some  of  the  aduiin- 
istrative  difficulties  of  our  laws.  He  says  that  hi>  department — and 
i  think  it  is  a  very  commendal)le  thing — has  been  getting  the  Scan- 
dinavian citizens  to  write  to  their  friends  in  Scandinavia,  asking  them 


240  KMKKCKXCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION, 

to  come  to  Xorth  Dakota,  and  telling  them  about  the  advantages  of 
North  Dnkota  and  the  chances  of  getting  profitable  employment,  and 
evervtliing  of  that  sort.  If  one  of  those  immigrants  comes  over  from 
Scandinavia  and  shoAvs  that  letter  in  New  York  at  Ellis  Island,  that 
immigrant  will  immediately  be  debarred.  Furthermore,  the  letter 
will  be  sent  to  the  Bureau  of  Immigration,  and  the  man  that  wrote  it 
will  be  fined  $1,000  for  each  immigrant  that  came  in  response  to 
that  letter. 

Senator  Johxsox.  Well,  you  will  find,  you  know,  that  in  reciting 
the  contents  of  such  a  letter  he  was  extremely  careful,  and  instead  of 
inducing  them  to  come  or  telling  them  to  come  in  those  letters,  the 
letters  were  confined  to  descriptions  of  the  particular  individuals,  the 
conditions  in  North  Dakota,  and  how  they  enjoyed  them,  and  how 
profitable  they  were,  and  the  like. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Senator  Gronna  will  tell  you  that  it  is  not  five  years 
since  a  neighbor  of  his  wrote  a  friend  of  hi>  up  in  Canada  about  com- 
ing over,  and  he  was  very  careful  too  when  he  wrote  that  letter,  and 
the  last  that  I  heard  of  that  letter  Senator  Gronna  was  working  very 
hard  to  get  a  fine  of  $5,000  i-emitted. 

Senator  Phelax'.  Do  you  think  that  is  a  good  law  or  a  bad  law. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  I  am  in  favor  of  the  contract-labor  law,  but  I  do 
think  that  it  ought  to  be  modified  so  that  a  man  can  write  exactly 
what  Senator  Johnson  says,  stating  that  the  United  States  is  a  good 
country,  that  the  opportunities  here  are  large,  that  the  surroundings 
would  be  congenial,  and  that  if  he  has  tli^  pioneer  spirit  and  is  willing 
to  come  and  take  the  chances  that  a  man  with  the  pioneer  spirit  takes 
in  coming  to  this  country,  the  chances  of  his  success  are  good.  I 
think  a  man  ought  to  be  permitted  to  do  that.  But  under  the  law  as 
administered,  when  a  man  shows  one  of  those  letters  at  Ellis  Island 
he  would  be  debarred  as  an  induced  laborer. 

Congressman  Littauer  was  a  glove  manufacturer.  One  of  his  fore- 
men wrote  a  letter  to  some  friend  in  Europe,  and  the  furthest  he 
went  was  to  say  that  the  glove  industry  was  good:  that  they  were 
employing  a  good  many  Englishmen  in  Gloversville.  and  the  chances 
were  that  if  he  came  over  he  could  get  a  job  in  Gloversville.  The  man 
came  to  America,  showed  that  letter  at  Ellis  Island  as  the  reason  for 
coming,  as  any  sensible  man  would,  and  he  was  promptly  debarred  as 
an  induced  immigrant. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  ^Ir.  Bennet,  you  will.  I  presume,  agree  with 
me  that  our  investigations  showed  very  clearly  that  a  very  large  pro- 
portion of  the  immigrants  coming  to  this  country  came  as  the  result 
of  private  correspondence  they  had  had  with  people  of  their  own 
acquaintance  who  had  preceded  them  to  this  country,  who  told  them 
where  they  were  working,  and  what  the  price  of  labor  was.  and  what 
the  cost  of  living  was.  and  had  probably  assured  them  that  on  reach- 
ing here  they  were  certain  of  employment. 

^Ir.  Bexxp:t.  I  have  always  agreed  with  your  statement,  Senator, 
that  the  greatest  inducement  for  people  to  come  here  was  the  United 
States  mail.  And  why  shouldn't  it  be?  If  a  Scandinavian  of  the 
first  or  second  generation — and  the  Scandinavians  are  a  people  who 
care  for  their  kmsfolk,  they  have  all  those  virtues — has  gotten  along 
well  in  North  Dakota,  why  shouldn't  he  write  back  to  the  Scandi- 
navian country  from  which  he  came  and  say  to  his  i^eople,  "  I  have 


EMEEGEXC'Y    IMMIGRATION    i.EGISLATIOX.  241 

done  this,  that,  and  the  other  thing,  and  I  have  <rotten  along  so  well 
in  North  Dakota.    Why  don't  you  come  over  and  take  a  chance?" 

Senator  Dillixham.  And,  as  a  matter  of  fact.  I  presume  you  will 
remember  that  in  1908  there  were  80  or  90  per  cent  that  declared  that 
they  were  coming  to  join  friends  when  they  landed  in  Ellis  Island? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Yes,  sir:  I  remember  your  statement.  Senator,  and  I 
always  have  thought  it  was  accurate  that  of  the  people  that  came  to 
this  country  98  per  cent  knew  in  advance  exactly  where  they  Avere  go- 
ing, and  I  think  that  is  still  a  fact. 

Now.  I  am  in  the  fortunate  way  of  finding  myself  in  agreement 
with  both  of  the  gentlemen  who  preceded  me.  although  Congressman 
Box's  general  views  of  immigration  are  probably  diametrically  oppo- 
site to  mine. 

Before  I  come  to  him  I  want  to  agree  with  the  gentleman  from 
North  Dakota,  that  he  is  on  the  riglit  track,  and  that  is  that  the  great 
problem  is.  as  it  always  lias  l>een.  to  put  the  immigrant  where  he  could 
do  the  most  good,  and  I  think  I  can  see  his  point  of  view  that  the  im- 
migrant probably  would  do  the  most  good  if  he  would  go  on  the 
farm. 

The  Chairman.  Is  that  the  problem  of  distribution  ? 

Mr.  Bex-^xet.  Yes.  sir.  I  think  that  is  a  great  problem.  And  I 
will  come  to  that  a  little  later. 

Now,  this  other  proposition  that  Congressman  Box  brought  up.  I 
want  to  agree  with  very  heartily.  I  think  that  the  Department  of 
Labor  has  entireW  misconstrued  that  particular  section  of  the  law 
under  which  they  are  acting.  I  di-ew  the  section  of  the  law.  and  with 
the  assistance  of  Senator  Dillingham  got  it  in  the  bill.  -And  when 
we  got  through  it  had  the  unanimous  approval.  I  think,  of  every 
member  of  both  Immigration  Committees. 

Here  is  what  it  was  drawn  to  cover.  It  was  drawn  primarily  to 
cover  a  sad  case  that  brought  the  situation  to  our  attention.  There 
was  a  man  in  Austria,  a  man  of  wealth,  who  had  a  daughter  that 
had  a  disease  which  could  only  be  relieved  by  a  surgical  operation, 
and  after  this  man  had  exhausted  every  means  of  curing  her  in 
Europe  he  was  told  that  the  greatest  specialist  in  that  particular 
line  was  located  at  the  Johns  Hopkins  University  in  Baltimore.  So 
he  put  his  daughter  on  board  ship  and  came  along  with  her,  and 
when  she  arrived  off  of  Baltimore  she  was  debarred  under  the  very 
strict  provisions  of  the  law  in  relation  to  physical  qualifications.  She 
was  debarred,  although  it  was  not  denied  tliat  this  surgeon  within 
20  miles  of  her  cured  similar  cases  by  surgical  operations. 

There  was  another  case  of  a  priest  who  was  afflicted  Avith  tubercu- 
losis, a  European  priest.  He  came  over  to  this  country  to  go  down 
to  New  Mexico  under  the  belief — and  probably  the  correct  belief — 
that  he  could  be  cured,  and  he  was  barred.  Well,  that  probably 
would  not  be  so  sad  a  case,  or  a  case  which  would  attract  so  much 
attention.  And  the  two  committees  conferred,  and  they  thought 
they  conferred  in  a  very  limited  way,  about  the  Department  of 
Labor,  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  the  authority  in  emergency  cases, 
and  only  in  emergency'  cases,  to  exercise  discretion  about  admitting 
an  immigrant  for  a  limited  time. 

Well,  now,  what  have  they  done?  They  admitted,  all  along  the 
Mexican  border,  when  Mexican  labor  was  demanded,  Mexicans  by 


242  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

the  wholesale.  They  waived  the  contract-labor  law,  they  wai\ecl  the 
physical  requirements,  they  waived  the  head  tax,  they  waived  every- 
thin<;,  the  literacy  test,  and  all.  and  they  even  went  so  far,  at  least 
so  Coniniissi(Mier  (leneral  Caniinetti  told  nie — and  I  want  to  say  in 
justice  to  him  that  this  was  not  somethin<x  which  he  favored,  but  it 
was  done  a<rainst  his  protest — they  even  went  so  far  as  to  import 
10.000  Jamaica  Xejrroes  into  the  port  of  Charleston  under  the  im- 
pression that  they  could  evolve  a  set  of  desertion  regfulations  under 
which  they  could  find  those  Xe^roes  after  three  or  four  years  and 
send  them  back  to  Jamaica. 

Now.  the  law  ou<rht  to  be  the  same  for  all  sections  of  the  country. 
And  if  there  is  any  immiofration  legislation  made  here,  it  should 
apply  equally  to  all.  Why  should  Lutcher  c*c  Bryan  at  Oranjre.  Tex., 
in  Congressman  Box's  district,  who  ai-e  in  the  lumber  V)usiness  in  a 
large  way,  be  entitled  to  import  ^lexican  labor  when  there  is  a 
demand  for  labor,  while  the  Edward  Hines  Yellow  Pine  Lumber  Co., 
of  which  I  am  counsel,  who  have  two  mills  down  there  are  debarred 
from  doing  so?  Why  should  they  not  have  a  similar  privilege  there, 
or  in  Wisconsin,  or  why  should  our  lumbermen  from  the  west  coast, 
or  the  very  large  and  flourishing  lumber  industry  in  Xew  England  be 
debarred  from  a  like  privilege? 

In  other  words,  the  law  ought  to  be  the  same  for  all  sections  of  the 
country  and  whether  we  are  liberals  or  restrictionists  we  ought  to 
stand  firmly  on  that  proposition,  and  that  is  one  of  the  things  that  I 
criticize  in  this  bill,  that  it  is  not  attended  to.  And.  Mr.  Chairman, 
that  provision  is  not  in  any  way  effected  by  this  Johnson  bill,  because 
the  hist  provision  of  the  Johnson  bill  is : 

That  the  provisions  of  this  act  are  in  addition  to  anc]  not  iu  substitution  for 
the  provisions  of  the  immigration  laws. 

So  that  is  not  touched  at  all. 

Now,  I  have  quite  a  number  of  points  to  bring  out,  gentlemen, 
and  I  may  tire  the  committee,  but  I  feel  sure  that  the  committee  will 
stop  me  if  I  am  doing  so. 

First.  If  the  Johnson  bill  were  passed  in  its  present  form,  I  think 
there  is  a  very  serious  question  that  it  would  interfere  with  a 
whole  lot  of  treaties  with  those  nations  with  which  we  have  treaties 
which  have  the  "  most-favored-nation  *'  clause.  I  remember  when 
we  drew  the  immigration  bill  of  1907  we  had  a  very  moderate  pro- 
vision in  it  by  which  we  provided  that  an  alien  who  had  lived  a 
year  in  Canada  or  a  year  in  Mexico  could  come  into  this  country 
without  paying,  I  think,  a  head  tax,  and  without  being  examined. 
The  reason  was  that  in  Windsor  and  places  like  that  along  the 
border  there  were  hundreds  or  possibly  thousands  of  Canadians 
that  came  over  every  day  to  work  in  Detroit,  and  they  left  every 
night  for  their  homes  on  the  other  side,  and  if  every  one  of  them 
had  to  be  examined  every  morning  and  taxed  a  head  tax  why  it 
would  make  the  law  absurd.  But  we  were  in  doubt  as  to  our  rifrht  to 
do  that,  and  we  went  to  the  then  Secretary  of  State,  Secretary  Koot, 
and  M'ent  over  it  with  him  at  length,  and  even  he  had  some  doubt  as 
to  whether  or  not  we  were  not  violating  treaties,  but  he  thought 
that  the  exigencies  of  the  situation  were  such  that  we  could  not  do 
anything  el.se. 

But  here  you  ju.st  confer  on  every  Canadian  a  jirivilege  which 
you  take  away  from  every  national  of  every  country  with  which  we 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  243 

have  a  treaty  with  the  "  most-favored-nation  "  clause.  That  is,  any 
Canadian  or  any  Mexican  otherwise  admissible  can  come  into  our 
country  at  any  time  for  a  six  months'  stay,  go  back  to  Canada, 
and  come  back  the  next  day  for  another  six  months'  stay.  In  other 
words,  you  confer  on  these  people  practically  the  unlimited  right 
of  coming  into  the  United  States,  and  in  that  way  you  discriminate 
against  every  other  nation. 

I  do  not  pretend  to  be  a  constitutional  lawyer.  I  am  in  the  lumber 
business.  But  I  know  enough  about  immigration  and  law  to  call 
the  attention  of  the  committee  to  that  situation. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  You  are  in  the  lumber  business,  though,  as 
a  legal  adviser,  aren't  you  ? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes;  as  counsel. 

Now,  there  is  the  question  as  to  whether  there  is  anything  to  be 
served  by  the  statute.  When  Senator  Dillingham  was  chairman  of 
the  commission,  of  which  I  was  the  junior  member,  he  sent  me 
abroad  in  October,  1907.  to  investigate  the  situation  abroad  in  rela- 
tion to  a  condition  almost  precisely  similar,  which  then  existed  in  the 
United  States.  It  will  doubtless  be  recalled  that  we  had  a  severe 
panic  in  the  fall  of  1907.  Now,  I  was  the  youngest  member  of 
that  commission  and  more  foot-loose  than  the  others. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  The  most  energetic. 

Mr.  Bexx'et.  Well,  I  was  the  youngest,  and  I  was  sent  abroad 
to  the  immigrant  countries  to  see  if  they  knew  about  conditions  in 
the  United  States,  and  whether  it  had  any  effect  on  emigration, 
and  I  was  sent  to  Italy  and  to  (Treece.  and  I  found  that  within  10 
days  or  2  weeks,  or  a  month  at  the  outside,  the  most  remote  part  of 
those  countries  had  found  out  all  aboirt  it.  I  went  to  a  town  in  a 
remote  part  of  Greece,  in  Morea,  and  I  was  the  second  English- 
speaking  person  that  had  ever  been  there,  a  most  remote  sort  of  a 
place. 

The  mayor  of  the  town,  after  the  usual  ceremony  of  salutation, 
asked  me  if  I  would  talk  with  him  privately  for  a  few  moments,  and 
I  said.  "  Certainly."  He  took  me  into  the  inner  recesses  of  his 
apartment  and  asked  me  if  it  were  true  that  business  conditions 
were  bad  in  the  United  States.  And  I  said  they  were:  that  it  was 
true.  And  I  asked  him  how  he  had  learned  about  it,  and  he  said 
that  the  day  before  they  had  received  a  letter  from  a  man  who  had 
gone  out  to  the  United  States  about  six  weeks  before  and  who  had 
written  back  that  there  was  no  employment  in  the  United  vStates. 
And  I  asked  him  what  would  be  the  effect  if  such  letters  were  written 
to  people  all  over  Greece,  and  he  said,  "Why.  of  course,  emigration 
will  stop."  Over  in  Italy,  at  Brindisi  and  in  other  places,  I  ran 
across  trainloads  of  returning  emiirrants.  There  was  no  work  in 
America,  and  they  were  going  back  home. 

Incidentally,  there  were  some  interesting  incidents  that  occurred 
in  connection  with  these  home-coming  Italians.  An  Italian  in  this 
country  of  this  type  would  never  speak  English  while  working  on 
a  job  over  here,  but  as  soon  as  he  gets  back  to  Italy  he  uses  freely 
every  word  that  he  was  ever  able  to  pick  up  in  this  country,  like 
"  come,"  "  give  me  that,"  etc.,  so  as  to  impress  his  less  fortunate 
countrymen  who  had  never  traveled. 

The  New  York  Herald,  which  has  extensive  connections,  has  looked 
into  this  question,  and  there  was  an  article  in  that  paper  n  few  weeks 


244  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

a^ro  cliscountinfr  the  views  of  my  friend  Commissioner  Wallis.    And 
that  paper  carried  this  item  yesterday  : 

The  stcanisliip  Alfonso  Xlll,  of  tbe  Spanish  lioyal  Mail  Line,  established  a 
record  yesterday  for  empty  space  for  transatlantic  passt'n^er  lines  when  it 
arrived  from  Spain  and  Hal)ana  with  only  seven  passengers  and  no  cargo.  The 
reason  given  was  that  the  rate  of  exchange  and  the  imcmploynient  in  the  United 
States  make  a  condition  here  that  prohibits  Spanish  immigrants  from  coming. 

Senator  Dillingham.  AVas  that  j^esterda}'? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yesterday ;  yes,  sir. 

There  are  a  whole  lot  of  people  that  seem  to  go  on  the  theory  that 
the  immigrant  is  a  dull  fool.  He  is  nothing  of  the  kind.  And 
especially  the  type  of  man  that  comes  over  with  the  pioneer  spirit. 
Now,  people  of  this  class  think  about  their  subject,  they  talk  about 
it,  and.  as  Senator  Dillingham  knoAvs,  they  correspond  with  their 
friends  here,  they  find  out  what  chances  are  of  employment,  and 
I  have  always  thought  that  the  Senator's  statement  was  correct  that 
98  per  cent  of  the  immigrants  know  before  Ihey  start  exactly  where 
they  are  going. 

The  Chairman.  You  are  stating  something  Avhich  is  a  matter  of 
demonstration  according  to  the  facts  which  we  have ;  in  other  words, 
that  immigration  has  materially  fallen  off  in  the  years  following 
a  panic  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes. 

Senator  Phelan.  What  did  you  say,  Mr.  Bennet,  in  respect  to 
immigration  from  Canada  for  that  6-month  period  ?  I  did  not  under- 
stand it. 

Mr.  Bennet.  I  said  that  in  the  Johnson  bill  there  is  provision  made 
for  Canadians  coming  in  for  a  6-month  period. 

Senator  Phelan.  In  the  bill  before  us  ? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes. 

Senator  Phelan.  Giving  them  that  permission,  making  discrimi- 
nation in  favor  of  them? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Phelan.  But  no  reference  to  the  Mexicans? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Oh,  yes ;  they  have  the  same  privilege. 

Senator  Phelan.  The  same  privilege  ? 

Mr.  Bennet.  The  adjoining  countries  have  it. 

Senator  Phelan.  Would  that  be  discrimination,  giving  it  to  the 
contiguous  countries  ? 

Mr.  Bennet.  That  would  be  discrimination. 

Senator  Phelan.  That  mi^ht  not  be  called  discrimination,  though. 

Mr.  Bennet.  AVell,  Mr.  Eoot,  when  he  was  Secretary  of  State, 
thought  that  it  might  be.  As  I  say,  all  I  do  is  call  the  attention  of 
the  committee  to  it. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Bennet,  Mr.  Wallis's  answer  to  the  proposi- 
tion that  immigration  had  fallen  off  when  we  have  had  business  de- 
pressions was  that  he  admitted  that,  but  he  said  that  it  would  not 
apply  to  present  world  conditions.  That  was  his  general  answer; 
that  the  conditions  in  Europe  were  so  bad  that  P^uropeans  or  other 
nationals  wanted  to  come  over  here  very  largely  owing  to  the  ex- 
tremely bad  conditions  following  the  war. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Wanted  to.     Now,  let  me  just  follow  that  up. 

The  Chairman.  I  was  statincr  the  argument  that  he  made. 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  245 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes;  and  I  Avill  answer  it.  Commissioner  Wallis  is 
one  of  111}'  very  best  friends.  He  is  a  lovel}^,  charming,  splendid 
fellow,  and,  although  I  am  a  Kepublican  and  he  is  a  Democrat,  I 
hope,  I  really  hope,  that  the  new  administration,  when  it  comes  in, 
will  keep  him  there.  He  is  a  splendid  man  for  that  place,  but  he  is 
like  any  other  that  has  never  studied  this  question,  that  he  sees  just 
one  encl  of  it. 

Now,  I  agree  with  him  that  a  very  large  proportion  of  Europe 
wants  to  come,  but  when  I  was  abroad  with  the  Senator's  commis- 
sion in  1907  one  of  the  places  that  I  went  to  was  Kumania.  And 
another  place  that  I  went  to  was  Russia.  And  I  testilied  when  1 
came  back  that  if  those  people  over  there  could  raise  the  price  they 
would  all  come.  And  that  was  true  then,  has  been  true  ever  since, 
and  it  is  true  to-day ;  but  they  can  not  come. 

I  went  through  the  town  of  Botoseani,  in  Russia,  where  they  had 
had  a  pogrom,  and  the  cabman  who  drove  me  around  the  streets  just 
begged  me,  through  an  interpreter,  for  help  to  get  to  America.  And 
I  had  with  me  the  agent  of  what  was  known  as  the  lea,  the  Jewish 
Colonization  Association,  and  at  one  place  we  came  to  the  girls  came 
around  us  and  went  down  on  their  knees,  and  pulled  out  100  francs, 
or  50  francs,  or  10  francs,  or  whatever  they  had,  and  said  that  they 
would  turn  over  to  him  every  cent  that  they  had  in  the  world,  and 
asked  him  whether  he  wouldn't  advance  them  the  difference  and 
pay  their  passage  to  America. 

There  is  nothing  new  about  that,  gentlemen;  that  has  been  the 
situation  during  the  whole  of  these  16  years  or  more  that  I  have 
been  studying  the  immigration  question. 

Commissioner  Wallis  is  quite  correct  in  saying  that  if  they  could 
come  they  would  come.  But  where  is  a  man  in  Poland,  or  in  Ru- 
mania— leaving  out  the  question  of  the  difference  in  exchange,  which 
I  must  confess  I  do  not  understand,  and  assuming  that  the  old  rates 
of  exchange  are  now  in  force — going  to  raise  the  $200  or  $300  that 
are  required  for  himself  alone  to  come  over  here,  not  taking  into 
consideration  his  f amilj^  at  all  ?  Let  us  assume  that  he  would  come 
to  this  country  as  a  pioneer,  and  take  all  the  chances  of  his  family 
starving  while  he  is  here,  where  is  he  going  to  get  the  money?  That 
in  itself  is  the  answer  to  it. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  he  said  this,  Mr.  Bennet,  that  during  either 
July  or  August — and  I  have  not  the  exact  data  before  me — between 
2,000  and  3,000  immigrants  came  from  Poland,  whereas  4,000  or  5,000 
of  these  people  returned  to  Poland.  I  haven't  the  exact  figures  but 
it  was  nearly  double  the  number  of  those  who  came  here. 
INIr.   Bennet.  That  is  not  surj)rising. 

The  Chairman.  In  dealing  with  the  number  of  immigrants  that 
come  to  this  country,  don't  you  think  the  fact  is  lost  sight  of  as  to 
the  number  of  emigrants  that  return?  So  that  you  leave  the  net  in- 
crease in  the  population  relatively  small?    Isn't' that  true? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Why,  absolutely  "so.  If  you  take  the  last  five  years, 
Senator — and  I  have  not  gone  through  the  figures  in  the  last  month 
or  so—you  will  find  that  the  net  immigration  into  this  country  is 
negligible;  and  that  even  in  our  boom  times,  when  there  came  to  "this 
country  as  high  as  1,200,000  people,  the  reports  of  our  commission 
show  that  for  every  10  immigrants  that  came  here  4  went  back,  of 


246  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

whom,  US  I  recall  it,  about  half  stayed  and  half  returned  later. 
There  has  al^a^'s  been  a  situation  such  as  that. 

Now,  these  people  that  went  back  to  Poland,  the  many  that  w^ent 
back  as  comparetl  with  the  few  that  came,  bears  out  my  contention 
that  comparativeh'  few  are  coming,  because  they  can  not  raise  the 
money,  and  that  the  people  who  go  back  have  to  look  after  estates 
and  families,  etc. 

The  Ctiairman,  Mr.  Bennet,  this  committee  will  now  suspend  until 
half  past  2. 

(Thereu])on,  at  12  o'clock  noon,  the  committee  took  a  recess  until 
2.30  o'clock  p.  m. 

AFTER  RECESS. 

At  2.30  o'clock  p.  m.  the  committee  reassembled  pursuant  to  the 
taking  of  recess. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  w^ill  come  to  order. 

The  National  Federation  of  Construction  Industries,  Col.  John  R. 
Wiggins,  chairman.    We  will  hear  j'ou,  Mr.  AViggins. 

STATEMENT  OF  COL.  JOHN  R.  WIGGINS,  CHAIRMAN  IMMIGRA- 
TION COMMITTEE.  NATIONAL  FEDERATION  OF  CONSTRUCTION 
INDUSTRIES. 

Col.  Wiggins.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  am  in  a  particularly  happy  posi- 
tion as  far  as  this  committee  is  concerned,  because  I  live  in  two 
cities,  in  one  six  months  and  in  the  other  six  months  in  the  year,  and 
fortunately  Senator  Edge,  of  your  committee,  lives  in  one  of  the 
cities,  and  Senator  Penrose  lives  in  the  other  city,  so  we  feel  that  we 
are  pretty  w^ell  represented  on  your  committee. 

I  bring  wdth  me  representatives  of  the  National  Federation  of  Con- 
struction Industries,  which  has  appointed  this  committee  to  appear 
before  your  body  representing  a  federation  of  national  and  other 
associations  of  business  and  professional  men  in  the  construction 
industry.  I  have  here  a  list  of  national,  regional,  and  local  associa- 
tions that  are  members  of  the  federation,  and  which  the  federation 
directly  represents  at  this  hearing.  I  Icnow  that  it  would  be  taking 
up  a  great  deal  of  your  time  to  read  this  entire  list,  so  I  shall  not  do 
so,  but  I  want  to  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  this  federation 
is  composed  of  national  associations,  regional  associations.  State  as- 
sociations, and  local  associations.  And  each  national  association  has 
its  local  and  regional  bodies,  and  therefore  we  can  state  without  fear 
of  contradiction  that  we  represent  the  second  largest  industry  in  the 
United  States,  admitting  that  agriculture  stands  first.  I  wish  to  place 
this  list  in  the  record,  Mr.  Chairman. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  be  inserted  in  the  record. 

CThe  list  furnished  by  Col.  AViggins  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as 
follows:) 

ilKMBERS     OF     NATIONAL     FEDERATION     OF     CONSTRUCTION     INDUSTRIES. 

Advisory  Council  of  Real  Testate  Interests.  149  Broadway.  New  Yorlc  City. 

Agricultural  Publishers'  Association,  Fort  Dearborn  National  Bank  Building, 
Chicnso,  111. 

American  Face  Brick  Association,  110  South  Dearl)orn  Street,  Chicago,  111. 

American  Wholesale  Lumber  Association.  G20  Soutli  Michigan  Boulevard, 
Chicago,  111. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  247 

As.sociatecl  General  Contractors  of  America,  111  West  Washington  Street, 
€liicago,  111. 

Associated  Metal  Lath  Manufacturers  (Inc.),  740  Edison  Building.  Chi- 
<;ago,  111. 

Associatetl  Tile  ^Manufacturers,  Beaver  Falls,  Pa. 

Builders'  Exchange,  San  Francisco,  Calif. 

Building  Trades  Employers'  Association,  1  Beacon  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 

Chicago  Face  Brick  Association,  1211  Chamber  of  Commerce  Building,  Chi- 
cago,  111. 

Clay  Products'  Association,  963  Chiimber  of  Commerce  Building,  Chicago,  111. 

The  Cleveland  Board  of  Lumber  Dealers,  1782  Scranton  Roads,  Cleveland, 
Ohio. 

Common  Brick  Manufacturers'  Association,  1300  Schofield  Building.  Cleve- 
land, Ohio. 

Concrete  Mixer  Association,  111  West  Washington  Street,  Chicago,  111. 

Face  Brick  Dealers'  As.sociation  of  America,  6  North  Michigan  Avenue,  Chi- 
cago, 111. 

General  Builders'  Association  of  Detroit,  34  Campau  Building.  Detroit,  Mich. 

Gypsum  Industries'  Association,  111  West  Monroe  Street.  Chicago,  111. 

The  Hollow  Building  Tile  Association.  1409  Conway  Building,  Chicago,  111. 

Illinois  Chapter  American  Institute  of  Architects.  64  East  Van  Buren  Street, 
Chicago,   111. 

Illinois  Society  of  Architects,  State  Lake  Building,  Chicago,  111. 

Iron  League,  1712  Ludlow  Street,  Philadelphia.  Pa. 

Lumbermen's  Association  of  Chicago,  404  Lumber  Exchange  Building,  11 
South  La  Salle  Street,  Chicago,  111. 

Master  Builders'  Association,  504  Century  Building,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Metal  Form  Association,  care  of  Hydraulic  Pressed  Steel  Co..  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

National  Association  of  Roofing  Contractors,  30  North  La  Salle  Street,  Chi- 
cago, 111. 

National  Association  of  Sand  and  Gravel  Producers.  702  City  Trust  Building, 
Indianapolis,  Ind. 

National  Association  of  Window  Glass  Manufacturers,  706  First  National 
Bank  Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

National  Automatic  Sprinkler  Association.  80  Maiden  Lane.  New  York  City. 

National  Boiler  and  Radiator  Manufacturers'  Association.  Geneva,  N.  Y. 

National  Builders'  Supply  Association,  408  Odd  Fellows'  Building,  Indianapo- 
lis, Ind, 

National  Lime  Association,  Mather  Building,  Washington,  D.  C. 

National  Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association,  750  SlcCormick  Building,  Chi- 
cago, 111. 

Oak  Flooring  Manufacturers'  Association  of  the  United  States,  1014  Ashland 
Block,  Chicago,  111. 

Paint  IManufacturers'  Association  of  the  United  States,  636  The  Bourse, 
Philadelphia.   Pa. 

Paint,  Oil.  and  Varnish  Club  of  Chicago,  Chicago,  111. 

Pennsylvania  Slate  ^Manufacturers'  Association,  Bangor,  Pa. 

Plate  Glass  Manufacturers  Association  of  America,  First  National  Bank 
Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Prepared  Rooting  Association.  Conway  Building.  Chicago,  111. 

Southern  Pine  Association,  New  Orleans,  La. 

Structural  Engineers  Association  of  Illinois,  30  North  La  Salle  Street,  Chi- 
cago, 111. 

Wholesale  Sash  and  Door  Association,  1012  Steger  Building,  Chicago,  111. 

The  Chairman.  Would  you  explain,  for  the  information  of  the 
committee,  Col.  Wiirgins,  what  you  mean  by  construction  industries? 
The  frcneral  purpose  and  object  t 

Col.  Wiggins.  I  mean  every  effort  on  the  part  of  skilled  or  un- 
skilled Inlior  that  tjoes  into  the  makin^r  of  a  buildino:.  from  the  man 
that  starts  to  dia-  the  cellar  to  the  man  in  the  factory  that  manu- 
factures the  jroods,  the  man  upon  the  buildiuix  that  erects  the  build- 
in<z.  and  the  man  that  fini^^hes  and  paints  it :  every  industry  that  jroes 
into  the  makin<j:  of  not  only  buildings  but  other  kinds  of  structures ; 
road  l)uilders.  bridge  builders,  and  all  sorts  of  construction  Indus- 


248  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   T.EGISLATION. 

tries.  I  wanted  to  make  that  clear  before  your  committee.  We  have 
here  a  liht  of  associations  that  are  in  accord  with  us  in  this  effort  ta 
])resent  before  you  our  views  on  this  question,  and  I  will  ask  leave  to 
insert  this  list.  Mr.  C  hairman.  in  the  record. 

The  Chair:sian.  It  may  be  inserted  in  the  record. 

(The  list  furnished  by  Col.  AYiggins  is  herewith  printed  in  full, 
as  follows:) 

LIST    OF    ASSOCIATIONS    ALLIKD    WITH    BUILDING    INDUSTRY. 

American  Association  of  Flint  and  Lime  Glass  Manufacturers,  44  Cone.stoga 
Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.    Actuary,  .Tolin  Kunzlor. 

American  Concrete  Institute,  314  New  Telegraph  Building.  Detroit,  Mich. 
Secretary,  Harvey  Whipple. 

American  Face  Brick  Association,  110  South  Dearborn  Street,  Chicago,  111. 
Secretary-treasurer,  R.  D.  T.  Hallowell. 

American  Hardwood  IManufacturers'  Association,  1339  Bank  of  Commerce 
&  Trust  Co.  Building,  Memphis.  Tenn.     Secretary.  J.  M.  Pritchard. 

American  Institute  of  Consulting  Engineers,  143  Liberty  Street.  New  York, 
N.  Y.    Secretary,  F.  A.  IMolitor. 

American  Iron  and  Steel  Institute,  61  Broadway,  New  York,  N.  Y.  Acting 
secretary.  Howard  H.  Cook. 

American  Iron,  Steel  nnd  Heavy  Hardware  Association,  47  AVest  Thirty- 
fourth  Street,  New  York.  N.  Y.    Secretary,  A.  H.  Chamberlain. 

American  Road  Builders'  Association,  11  Waverly  Place,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Secretary,  E.  L.  Powers. 

American  Sea  Green  Slate  Association,  Granville,  N.  Y.  Secretary,  Robert 
O.  Owens. 

American  Society  of  Heating  and  Ventilating  Engineers,  302  Delmain  Build- 
ing. Kansas  City,  Mo.    Secretary,  George  P.  Dickson. 

American  Walnut  Manufacturers'  Association,  616  South  Michigan  Avenue, 
Chicngo,  111.     Secretary.  George  N.  Lamb. 

American  Wholesale  Lumber  Association,  620  East  Michigan  Boulevard,  Chi- 
cago, 111.     Directing  manager,  L.  R.  Putnam. 

American  Wood  Preservers'  Association,  Mount  Royal  Station,  Baltimore,  Md. 
Secretary-treasurer.  F.  .7.  Angler. 

Arkansas  Soft  Pine  Bureau,  Little  Rock,  Ark.    Secretary,  G.  E.  Mattison. 

Asbestos  Paper  Manufacturers'  Association,  721  Bulletin  Building,  Philadel- 
phia. Pa.     Secretary,  J.  J.  Stover. 

Asphalt  Association.  25  West  Forty-third  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y.  Secretary, 
J.  E.  Pennybacker. 

Associated  General  Contractors  of  America,  111  West  Washington  Street, 
Chicago,  111.    Secretary,  G.  W.  Buchholz. 

Associated  IMetal  Lath  IManufacturers,  740  Edison  Building,  Chicago,  III. 
Commissioner.  Wharton  Clay. 

Associated  Tile  Manufacturers,  Beaver  Falls.  Pa.     Secretary,  F.  W.  Walker. 

Association  of  Dealers  in  Masons'  Building  ^Materials,  15-17  West  Forty-sixth 
Street,  New  York,  N.  Y.     Secretary.  S.  .1.  Treat. 

Association  of  Iron  and  Steel  Electrical  Engineers,  513  Empire  Building, 
Pittsburgh.  Pa.    Secretary.  John  F.  Kelly. 

Bedford  Stone  Club.  Bedford,  Ind.    Secretary,  C.  G.  Creighton. 

Bedford  Stone  Club  Auxiliary.  Bedford,  Ind.     Secretary,  Mrs.  E.  C.  Walters. 

Builders'  Hardware  Manufacturers'  Service  Bureau,  2  Rector  Street.  New 
York.  N.  Y.    Secretary.  H.  A.  Taylor. 

Building  Industry  Club,  717  Corby-Forsee  Building,  St.  Joseph,  Mo.  Secre- 
tary, John  H.  Vincent. 

California  Redwood  Association  312-318,  Exposition  Building,  216  Pine 
Street.  S;in  Frnncisco,  Cnlif.     Secretary.  IT.  W.  Sinnock. 

California  Wh'te  and  Sugar  Pine  Manufacturers'  Association,  425  Call  Build- 
ing. San  Francisco.  Calif.    Secretary,  C.  S.  Smith. 

Carbon  Club,  The.  (See  National  Association  of  Sanitarj*  Woodwork  Manu- 
facturers for  officers,  etc.) 

Central  Iowa  Retail  Lumbermen's  Association,  care  of  Connell-Crown  Lum- 
ber Co.,  418  Main  Street,  Cedar  Falls.  Io\va.     Secretary.  Joseph  Cowan. 

Central  and  Northeastern  Iowa  Retail  Lumbermen's  Association,  Waterloo, 
Iowa.     Secretary-treasurer,  Harry  Dunkleburg. 


■       EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  249 

Central  Supply  Association,  1915  City  Hall  Square  Building,  Chicago,  111. 
Secretary,  Paul  Blatchford. 

Chicago  Face  Brick  Association,  404  Chamber  of  Commerce  Building,  Chicago, 
111.    Secretary.  R.  B.  Howard. 

Chicago  Mantel  and  Tile  Contractor,  21  East  Van  Bureau  Street,  Chicago,  111. 
Secretary,  F.  P.  Updike. 

Cincinnati  Builders  Supply  Co.,  202-204  Gerke  Building,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 
Secretary,  F.  H.  Kinney. 

Clav  Products  Association,  913  Chamber  of  Commerce  Building,  Chicago,  111. 
Secretary,  G.  H.  Tefft. 

Common  Brick  Manufacturers'  Association  of  America,  1300  Schofield  Build- 
ing. Cleveland,  Ohio.    Secretary-manager,  R.  P.  Stoddard. 

Composition  Floor  Manufacturers'  Association,  118  North  La  Salle  Street, 
Chicago,  111.    Secretary,  H.  E.  Williams. 

Concrete  Miser  Association,  111  West  Washington  Street,  Chicago,  111.  Sec- 
retary, C.  A.  Matthews. 

Contracting  Plasterers'  Interassociation,  Builders'  Exchange,  Cincinnati. 
Ohio.     .Secrptary-treasurer,  W.  J.  Pugh. 

Eastern  Bar  Iron  Institute,  103  Park  Avenue,  New  York.  N.  Y.  Secretary, 
A.  C.  Taylor. 

Eastern  Clay  Pro(U:<ts  Association,  514-515  Pittsburgh  Life  Building,  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.    Secretary,  G.  H.  Tefft. 

Eastern  Hollow  Building  Tile  Manufacturers'  Association,  175  Fifth  Avenue, 
New  York,  N.  Y.    Secretary,  W.  A.  Snow. 

Eastern  Iowa  Lumberman's  Association,  Clinton,  Iowa.  Secretary,  F.  J. 
Ward. 

Eastern  Woodworkers'  Cost  Information  Bureau,  103  Park  Avenue,  New 
York,  N.  Y.    Secretary,  F.  L.  Clarke. 

The  Electrical  Manufacturers'  Club,  Hartford,  N.  Y.  Secretary,  Fred  L. 
Bishop. 

Electrical  Supply  .Jobbers'  Association,  411  South  Clinton  Street,  Chicago, 
111.     Secretary,  Franklin  Overbagh. 

Elevator  JIanufacturers'  Association  of  the  United  States,  care  of  Kaestner 
Hecht  Co.,  Chicago,  111.    Secretary.  F.  A.  Hecht,  jr. 

Eucal.vptus  Hardwood  Association,  917  Investment  Building,  Los  Angeles, 
Calif.    Secretary,  W.  H.  Brintnall. 

General  Contractors'  Association,  51  Chambers  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Secretary,  C.  A.  Crane. 

Georgia-Florida  Sawmill  Association,  805  Graham  Building.  Jacksonville, 
Fla.    Secretary,  E.  C.  Harrell. 

Granite  Paving  Block  Manufacturers'  Association,  31  State  Street,  Boston, 
Mass.     Secretary.  .Tames  J.  Tobin. 

Gypsum  Industries  Association,  111  West  Monroe  Street,  Chicago.  111.  Secre- 
tary, H.  H.  McDonald. 

Hardware  Association  of  the  Carolinas.  717-718  Commercial  Bank  Building, 
Charlotte,  N.  C.     Secretary-treasurer,  T.  W.  Dixon. 

Heating  and  Piping  Contractors'  Naiinnal  Association,  50  Union  Square  East, 
New  York.  N.  Y.     Secretary,  Henry  B!  Gomhers. 

Hemlock  ilanufactnrers'  Promotion  Bureau,  Oshkosh,  Wis.  ilanager,  O.  T. 
Swan. 

Hollow  Building  Tile  Association.  1409  Conway  Building,  Chicago,  111.  Sec- 
retary. E.  D.  Sturtevant. 

Hollow  :Metal  Door  Society.  103  Park  Avenue.  New  York,  N.  Y.  Secretary, 
Richard  Appel. 

Illinois  Lumber  Builders  and  Supply  Dealers'  As.<;ociation,  1103—431  South 
Dearborn  Street,  Chicago,  111.     Secretary,  George  Wilson- Jones. 

Illinois  Manufacturers'  Association.  76  West  Monroe  Street,  Chicago,  111. 
Secretary,  John  M.  Glenn. 

Illinois  Retail  Hardware  Association,  Elgin.  111.     Secretary.  L.  D.  Nish. 

Indiana  Builders'  Supply  Association,  post-office  box  43G,  South  Bend,  Ind. 
Secretary,  R.  H.  Hildebrand. 

Indiana  Hardwood  I.,umbcrmen's  Association,  Indianapolis,  Ind.  Secretary, 
Edgar  Richardson. 

Indiana  Limestone  Quarrymen's  Association,  Bedford,  Ind.  Secretary,  H.  S. 
Brightley. 

Indiana  Retail  Hardware  AssociatiDn,  Argos,  Ind.    Secretary.  G.  F.  Sheely. 


250  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

Institute  of  Electrical  Contractors,  room  703,  103  Park  Avenue,  New  York, 
N.  Y.     Secretary,  Kicbarfl  Appel. 

Institute  of  Electrical  Contractors  of  Maryland  (Inc.),  15  East  Fayette 
Street,  Baltimore,  Md.    Secretary,  C.  P.  Pitt. 

Institute  of  I.i?htinjr  Fixture  Manufacturers,  103  Park  Avenue,  New  York, 
N.  Y.     Si'cretary.  Kicliard  Appel. 

Iniernational  Cut  Stone  Contractors  and  Quarrymen's  Association  (Inc.), 
Gl'2-023  Knights  of  Pythias  Building,  Indianapolis,  Ind.  Secretary,  A.  J. 
Bur  rage. 

International  Monumental  Granite  Producers'  Association  (Inc.),  73  Tremont 
Street,  Boston,  Mass.    Secretary,  R.  D.  Smith. 

Interstate  Stone  Manufacturers'  Association,  Columbus,  Ohio.  (See  Ohio 
Macadam  Association.) 

Iowa  Retail  Hardware  Association,  Mason  City,  Iowa.    Secretary,  A.  R.  Sale. 

Iron  I^eague  of  Chicago.  808  Chamber  of  Commerce  Building.  Chicago,  111. 
Secretary.  A.  C.  Prehle. 

Kentucky  Retail  Lumber  Dealers'  Association,  642  South  Fortieth  Street, 
Louisville,  Ky.     Secretary,  .7.  C.  Taylor. 

La  Salle  County  Lumbermen's  Club,  La  Salle,  111.     Secretary,  F.  B.  Elliott. 

Lime  and  Cement  Exchange  of  Baltimore,  care  of  National  Building  Supply 
Co..  North  Avenue  and  Oak  Street.  Baltimore,  Md.    Secretary.  .T.  .1.  Kelly,  jr. 

Lxuuber  Dealers'  Association  of  Connecticut.  1015  Chamber  of  Commerce 
Building,  New  Haven,  Conn.     Secretary,  James  Cray. 

Lumber  Dealers"  Association  of  Rhode  Island,  1161-1173  Westminster  Street, 
Providence.  R.  I.     Secretary,  G.  D.  Lansing. 

Lumber  Manufacturers'  Association  of  Southern  New  England,  Ansonia, 
Conn.     Secretary,  T.  L.  Bristol. 

Lumbermen's  Association  of  Texas,  605-606  Carter  Building.  Houston,  Tex:. 
Secretary,  J.  C.  Dionee. 

Lumbermen's  Club  of  Memphis.  Memphis.  Tenn.  Secretary-treasurer,  J. 
Clayton  Johnson. 

The  Lumbermen's  Exchange  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  301-304  Crozer 
Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa.     Secretary,  John  H.  Lank. 

Magnesia  Association  of  America,  721  Bulletin  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Secretary,  C.  J.  Stover. 

Maple  Flooring  Manufacturing  Association,  Stock  Exchange  Building,  Chi- 
cago, 111.     Secretary,  G.  W.  Keehn. 

Mason  Contractors'  Association  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  1434-36-38 
Main  Street,  Cleveland,  Ohio.     Secretary-treasury.  W.  T.  McGarvey. 

Mason  ilaterial  Dealers,  277  Halsev  Street,  Newark,  N.  J.  Secretary,  James 
M.    Reilly. 

Massachusetts  Retail  Lumber  Dealers'  Association,  Springfield,  Mass.  Secre- 
tary, A.  Wayland  Wood. 

^laterial  Handling  Machinery  Manufacturers'  Association,  110  West  Fortieth 
Street,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Metal  Form  Association,  Frick  Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  Secretary,  E.  D. 
Strassburger. 

Michigan  Hardwood  INIanufactui'ers'  Association,  Cadillac,  Mich.  Secretary^ 
J.  C.  Knox. 

Michigan  Retail  Hardware  Association,  Marine  City,  Mich.  Secretary,  A.  J. 
Scott. 

Michigan  Retail  Lumber  Dealers'  Association,  420  Widdicomb  Building,  Grand 
Rapids,  Mich.     Secretary,  F.  A.  :McCaul. 

Minnesota  Retail  Hardware  Association,  1030  Metropolitan  Life  Building, 
Minneapolis,  Minn.     Secretary,  H.  O.  Roberts. 

Missouri  Retail  Hardware  Association,  5106-5108  North  Broadway,  St.  Louis, 
Mo.     Secretary,  F.  N.  Becheror. 

Mountain  States  Lumber  Dealers'  Association.  516-17  Chamber  of  Commerce 
Building,  Denver,  Colo.     Secreuiry,  R.  D.  Mundell. 

National  Association  of  Electrical  Contractors  and  Dealers.  110  West  Fortieth 
Street,  New  York,  N.  Y,     General  manager,  William  H.  Horton. 

National  Association  of  Granite  Industries  of  the  United  States.  (See  Inter- 
national Monumental  Granite  Protective  Association   (Inc.).) 

National  Association  of  Manufacturers  of  the  United  States  of  America,  30 
Church  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y.     Secretary,  George  S.  Boudinot. 

National  Association  of  Marble  Dealers.  1320  Citizens  Building,  Cleveland, 
Ohio.     Secretary,  Victor  Mosel. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  251 

National  Association  of  Paint  Jobbers,  140  West  Van  Buren  Street,  Chicago, 
III.     Secretary,  Edward  Drake. 

National   Association   of   Roofing   Contractors,   118   North   La    Salle   Street, 
Chicago,  III.     Seci-etary-treasurer,  H.  I.  Charbonneau. 

National  Association  of  Sand  and  Gravel  Producers,  702  City  Trast  Building, 
Indianapolis,  Ind.     Business  manager,  E.  G.  Sutton. 

National  Association  of  Sanitary  Woodwork  Manufacturers,  1818-139  North 
Clark  Street,  Chicago,  111.     Commissioner.  William  M.  Webster. 

National  Association  oi  Sheet  and  Tin  Phite  Manufacturers,  421  Oliver  Build- 
ing, Pittsburgh,  Pa.     Secretary,  W.  L.  Lower. 

National  Association  of  Slieet  Metal  Contractors  of  the  United  States,  261 
South  Fourth  Street,  Philadeli)hia,  Pa.     Secretary,  E.  L.  Seabrook. 

National  Association  of  Wiudown  Glass  Manufacturers,  170G  First  National 
Bank  Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.     Secretary,  J.  R.  Johnston. 

National  Automatic  Sprinkler  Association,  80  Maiden  Lane,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Secretary-treasurer,  I.  G.  Hoag  and. 

National  Automobile  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Studebaker  Corporation,  South 
Bend.    Ind.     Secretary,   G.   C.   Hanch. 

National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  76  William  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
General  manager,  W.  E.  Mallelieu ;  secretary,  G.  G.  Buckley,  Springfield,  Mass. 

National  Boiler  and  Radiator  Manufacturers'  Association,  Geneva,  N.  Y.  Sec- 
retary. F.   W.  Herendeen. 

National  Brick  Manufacturers'  Association  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
Indianapolis.  Ind.     Secretary,  T.  A.  Randall. 

National  Buildi'rs'  Bureau,  300-.S1S  Columbia  Building,  Spokane,  Wash.  Sec- 
retarv-treasurer.   F.   H.   Beckmann. 

National  Builders  Supply  Association,  708  Merchants'  Bank  Building,  In- 
dianapolis, Ind.     Secretary,  F.  G.  Laird. 

National  Building  Granite  Quarries"  Association  (Inc.),  33  State  Street, 
Boston,  Mass.     Secretary,  J.  S.  McDaniel. 

National  Composition  Floor  Manufacturers'  Association,  Marbridge  Building, 
New  York,  N.  Y.     Secretary,  R.  W.  Page. 

National  Contractors'  Association.  103  Park  Avenue,  New  York,  N.  Y.  Secre- 
tary-treasurer,  Emanuel   Cohan.  ^   ., ,.        ^  ,      ,         ^„  • 

National  Crushed  Stone  As.sociation,  40-5  Hartman  Buildmg,  Columbus,  Ohio. 
Secretary,  A.  P.  Sandless.  . 

National  District  Heating  Association,  Electric  Building,  Greenvi.le,  Ohio. 
Secretarv.  D.  L.  Gaskill.  ,    ^        ^    ^,        .,     , 

National  Electric  Light  Association,  29  West  Thirty-ninth  Street,  New  York, 
N.  Y.     Executive  manager,  M.  H.  Aylesworth.  ^^    ,     ^    v      cj^^va 

National  Erectors'  Association,  286  Fifth  Avenue,  ^ew  York,  N.  Y.     Secie- 

^'^Nationifl'  SMSion  of  Construction  Industries,  757  Drexel  Building  Phila- 
de'phia.    Pa.     Managing    director.    J.    C.    Frazee;    general   secretary,    .John   L. 

^  Natlollnl  Fire  Protection  Association,  87  Milk  Street.  Boston,  Mass.     Secre- 

'''^.^'i^::Z.JlS^U^^u  29  south  La  Salle  Street,  Chicago.  111.     Sec- 

''NaHona:^HJdware  Association  of  the  United  States,  505  Arch  Street,  Phila- 
dehihia,  Pa.     Secretary,  T.  James  Fernley.  „    .,  ,. 

National  Hardware  Lumber  Association.  1864  :McCormick  Building.  Chicago, 
111.     Secretary,   F.   F.   Fish.  ,    c..      .    x-        ^-     ^ 

National  Housing  Association.  105  East  Twenty-second  Street,  New  York, 
N.  Y.     Secretarv.  Lawrence  Yeiller. 

National  Lime  A.ssociation,  91S  G  Street  NW.,  Washington,  D.  C.  Secretary, 
E.   O.  Tippin. 

National  Lumber  IManufacturers"  Association.  332  South  Michigan  Avenue, 
Chicago,  111.     Manager,   Dr.  Wi  son  Compton. 

National  Metal  Trades  Association,  122  South  INIichigan  Boulevard.  Chicago, 
111.     Secretary,   H.   D.    Say  re. 

National  Ornamental  Glass  iMiinufacturers'  Association  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  2700  St.  Vincent  Avenue,  St.  Louis.  Mo.     Secretary,  C.  C.  Jacoby. 

National  Paint,  Oil.  and  Varnish  Association,  100  William  Street,  New  York, 
N.  Y.     Secretary,  C.  V.  Horgan. 

National  Paving  Brick  Manufacturers'  A.ssociation,  830  Engineers'  Building, 
Cleveland,  Ohio.     Secretary,  M.  B.  Greenough. 


252  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

National    Refrigerator    Manufacturers'    Association,    1938    Farwell    Avenue, 
Cliicajjo  111.     Secretary  D.  A.  Sheperdsnn. 

National  Ketail  Lumber  Dealers'  Association,  301  Equity  Building,  Detroit, 
Mich.     Secretary,  C.  A.  Bowen. 

National  Slag  Association,  933  Leader-News  Building,  Cleveland,  Ohio.     Secre- 
tary-treasurer. H.  J.  Love. 

National  Terra  Cotta  Society,  1  Madi.son  Avenue,  New  York,  N.  Y.     Executive 
secretary,  Oswald  Speir. 

National  Varnish  Manufacturers'  Association,  036  the  Bourse.  Philadelphia, 
Pa.    Secretary,  G.  B.  Heckel. 

National  Veneer  and  Panel  Manufacturers'  Association,  1517  Merchants'  Bank 
Building,  Indianapoli.s,  Ind.     Secretary,  H.  S.  Young. 

National  Warm  Air  Heating  and  Ventilating  Association,  Columbus.  Ohio. 
Secretary.  A.  W.  Williams. 

National  Wliolesale  Luml)er  Dealers'  Association,  06  Broadway,  New  York, 
N.  Y.     Secretary.  E.  F.  Berry. 

Nebraskti    Lumber   Dealers'   Association,    1016   Terminal   Building,   Lincoln, 
Ncbr.     Secretary.  E.  E.  Hall. 

Nebraska  Retail  Hardware  Association,  Lincoln,  Nebr.     Secretary.  George  H. 
Dietz. 

New  England  Hardware  Dealers"  Association,  10  High  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 
Secretary.  G.  A.  Fiel. 

New  England  Iron  and  Hardware  Association,  88  Broad  Street.  Boston,  Mass. 
Secretary.  G.  J.  Mulhall. 

New  England  Sash  and  Blind  ilanufacturers'  Association,  900  Main  Street, 
Athol.  Mas.s.     Secretary.  Arthur  F.  Tyler. 

New  England  Yellow  Pine  Dealers'  Association,  box  783,  Providence,  R.  I. 
Secretary.  J.  A.  Potter. 

New   Jersey   Lumbermen's   Association,   738   Broad    Street,    Newark.    N.    J. 
Secretary,  .T.  C.  Whittier. 

New  York  Division  of  National  Council  of  Lighting  Fixture  Manufacturers, 
103  Park  Avenue,  New  York,  N.  Y.     Secretary,  Richard  Appel. 

New  York  Lumber  Trade  Association.  18  Broadway,  New  York,  N.  Y.     Secre- 
tar.v,  H.  B.  Coho. 

New  York   State  Builders   Supplv  Association.   517   ilutual   Life  Building, 
Buffalo.  N.  Y.     Secretary.  W.  C.  Fisher. 

New  York  State  Retail  Hardware  Association,  007  City  Bank  Building,  Syra- 
cuse. N.  Y.     Secretary,  .7.  B.  Foley. 

North  Carolina  Pine  A.ssociation,  Bank  of  Commerce  Building,  Norfolk,  Va. 
Secretary-treasurer.  Vaughan  Camp. 

North  Dakota  Retail  Hai'dware  Association,  Grand  Forks,  N.  Dak.     Secre- 
tary, C.  H.  Barnes. 

North  Dakota  Retail  Lumbermen's  ALSSociation,  Minot,  N.  Dak.     Secretary, 
W.  C.  Cox. 

Northeast  Jlissouri  Lumbermen's  Association,  Moberly,  Mo.     Secretary-treas- 
urer, Robert  L.  Kingsbury. 

Northern  Hemlock  and  Hardware  Manufacturers'  Association,  Oshkosh,  Wis, 
Secretary,   O.  T.   Swan. 

Northern  Pine  Manufacturers'  Association,  1102  Lumber  Exchange,  Minne- 
apolis,   Minn.     Secretary,  W.   A.   EUingei*. 

Northern  White  Cedar  Association.  702-703  Lumber  Exchange,  Jlinneapolis, 
Minn.     Secretary,   N.    E.    Boucher. 

Northwest   Face   Brick   Association,  corner  Prior  and   University   Avenues, 
Leoy  Building.  St.  Paul.  Minn.     Secretary,  O.  A.  Gunn. 

Noi-thwest    ^Missouri    Retail    Lumber   Dealers'    Association,    Maryville.    Mo. 
Secretary,  E.  C.  Curfman. 

Northwestern  Hardwood  Lumbermen's  Association,  1007  Lumber  Exchange 
Building,  Minneapolis.  Minn.     Secretary,  J.  F.  Hayden. 

Northwestern   Illinois  Retail  Lumbermeen's  Club,  Freeport,   111.     Secretary, 
O.  S.  Hitchner. 

North\\estern  Lumbermen's  As.sociation,  1026  McKnight  Building,  Minneapo- 
lis.   Minn.     Secretary.    Adolph    Pfrnid. 

Oak  Flooring  Manufacturers'  A.ssociation,  155  North  Clark  Street,  Chicago. 
HI.     Secretary,  W.  L.  Claffey. 

Ohio  Association  of  Retail  Lumber  Dealers,  Xenia,  Ohio.     Secretary,  F.  M. 
Torrence. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  253 

Ohio  Builders'  Supply  Association,  202-204  Gerlie  Building,  123  East  Sixth 
Street,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.     Executive  secretary,  Charles  Broadwell. 

The    Ohio    Hardware   Association,    Iloom    1001,    Schwind    Building.    Dayton, 
Ohio.     Secretary.    J.    B.    Carson. 

Oliio  Macadam  Association,  405  Hartman  Building,  Columbus,  Ohio.     Secre- 
tary, A.  P.  Sandles. 

Ohio    Sand    and    Gravel    Producers'    Association,    Akron,    Ohio.     Secretary, 
W.   B.   Fuller. 

Oklahoma  Hardware  and   Implement  Association,  post-office  box  964,  209^ 
West  Main  Street.  Oklahoma  City.  Okla.    Secretary  AV.  B.  Porch. 

Pacific  Logging  Congress,  616  Spalding  Building,  Portland,  Oreg.     Secrretary. 
G.   M.   Cornwall. 

Pacific    Northwest    Loggers'    Bureau,    210    Hage    Building,    Seattle,    Wash. 
Pi-esident,   E.    B.   Chinn. 

Paint  and  Oil  Club  of  New  England,  6  Beacon  Street,  Boston,  Mass.     Secre- 
tary-treasurer,  E.   L.   Moses. 

Paint  JNIanufacturers'  Association  of  the  United  States,  636  Bourse  Building, 
Philadelphia,  Pa.     Secretary,  G.  B.  Heckel. 

Pennsylvania   and   Atlantic    Seaboard    Hardware   Association.    1314   Fulton 
Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.     Secretary,  S.  E.  Jones. 

Pennsylvania  Lumbermen's  Association,  608  Bulletin  Building,  Philadelphia, 
Pa.     Secretary,   J.   F.   Martin. 

Pennsvlvania    Slate    Manufacturers'    Association,    Bangor,  'Pa.     Secretary, 
B.  W.   Ribble. 

Pittsburgh  Wholesale  Lumber  Dealers'  Association,  care  of  Interior  Lumber 
Co..  Keenan  Building.  Pittsburgh,  Pa.     Secretary.  J.  G.  Crlste. 

Prepared   Rooting  Association.    Conway   Building,    Chicago,    111.     Secretary, 
John  Lind. 

Retail  Lumber  Dealers'  Association  of  Indiana,  Crown  Point,   Ind.     Secre- 
tary, C.   D.   Root. 

Retail  Lumberman's  Association  of  Philadelphia,  2500  South  Street.  Phila- 
delphia. Pa.     Secretary,  Charles  P.  Maule. 

Rolling  Steel  Door  Association.  103  Park  Avenue.  New  York,  N.  Y.     Secre- 
tary,  Richard  Appel. 

Society   of   Indusrrial    Engineers,   325    South   La    Salle    Street,    Chicago,   111. 
Secretary,  G.  C.  Dent. 

South  Atlantic  Supply  Association,  Savannah,  Ga.    Vice  president  and  general 
manager,  H.  A.  Butterfield. 

Southeastern    Retail    Hardware    and    Implement    Association.    Atlanta,    Ga. 
Secretary-treasurer,  Walter  Harlan. 

Southern  Cypress  Manufacturers'  Association,  Perdido  Building,  New  Orleans, 
La.     Secretary,  G.  E.  Watson. 

Southern  Hardware  Jobbers'  Association,  821  American  National  Bank  Build- 
ing. Riclniuiiul,  Va.     Secretary-treasurer,  John  Donnan. 

Soul  hern  Hardwood  Traffic  Association,  Memphis,  Tenn.     Secretary-manager, 
J.  H.  Townshend. 

Southern  Illinois  Retail  Lumber  Dealers"  Association,  Jonesboro,  111.     Secre- 
tary, Frank  Hess. 

Southern  Logging  Association,  New  Orleans,  La.     Secretary-treasurer,  James 
Boyd. 

Southern  Pine  Association,  001  Interstate  Bank  Building,  New  Orleans,  La. 
Secretary-manager,  J.  E.  Rhodes. 

Southern  Sash,  Door,  and  Millwork  Manufacturers'  Association,  1003  Candler 
Building,  Atlanta,  Ga.     Secretary,  C.  B.  Harman. 

Southern  Supply  and  ^Machine  Dealers'  Association,  Richmond.  Va.    Secretary- 
treasurer,  Alvin  M.  Smith. 

Southwestern  Iowa  Retail  Lumbermens'  Association,  Clarinda,  Iowa.     Secre- 
tary, W.  S.  Richardson. 

Southwest(n-n  Lumbermen's  Association.  502  Long  Building,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
Secretary.  J.  R.  Moorhead. 

Structural    Steel    Society,    827-122    South    Michigan    Avenue,    Chicago,    HI. 
Assistant  secretary,  B.  M.  Fosgate. 

Texas  Lumbermen's  Association,  Carter  Building,  Houston,  Tex.     Secretary, 
J.  C.  Dionne. 

Tile  and  Mantel  Contractors'  Association  of  America,  336  Maine  Street,  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio.     Secretary,  T.  J.  Foy. 

26911— 21— PT  5 3 


254  EiMERGENCY    IMMiGKATlOX    LEGISLATION. 

Union  Association  of  Lumber.  Sash,  and  Door  Salesmen,  the  Belvedere,  Toledo, 
Ohio.     Secretary-treasurer,  J.  F.  Bartelle. 

West  Virginia  Lumber  and  Builders'  Supply  Dealers'  Association,  Clarks- 
burg, W.  Va.     Secretary-treasurer,  H.  Eschonbrenner. 

Western  Paving  Brick  Manufacturers'  Association,  317  Dwiglit  P.uilding, 
Kansas  City,  Mo.    Secretary,  G.  W.  Thurston;  chief  en.i:inoer.  Clark  R.  :Mandigo. 

Western  I'ine  Manufacturers'  Association,  510-517  Yeon  Building,  Portland, 
Oreg.     Secretary-manager,  A.  W.  Cooper. 

Western  Red  Cedar  Association,  709  Peyton  Building,  Spokane,  Wash.  Secre- 
tary, G.  A.  Clark. 

Western  Retail  Lumbermen's  Association,  407  Scott  Block,  Winnipeg,  Canada. 
Secretary-treasurer,  F.  H.  Lamar. 

White  Cedar  Shingle  Manufacturers"  Associatifm.  Oshkosh.  Wis.  Secretary, 
O.  T.  Swan. 

White  Pine  Bureau,  Merchants  National  Bank  Building.  St.  Paul,  Minn. 
Secretary,  L.  S.  Case. 

Whole.sale  Sash  and  Door  Association,  1210  Steger  Building,  Chicago,  111. 
Secretary,  N.  L.  Godfrey. 

Wisconsin  Crushed  Stone  Association,  Union  Crushed  Stone  Association. 
Secretary.  R.  W.  Scherer. 

Wisconsin  Mineral  Aggregate  Association.  332  First  Wisconsin  National  Bank 
Building.  Milwaukee,  Wis.     Secretary,  C.  C.  Hublnird. 

Wisconsin  Retail  Lumbermen's  Association,  632-034  Merchants  and  Miners 
Bank  Building,  Milwaukee,  Wis.    Secretary,  D.  S.  Montgomery. 

Yellow  Pine  Wholesalers'  As.sociation,  130&  Se<,on(l  National  Bank  Building. 
Cincinnati.  Ohio.     Secretary,  A.  L.  Behymer. 

Col.  "WiGGixs.  I  have  also  a  communication  here  "which  comes  from 
the  president  of  the  National  Federation  of  Construction  Industries 
directing  this  effort.  I  ask  leave  to  insert  this  in  the  record  for  the 
purpose  of  showing  that  it  qualifies  me  as  representing  this  great 
industry. 

The  Chairmax.  It  may  be  inserted  in  the  record. 

(The  letter  from  the  president  of  the  Xational  Federation  of  Con- 
struction Industries,  dated  Philadelphia.  December  11.  1920,  pre- 
sented by  Col.  Wiggins,  is  hercAvith  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

National  Federation  of  CoNSTRrcTiox  IxorsTRiES, 

Philadelphia,  December  11,  1921. 
Col.  John  R.  Wiggins, 

Chainnau.  Immigration  Committee. 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Dear  Col.  Wiggins  :  To  my  mind  there  is  no  problem  facing  the  Nation  at 
this  time  which  is  more  critical  than  that  of  immigration.  We  find  ourselves 
threatened,  on  the  one  hand  by  an  influx  of  radicals  whose  presence  in  suffi- 
cient numbers  might  destroy  our  national  institutions;  on  the  other  hand  by 
a  shortage  of  workers,  which  has  resulted  from  the  almost  complete  cessa- 
tion of  inmiigration  during  the  war.  and  which,  unless  remedied  by  an  immigra- 
tion of  law-abiding  workers,  will  restrict  the  volume  of  business  which  can 
be  done  in  this  country,  limit  production,  stimulate  high  prices  both  of  labor 
and  commodities,  and  encourage  certain  groups  of  workingmen  in  the  adoption 
of  a  careless  attitude  in  their  employment  relationship,  causing  them  to  give 
a  meager  and  poor  quality  of  service.  The  country  can  not  prosper  if  a  group 
of  men  maintain  a  monopoly  of  any  of  its  resources.  This  is  as  true  of  a 
monopoly  of  labor  supply  as  it  is  of  materials  and  finance. 

The  complete  cessation  of  immigration  would  relieve  the  country  from  an 
evil  attendant  upon  the  influx  of  undesirable  aliens,  but  it  would  bring  about 
an  even  worse  condition  of  labor  shortage  than  we  have  experienced  during 
the  past  18  months.  The  solution  of  these  diflicult  questions  woidd  seem  to 
lie  in  the  admission  of  law-abiding  and  industrious  immigrants  with  provision 
for  tlie  exclusion  of  undesirable  aliens. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  only  practicable  method  of  accomplishing  this 
result  would  be  for  the  United  States  Government  to  provide  agencies  abroad 
which  would  enable  the  history  and  characteristics  of  intending  immigrants 
to  be  carefully  studied  before  they  were  permitted  to  set  sail  for  the  United 


EMERGENCY    IxMMIGRATION^    LEGISLATIOX.  255 

States.  This  would,  of  course,  involve  a  eons-iderahle  exju'iKliture  of  nioue.v, 
but  the  amount  so  spent  would  be  indeed  inconsiderable  as  conipai-efl  with  the 
loss  which  will  be  sustained  by  the  United  States  because  of  nonproductiou 
or  limited  production  resulting  from  inadequate  supplies  of  inetticient  workers. 

I  have  followed  with  much  interest  the  work  which  is  being:  done  by  the 
immigration  committee  of  the  National  Federation  of  Construction  Industries, 
and  by  similar  committees  of  its  constituent  association  members. 

These  constituent  associations  are  in  themselves  in  many  cases  strong  organ- 
izations representing  industries  wliicJ!  form  the  very  basis  of  the  business  of 
this  country.  A  considerable  number  of  the  construction  industries  of  the 
United  States  are  not  so  well  organized  as  they  shoulil  be.  If  they  were  they 
would  be  constituent  members  of  the  federation.  Potentially  the  federation 
represents  all  lines  of  construction  activities,  and  has  as  individual  members 
business  men  and  corporations  which  are  not  represented  by  any  of  the  asso- 
ciations in  the  federation  membership. 

Agriculture  is,  of  course,  the  great  outstanding  business  of  the  United  States. 
Its  invested  capital,  the  number  of  its  employees,  the  value  of  its  annual 
products  and  its  relation  to  the  welfare  of  the  country  are  all  beyond  compare. 
The  construction  industry  comes  second  to  agriculture  with  an  annual  product 
valued  in  normal  times  at  between  three  and  four  billiojis  of  dollars.  As  a  pro- 
ducer of  permanent  wealth,  as  distinguished  from  consumable  commodities,  the 
construction  industry  of  tlie  United  States  is  the  greatest  industry  in  the  world. 
Like  agriculture  its  activities  permeate  into  the  smallest  settlements  of  the 
country,  and  its  condition  is  necessarily  reflected  upon  many  other  lines  of 
busine.ss. 

The  farmers  have  been  notably  short  of  labor  for  years ;  and  this  shortage 
of  workers  has  also  been  felt  severely  not  only  in  the  construction  industry  but 
in  all  of  the  major  industries  of  the  country. 

We  are  at  the  present  time  temporarily  experiencing  a  downward  readjust- 
ment of  prices  which  has  had  the  natural  effect  of  curtailing  business  activities. 
This  has  resulted  luomentaiily  in  some  qma'tevs  in  a  limited  condition  of  unem- 
ployment. It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  this  condition  is  only 
transient,  and  that  as  soon  as  the  Federal  Reserve  Board  program  of  deflation 
shall  have  been  accomplished  business  will  again  resume  up  to  the  point  made 
possible  by  what  is  recognized  to  be  a  considerably  inadequate  labor  supply. 
This  supply  of  labor  is  inadequate,  not  only  in  the  number  of  workers  avail- 
able, but  I  regret  to  say  in  a  considerable  number  of  cases,  because  of  the 
attitude  which  tlie  workers  have  recer.tly  evinced  in  their  employ luent  relation- 
shi}),  which  attitiide  appears  to  have  been  stimulated  by  a  demand  for  workers 
which  has  greatly  exceeded  the  supply.  This  attitude  has  resulted  in  numbers 
of  cases  in  greatly  diminished  output  per  man  and  in  inferior  quality  of  work. 
It  has  also  resulted  in  absenteeism  fi-om  work,  and  frequently  in  very  injudi- 
cious and  even  prodigal  expenditure  of  money. 

This  attitude  is  a  symptom  of  any  ludiealthy  state  of  mind  which,  in  many 
cases,  is  cai-ried  over  into  radicalism.  It  is  interesting  in  this  connection  to  ob- 
serve that,  wliile  employment  was  abundant,  and  at  high  wages,  there  was  a 
greater  tendency  toward  radicalism  than  now,  when  a  limited  degree  of  unem- 
ployment is  being  experienced.  This  fact  causes  one  to  wonder  whether,  follow- 
ing the  conclusion  of  the  Federal  Reserve  Board  program  of  deflation,  the  re- 
suni'ption  of  Inisiness,  up  to  the  insufficient  limit  of  labor  supply,  Vs-ould  not 
again  stimulate  radical  tendencies  in  this  country,  fti  other  words,  the  severe 
shortage  of  labor  seems  quite  capable  of  producing  radical  tendencies  because 
of  an  exaggerated  state  of  independence  in  which  the  worker  finds  himself.  We 
do  not  nee<l  to  go  back  many  years  into  the  history  of  business  to  find  monopolies, 
which  no  longer  exist,  which  caused  certain  business  men  to  adopt  an  attitude 
of  arrogance  toward  the  public  at  large.  This  was  due  to  a  feeling  of  independ- 
ence on  the  part  of  the  business  men  concerned.  An  undue  degree  of  power  or 
independence  on  the  part  of  any  group,  including  labor,  .seems  to  stimulate 
arrogance,  and  in  the  ca.se  of  certain  individuals  in  the  labor  group,  this  inde- 
pendent attitude  seems  to  foster  a  spirit  of  radicalism.  I  should  therefore  leave 
in  your  mind  the  thought  that  the  comi^lete  exclusion  of  immigration  because 
of  radical  tendencies  abroad  may  induce  a  condition  in  this  country  which  will 
develop  domesfc  radicalism  of  the  same  nature. 

Because  of  all  of  tht^e  consideriitions  it  would  seem  wise  to  provide  for  a 
selective  agency  which  would  permit  law-abiding  and  industrious  immigrants 
access  to  this  country,  while  debarring  all  others. 


256  K.MERGEXCV    IM.MKlRATIOX    LEOTSLATIOX. 

We  represent  a  distinjiuislied  and  lumorable  industry,  one  which  has  a  very 
vital  relationship  to  the  welfare  of  the  country  at  larjre,  and  it  would  seem  to 
Die  that  the  trust  that  is  imposed  on  us  as  officers  of  the  National  Fe<leration 
of  Construction  Industries  would  justify  you  in  {roinjr  to  Washin^rton  and  laying 
before  our  national  lefiislatoi-s  the  point  of  view  relative  to  irrrmigration  held  by 
the  construction  industry,  with  the  thoucrht  that  in  re-aching  a  determination 
as  to  the  legslation  which  they  should  provide  in  the  best  interest  of  the  coun- 
try at  large,  our  opinion  may  be  helpful  to  them.  In  so  doing  I  believe  that  we 
can  not  l)e  accused  of  being  prompted  by  selfish  motives.  Almost  a  third  of 
the  business  nan  of  the  United  States  are  in  one  way  or  another  identified  with 
the  construction  industry.  We  are  not  representing  a  small  coterie  <)f  interests, 
and  if  it  nie«  ts  with  your  approval  I  l»elieve  that,  as  chairman  of  the  immigra- 
tion conrmittee  of  the  fetleration.  you  would  be  justified  in  spending  some  tmie 
in  Washington  in  the  way  indicated  above,  without  danger  of  implication  by 
anyone  that  e  ther  you  or  the  federation  is  prompted  by  any  but  a  high  motive. 

With  kind  personal  regards.  I  am, 
Yours,  very  truly, 

Ernest  T.  Trigg.  President. 

Col.  Wiggins.  Our  purpose  in  api^earing  l)efore  the  Senate  Com- 
mittee on  Immigration  can  l)e  stated  in  these  few  words. 

P'irst.  Opposition  to  the  Johnson  bill,  known  as  H.  R.  l-t-lGl. 
Second.  Support  of  the  Senate  bill.  Xo.  4594:. 

Third.  Suirirestinir  certain  changes  looking  towad  the  modification 
or  elimination  of  the  literacy  test  and  contract  labor  restriction. 

We  are  oppo.'-ed  to  the  Johnson  bill  because  it  is  analogous  to  the 
situation  which  would  be  brought  about  by  the  passage  of  a  law  that 
prohibited  the  eating  of  meat  in  this  country-  for  one  year  because  it 
had  been  discovered  that  some  of  the  Western  cattle  are  diseased. 
The  reason  given  for  the  stoppage  of  all  immigration  for  one  year  is 
based  upon  the  supposed  idea  that  there  is  a  flood  of  immigration  and 
a  lack  of  employment  for  our  own  working  people. 

There  is  doubtless  a  lack  of  employment  in  the  ranks  of  a  great 
many  lines  of  industry,  but  these  ranks  are  not  filled  by  the  immi- 
grants. The  greatest  shortage  in  this  country  is  unskilled  or  com- 
mon labor.  The  American-born  youth  aspires  to  something  better 
than  unskilled  labor,  and  the  only  supply  to  keep  the  ranks  of  com- 
mon labor  full  is  through  immigration.  The  discontinuance  of  im- 
migration strikes  primarily  at  our  national  supply  of  unskilled 
labor,  and  secondly  at  the  source  from  which  much  of  our  skilled 
labor  is  recruited,  and  tends  to  increase  the  present  shortage  in  that 
field.     It.  therefore,  strikes  at  the  very  heart  of  industry. 

We  ask  you  to  bear  in  mind  that  there  is  no  lack  of  employment 
for  unskilled  labor,  either  on  the  building,  i'^  the  field,  in  the  mine, 
or  elsewhere  where  common  labor  is  employee.  That  the  argument 
to  the  effect  that  the  country  is  being  flooded  with  immigration  is 
fallacious,  is  proven  by  the  following  figures  on  the  total  immigra- 
tion and  total  emigration  from  July  1  to  November  30.  1920:  and  I 
have  some  figures  here,  but  we  know  that  you  have  had  placed  before 
you  figures  given  out  by  our  immigration  department  up  to  the  last 
Hay  of  June.  1920.  and  I  am  only  going  to  give  you  the  last  figures 
on  this  point,  which  is  the  definite  immigration  during  July.  August, 
September.  October,  and  November,  of  this  last  year  [1920].  which 
is  291.354. 

The  total  increase  in  alien  immigrant  population  for  the  year  end- 
ing June  30.  1920.  was  141.686.  for  a  whole  year.  And  of  these 
onlv  9.877  were  ma'xs.     The  total  male  immigrant  increase  in  this 


EMERGEXCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  257 

country  for  a  whole  year  was  only  9,877.  That  is  1  out  of  ever}'  14. 
And  measurin<j  the  net  immio;i-a'tion  for  July,  August,  September, 
October,  and  November,  1920,  by  the  same  rule,  we  have  an  increase 
of  less  than  21,000  male  alien  immigrants  for  that  period.  This  will 
be  materially  reduced  when  we  ascertain  to  what  extent  common 
labor  has  been  increasing  during  that  period.  The  Johnson  bill  will 
deprive  us  of  even  this  slioht  relief  where  it  is  badly  needed. 

Senator  Dillixgha:m.  Are  you  able  to  explain  the  unusual  circum- 
stance that  you  have  just  mentioned — the  small  proportion  of  men 
coming  in  as  compared  with  women  and  children? 

Col  Wiggins.  To  say  that  I  can  explain  it  would  be  going  a  great 
ways  and  making  a  very  broad  statement.  But  we  liave  discussed  it 
at  different  times,  ;\nd  I  can  say  that  these  views  have  been  pre- 
sented, first,  the  shortage  of  men  in  Pairope;  second,  the  great  de- 
mand or  increase  in  the  demand  f(U'  servants  in  the  United  States. 

Senator  Dillingham.  In  domestic  service? 

Col.  Wiggins.  In  domestic  service.  And,  third,  that  the  inmiigrant 
who  has  come  over  heic  and  has  made  good  has  sent  OAer  to  Europe 
for  the  balance  of  his  family.  Those  are  three  points  whicli  have 
been  discussed  as  being  virtually  the  causes  of  that  influx. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  did  not  mean  to  interrupt  your  argument; 
go  on. 

Col,  Wiggins.  Well,  I  want  to  try  and  answer  any  questions  I 
can. 

The  hostility  toward  immigration  is  the  result  of  our  present  laws 
not  being  properly  enforced,  for  Avere  they  strictly  enforced,  quoting 
from  the  i)resident  of  the  National  Association  of  Ironmolders  of 
the  United  States,  ''we  sliould  hsive  only  immigrants  of  good  moral 
character,  physically  sound,  mentally  comjjetent,  self-supporting,  and 
opposed  to  violence  and  revolution."  And  it  is  our  belief  that  under 
the  Sterling  bill  there  will  be  a  more  intelligent  and  better  enforce- 
ment of  these  laws  than  under  any  other  legislation  thus  far  pre- 
sented. 

Under  a  commission  the  immigration  laws  will  become  more  elastic, 
in  that  the  execution  of  them  will  be  so  enforced  that  they  will  meet 
the  requirements  of  periods  either  of  industrial  stagnation  or  activ- 
it}^  and,  further,  will  control  or  modify  the  literacy  test  and  contract- 
laboi'  restriction,  the  sole  effect  of  which  api)ears  to  be  to  keep  out 
immigrants  of  the  character  most  needed — that  is,  the  unskilled  or 
common  laborers. 

Now,  our  committee,  in  going  over  this  matter,  wanted  to  make  it 
clear  to  you — and  they  will  express  themselves  to  the  committee — 
that  we  are  not  tied  up  to  a  commission,  that  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
opposition  to  the  increasing  of  commissions;  and  later  on  a  propo- 
sition of  another  method  to  take  the  place  of  the  commission,  as 
suggested  1)y  the  Sterling  bill,  will  be  i^resented  to  you.  But  v/e  do 
believe  that  up  to  the  jn-esent  time  the  best  means  of  legislation  sug- 
gested for  the  correction  of  this  condition  is  the  Sterling  bill. 

That  is  as  much  as  I  desire  to  say  in  introduction.  Mv.  Chairman. 

I  want  to  introduce  to  you  Brig.  Gen.  K.  C.  Marshall,  jr.,  former 
Chief  of  Construction  DiA'ision.  United  States  Army,  and  general 
manager  for  the  Associated  (xeneral  Contractors  of  America,  and 
in  introducing  him  to  you  I  want  to  say  that  he  represents,  as  stated, 


258  EMERGEXCY   LVMIOHATIOX    LEGISLATION. 

the  Associated  (Tpneral  Contractors  of  America,  who  have  done 
more  than  any  othei'  of  the  many  associations  united  with  us  in  pre- 
parinjj:  this  matter  for  presentation  to  you.  This  association  is  com- 
j)osed  of  <reneral  contractors  fiom  all  over  the  United  States.  Every 
section  is  covered,  and  (len.  Marshall  is  very  ably  managing  that 
associi'.tion. 
The  Chatrisiax.  You  may  proceed,  Gen.  Marshall. 

STATEMENT  OF  BRIG.  GEN.  R.  T.  MARSHALL,  Jr..  FORMER  CHIEF 
OF  CONSTRUCTION  DIVISION.  UNITED  STATES  ARMY.  AND 
GENERAL  MANAGER  ASSOCIATED  GENERAL  CONTRACTORS  OF 
AMERICA. 

Gen.  Marshall.  Col.  Wiggins  has  just  introduced  me  as  the  gen- 
eral manager  of  the  Associated  General  Contractors  of  America.  In 
the  last  three  months  I  have  been  in  almost  every  large  citj^  of  this 
country  on  business  in  connection  with  that  association,  and  one  of 
the  subjects  that  I  have  talked  to  general  contractors  about,  one  of 
the  most  important  subjects,  is  this  subject  of  immigration  and 
emigration,  emigration  being  of  no  less  importance  to  many  of  them 
than  immigration. 

Just  what  the  number  of  employees  are  in  this  country  in  connec- 
tion with  construction  work  I  am  unable  to  state,  but  it  is  probable 
that  they  number  about  one  and  one-(juartcr  millions  of  men.  This 
represents  all  the  different  phases  of  construction — building  con- 
struction. public-v\-ork  construction,  highway  construction,  and  rail- 
road construction.  The  latter  two  employ  a  A'ery  large  percentage  of 
common  or  unskilled  labor. 

Since  1914  the  amount  of  construction  done  has  been  about  two 
and  one-half  years  below  the  normal  in  this  country,  and  although 
there  is  a  cessation  of  construction,  the  people  who  have  that  most  in 
mind  are  of  the  opinion  that  this  depletion  will  be  made  up  in  a 
reasonable  number  of  years  in  the  future.  In  order  to  meet  this  con- 
dition, however,  it  is  necessary  that  there  be  a  sufficient  number  of 
laborers  in  this  country,  otherwise  it  will  not  be  met. 

We  are  confronted  with  the  fact  to-daj^  that  Illinois  has  not  com- 
pleted its  1918  schedule  of  road  work,  due  largely  to  lack  of  common 
labor. 

With  this  flood  of  constru  tion  bac-ked  up  against  us— and  it  has 
got  to  be  taken  care  of  if  the  country  is  going  to  progress  in  any  way 
nearly  equal  to  its  progress  before  the  war — the  question  of  unskilled 
labor  looms  up  as  very  important.  I  am  not  belittling  the  question 
of  skilled  labor,  but  I  am  not  talking  about  it.  because  usually  what  I 
hear  talked  about  is  the  skilled  labor,  and  I  take  it  that  that  subject 
will  probably  be  more  fully  covered  than  others. 

When  we  consider  the  fact  that  along  about  1914  or  1915  the  con- 
stiiiction  work  of  this  country,  in  the  cities,  where  the  tabulations  are 
available,  ran  about  700,000  square  feet  a  year,  measuring  it  by  square 
feet  of  floor  space,  and  that  8  to  10  months  ago  a  tabulation  showed 
l.COO.OOO  s(|uare  feet  below  normal  in  the  hist  Ave  years,  we  are 
confronted  with  the  fact  that  the  progress  of  the  country  is  bound  to 
be  hampered  unless  there  is  an  outlook  in  the  future  that  will  take 
care  of  that  situation. 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  259 

This,  of  course,  does  not  go  into  such  matters  as  raih-oacl  construc- 
tion, and  we  are  all  very  familiar  with  the  fact  that  additional  rail- 
road construction  is  needed:  nor  does  it  go  into  the  tremendous 
highway  program  that  is  before  us. 

In  the  year  1920  immigration  of  unskilled  labor  over  emigration 
was  108,000,  I  think  it  Avas,  if  my  recollection  serves  me  right,  and 
this  apparent  influx  of  unskilled  labor,  however,  is  represented  by 
the  white-collared  men,  by  women  and  children,  rather  than  the  pro- 
ductive labor  class.  And  any  action  that  would  lead  to  the  lessening 
of  immigration  of  the  unsldlled  class  of  labor  would  seem  to  be 
directly  against  the  interests  of  the  country,  thinking  of  the  question 
not  alone  from  the  point  of  view  of  construction  but  also  from  the 
point  of  A'iew  of  agriculture.  Agriculture  and  construction  draw 
from  one  another  in  the  matter  of  unskilled  labor. 

In  the  field  of  skilled  labor  it  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  now  to 
see  much  older  men  at  work  than  we  were  accustomed  to  look  for  in 
the  building  trades  before  the  war.  Not  only  is  that  the  case,  but 
everywhere  you  go  you  are  informed  that  there  are  few  or  no  ap- 
prentices. Action  is  being  taken  by  the  people  who  have  to  use  this 
type  of  labor  in  several  States  to  get  the  State  to  take  action  looking 
to  stimulating  interest  in  the  matter  of  apprentices. 

The  skilled  labor  that  has  been  used  in  the  last  several  years  has 
not  been  as  efficient  as  it  was  before  the  war.  In  other  words,  the 
quality  of  production  seems  to  bear  an  inverse  ratio  to  the  quality 
or  demand  of  labor.  So  that  this  supply  of  skilled  labor  that  w© 
have  now  is  made  up  more  largely  of  the  older  men  than  it  was 
before  the  war,  and  there  is  a  very  distinct  scarcity  of  apprentices. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  are  referring  more  particularly  to  the 
building  trades,  are  3^ou? 

Gen.  Marshall.  I  am  referring  more  particularly  to  the  building 
trades;  yes,  sir;  the  skilled  labor  in  the  building  trades.  These  are 
facts,  I  think,  that  are  indisputable.  They  are  apparent  to  all  of 
the  people  who  are  in  that  business. 

I  don't  want  to  take  up  the  committee's  time  by  enumerating  the 
different  cities  that  I  have  been  to,  but  I  have  been  to  between  30 
and  35 ;  I  have  been  down  the  west  coast,  south,  east,  and  north,  and 
what  I  am  saying  I  believe  is  a  composite  of  all  of  these  places. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  what  do  you  say.  General,  regarding 
the  condition  of  common  labor  in  the  building  trades  as  to  whether 
it  is  normal  or  below  normal  or  above  normal?  If  there  is  a  short- 
age  

Gen.  Marshall  (interposing).  Yes;  there  is  a  shortage.  Senator. 

Senator  Dillingham  (continuing).  How  great  is  it? 

Gen.  Marshall.  There  has  been  so  great  a  shortage  that  every 
contractor  has  devoted  a  most  undue  proportion  of  his  time  in  at- 
tempting to  keep  the  labor  up  to  requirements.  Now,  what  it  is  in 
figures,  I  don't  know.  I  don't  know  how  many  common  laborers 
there  are.  I  imagine  there  are  in  the  neighborhood  of  400,000  in  the 
building  business,  but  that  is  an  estimate.    They  are  not  organized. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  have  you  had  experience  to  know 
whether  there  is  a  real  shortage  and  difficult}^  in  getting  them? 

Gen.  Marshall.  Oh,  yes. 

Senator  DiLLiNGHA:Nr.  We  will  be  irlad  to  hear  about  that. 


260  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Gen.  Marshall.  The  experience  that  I  luive  had  is  based  u])on  the 
statements  which  the  men  actually  doin/z  construction  work  have 
made  with  respect  to  it:  That  the  shorta^^e  of  common  labor  was 
such  that  if  there  was  inefficiency  on  the  job  they  would  have  to  put 
up  with  such  inefficiency ;  that  they  could  not  rei)lace  such  inefficient 
labor.  And,  in  my  jud<j:ment,  the  inefficiency  on  the  jobs  was  due 
directly  to  the  fact,  among  other  thin<rs.  of  inability  to  replace  these 
inefficient  workmen. 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  effect  does  this  have  upon  the  wages 
paid  to  common  labor? 

Gen.  Marshall.  It  is  one  of  the  contributory  things  to  the  raising 
of  the  wages  of  common  labor. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Could  you  give  us  an  idea,  in  a  general  way, 
of  the  range  of  wages  paid  for  common  labor  in  the  building  trades 
at  the  present  time  ? 

Gen.  Marshall.  In  the  building  trades  ? 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  understood  that  that  was  what  you  were 
talking  about. 

Gen.  Marshall.  Why,  it  runs  from  $1.25  down  to.  I  suppose,  45 
cents  in  some  places. 

Senator  Dillingham.  For  how  long  a  time  \     A  day  or  an  hour  ? 

Gen.  Marshall.  An  hour.     I  said  $1.25  an  hour  down  to  45  cents. 

The  Chairman.  Has  there  been  any  perceptible  decrease  in  the 
shortage  of  labor  Avhicli  you  are  speaking  of  during  the  past  three 
months  ? 

Gen.  Marshall.  During  the  past  three  months  there  has  been  a 
perceptible  decrease  in  the  amount  of  construction  Avork  going  on, 
which  has  had  the  effect  of  making  labor  more  available.  There  is 
not,  to  my  knowledge,  any  increase  in  the  amount  of  labor  available. 

Senator  Dillingham.  It  has  appeared  in  what  has  been  stated  to 
us  that  many  of  the  mills  of  the  country  have  closed;  that  the  op- 
eratives, to  a  very  large  number,  are  now  without  employment. 
Does  that  in  any  way  affect  the  supply  of  labor  in  the  other  trades — 
those  that  you  represent  ? 

Gen.  Marshall.  It  does  to  a  certain  extent.  The  common  labor 
is  largely  drawn  from  immigrants.  The  American  born  and  those 
who  have  been  here  a  long  time  usually  graduate  out  of  that  class, 
and  we  believe  that  it  is  necessary  for  the  productive  labor  to  be  per- 
mitted to  enter  the  country. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  what  I  meant  to  inquire.  General,  was 
this:  Do  the  men  who  are  thrown  out  of  employment  in  the  mills 
seek  work  in  other  construction  work  ? 

Gen.  Marshall.  Yes,  sir ;  to  some  extent.     Not  entirely. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  do  they  in  any  appreciable  degree 
supply  the  lack  that  you  have  been  speaking  of  ? 

Gen.  Marshall.  In  the  last  two  or  three  months  the  situation  has 
notably  improved  in  that  respect.  It  is  due  to  two  factors.  I  think : 
One  of  them  is  the  fact  of  the  great  decrease  in  the  amount  of  work 
underway,  and  the  other  is  that  labor  is  available  by  being  turned 
loose  from  the  sources  that  you  were  just  speaking  of. 

The  Chair>ian.  Assuming  that  this  period  of  unemployment  is  go- 
ing to  last,  would  it  be  especially  injurious  to  the  lal)or  problem  if 
immigration  should  be  suspended  for  six  months? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  261 

Gen,  Marshall.  Yes.  If  the  flow  of  immiofration  were  stopped  it 
would  seem  to  me  that  it  woukl  produce  the  impression  in  the  places 
where  immigrants  come  from  that  it  had  stopped,  and  that  it  will 
not  start  again  until  we  happen  here  to  change  our  laws  again. 

So  far  as  the  construction  industries  are  concerned,  although  it  is 
now  a  time  of  lull,  yet  we  can  not  believe  that  the  country  is  not  going 
forward.  We  know,  from  past  history,  that  a  certain  amount  of  con- 
struction per  capita  has  taken  place.  We  know  that  the  per  capita 
wealth  of  the  country  to-day  is  considerably  greater  than  it  was  be- 
fore the  war.  and  that  means  an  increased  demand  for  the  facilities 
of  life.  80  that  it  seems  certain  that  those  two  and  one-half  years  that 
we  are  behind  in  construction  since  the  outbreak  of  the  Euroj^ean 
war  will  be  made  up  within  a  reasonable  length  of  time,  otherwise  the 
country  will  not  go  forward  with  the  progress  with  which  we  all 
confidently  expect  it  to  go  forward. 

XoAY,  that  being  the  case,  we  have  got  to  be  forehanded  in  looking 
at  the  labor  that  will  be  necessary  to  handle  this,  and,  based  upon  those 
general  premises,  I  am  strongly  of  the  belief  that  no  action  should  be 
taken  that  would  prevent  the  productive  labor  from  coming  into  this 
country. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  you  are  dealing  with  the  larger  proposition. 
Now,  I  Avant  to  ask  you  this  question :  Would  it  tend  to  aggravate 
the  present  situation  with  regard  to  the  nonemplovment  of  common 
labor  if  we  should  permit  the  present  nimiber  of  immigrants  to 
come  in  ? 

Gen.  Marshall.  Yes,  sir. 

The  CHAiR:NrAx.  Well,  from  that  specific  point  of  view,  those  en- 
gaged in  common  labor  would  have  some  cause  of  complaint,  would 
they  not  ?    They  would  naturally  f aA'or  this  bill,  would  they  not  ? 

Gen.  ^Iarshall.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  shouldn't  the  committee  take  that  phase  of 
the  case  into  consideration  ? 

Gen.  Marshall.  I  think  so. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  am  told  that  the  price  of  building  mate- 
rials has  materially  declined  in  the  last  two  or  three  months.  Is 
that  so  ? 

Gen.  Marshall.  In  some  lines ;  yes,  sir.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that 
the  prices  of  the  wholesale  products  are  the  real  prices  that  have  de- 
clined, and  tliey  have  not  yet  reached  the  retail  situation. 

Senator  Dillingham.  In  the  question  of  lumber,  what  do  vou  say 
about  that? 

(ien.  Marshaliv.  Certain  classes  of  lumber  have  very  materially  de- 
clined in  price. 

Senator  Dillingham.  AYell.  has  there  been  any  decline  in  the  price 
of  labor  ? 

Gen.  Marshai.i,.  In  tlie  building  trades  I  know  of  none.  Although 
I  understood  in  California — and  I  suppose  that  it  is  in  effect  noAV — 
that  at  the  end  of  December  on  the  road  work  there  would  be  a  re- 
duction. I  think,  of  "25  cents  a  day.  if  my  recollection  serves  me  right. 

That  is  all.  gentlemen. 

Senator  Dillingha:m.  I  have  no  further  questions. 

The  Chairman.  Very  well,  thank  you. 

Gen.  Marshall.  Col.  Wiggins  has  raised  a  point,  gentlemen,  upon 
which  I  might  haA"e  been  ambiguous.    I  meant  to  say  that  the  present 


262  EMERGENCY    IM.MK. RATION   LEGISLATION. 

iimniirration  was  not  great  enough  to  cover  the  need  for  the  un- 
skilled-labor class,  and  that  the  present  situation  as  it  exists  is  aggra- 
vating the  case,  and  any  lesser  nutaber  would  still  further  aggravate 
it.    That  is  the  idea  I  had  in  mind. 

Col.  Wiggins.  The  next  gentleman  is  Judge  L.  C.  Boyle,  repre- 
sentative of  the  lumber  interests  of  the  United  States,  He  is  en- 
gaged at  the  present  moment  in  the  Supreme  Court  here,  and  has 
asked  permission  to  file  a  brief  which  he  will  send  later. 

The  Chairman.  The  brief,  when  filed,  will  be  received. 

Col.  Wiggins.  And  I  a^k  that  the  Hon.  William  S.  Bennet.  of  Chi- 
cago, be  giAen  the  opportunity,  which  I  understand  has  already  been 
arranged  for  personally,  to  present  the  lumber  interests'  views. 

The  Chairman.  Very  well. 

Col.  WiGfiiNS.  And  now  I  want  to  introduce  to  you  Mr.  Walter  F. 
Ballinger,  of  Philadelphia,  and  in  introducing  Mr.  Ballinger  I  want 
to  say  that  I  don't  know  of  any  other  architect's  office  in  the  United 
States  that  is  covering  quite  as  much  construction  work  as  his  office 
is.  I  believe  that  they  are  covering  more  than  S12.000.000  worth  of 
building  construction  at  the  present  time.  And  I  also  know  that  Mr. 
Ballinger's  concern  has  had  considerable  experience  in  construc- 
tion as  well  as  in  designing. 

The  Chairman.  !Mr.  Ballinger. 

STATEMENT  OF  ME.  WAITER  F.  BALLINGER.  ARCHITECT. 
PHIIADELPHIA.  PA. 

Mr.  BALLiNr;ER.  Gentlemen,  the  building  industry  at  the  present 
time,  as  everybody  knows,  i?  undergoing  a  great  slump.  The  slump 
came  on  in  the  building  industry  ahead  of  the  general  business  de- 
pression. I  attribute  as  one  of  tlie  causes  of  the  great  slump  in  the 
building  industry,  the  shortage  of  labor  of  about  a  year  ago. 

Xow.  during  the  war  the  building  industry,  except  for  war  pur- 
poses, was  deliberately  discouraged  by  the  Government,  and  I  sup- 
pose rightly  so.  because  they  needed  the  men  for  other  work,  but  it 
had  the  effect  of  getting  a  good  many  mechanics  and  laborers  out  of 
the  building  industry  and  into  other  lines  permanently  so  that  there 
are  not  as  many  mechanics  engaged  now  in  the  building  industry  to- 
day, or  there  were  not  before  the  slump  occurred,  as  there  were  before 
the  war. 

After  the  armistice  we  had  a  temporary  slump,  and  people  were 
waiting  for  prices  to  come  down  before  investing  in  buildings.  In 
the  spring  of  1919  the  owners  of  buildings  and  people  generally 
began  to  realize  that  prices  were  not  going  to  come  down.  More  and 
more  of  them  rushed  in  with  their  orders  for  buildings,  and  as  a 
consequence  there  were  more  buildings  projected  than  there  were  men 
to  do  the  work,  and  I  think  it  was  the  rule  that  every  building  was 
from  three  to  eight  months  longer  in  construction  than  the  contract 
time,  than  the  time  solemnly  contracted  for  between  the  contractor 
and  the  owner.  They  had  to  waive  penalties,  and  often  owners  had 
to  help  contractors  out  because  of  this  labor  shortage  and  other  diffi- 
culties, such  as  coal  shortage,  steel  shortage,  and  shortage  in  railroad 
transportation. 

Xow,  in  view  of  the  shortage,  contractors  were  compelled  to  use 
men  for  jobs  for  which  they  were  not  fitted,  and  that  was  one  of  the 


EMEEGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  263 

-causes  for  the  high  degree  of  inefficiency  in  the  buikling  trades.  It 
has  been  said,  I  think,  that  workmen  did  from  one-half  to  two-thirds 
that  they  did  before  the  w' ar.  AVell,  it  was  not  always  the  same  work- 
men. AVe  often  had  to  substitute  inferior  workmen  to  do  the  work. 
That  was  one  of  the  reasons  for  the  inefficiency  due  to  the  labor 
shortage. 

We  were  especially  short  on  common  labor — that  is,  what  we  call 
the  unskilled  labor.  They  are  really  partially  skilled — -that  is,  men 
like  hod  carriers  and  wdieelbarrow  men,  pick  and  shoA'el  men — they 
are  jDartly  skilled  because  they  are  accustomed  to  that  kind  of  work, 
but  they  are  generally  regarded  as  unskilled,  as  compared  to  mechan- 
ics who  spend  three  or  four  years  to  learn  their  trade. 

We  are  short  in  our  building  program ;  the  housing  experts  have 
estimated  around  2,000,000  houses.  I  don't  knoAv  how  nearly  correct 
that  is,  but  we  are  certainly  very  short  on  houses  in  all  the  great 
cities,  and  the  prices  of  houses — that  is,  the  actual  cost  to  the  build- 
ers— are  such  that  the  selling  value  and  the  rental  value  of  those 
houses  make  it  almost  prohibiti\'e  for  the  Avorkingmen  to  occupy 
them.  The  very  men  who  are  emj^loyed  on  them  can  not  occupy  the 
houses,  because  thej^  cost  too  much :  and  that  is  largely  due  to  the 
shortage  of  labor,  the  inefficiency  of  labor  consequent  on  the  shortage, 
the  substitution  of  unskilled  men,  or  partialh'  skilled  men,  for  the 
skilled  mechanics.  We  need  both  the  skilled  mechanics  and  the  un- 
skilled men. 

Now,  as  to  the  skilled  mechanics,  Ave  are  producing  some  in  this 
country,  but  not  half  enough;  not  half  enough  apprentices.  The 
w^ork  is  not  attractiA^e  enough  to  the  American  hoy.  But  of  unskilled 
labor  we  are  producing  none,  except  the  Negroes  in  this  country,  and 
so  unskilled  labor  must  be  gotten  from  abroad,  or  we  must  do  with- 
out it.  And  I  attribute  the  slump  that  is  going  on  noAv  in  the  build- 
ing business  as  being  largely  due  to  the  discouragement  of  the  owners 
a  year  ago — that  is,  from  one  year  and  a  half  to  six  months  ago — 
during  that  year  Avhen  it  was  so  difficult  to  get  a  building  constructed 
at  any  price  or  within  any  reasonable  time. 

I  therefore  hope  that  the  Johnson  bill,  which  I  understand  ex- 
cludes immigration  except  in  a  fcAv  instances  for  one  year,  will  not 
pass.  And  t  belicA^e,  hoAvever,  in  reasonable  restrictions  upon  immi- 
gration. 

I  haA'e  read  oA-er  the  Sterling  bill.  I  am  not  sure  that  I  favor 
all  of  the  provisions  in  the  Sterling  bill.  I  am  not  sure  that  I  under- 
stand it  all,  but  so  much  as  I  do  understand  looks  good  to  me.  It 
keeps  out  undesirables,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  and  permits  the  admission 
of  worlanen  who  are  sorely  needed. 

I  Avill  just  mention  this  one  incident.  There  is  a  brick-mason 
contractor  Avhom  I  knoAv  Avho  said  he  employed  -15  men  regularly 
in  Philadelphia  befoi-e  the  war.  He  had  a  good  many  others  that 
he  employed  off  and  on,  but  these  45  men  he  had  on  his  pay  roll,  and 
kept  them  regularly  until  the  war  broke  up  his  business.  After 
the  Avar  Avas  oA^er  and  business  resumed  he  sent  some  men  around  to 
find  these  45  men.  He  only  found  5  of  them.  And  he  had  to  get 
new  men  to  supplant  the  others.  I  may  say  that  these  5  Avere  still 
working  as  bricklayers.  He  found  a  number  of  others  of  those  Avho 
had  formerh^  Avorked  for  him  rejzularlv  as  bricklavers  Avho  were  now 


264  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LKGl.SLATION. 

■working  under  a  roof  soinewheie.  where  tiiej'  could  work  all  the  year 
round  under  more  comfortable  and  favorable  circumstances  and 
conditions. 

Xow.  people  must  get  higher  wages  in  the  building  trades  than  they 
get  in  the  factory,  because  in  tiie  factory  they  can  work  in  any  kind 
of  weather,  whereas  on  the  buildings  they  can  not  work  in  inclement 
weather,  and  tiierefore  have  a  ])eriod  when  they  are  not  earning  any- 
thing. They  are  usually  paid  by  the  hour  on  the  buildings,  but  their 
wages  per  week  or  per  year  are  sometimes  much  less  than  the  wages 
of  those  Avho  work  in  factories,  whose  rate  per  hour  is  less. 

That  is  all  I  have,  gentlemen. 

Senator  DiLLiXGHA^r.  You  spoke  about  undesirables;  the  Sterling 
bill  keeping  out  some  undesirables:  you  mentioned  that.  What  classes 
of  undesirables  do  you  want  to  have  kept  out  that  are  not  debarred 
by  the  present  law  ? 

Mr.  BallinctER.  AA'ell,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  present  law  is  very 
good  on  that.  It  keeps  out  imbeciles,  those  who  are  diseased,  and 
those  who  are  opposed  to  our  American  system  of  Government.  In 
general.  I  think  tlie  present  law  is  very  good. 

Senator  Dillingham.  "We  tried  to  make  it  as  thorough  as  we  could 
when  it  was  made.  Well,  then.  I  understand  that  in  the  legislation 
that  we  adopt  you  are  against  the  Johnson  bill.  Avhich  would  cut  off 
all  immigration? 

^Ir.  Ballinger.  Yes.  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  And  of  the  other  measures  you  would  prefer 
the  one  that  would  let  in  the  most? 

^Ir.  Ballingkr.  I  don't  know  all  of  the  possible  bills  that  may  be 
before  your  body.  I  won't  just  say  to  let  in  the  most.  I  do  not  know 
whether  I  would  want  to  quite  say  that.  I  feel  that  one  tiling  ought 
to  be  done,  and  I  don't  think  that  the  Sterling  bill  attempts  to  some 
extent  to  do  it.  or  I  don't  know  whether  it  attempts  to  do  it  ade- 
quately or  not.  and  that  is  this :  I  think  there  ought  to  be  some  means 
to  keep  these  immigrants  from  stoj^ping  in  the  port  of  entry.  They 
ought  to  £ro  farther  west,  or  on  the  farms.  They  ought  not  stop  in 
Xew  York  City. 

The  Chairman.  You  are  dealing  with  distribution  now. 

Mr.  Ballinger.  Yes.    There  ought  to  be  a  proper  distribution. 

Senator  Dillinghaim.  To  do  that' wouldn't  you  think  it  would  be 
possible  to  enrourage  them  to  come  from  those  countries  that  send 
immigrants  that  do  not  stop  in  Xew  York  ? 

Mr.  Ballinger.  I  am  not  quite  clear  on  that. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  say.  don't  you  think  it  would  be  be.st  then 
to  encourage  immigration  from  those  countries  whose  people  do  not 
stop  in  Xew  York  but  spread  themselves  out  over  the  country? 

Mr.  Ballinger.  Yes.  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  would  favor  that  ? 

Mr.  Ballinger.  Yes,  sir.  Xow.  I  have  only  spoken  on  the  lines 
that  I  am  familiar  with.  I  am  only  remotely  familiar  with  the 
farming  business,  but  I  understand  that  they  were  very  short  of 
labor  last  year. 

Senator  DiLLiNGHA:\r.  Yes. 

Mr.  B.M.LTNGER.  And  that  that  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with  the  cost 
of  farm  products  and  the  difficulties  of  the  farmers.  And  unfor- 
tunatelv  we  have  been  drawing  farm  labor  into  the  cities  bv  cfivinir 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  265 

them  greater  attractions  there.  >.()w,  we  need  farm  h^bor,  and  we 
can  only  get  that  farm  hibor  from  abroad,  I  think. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Has  it  been  called  to  your  attention  that  of 
the  recent  immigration  we  liave  been  getting  from  eastern  and  south- 
ern Europe,  although  80  per  cent  of  those  people  perhaps  have  been 
either  farm  laborers  or  common  laborers,  eventually  none  of  them  will 
go  on  the  farm  when  they  come  to  this  country,  but  all  move  in  racial 
groups  to  the  sites  of  manufacture  in  the  cities  ? 

Mr.  Ballinger.  Well,  that  is  unfortunate.  It  seems  there  ought  to 
be  some  inducement  given  to  them  to  go  to  the  farm,  or  there  ought 
to  be  some  means  of  trying  to  get  them  there,  and  trying  to  Ameri- 
canize them. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Can  you  suggest  any  means? 

Mr.  Ballinger.  I  don't  know,  unless  it  would  be  that  the  farmers' 
organizations  have  representatives  at  Ellis  Island. 

Senator  Dillingham.  They  do  have  their  representatives  at  Ellis 
Island.  The  law  provides  for  that  noAv.  But  yet  these  people  do  not 
go  to  the  fai'ms.  They  move  in  racial  groups  almost  wholly.  I 
asked  this  question  because  I  didn't  know  but  that  you  had  some 
suggestion  to  make  upon  that  subject. 

Mr.  Ballinger.  Well,  I  am  not  sufficient!}''  expert  on  farming  mat- 
ters to  be  able  to  answer  for  them. 

Senator  Dillingham.  But  you  will  find,  if  you  look  over  the  sta- 
tistics of  last  year,  that  we  have  had  a  larger  j^ercentage  of  Avhat  we 
call  the  "  old  "  immigration — that  is,  immigration  coming  from  west- 
ern Europe,  the  Scandinavian  countries,  the  British  Isles,  etc. — and 
they  do  not  stop  in  New  York.  They  go  clear  through  to  California. 
Now,  I  was  asking  you  whether  you  would  prefer  a  measure  Avhich 
would  stimulate  that  kind  of  immigration  or  whether  you  would 
have  it  remain  as  it  has  been. 

Mr.  Ballinger.  Well,  I  think  anything  that  we  can  do.  any  legisla- 
tion that  will  induce  these  immigrants  to  go  to  the  farm,  or  anything 
that  we  can  do  to  bring  immigrants  from  abroad  that  will  go  to  the 
farm  will  be  of  benefit  to  all  the  ])eo]:)le  of  the  United  States. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  agree  with  you. 

The  Chairman.  You  used  the  term  *'  undesirable."'  I  understood 
you  to  say  that  it  would  be  well  to  exclude  undesirablcH.  Do  you 
know  of  any  way  of  strengthening  the  present  immigration  law  upon 
that  point?  Does  not  the  present  law  provide  a  moral  test,  a  physi- 
cal test,  a  mental  test,  a  literacy  test,  and  a  test  whether  an  immigrant 
is  in  favor  of  revolutionary  measures,  the  overthrowing  of  the  Gov- 
ernment, etc.;  whether  he  is  an  anarchist? 

Mr.  Ballinger.  I  understand  that  it  does :  but  I  do  not  understand 
how  effectively  those  tests  can  be  put  into  ojieration  if  only  applied 
here.  I  don't  know  whether  tlie  present  law  makes  any  provision  for 
examining  them  abroad  before  they  are  given  their  passports  to  come 
over  here.  If  it  does  not.  then  I  think  that  that  should  be  added  to 
the  present  law. 

Now,  gentlemen,  that  is  all  I  have  to  say,  unless  there  are  any  fur- 
ther questions. 

The  Chairman.  Thank  you. 

Col.  Wiggins.  Mr.  Frederick  W.  Koekwell.  Avho  represents  the 
Wholesale  Sash  and  Door  Association  of  Chicajro,  will  now  adrlr?ss 


266  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

you,  g;entlemen.  I  want  to  say.  in  presentinjr  Mr.  Rockwell,  that  he- 
is  presented  to  you  to  show  that  he,  as  well  as  the  representatives  of 
all  these  various  classes  of  industries  that  helonjr  to  our  national  asso- 
ciation, are  with  us. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  FREDERICK  W.  ROCKWELL.  OF  THE  WHOLE- 
SALE SASH  AND  DOOR  ASSOCIATION,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 

Mr.  Rockwell.  Mr.  Chairman.  Mr.  Wifrjrins  luis  said  all  that  I 
came  to  say.  and  that  is  that  our  Wholesale  Sash  and  Door  Associa- 
tion, with  offices  in  Chicago,  representing  a]:)out  75  to  80  per  cent  of 
the  Avholesale  j^roduction  of  that  line  of  material,  are  members  of 
this  National  Federation  of  Construction  Industries,  and  that  that 
organization  is  empowered  to  represent  us.  We  quite  agree  with  the 
attitude  of  that  organization  in  objecting  to  some  of  the  features  of 
the  Johnson  lull.  We  are  wholly  in  accord  with  the  attitude  of  this 
association. 

The  manufacturing  that  the  members  of  the  AVholesale  Sash  and 
Door  Association  are  engaged  in,  Avhich  is  millwork.  is  largely  done 
in  the  Middle  West,  and  we  are  quite  largely  dependent  upon  common 
labor,  and  have  been  affected  liy  the  shortage  of  labor  during  the  past 
few  years.  The  people  of  our  industry  do  not  want  to  see  the  natural 
flow  interrupted. 

Senator  Dtllixgham.  Has  the  closing  of  any  of  the  mills  of  the 
country,  the  textile  mills  and  other  mills  of  that  character,  and  the- 
throwing  out  of  employment  of  men  that  had  been  in  their  employ,, 
helped  you  any  ?     Have  any  of  the  men  come  to  your  assistance  ? 

Ml'-  EocKWELL.  Xot  to  my  knowledge.  To  begin  with,  the  labor 
employed  in  the  textile  mills  would  not  be  available  for  the  mills  in 
our  particular  line  of  business. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  That  is  just  what  I  wanted  to  knoAv. 

Mr.  EocKWELL.  The  flow  would  not  be  in  that  direction,  and  it 
would  not  be  the  same  kind  of  labor. 

The  Chairman.  What  percentage 'of  the  labor  which  you  emplojr 
is  alien  labor? 

Mr,  EocKWELL.  Why,  speaking  from  personal  knowledge  in  the- 
Middle  West  it  is  a  very  large  percentage.  That  is.  alien,  foreign 
born,  and  American  born  of  alien  parents.  Quite  a  large  per  cent^ 
Mr.  Chairman;  I  would  not  know  just  the  exact  figures,  but  I  know 
that  it  is  quite  a  larce  per  cent. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  is  it  50  per  cent  or  60  per  cent,  or  what  would 
you  sav  it  is? 

Mr.  Rockwell.  I  should  say  that  it  is  more  than  that. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  all. 

Mr.  Wiggins.  Mr.  Chairman.  Mr.  Eoger  O'Donnell  is  here.  He- 
has  been  connected  with  the  Immigration  Service  of  the  United 
States  for  over  21  years.  He  is  now  with  the  National  Federation  of 
Construction  Industries,  and  his  time  is  more  particularly  turned 
to  this  particular  service,  the  question  of  legislation,  etc. 

The  Chairman.  What  part  of  the  Immigration  Service  was  h& 
connected  with,  Mr.  Wiggins? 

Mr.  Wiggins.  I  will  let  Mr.  O'Donnell  answer  that  if  he  will. 

The  Chairman.  All  right. 


EMERGENCY   IMMiGEATluX    LEGlSLATiOX,  267 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  ROGER  ODONNELL,  OF  THE  NATIONAL 
FEDERATION  OF  CONSTRUCTIVE  INDUSTRIES,  WASHINGTON, 
D.  C. 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  was  connected  with  the  Bureau 
of  Immigration  in  Washington,  and  I  was  special  inspector  of  the 
United  States  Immigration  Service  for  about  21  years. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Hoav  are  3'ou  occupied  at  the  present  time, 
Mr.  O'Donnell? 

Mr.  O'Donnell.  I  am  now  practicing  law  in  this  city,  sir;  and 
represent  the  National  Federation  of  Construction  Industries,  among 
others. 

The  chairman  of  the  immigration  committee  of  the  federation  re- 
quested me  to  make  an  analysis  of  this  Johnson  bill,  and  to  explain 
to  the  committee  the  view  the  federation  takes  of  it.  its  standpoint 
representing  a  large  number  of  employers  of  a  great  deal  of  common 
labor. 

Tho  hguros  shown  in  the  immigration  reports  since  the  act  of  1917 
went  into  effect  indicate  to  the  minds  of  our  i)eople  that  the  hue  and 
cry  in  reference  to  the  menace  of  immigration  is  not  borne  out  by  the 
figures  themselves.  The  literacy  test  went  into  effect  May  1.  1917, 
and  on  the  30th  of  last  June  there  had  been  three  full  fiscal  years 
from  which  deductions  might  be  made,  and  from  wdiich  comparisons 
might  be  drawn.  And  while  there  has  been  very  much  talk  about 
the  large  numberof  immigrants  coming  in  there  has  been  little  or 
nothing  said  about  the  number  of  emigrants  going  out. 

The  total  emigration  for  the  three  years,  as  contrasted  witli  the 
total  immigration  for  the  three  years,  indicated  that  the  net  gain  by 
immigration  for  the  three  years  ending  last  June  was  176,000  for  the 
entire  three  3^ears. 

NoAv,  the  figures  from  July  tx)  November  have  not  been  tabulated. 
They  are  not  available  in  detail.  And  therefore  we  are  compelled 
to  resort  to  and  use  estimated  figures  from  official  sources. 

The  total  immigration  for  the  first  five  months  of  the  present  fiscal 
year  seems  to  have  been  472,800.  That  includes  nonimmigrants  and 
immigrant  aliens.  The  total  number  of  immigrant  aliens  during 
that  same  period  was  358.531. 

The  total  number  of  emigrant  aliens  leaving  this  country  with  the 
intention  of  remaining  abroad,  according  to  their  own  statements, 
was  121.000,  leaving  for  the  five  months'  period  a  net  gain  of  237.534 
bv  immigration. 

'  The  Chairman.  What  period  of  five  months  is  that? 
Mr.  O'DoNNEix.  From  July  to  November  of  1920,  the  first  five 
months  of  the  current  fiscal  year. 

NoAv.  if  that  ratio  were  to'be  maintained  for  the  entire  balance  of 
the  fiscal  year  it  would  indicate  a  net  gain  by  immigration—that  js, 
immigration  coming  in  less  the  emigration  going  out— of  560,072, 
considerably  less  than  one-half  of  the  immigration  that  came  to  the 
United  States  in  the  last  year  before  the  war.  That  is,  the  fiscal 
year  1914.  . 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  Avas  the  net  gam  m  that  last  year 

before  the  war  ?  ,       t  •     1  •      i 

Mr.  O'Donnell.  I  haven't  the  figures  with  me.  but  I  am  inclined 

to  think  that  the  net  gain  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  800.000  or 


268  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

900,000,  if  I  recollect  it  correctly.  I  have  not  looked  at  tlie  figures 
for  some  time.  I  think  that  the  emijs:ration  was  something  like 
300.000  as  against  1,200,000  immigration. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  have  a  faint  recollection  that  it  was 
800,000. 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  It  was  between  800,000  and  900.000.  I  believe, 
Senator. 

The  CiiAiRMAx.  M3'  recollection  is  that  it  was  800.000,  and  I  think 
3'ou  underestimated  the  emigration  in  the  3^ear  Ijefore  the  war. 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  I  am  speaking  from  recollection. 

The  Chairman.  The  emigration  in  the  vear  before  the  war  would 
run  up  to  between  400.000  and  500.000. 

Mr.  0*DoxxELL.  It  would  run  up  to  between  400.000  and  500,000? 

The  Chairman.  Yes. 

Mr.  O'DoxxELL.  I  have  not  the  figures  before  me.  as  I  have  said. 
Mr.  Chairman. 

Xow.  turning  to  the  unskilled  labor  situation,  which  is  the  situa- 
tion in  which  the  National  Federation  of  Construction  Industries  is 
most  interested,  there  were  S1.T32  unskilled  laborers  admitted  to  the 
United  States  in  the  last  fiscal  year,  and  there  were  183.088  unskilled 
laborers  that  left  the  United  States  in  the  last  fiscal  year.  In  other 
words,  a  deficiency  or  loss  of  102.088. 

Since  the  literacy  test  went  into  effect  in  1017  there  were  114.642 
unskilled  laborers  who  have  been  admitted  a>  immiirrants.  and  there 
were  292.524  unskilled  laborers  who  left  the  Untied  States.  In  other 
words,  a  deficit  of  about  178.000. 

And  let  me  say  that  a  great  portion,  a  very  great  portion,  in  my 
observation,  of  the  laborers  who  have  left  the  United  States  can 
not  return  because  of  the  literacy  requirement.  Consequently  that 
represents  a  flat  loss. 

Senator  Phelan.  They  can  not  plead  that  they  have  already  l)een 
in  the  United  States  ? 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  The  law  only  allows  them  to  come  in  under  the 
act  of  1917.  if  they  have  had  a  seven-year  residence  here,  and  the 
great  majority  of  these  had  not  been  in  this  country  that  long.  They 
came  over  in  the  bumper  years  of  immigration  just  before  the  war, 
and  they  went  back  as  soon  as  they  could  to  settle  matters  with  their 
relatives,  and  so  forth.    That  is  my  experience. 

Senator  Phelan.  The  man  who  had  been  here  seven  years  can 
come  back  i 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  Yes;  the  man  who  had  been  here  seven  years  can 
come  back. 

Xow,  the  analysis  of  the  Johnson  bill  seemed  to  indicate  to  the 
minds  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  National  Federation  of  Construction 
Industries 

The  CHAiR:\rAN  (interposing).  I  might  say  that  the  last  report 
from  the  Labor  Department  was  to  this  effect,  that  for  everv  100  im- 
migrants who  came  in  from  eastern  and  southern  Europe  125  went 
back. 

Senator  Dillingham.  During  what  part  of  the  period? 

The  Chairman.  During  the  fiscal  vear  ending  on  the  30th  of 
June.  1920. 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  "Well,  of  course.  I  don't  know  whether  that 
statement  w-as  based  on  an  analysis  of  figures  or  not.     If  so,  of 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  269 

course,  I  have  not  made  such  an  analysis,  and  I  am  not  therefore  pre- 
pared to  state  whether  it  is  correct  or  incorrect.  I  presume  it  is 
correct,  or  probably  made  from  the  official  figures. 

The  Chairman.  That  is,  in  the  period  from  the  30th  of  June.  1919, 
to  the  30th  of  June,  1920,  for  every  100  immigrants  from  eastern  and 
southern  Europe  that  came  into  this  country  125  went  home.  That 
is  based  upon  the  tables  that  are  inserted  in  the  commissioner's 
report. 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  "Well,  that  would  be  borne  out  or  not  by  a  careful 
analj'sis  of  the  tables,  and  I  have  not  made  such  an  anah'sis  with 
that  object  in  view.     That  is  the  first  time  that  I  had  heard  that. 

I  would  like  to  call  the  attention  of  the  committee  to  the  fact, 
however,  that  the  Johnson  bill  pro]:)oses  to  exclude 

The  Chairman  (interposing).  That  statement  might  lead  to  a 
misunderstanding,  because  the  increase  came — and  there  was  an  in- 
crease, a  net  increase — the  increase  came  from  northern  and  western 
Europe,  and  particularly  the  increase  came  from  Canada.  ^Mexico, 
and  Italy. 

;Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  It  appears  to  our  people  upon  a  review  of  this 
bill  that  it  excludes  the  fit.  shuts  the  door  for  a  3'ear  to  the  man  that 
is  strong  and  able-bodied  and  able  to  take  care  of  himself  and  pro- 
vides, under  section  4,  for  the  admission  of  the  dependent  class — 
the  unfit. 

The  philosophy  back  of  that,  of  course,  does  not  appear  from  the 
report  of  the  House  committee,  which  I  have  before  me  here. 

By  a  strange  freak  of  legislation  the  Johnson  bill,  if  pa^^sed.  would 
not  exclude  the  Japanese,  against  whom  it  was  in  part  aimed,  because, 
while  a  Japanese  can  not  be  naturalized  in  the  United  States,  he  can 
declare  his  intention  to  become  a  citizen :  and  if  so.  under  the  terms 
of  the  Johnson  l)ill.  he  can  send  for  the  relatives  mentioned  in  sec- 
tion 4  of  the  bill  and  bring  them  in.  I  know  of  no  law  that  prohibits 
a  Jai)anese  from  declaring  his  intention,  or  a  Hindu  either,  for  that 
matter,  although  neither  of  them  can  be  finally  naturalized. 

Senator  Phelan.  Well,  I  would  like  to  have  the  opinion  of  the 
chairman  on  that  subject.  If  he  is  not  a])le,  under  the  law.  to  become 
a  citizen  hj  naturalization,  his  declaration  of  intention  would  be  a 
perfectly  vain  act. 

The  Chairman.  I  think  your  point  is  well  taken. 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  is  the  clause  in  the  Johnson  bill  that 
you  are  referring  to? 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  Section  4  of  the  Johnson  bill. 

Senator  Dillingham,  Have  you  it  before  you? 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  It  does  not  do  you  any  good  to  declare  your  inten- 
tion to  do  something  which  is  absolutely  illegal  and  which  the  law 
'forbids. 

Senator  Phelan.  Mr.  Chairman,  how  would  it  affect  the  judgment 
of  the  Immigration  Department  if  they  were  told,  for  instance,  that 
the  Japanese  have  now  a  case  in  the  Supreme  Court,  the  briefs  on 
both  sides  of  which  I  have  read,  iu  which  they  set  up  the  claim  that 
they  are  white  persons,  and  therefore  eligible  under  the  naturaliza- 
tion law?  AVould  it  do  for  the  Immigration  Department  to  deny 
that  claim  in  the  absence  of  a  decision  by  the  Supreme  Court  ? 
26011— 21— PT  o 4 


270  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

The  CiiAiuMAN.  I  think  wo,  are  in  deep  seas  enoufrh  now  on  the 
general  proposition  of  the  bill  Avithout  wanderinfr  out  furtlier. 

Mr.  O'DoxxKiJ..  I  quite  a^ree  Avith  the  eliairnian.  hut  I  would  like 
to  say  that  this  is  the  way  that  section  reads : 

And  fiiiy  alien  who  has  dpclared,  in  the  manner  provided  by  law.  his  intention 
to  become  a  citizen  ot  the  United  States,  and  who  is  a  resident  of  the  L'nited 
States,  may  make  like  application  in  reference  to  an  f)tlierwise  admissible  hus- 
band or  wife,  umiutrried  son  imder  21  year;  of  aire,  or  unmarried  or  widowed 
daughter,  but  no  application  may  be  made  under  this  parajrraph  in  the  case  of 
any  relative  by  adoption. 

Senator  Phei^vn.  Suppose  he  made  declaration  of  intention  to  ac- 
quire real  estate  in  the  State  of  California,  where  the  law  prohibits  it, 
what  effect  would  that  declaration  have  if  the  immifrration  law 
required  that  he  either  acquire  or  seek  to  acquire  real  propertj'^? 

!NIr.  O'DoNNELL.  I  hope  the  Senator  won't  press  me  as  to  a  state- 
ment of  the  land  laws  of  California.  I  will  plead  an  encyclopedic 
ignorance  on  that  subject,  but  I  see  no  reason  why  a  Japanese  citizen 
residing  in  this  country  should  not  come  into  court  and  declare  his 
intention  to  become  a  citizen. 

Senator  Phelan.  Do  you  think  a  court  would  receive  his  applica- 
tion ? 

Mr.  O'DoxNELL.  I  don't  think  the  courts  all  over  the  United  States 
share  the  prejudice  that  the  courts  might  entertain  on  the  Pacific 
slope. 

Senator  Phelax.  Prejudice  in  favor  of  a  strict  construction  of  the 
law? 

Mr.  Q-DoNNELL.  "Well,  of  course,  there  is  prejudice. 

Senator  Phelax.  But  the  law  does  bar  all  persons  from  naturaliza- 
tion except  those  who  are  either  white  persons  or  persons  of  African 
descent.  A  Japanese  is  not  a  white  person  or  a  person  of  African 
descent.    How  would  a  court  receive  an  application  of  that  kind? 

Mr.  O'Doxx'ELL.  I  have  personal  knowledge  of  a  great  many  Chi- 
nese in  this  country  who  have  declared  their  intention  of  becoming 
citizens. 

Senator  Phelax'.  Does  the  Immigration  Service  recognize  that  as  a 
bona  fide  application  for  citizenship  or  naturalization? 

Mr.  O'DoxxELL.  I  don't  know  how  they  could  do  anything  else. 
There  is  the  order  of  the  court  receiving  the  declaration  of  inten- 
tion.   How  is  it  going  to  be  disregarded  by  a  mere  executive  officer? 

Senator  Phelax.  Because  all  the  courts  have  held,  so  far  as  L  know, 
that  the  Chinese  and  the  Japanese  are  ineligible  to  citizenship.  But 
I  made  the  point  that  there  is  an  appeal  lying  in  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  Ignited  States. 

Mr.  O'DoxxEEE.  That  is  of  the  out-and-out  naturalization.  But 
this  is  merely  a  declaration  of  intention.  If  the  committee  wanted  to 
make  this  effective,  let  them  limit  this  proi^osition  to  people  who  are 
entitled  to  become  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  then  you  have 
done  something. 

Senator  Dhxingham.  Your  claim  is  that  a  person  who  is  not  eli- 
gible to  become  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  may.  if  he  files  his 
declaration  of  intention,  then  ask  to  have  his  relatives  brought  in 
here  ? 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Under  the  Johnson  Act,  that  is  your  point? 


EMERGENCY    l.MAilGRATlUX    LEGISLATIOX.  271 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  Exactly :  that  is  my  point. 

Senator  Piiklax.  The  chairman  does  not  think  it  is  a  good  point,  as 
I  understand  it. 

Mr.  0'Doxnp:ll.  Senator  Phelan,  I  am  sorry  that  the  Senator  does 
not  agree  with  me,  but  I  have  made  the  point,  and  I  insist  that  it  is 
one  of  those  points  that  indicates  this — that  hasty  stop-watch  legis- 
lation of  that  kind  is  apt  to  have  that  kind  of  jokers  in  it.  l)ecause  I 
say  this  bill  is  full  of  them,  and  that  is  merely  one  of  them. 

The  Chairman.  I  did  not  intend  to  pass  any  opinion  upon  the 
point  that  you  raised. 

Mr.  O'DoxxELL.  Pardon  me.  ^Ir.  CTiairman. 

The  Chaikmax.  He  might  file  an  application,  and  that  question 
might  not  come  up  until  the  question  came  up  for  naturalization. 

^ir.  O'DoxNELL.  Oh,  I  don't  tlunk  that  would  ever  come  up. 

Senator  Phelax.  Well,  I  am  sure  that  if  the  committee  did  not 
desire  this  provision  to  apply  to  the  Japanese  under  the  circum- 
stances— that  is  to  say,  their  inability  under  the  law  to  acquire  nat- 
uralization— they  would  strike  that  out.  so  far  as  the  Japanese  are 
concerned. 

^Ir.  O'DoNXEi.L.  Well.  T  could  ]ioint  out  a  great  nimiber  of  other 
features  of  the  bill.  l)ut  in  ceneral  my  opinion  of  th.e  Johnson  bill, 
and  the  opinion  of  the  clients  for  whom  I  appear,  is  that  it  represents 
the  last  Avord  in  excluding  from  the  United  States  the  tit  man  who 
comes  here  with  his  capital  in  his  strong  right  arm.  and  Avho  is  willing 
to  go  to  work  and  do  something  for  the  country,  and  it  will  permit 
the  admission  of  the  persons  who  are  unproductive,  and  who  would 
lend  nothinir  to  the  constructive  industry  of  the  country. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Will  you  please  jiroceed  with  the  analysis 
of  the  bill  that  you  just  started  to  make,  if  it  sustains  the  contentions 
that  you  just  mentioned? 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  I  am  afraid  I  do  not  quite  apprehend  your  ques- 
tion. Senator. 

Senator  DILLINGHA^r.  I  say  if  the  Johnson  bill  sustains  the  state- 
ment that  you  just  made,  will  you  point  out  in  Avhat  particulars  it 
does  so? 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  In  the  first  place  it  excludes  all  iiumigration  v,ith 
the  exception,  first,  of  those  people  who  come  here  with  passports — 
that  is  Government  officials,  travelers,  etc..  a  very  limited  class. 

The  Chairman.  You  need  not  spend  anv  time  on  tliat  point.  Mr. 
0"Donnell. 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  Yes:  I  understand  that.  I  am  getting  down  to 
my  point.  It  excludes  everybody  else.  It  excludes  the  man  who 
comes  to  cast  his  lot  among  us  and  do  something  for  the  country 
beside  live  with  or  ujDon  us,  and  under  section  4  of  the  bill  the  door 
is  opened  for  the  admission  of  the  very  classes  denounced  in  the 
House  committee's  report  on  the  Johnson  bill. 

Senator  Dilltngha.ai.  What  classes  are  those? 

Mr.  O'DoNNELL.  Tlie  classes  that  are  dependent.  It  says  so  re- 
peatedly in  the  report. 

For  instance,  on  page  8  of  the  report,  speakinir  of  Ellis  Island,  it 
said :  "  The  bulk  of  the  newer  arrivals  are  of  the  dependent  rather 
than  the  working  cla.sses." 

In  justifying  the  bill  at  all  it  says:  *'  It  permits  time  for  the  con- 
struction, from  the  ground  up.  of  new  immigration  laws  to  take  the 


272  EMEROEXCY    IMMIORATIOX    LEGISLATION. 

place  of  those  now  in  existence  wliich  have  been  amended  from  time 
to  time  to  meet  conditions  as  they  have  arisen." 

Now,  tliat  is  not  correct,  because  the  act  of  1917,  as  Senator  Dill- 
ingliam  knows,  as  he  was  then  chairman  of  tlie  committee,  repre- 
sented a  codification  of  all  of  the  imniiLn-ation  laws  up  to  that  time, 
or  substantially  all  of  them,  and  therefore  the  act  of  1917,  under 
which  you  are  now  workin*;.  is  not  a  patchwork  proposition,  as  this 
report  hints. 

And  repeatedly  in  this  report  here  there  is  reference  to  the  large 
number  of  persons  cominof  in  of  the  dependent  class.  And  yet,  by 
the  strange  freak  of  circumstances,  that  is  the  ver}-  class  that  would 
gain  admission  under  section  -4  of  the  Johnson  bill. 

Senator  Piielax.  That  is,  of  all  nationalities? 

Mr.  O'DoxNELL.  Of  all  nationalities.  I  don't  think  there  is  any 
discrimination  as  to  nationality.  The  door  is  pretty  widely  open 
under  section  -i  for  the  people  coming  here  who  do  not  produce  any- 
thing, who  do  not  do  anything  for  this  country,  but  come  here  to  take 
something  out  of  it. 

That  is  our  point,  that  we  would  like  to  have  the  admissible 
classes,  the  classes  that  produce,  come  in  here  and  help  in  the  recon- 
struction. 

Senator  Phelax.  Well,  the  object  of  that  is  to  give  the  bread- 
winners who  are  here  an  opportunity  to  support  their  dependent 
relatives,  who  otherwise  would  have  to  be  supported  by  them  in  the 
foreign  country  in  which  they  live. 

^Ir.  O'Dox'XEiJ,.  I  don't  know.  Senator.  That  may  have  been  the 
intention. 

Senator  Phelax.  To  facilitate  the  humane  purpose  of  doing  that. 

Mr.  O'DoxxELL.  The  way  it  has  been  expressed  in  the  bill  would 
open  the  door  so  widely  that  the  humane  purpose  is  swallowed  up  in 
the  great  mass  of  unfits  that  are  brought  in  under  it. 

The  Chairmax.  Will  you  please  read  section  4  of  the  Johnson  bill, 
which  you  say  refers  to  a  dependent  class? 

]Mr.  O'Dox^x'ELL.  Yes,  sir. 

Sf:c.  4.  {(i)  A  citizen  of  tlie  I'niterl  St;ites  21  years  of  age  or  over,  who  is  a 
resident  of  the  United  States,  may,  under  tlie  re^Tilntions  prescrihed  by  the 
Secretary  of  Labor,  apply  to  him  for  permission  to  brinjr  into  the  United 
States  or  send  for  an  otlierwise  admissible  wife,  parent,  grandparent,  unmar- 
ried son  under  21  years  of  age.  unmarried  or  widowed  daughter,  or  sister,  under 
16  years  of  age.  whose  father  is  dead,  or  unmarried  or  widowed  granddaughter 
whose  father  is  dead:  and  any  alien  who  has  declared,  in  the  manner  provided 
by  law.  his  Intention  to  become  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  who  is  a 
resident  of  the  United  States,  may  make  application  in  reference  to  an  other- 
wise admissible  husl)and,  or  wife,  unmarried  son  under  21  years  of  age.  or 
unmarried  or  widowed  sister :  l)ut  no  applii-atiou  may  be  made  under  this  para- 
graph in  the  case  of  any  relative  by  adoption. 

( b )  If  the  Secretary  of  Labor  is  satisfied  that  the  entry  into  the  United  States 
of  such  relative  would  not  be  \u  violation  of  the  immigration  laws  and  that  such 
relative  is  likely  to  prove  a  desirable  resident  of  the  United  States,  he  may  issue 
a  permit  to  the  applicant,  under  such  regnlatioiis  as  he  may  prescribe,  which 
shall  authorize  the  immigration  othcers  at  the  port  of  entry  to  examine  such 
relative  up«.n  arrival  at  such  port.  Thereafter  the  right  to  such  relative  to  ad- 
mission shall  be  as  provided  by  the  immiirratlon  laws,  exrej)!  that  it  shall  not 
be  subject  to  the  act  entitled  "An  act  to  prevent  in  time  of  war  departure  from 
and  entry  into  the  Unitetl  States  contrary  to  the  public  safety,  approved  May 
22.  1918."  or  to  the  provisions  of  any  proclamation,  order,  rule,  or  regulati«m 
made  thereunder,  and  except  that  the  literacy  test  may,  in  the  discretion  of  the 
Secretary  of  Labor,  be  waived  in  the  case  of  such  relative. 


EMERGElSrCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  273 

In  other  words,  the  passport  requirement  and  the  literacy  test  are 
set  aside  even  in  favor  of  the  Japanese. 

I  thank  you,  Mr.  Chairman. 

The  Chairman.  Thank  you. 

Col.  Wiggins.  Mr.  Chairman,  may  I  give  these  figures :  The  total 
immigration  for  the  year  that  you  asked  for,  1914,  was  769,276. 

The  Chairman.  Thank  you. 

Col.  Wiggins.  I  next  introduce,  Mr.  Chairman,  Mr.  James  A. 
Emery,  general  counsel  of  tlie  National  Association  of  Manufac- 
turers. 

STATEMENT  OF  MK.  JAMES  A.  EMERY.  GENERAL  COUNSEL, 
NATIONAL  ASSOCIATION  OF  MANUFACTURERS. 

Mr.  Emery.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  am  general  counsel  of  the  National 
Association  of  Manufacturers  of  the  United  States,  composed  of 
some  6,000  manufacturers  engaged  in  general  manufacture  in  som.e  38 
States  of  the  Union. 

At  the  last  conference  of  the  National  Association  of  Manufac- 
turers, held  in  New  York  City  in  May,  1920,  some  1.600  delegates, 
representing  the  membership  of  the  association,  and  representine: 
some  28  State  associations  of  manufacturers,  which  include  in  their 
membership  in  the  neighborhood  of  18,000  manufa^'turers  other  than 
those  in  the  national  association,  expressed  their  views  upon  the  immi- 
gration question,  in  the  course  of  a  platform  which  was  adopted  at 
that  time,  and  as  it  was  pertinent  to  the  discussion  before  the  com- 
mittee, I  Avas  asked  to  present  that  to  your  attention,  and  also  to  ex- 
press the  opposition  of  the  association  and  of  the  State  associations 
through  resolutions  adopted  by  their  respective  governing  bodies,  to 
the  fundamental  principle  of  the  Johnson  bill,  which  was  the  com- 
plete prohibition  of  immigration  for  the  period  of  one  year.  And  to 
express,  if  I  may,  very  briefly  to  you,  their  vicAv  upon  the  pending 
legislation. 

Senator  Phelan.  In  favor  of  the  Johnson  bill,  you  say? 

Mr.  Emery.  Against  it.  That  is,  against  the  complete  prohibition 
of  inmiigration  for  the  period  of  one  year. 

The  general  statement  upon  the  subject  of  immigration,  if  I  may 
give  the  statement,  was  to  this  effect,  Mr.  Chairman  : 

A\'e  believe  it  is  in  tlie  interest  of  the  Nation  to  replace  our  present  xnisys- 
teinatic  control  of  the  aliens  with  a  constructive  pol'cy  of  selective  innniirratlnn. 
The  general  prohibition  of  iminifrration  is  the  counsel  of  bigotry  or  selfishness. 

Ourselves  a  Nation  of  innnigrants  and  dependents  of  innnigrants.  we  ousht, 
in  the  words  of  Madison,  "to  welcome  every  person  of  good  name  that  really 
meant  to  incorporate  himself  into  our  society,"  hut  repel  all  who  will  not  be  "a 
real  addition  to  the  wealth  or  strength  of  the  T'nited  States."'  To  this  end,  we 
should  effectively  exclude  tlie  diseased,  the  criminal,  the  defective,  those  likely 
to  become  a  charge  on  the  public,  any  who  oppose  all  form  of  government  oi 
who  would  overthrow  this  Reymblic  or  effect  iiolitical  change  by  force. 

Our  policy  should  distinguish  the  reiiuirement  for  admission  from  those  for 
naturalization,  demanding  a  working  knowledge  of  English  and  a  practical 
imderstanding  of  our  form  of  government  as  a  prerequisite  to  citizenship,  an<l 
surrounding  the  bestowal  of  that  high  privilege  with  appropriate  ceremonial. 

Through  oftic'al  foreign  agencies  of  our  own  we  .should  systematically  se<:-ure 
accurate  information  of  the  character  and  qualification  of  alien  applicants  for 
admission,  and  to  the  fullest  extent  pr:ictioable  approve  or  reject  them  before 
embarkation.     We  should  supervise  the  distribution  of  the  innnigrants  through 


274  EMERGEXCY    IMMIGRATIOX   T.EfilSLATrOX, 

systematizfMl  dtJicial  and  piivat*^  c-o(ipenitinn.  and  acr\irarely  acquaint  iliem 
with  eiui»l«).viiu'iit  oiipnrtMiiities,  that  hotli  the  affricultuial  ami  industrial  nwds 
of  t\w  Nation  may  ln'  met.  Throufili  the  same  ai^encies  the  process  of  assimila- 
tion iuay  he  jrreatly  aiiled.  When  the  desire  and  qualification  of  the  alien  for 
citizenship  is  fnily  estalilished,  naturalization  should  be  facilitated  throuirh 
uniform  Federal  lejjrislation. 

Tliat  was  the  general  pieniise.  Mr.  Chairman — stating  what  I 
think  is  a  representative  industrial  position — upon  the  general  snb- 
ject  of  inimigi-ation. 

The  Johnson  hill  was  not  at  that  time  before  the  body  for  con- 
sideration. But  something  like  KM)  measures  had  l)een  presented  in 
the  House  on  that  general  subject,  and  the  general  statement  was 
particularly  aimed  at  the  Burnett  lull,  which  at  that  time  was  re- 
ceiving more  favoralde  consideration  and  which  proposed  then  to 
regulate  immigration  for  the  period  of  four  years,  and  which,  had  it 
been  adopted,  of  course,  would  have  been  eifective  throughout  the 
period  of  the  war.  But  the  economic  circimistance  of  the  war  acted 
itself  as  a  prohibition  upon  immigration. 

As  the  gentleman  has  .stated  to  you  here  a  moment  ago — and  I  think 
the  figures  are  verifiable  from  other  sources — the  net  immigration  to 
the  United  States  up  to  November  1  of  this  year,  and  even  up  to 
December  1  of  this  year,  is  substantially  inconsiderable  in  comparison 
with  the  immigration  to  the  United  States  over  any  preceding  period, 
and.  of  course,  it  is  realized  that  during  the  period  of  the  war  we 
had  no  immigration,  and  in  the  period  which  immediately  followed 
the  armistice  the  emigration  was  so  great  as  to  not  only  cancel  immi- 
gration but  it  ran  somewhat  in  the  relation  of  8  or  4  to  1  as  against 
immigration. 

It  has  been  said  here,  and  it  can  be  roughly  estimated,  that  the  net 
immigration  to  the  United  States  from  the  armistice  to  the  present 
day  does  not  exceed  from  "2 .■)!).()()()  to  *275.0()().  Now.  out  of  that  must 
be  deducted  women,  those  who  have  passed  the  period  of  economic 
production,  so  that  the  adult  male  immigration  to  the  United  States 
within  that  period  has  probably  not  sul)stnntially  exceeded,  if  it  has 
in  fact  equaled,  in  the  neighborhood  of  100,000. 

We  are  not,  therefore,  by  virtue  of  any  information  in  our  pos- 
session, confronted  with  such  an  immediate  flood  of  immigration  as 
to  threaten  our  economic  situation. 

And  we  venture  to  suggest.  Mr.  Chairman,  that  a  national  policy 
of  immigration  ought  not  to  be  undertaken  at  a  period  like  this, 
which  is  a  transition  period,  but  extends  its  influence  economically 
upon  the  readjustment  over  the  period  within  which  a  national 
policy  could  be  satisfactorily  formulated  within  reasonable  limits 
of  time.  An<l  we  venture  to  suggest  that  if.  in  the  judgment  of 
the  committee,  there  are  circumstances  within  their  knowledge  which 
indicate  a  flood  of  immigration  beyond  anything  to  be  apprehended 
from  the  facts  in  our  possession,  upon  which  the  natural  limitation 
of  transportation  agencies  is  itself  an  exclusion,  it  ought  not  to 
cover,  at  the  most,  a  period  in  excess  of  six  months,  because  once  a 
prohibitory  enactment  is  placed  upon  the  statute  boolvs  the  news 
travels  over  the  face  of  the  world  slowly,  and  the  news  of  its  repeal 
or  modification  would  not  catch  up  so  rapidly  with  the  fact  of  gen- 
eral prohibition.  And  so  far  as  I  am  informed  by  contact  with  the 
industrial  organizations  throughout  the  United  States  who  make  it 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGKATIOX   LEGISLATION.  275 

a  business  of  studying  the  movement  of  industry  in  the  Nation,  we 
look  foi-Avard  with  serious  concern  to  the  present  period  of  adjust- 
ment through  which  me  are  j^assing,  but  we  believe  that  we  are 
weathering  the  situation  satisfactoril3\  and  we  look  forward  to  a 
continuous  betterment  of  the  situation;  not  to  a  rapid  improvement 
but  to  a  continuous  improvement. 

And  I  think  the  most  reliable  authorities  that  we  have,  Mr. 
Chairman,  are  of  the  opinion  that  we  came  out  of  the  war  about 
three  and  a  half  million  short  of  our  economic  requirements  for 
unskilled  adult  labor.  That  situation  has  not  been  seriously  changed 
by  the  amount  of  our  immigration.  There  has  been  a  temporary 
adjustment,  by  virtue  of  the  decline  of  producing  agencies,  which 
we  do  not  look  forward  to  as  a  normal  condition,  but  the  future,  on 
the  contrary,  would  indicate  that  within  six  or  seven  months  there 
will  be  a  renewed  demand  for  labor,  especially  in  those  industries 
like  the  construction  industries,  for  this  is  an  exceedingly  under- 
built country,  and  in  the  producing  industries,  which  are  not  over- 
extended, and  in  our  transportation  agencies,  which  sadly  require 
extension  and  betterments  as  rapidly  as  credit  facilities  permitting 
a  satisfactory  adjustment  of  that  condition  can  take  place.  All  of 
these  tilings  point  toward  a  renewed  demand,  particularly  for  un- 
skilled labor. 

Xow.  we  face  the  economic  fact  that  we  can  not  find  a  satisfac- 
tory supply  of  unskilled  adult  labor  in  the  United  States. 

Senator  Dilltxgham.  Can  you  state,  Mr.  Emery,  or  estimate, 
the  extent  to  which  the  present  depression  has  affected  the  manu- 
facturers of  the  country?  How  many  of  them  have  closed  down  or 
suspended  operations  ? 

Mr.  Emery.  Well,  it  is  not  evenly  distributed.  Senator.  Some 
industries  are  running  quite  normally. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  We  will  be  very  glad  for  any  information 
you  can  give  us  on  that  point. 

Mr.  Emery.  I  have  no  systematically  compiled  information  on  that 
subject  which  is  at  present  available,  Senator.  We  have  had  informa- 
tion as  to  particular  sections  or  communities  or  types  of  industry, 
but  it  has  rather  been  individual  than  systematically  collected  for  full 
industries. 

Senator  Diltjxgham.  Well,  can  you  tell  in  a  general  way  where 
the  dejiression  is  felt  most  now?    Where  unemployment  most  exists? 

Mr.  Emery.  I  think  it  has  been  more  general  in  the  automobile  and 
the  textile  industries  as  a  whole.  I  should  say.  than  any  other  single 
industry  as  a  whole.  The  fundamental  industries  of  production  of 
the  metals  are  running,  generally  si:)eaking,  on  apparently  a  40  to 
50  per  cent  basis.  ■  The  Steel  Corporation  reports  a  larger  percentage 
than  that.  But  the  evidence  within  the  past  two  weeks  of  revival 
have  been  very  marked. 

Senator  Phelax.  Did  you  hear  Mr.  Wallis's  testimony? 

Mr.  Emery.  Well,  T  did  not  hear  ^Ir.  Wallis's  testimony  here, 
Senator,  but  I  am  familiar  with  Mr.  Wallis's  testimony. 

Senator  Phelax.  Well,  he  stated  that  in  certain  parts  of  the  coun- 
try there  was  demands  for  unskilled  labor  at  $8  a  dav,  and  that  their 
agents  had  come  to  Ellis  Island  and  were  unable  to  procure  it.  Now, 
what  does  that  signify  ? 


276  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  Emeky.  Why.  the  .shortage  of  unskilled  labor  has  been  very 
noticeable  all  through  the  war.  of  course,  and  immediately  after  the 
war. 

Senator  Phelan.  Well,  aren't  the  most  of  those  at  Ellis  Island 
unskilled  laborers? 

Mr.  E:\iEHY.  I  think  a  great  part  of  them  are :  yes. 

Senator  Phelan.  "Well,  do  you  know  any  part  of  the  country  that 
is  seeking  unskilled  labor  at  $8  a  day? 

Mr.  Emery.  That  rate  sounds  rather  high.  I  couldn't  speak  of  any 
particular  section,  though. 

Senator  Phelan.  What  is  the  rate  for  unskilled  labor  ( 

Mr.  Emery.  Why.  it  has  varied  in  different  localities.  It  has  been 
highest  on  the  Pacific  coast  and  in  parts  of  the  Middle  West  and  in 
New  England  and  lower  in  the  South. 

Senator  Phelan.  Mr.  Chairman,  do  you  recall  Mr.  Wallis's  testi- 
mony on  that  point  (  What  pait  of  the  country  is  it  that  is  seeking 
unskilled  labor  at  $8  a  day  ? 

The  Chairman.  Columbus.  Ohio. 

Senator  Phelan.  Columljus.  Ohio.  Mr.  Wallis  testified  that  there 
were  people  from  Columbus.  Ohio,  who  came  to  Ellis  Island  wanting 
imskilled  labor  at  $8  a  day.    What  are  the  conditions  there  ? 

Mr.  Emery.  Well.  I  would  not  regard  that.  Senator,  as  more  than 
an  isolated  instance  of  an  organized  effort  to  secure  a  supply  of  labor 
that  was  necessar\'  locally. 

Senator  Phelan.  For  a  short  time? 

Mr.  Emery.  For  a  short  time. 

Senator  Dillingham,  That  is  what  he  said;  there  were  certain 
localities  that  demanded  unskilled  labor. 

Senator  Phelan,  Well,  why  should  there  be  a  rush  to  Columbus,, 
as  there  is  a  rush  to  Marion  ? 

Mr.  Emery.  Well.  I  don't  know  that.  It  is  rather  suggested,  Sen- 
ator, that  it  is  the  skilled  laborers  who  lead  the  rush  in  that  direction. 

The  Chairman.  Thank  you. 

We  will  now  hear  from  iSIr.  Frank  Morrison. 

STATEMENT    OF   MR.    FRANK    MORRISON.    SECRETARY    OF    THE 
AMERICAN    FEDERATION    OF   LABOR. 

Mr.  Morrison.  My  name  is  Frank  Morrison.  I  am  secretary  of 
the  American  Federation  of  Labor,  an  organization  representing 
over  4.000.000  organized  workers. 

The  position  of  the  federation  is  to  urge  the  adoption  of  the  prohi- 
bition of  immigration  for  a  period  of  not  less  than  two  years,  and 
without  reservations. 

Heretofore  the  question  of  immigration  has  been  Avaged  primarily 
by  labor  on  one  side  to  maintain  living  standards  and  by  cheap  labor 
advocates  on  the  other.  I  do  not  include,  of  course,  many  pereons 
who  oppose  immigration  restrictions  for  sentimental  reasons.  These 
elements  are  comparatively  few  in  comparison  with  the  two  major 
forces. 

But  there  is  another  element  now  involved  in  this  question  that  is 
even  greater  than  living  standards  or  cheap  labor.  It  is  a  matter 
that  concerns  our  Government  as  an  iii.stitution.    Let  me  remind  vou 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  277 

that  democracy  has  as  yet  to  face  its  real  test.  I  have  no  fear  of  the 
final  outcome  of  this  test  if  democracy,  as  we  understand  it,  is  given 
a  fair  chance.  But  I  do  object  to  the  cLaim  that  America  is  "the 
haven  of  the  oppressed"  in  the  sense  that  the  doors  shall  be  thrown 
wide  open  to  those  who  advocate  other  doctrines  as  to  come  in  such 
overwhelminfr  numbers  that  assimilation  is  out  of  the  question. 

The  men  who  now  oppose  immigration  prohibition  are  l)lind  to 
their  interest  as  citizens  and  individuals.  With  our  unemployment 
problems  these  opponents  of  immigration  would  intensify  that  situa- 
tion by  increasing  the  number  of  unemployed,  by  increasing  the 
number  of  those  who  advocate  new  doctrines,  and  who  have  increased 
numbers  of  listeners,  because  hunger  is  never  logical. 

I  submit  that  this  continuous  pollution  of  American  ideals  can  not 
be  solved  b}'  jailing  men  when  they  come  here.  The  sound  states- 
manship is  to  stop  the  course  of  pollution  and  onh^  permit  enough 
of  it  to  enter  the  great  river  of  American  democracy  as  can  be 
assimilated  in  the  whole. 

The  federation,  in  addition  to  asking  for  total  prohibition  for  a 
period  of  not  less  than  two  years,  urges  that  legislation  will  be 
enacted  that  will  not  permit  to  come  into  this  country  any  more  im- 
migrants than  can  be  assimilated  or  can  find  employment  without 
displacing  the  workers  that  are  here  at  the  present  time.  And  just 
as  a  basis  and  in  support  of  that  position  I  would  like  to  read  just  a 
couple  of  paragraphs  from  the  Republican  platform  of  1920,  under 
the  caption  of  "  immigration."    The  platform  states  as  follows : 

The  standards  of  living  and  the  standards  of  citizenship  of  a  Nation  are  its 
most  pivcioiis  possossions,  and  tlH>  preservation  and  elevation  of  those  stand- 
ards is  the  first  duty  of  our  Government. 

The  immigration  policy  of  the  United  States  should  he  such  as  to  insure 
that  the  numher  of  foreigners  in  the  country  at  any  time  shall  not  exceed 
that  which  can  he  assimilated  with  reasonable  rapidity,  and  to  favor  immi- 
grants whose  standards  are  similar  to  ours. 

It  also  stated : 

The  existing  policy  of  the  United  States  for  the  practical  exclusion  of  Asiatic 
immigrants  is  sound  and  should  be  maintained. 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  did  the  Democratic  platform  say, 
Mr.  Morrison?     I  don't  recall.    I  am  asking  for  information. 

Mr.  Morrison.  I  did  not  look  it  up,  because  I  don't  know  that 
there  is  any  declaration  of  that.  This  declaration  was  so  nearly 
in  accord  with  the  American  Federation  of  Labor  that  it  appealed 
tome. 

Senator  Phelan.  The  Democratic  platform  is  not  silent  on  the 
subject  of  Asiatic  immigration. 

Mr.  Morrison.  Oh  no.  And  what  I  wanted  to  say  here  was  that 
if  there  was  any  doubt  in  the  minds  of  the  committee,  because  the 
question  has  been  raised  that  a  Japanese  or  Chinaman  who  declares 
his  intention  to  become  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  would  be  in 
a  position,  legally,  to  send  over  for  his  relatives,  as  outlined  in  that 
bill,  there  should  bo  a  clause  inserted  that  anyone  making  a  declara- 
tion, who  had  a  right  to  do  so,  or  rather,  who  is  eligible  to  become  a 
citizen,  can  do  so. 

Senator  Phelan.  Yes. 


278  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX  LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  Morrison.  So  that  it  will  not.  when  it  comes  to  a  court,  be  mis- 
construed. And  unfortunately  the  courts  do  not  always  a<^ree  with 
what  the  committees  ma}-  decide  in  their  interpretation.  Labor  or- 
ganizations have  suffered  under  the  antitrust  law  and  the  Lever  Act, 
because  they  were  assured  that  neither  of  those  law.s  would  cover 
members  of  organized  labor,  and  the  fact  is  that  up  to  the  present 
time  about  the  only  people  that  these  laws  have  l)een  applied  to  with 
any  degree  of  efficiency  are  the  representatives  of  organized  labor. 

Senator  Phelan.  For  your  information.  ^Ir.  Morrison,  in  that  con- 
nection, do  you  know  that  Judge  Vaughn,  of  the  Federal  court  of 
Hawaii,  has  construed  the  Army  act  to  admit  Orientals  to  citizenship 
wlio  were  enlisted  in  any  branch  of  the  service  in  the  war? 

Mr.  ^loRRisoN.  Xo:  I  do  not. 

Senator  Phelan.  "Well,  that  has  actually  been  done,  and  it  is  a  mis- 
construction of  the  law.  according  to  his  colleague  in  Hawaii.  Judge 
Poindexter.  and  Federal  Judge  Bledsoe,  of  California.  It  was  never 
the  intention  of  Congress,  and.  as  you  say,  it  was  clumsy  legislation. 

Senator  Chamberlain,  who  was  chairman  of  the  committee  at  that 
time,  told  me  that  it  shocked  him  to  hear  that  such  construction  had 
been  put  upon  the  act.  because  it  was  not  intended.  But  it  illustrates 
what  you  say.  that  there  is  much  clumsy  and  obscure  legislation. 

Mr.  ^Morrison.  Xow.  in  January.  1919.  I  appeared  before  the  Im- 
migration Committee  of  the  House.  I  urged  Congi'ess  at  that  time 
to  pass  a  law  stopping  immigration  for  a  period  of  not  less  than  two 
years  after  the  armistice  was  signed  or  peace  was  established.  At 
that  time,  of  course,  like  many  others.  I  expected  that  immediately 
after  the  armistice  peace  would  be  arranged  for  between  the  nations 
of  the  earth,  and  we  would  hurry  on  to  the  bringing  aboiu  of  recon- 
struction. 

So  when  we  favored  this  legislation,  and  the  House  passed  the 
Johnson  bill,  not  the  way  we  wanted,  but  stopping  the  immigration 
for  a  year,  with  certain  reservations,  and  when  it  came  up  here  be- 
fore this  committee.  I  sent  out  a  letter  to  970  secretaries  of  our  local 
central  bodies,  asking  them  to  furnish  me  with  an  estimate  of  the 
number  of  unemployed  at  the  present  time.  This  letter  was  sent  out 
ou  January  4.  I  have  received  141  replies  from  as  many  cities. 
And  the  estimates  of  those  who  give  the  number  in  round  numbers 
of  imemployed  show  that  in  the  1-41  cities  there  are  1.819.-27'2  workers 
unemployed,  since  January  4.  when  the  letter  went  out. 

I  would  not  dare  to  make  a  survey  or  an  estimate  of  what  the  other 
TOO  or  more  cities  will  show,  because  it  may  be  that  in  some  of  the 
cities  which  are  small  the  employment  may  not  be  as  heavy  as  in 
those  which  I  have  heard  from,  so  that  any  survey  that  I  should 
make,  trying  to  strike  an  average,  will  not  be  accurate,  biu  I  will  be 
glad  to  furnish  any  additional  information  that  I  will  get  within  the 
next  few  days  to  this  committee. 

I  will  file  with  the  committee  now  a  compilation  of  the  reports  re- 
ceived upon  the  number  of  unemployed. 

The  Chairman.  It  will  be  received. 

(The  compilation  furnished  by  Mr.  Morrison  is  herewith  printed 
in  the  record  in  full,  as  follows:) 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  279 

Rcijoits  received  upon  iniiuher  of  unciniilotjed. 

Baltimore.    Md 19,000-  I'O.  000 

Chioajro,  111.  (50  per  cent  of  buikling  trades  idle.  40  per  cent  of 
metal  trades  idle.  35  per  eeiit  of  ;iarnieut  workers  idle,  prac- 
tically all  leather  and  tannery  \\()rkersi 200,000 

Cleveland,  Ohio  ( 0;},817  employees  of  mamifacturin;:  )«lants  un- 
employed, !».0OU  in  huildinji^  trades*  (ti^iure  will  be  (ioul)led  in 
next   month),  (5,000  ami^n^'  laki"  W(jrkeis  including  lon.irshore- 

nien,   firemen,   engineers) ]0S.  S17 

Detroit,    Mich 150,000 

Greater  New    York ^00,  000 

rhiladelphia.    I'a 2.S5.  000 

St.   Louis,  Mo 35.000-40.000 

Milwaukee.  Wis.  (in  State  otitside  of  Mil\v:inkee,  80.000) 40,000 

Louisville,    Ky 1.000-     1.200 

Seattle.    Wash 0.  000 

Wheeling,  W.  Va.  (mill  workers.,  .-).000  :  other  crafts,  2,000  >—-  7.  WO 

Minneapolis,  Minn,  (building  trades.  3.0(X) :  metal  trades.  3,tK)0 : 

miscellaneous,  3,000;   textile,  2.-100  i 11,500 

Barre,  Vt 2,  COO 

Wilmington,    Del 9,  870 

Kansas  City,  Mo 7,500 

Portland,    Me 3.  000 

Akron,    Ohio - 20,  000 

Atlanta,    Ga 12.  000 

Bii-mingham,  Ala.  (11.0130  miners  on  strike.  4,000  other  workers 

idle) 15,000 

Great  Falls.  Mont 1, 150-  1,  300 

Little  Rock,  Ark 1,  .5CKt 

Los  Angeles,  Calif,   (all  classes) 18,000 

Memphis,    Tenu 10,  000 

Norfolk,  \A 7,000 

Pittsburgh,  Pa 20,  000 

San  Francisco,  Calif 10,  00(V15,  000 

Boston.    Mass 40.  000-50,  0(X) 

Chester,    Pa 5,0(^0-  7.000 

Chillicolhe.  Ohio   (400  railroad  men.  20(3  other  crafts) GOO 

Elizabeth,  X.   .T 2,0(X) 

Erie,   Pa 6,  000 

High  Point,  N.  C 12,000 

Holyoke,     Mass.      (7,000     textile     workers,     2..500     paper-mill 

workers) 9.500 

Jeannette,   Pa 3,000 

Lancaster,  Pa 4.  OTiO 

Pott.stown,    Pa 3,  200 

Portsville,  Pa 5,  OCXi 

Richmond,    A'a 3,  500 

Statesville,  X.  C 1,  00<V  1,200 

Sunbury,  Pa.   (300  silk  workers,  400  railroad  shop  workers )__  700 

Thompsonville,   Conn 700 

Concord,  X.  H 1.000 

Bellevue.  Ky.   (Kenton  and  Campbell  Counties) 15,000-20.000 

Bloomington,   Ind 1,  000 

Ellwood  Cty.  Pa 800-  1.  0(X> 

G,llesp;e.  Ill 200 

Grand  Rapids.  Mich 7.000-  S.OOO 

Indiana,  Pa.  (Indiana  County.  6,000) 400 

Kinkston.  X.  Y 1.500 

M:lford,  Mass  _: 2.000-  3,000 

Xiles.  Ohio  (950  textile  workers,  340  other  crafts,  does  not  in- 
clude building  trades) 1.290 

Omaha.  Xebr__"l S.  000 

Peekskill.  X.   Y 2.000 

Racine.  Wis 10,  000 


280  EMERGENCY   IMMIGKATloX   LEGISLATION. 

Kockford.    Ill 7,  WO". 

Siileiii.  Mass,   (incliuling  Peabody,  Beverly,  Danvers,  and  Mar- 

bloln'jui,  30.000) 12,000 

Scraiiton,    Pa 10,  000-12,  000 

TdltHlo,  Ohio 27, 000' 

Toluca,  111 50^ 

Westerly.  R.  I 1,500-  2,000 

WlK'i'lina:.  W.  Va.  (5,000  mill  workers,  2,000  other  crafts) 7,000' 

Willliiiaiitif,  Colin.  (1,000  one  day  work-per  week,  3,(XX)  less  than 

iluro  (lays  work  per  week) 300= 

Newark.  N.  J 30,000- 

AUenrown.    Pa 7,  (KK^-  8.  OOO 

Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  per  cent 70 

Ann  Arbor,  Mich 2,000 

Anti.co,  Wis.   (railroad  workers,  300;  other  crafts,  300) COO 

Bessemer,   Ala 3. 000 

Cambridge,  Mass 15,  000 

Cape  Girardeau.  Mo 500-      600^ 

Charlotte.   X.   C 4.  0(X)-  5.  OOa 

Chippewa  Falls,  Wis OCK) 

Clinton.  Mass 000 

Coneaut,   Oliio 1,  00<J 

Danville,   111 2,  500 

Da.vton.  Ohio 25, 0<X) 

Duluth,  Minn 5,  000 

Durham,  N.  C 1.  200 

Dunkirk.  N.  Y 900 

East  Live!-pool,  Ohio 2,  500 

East  ililliiiockey,  Me 400 

Faribault,    Minn 4(K.>-       50O 

Galesburg,  111 .500 

Gulfport,  Miss 250 

Hartford,  Conn 0,  500 

Kansas  City,  Kans 5,  000 

Kenosha,    Wis 10.  <KX>-12,  0(X> 

Kewauee,  HI 1.  0<Xt 

La  Salle,  111.  (800  half  time) 1,000 

La  Crosse,  Wis 900 

Lansford,    Pa 1,  000 

Livermore  Falls,  Me 100 

Lockport,  N.  Y 2,000 

Mankato,  Minn .3<X> 

Mansfield,   Ohio 4.  000 

Mason  City.  Iowa .500-      600 

Meriden,  Miss 150 

Middletowu,   Ohio 2.  000 

Mobile,  Ala 2.  300 

Montpelier,  Vt 520 

New  Brighton,  Pa 5,000-  6,000 

Newton,  Iowa 1,  .5(X) 

New  Philadelphia,  Ohio per  cent 25 

New  Rochelle,  N.  Y 200 

Norwalk,  Ohio 700 

North  Platte,  Nebr 250 

Oil  City,  Pa 1.50-       20O 

Ottumwa.   Iowa 1,  500 

Pawtucket,  R.  I.  (8,000  work  3  days  a  week) 2,500 

Petersburg,   Va 2,  300 

Pensacola,  Fla 300-       50O 

Poughkeepsie,  N.   Y'^ i  2.875 

Providence,  R.  I.  (17,000  of  this  number  textile  workers) 23,000 

Rhinelander,   Wis 1.000-  1,200 

Richmond,    Ind 2,000     » 

Rochester,  N.  Y     35.000 

Rumford.   :Me 1,  fKM) 

Sedalia.  Mo.  (prospects  of  considerable  more  in  near  future) .500 

St.  Albans,  Vt 150 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  281 

Shelbvville,  Ind 1,  350 

Sheboygan,  Wis 4,  000 

Spartanburg,  S.  C percent—  50 

Taiiipa,  Fla 20.  000 

Titusville,  Pa 1,200 

Utica,  N.  Y 2,000 

Vineland,  N.  J. :  Glnss  workers,  30  per  cent :  lanipworkers,  93  per 
cent ;  painters,  10  per  cent ;  shoe  workers.  59  per  cent ;  garment 
workers,  75  per  cent;  wa,i«t  makers,  100  per  cent  (closed  down 
since  July)  ;  carjienters,  25  per  cent;  phunbers,  50  per  cent; 
electricians,  50  per  cent. 

Wabash,  Ind 3,  000 

Washington,  Ind 1,  0(X) 

Washington,  Pa 1. 100 

WaukeuMn.    Ill 5.  000 

Wankeshii.  Wis 1,  200 

York,   Pa 6,  000 

Youngstown.  Ohio 15.  000 

Bridgeport,    Conn 30.  000 

Battle   Creek,   :\Iich 3,  .500 

Greensboro.  N.  C 1.  00(> 

Jackson,  Ohio 500 

El  Paso,  Tex 3,000 

Camden.  N.  .T 25,000 

Green  Bay.  Wis 700 

Tomahawk,    Wis 500 

Total 1,  819.  272 

Senator  Dillingham.  AVill  you  tell  us  what  the  number  of  the 
union  laborers  were  in  the  cities  which  did  report?  You  have  given 
the  number  of  unemployed. 

Mr.  Morrison.  I  have  never  had  that  information  at  our  head- 
■quarters  by  cities — ^that  is,  as  to  the  number  of  men  who  are  union 
men  in  the  cities. 

Senator  Dillingham.  So  you  are  not  able  to  tell  us  the  proportion  ? 

Mr.  Morrison.  I  will  say  that  this  is  not  the  estimate  of  the  un- 
employed members  of  unions.  That  this  is  the  nearest  estimate  that 
they  could  get  of  all  the  unemployed,  union  and  nonunion. 

Senator  Dillingha:h.  And  those  figures  were  secured  through 
whom,  did  you  say? 

Mr.  MoRRi.'^oN.  Through  the  secretaries  of  our  central  bodies. 
These  central  l)odies  are  the  same  as  the  central  body  in  Washington 
and  in  Xew  York  and  in  Chicago,  and  they  are  men  who  would  have 
the  best  opportunity  to  give  a  fair  estimate.  I  understand  that  Mr. 
Dinsmore  is  making  a  survey,  and  I  Avill  pi'.obably  have  that  survev 
on  the  15th  of  this  month.  ^  I  have  only  heard  of  that  and  don't 
know  whether  that  is  true. 

The  Chairman.  ]Mr.  ISIorrison,  Avill  you  be  kind  enough  to  file  any 
additional  data  which  you  may  receive  upon  that  point  of  unemploy- 
ment with  the  committee? 

Mr.  Morrison.  I  would  be  glad  to.  There  would  be  no  advantage 
in  reading  the  numbers  that  are  sent  out  in  this  statement  which  I 
have  filed,  except  to  give  the  total.  But  perhaps  I  could  give  you 
Chicago.  It  is  conservatively  estimated  that  in  Chicago  over  200.000 
men  a"re  idle.  Fifty  per  cent  of  the  building  trades  are  idle.  40  per 
cent  of  the  metal  trades  are  idle,  35  per  cent  of  the  garment  workers 
are  idle,  an<l  practically  all  the  leather  and  tannery  workers  are  idle. 

Senator  Phelan.  Have  vou  anvthing  on  unskilled  labor? 


282  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  M(»inns(.N.  AVell.  that  would  he  the  buiklin;:  laborers:  that 
would  be  in  the  building  trades  fifrures  that  I  gave. 

Xow,  in  connection  with  that  I  want  to  take  u})  a  statement  that 
was  mentioned  to-day,  and  that  statement  was  made  by  Mr.  AVallis. 
The  statement  was  to  tin'  effect  that  he  had  been  asked  for  '200  men 
to  come  to  Columbus.  Ohio,  at  i?8.50  a  day.  I  immediately  Avired  our 
secretary  of  the  central  body  asking  him  if  there  were  any  unem- 
ployed, what  the  highest  wage  was  that  was  paid,  and  what  was  the 
wage  of  the  common  laborers  there — the  building  laborers.  The 
building  laborers  get  the  highest  wage.  And  this  is  the  telegram, 
that  I  received  in  reply : 

Hijrhest  wage  paid  c-onmi'Hi  hihorer  liere  65  cents  per  hour.  Not  over  50  men 
receive  that.  Avera?re  for  coniiiioii  lahor.  50  cents  per  hour.  Over  5(X)  men 
hiiil  off  this  week.  Work  is  .scarce.  The  highest  paid  nieclumic  does  not  get 
$S.50  per  day.  Ler  ns  know  where  tliese  men  are  wanted,  as  we  can  furnish 
200  men  to-morrow  witliout  going  out  of  Columbus,  Ohio. 

And  I  might  say  that  I  have  written  to  Commissioner  Wallis  con- 
veying this  information  to  him.  and  asking  him  to  furnish  me  with 
the  name  of  the  man  that  supplied  him  the  information.  I  might 
say  that  common  lalior  in  no  part  of  the  country  receives  more  than 
about  78  cents  at  the  highest,  but  40  to  60  cents  is  the  highest  wage 
paid,  even  where  they  are  the  most  thoroughly  organized. 

Senator  Phelan.  They  work  eight  hours  a  day? 

]Mr.  ^loRRisoN.  Yes. 

Senator  Phelax.  There  is  a  limitation  of  eight  hours  by  law? 

^Ir.  MoRRLsox.  Xo.  sir:  eight  hours  by  the  ndes  of  the  union,  not 
by  law. 

I  will  now  take  p.p.  if  you  do  not  mind,  a  few  of  the  statements 
that  have  been  ma«le  in  regard  to  the  cigar  makers  in  Tampa.  That 
question  was  raised,  and  Mr.  Perkins,  president  of  the  Cigar  ^lakers' 
National  I'nion.  furnished  me  with  a  statement  in  regard  to  the 
situation  there.  And  it  is  entirely  at  variance  with  the  information 
conveyed  to  this  committee — as  much  so.  almost,  as  the  information 
conveyed  to  the  committee  al>out  the  200  men  wanted  in  Colimibus 
at  $8.50  a  clay. 

I  will  read  this  memorandiun  furnished  by  ^Ir.  G.  W.  Perkins^ 
international  president. 

(The  memorandimi  by  Mr.  Perkins  was  read  into  the  record  hx  Mr. 
Morrison,  and  is  here  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

MEMOBANDril   BY   G.    W.   PERKINS.    INTEUNATION^VL   PKKSIDEXT. 

The  facts  in  the  case  are  that  a  few  da.vs  ago  Messrs.  McKay  and  others, 
representing  the  Tampa  Cigar  ^lanufacturers'  Association,  macle  statements^ 
before  your  committee  which  are  at  variance  witli  the  facts  in  the  case  con- 
cerning the  difficulty  in  Tampa.  Mr.  McKay  Is  reported  to  have  said,  "There 
are  ]5.<>10  cigar  makers  in  Tampa  :  65  per  cent  come  from  Cuba,  15  per  cent 
from  Sjiain,  and  20  per  cent  from  Italy.  No  American  cigar  makers  are  in 
this  industrj-.  American  workers  could  not  make  cigars  by  hand.  Ameritan 
cigar  makers  generally  follow  the  machine  and  mold  process.  It  is  uecessar5\ 
therefore,  to  keep  the  door  open  for  Cubans  to  come  in.  Cuban  cigar  makers 
are  the  highest  paid  in  the  world.  They  average  fiom  ,$1(X>  to  .^125  a  week. 
They  were  satisfied  until  10  months  ago,  when  a  fight  was  made  for  the  so-called 
closetl  shop,  which  the  cigar  manufacturers  of  Tampa  will  never  stand  for. 
.More  than  lO.OdO  of  the  former  cigar  makers  went  l)ack  to  Cuba,  where  they 
spent  their  money  and  are  now  stranded  and  want  to  come  back.  The  manu- 
facturers are  willing  to  pay  their  passage  'oack.     I'nless  these  Cuban   cigar 


EMERGEXCY   I.MMIGKATION   LEGISLATION.  283 

makers  come  back  the  cijrar  business  of  Florida  will  be  ruined  forever.  There 
is  really  now  no  strike  there,  as  there  are  less  than  100  men  who  are  taking 
an  active  part  in  the  union. 

There  never  were  15,000  cigar  makers  in  Tampa,  The  official  figures  taken 
from  the  official  count  of  the  cigar  makers  employed  in  Tampa  about  February 
1,  1920,  show  that  there  were  actually  8,125  cigar  makers  all  told  employed  in 
the  city  of  Tampa.  Fully  30  per  cent  of  these  are  American.  Some,  of  course, 
were  born  of  Cuban,  Spanish,  or  Italian  parentage.  Another  30  per  cent  have 
lived  here  long  enough  to  be  American  citizens,  whether  they  are  or  not.  There 
are  quite  a  number  of  American-born  cigar  makers ;  that  is,  boi-n  of  parents 
who  have  lived  in  this  country  for  years. 

The  average  pay  of  the  cigar  makers,  Cuban,  Spanish,  or  American,  in  Tampa 
prior  to  the  war  averaged  not  more  than  $1G  per  week.  Of  course,  a  few  made 
more  than  that,  but  the  great  mass,  easily  85  or  90  per  cent,  did  not  average, 
week  in  and  week  out,  more  than  that  sum.  At  the  time  of  the  start  of  the 
strike  and  lockout  10  months  ago  the  general  average  did  not  exceed  !!=25  per 
\\e "k.  we;  k  i  '  ai.<l  wcv'k  our.  v  if  {'(ii'i-se.  ;i  tew.  say  2  per  cent,  received  $40  or 
?50  per  week.  These  were  exceptionally  fast  workmen  employed  upon  un- 
usually high-priced  cigars.  A  few  packers,  less  than  6  per  cent  of  the  indus- 
try, when  working  steadily  and  overtime,  received  $40  or  $50  per  week,  and  in 
a  few  instances,  $60  per  week. 

Tlie  statement  that  Americans  can  not  make  cigars  by  hand-work  process  is 
a  libel  upon  American  workmanship  and  is  absolutely  false.  The  original 
style  and  system  of  making  cigars  in  this  country  was  by  hand-work  process. 
Fully  75  per  cent  of  all  cigar  makers  in  the  United  States  can  either  make 
cigars  by  hand  or  could  do  so  with  a  few  weeks'  practice.  There  are  more 
cigar  makers  making  cigars  under  the  hand-made  process  in  five  towns  outside 
of  Tampa  than  are  all  told  in  Tampa,  where  the  claim  is  made  that  nothing 
but  hand  workers  are  employed.  The  facts,  taken  from  the  official  records, 
show  that  prior  to  the  strike  5,232  cigar  makers  were  employed  on  hand  work, 
while  2,393  were  employed  at  making  cigars  by  the  mold  system.  The  process 
of  making  cigars  is  universal  all  over  the  United  States.  In  all  towns  and 
cities  both  the  hand  system  and  the  mold  system  are  used  in  the  process  of 
making   cigars. 

About  10  months  ago  the  manufacturers  of  Tampa,  without  any  warning  and 
without  any  justifiable  cause,  discharged  and  victimized  150  members  of  the 
union,  who  were  shop  collectors,  that  is  men  authorized  by  the  union  as  a 
matter  of  convenience  to  collect  the  union  dues  of  the  members.  Dues  can  not 
very  well  be  collected  in  big  shops  under  any  other  plan,  as  it  would  be  an 
inconvenience  and  almost  impossible  for  the  men  to  go  on  Saturday  night  to 
the  union  headquarters  to  pay  their  dues.  It  would  necessitate  a  line  that 
would   extend   clear   around   the  block. 

This  action  of  the  employers  naturally  arous-d  the  resentment  of  tho  cigar 
makers,  but  despite  this  they  remained  at  work  and  exhausted  every  honorable 
means  possible  to  induce  the  manufacturers  to  reinstate  these  members  or 
permit  them  to  secure  employment  in  other  factories,  all  to  no  avail.  These 
nn^n  who  were  discharged  and  victimized  were  not  i>erniitted  to  secure  employ- 
ment in  any  factory  in  Tampa.  This  brutal  system  of  persecution  continued 
until  the  union  was  forced  in  self-d(>fense  to  strike  to  jn-event  the  further  dis- 
charge and  victimization  of  its  members.  A  strike  was  called  in  a  few  of  the 
factories,  and  for  this  purpose  only — that  is,  to  protect  their  own  members  in 
their  right  to  organize  and  collective  bargaining.  The  maiiufacturers'  associa- 
tion tlien  immediately  locked  the  doors  of  all  factories  and  the  men  have  been 
locked  out  ever  since. 

At  no  time  has  the  union  demanded  the  strictly  union  shop  (miscalled  the 
closed  shop  by  the  manufacturers).  The  local  unions  in  Tampa,  with  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  Cigar  Makers'  International  Union,  have  exhausted  all  honor- 
able means  to  secure  even  a  conference  with  the  manufacturers,  which  was 
absolutely  denied  them.  The  Federal  Government,  through  the  Labor  Depart- 
ment, sent  a  conciliator  to  Tampa,  and  the  manufacturers  absolutely  refused  to 
discu.ss  tb.e  matter  with  him  and  politely  re(iuested  him  to  leave  town,  which 
he  did.  They  finally  drove  the  representative  of  the  international  union  out 
of  the  city,  who  wa.s  there  for  the  sole  and  only  purpose  of  trying  to  get  the 
two  sides  together  in  conference.  Ti(>peated  efforts  have  been  made  to  bring 
about  a  conference  whereby  this  diftieulty  can  be  honorably  and  amicably  ad- 
justed, but  all  of  our  pleas  have  fallen  upon  unresponsive  ears. 


284  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

The  statiMiicnt  tliat  10.000  Ciilcm  cijiar  niakns  have  j^one  back  to  Cuba  is 
ridiculous  and  absolutely  at  variiinco  with  the  facts.  There  were  not  10,000 
clear  makers  in  Taniita  of  all  races  at  any  time.  No  more  than  LOOO,  if  that 
many,  went  to  Cuba  wlu-n  the  .strike  and  lockout  started.  Many  of  these  have 
returned  either  to  Tampa,  Key  West,  New  York,  or  other  places.  The  turning 
of  the  .strike  does  not  hinjie  upon  Cuba  or  Cuban  ciaav  makers.  The  Tampa 
strikt'  can  be  .settled  any  time  the  manufacturers  are  willing  to  open  tlieir 
doors  under  fair,  honorable,  and  decent  conditions.  W«^  stand  willing  and 
ready  to  arbitrate,  and  we  can  guarantee  that  we  can  furnish  them  more  cigar 
makers  of  the  very  highest  skill  within  48  hours  than  they  can  use.  and  we 
sliall  not  have  to  draw  on  Cuba  for  a  single  one.  Hundreds  of  Tampa  cigar 
makers  who  have  found  employment  in  other  places,  but  have  lived  their  whole 
lives  in  Tampa,  would  be  glad  to  go  back  and  would  be  \\illing  to  do  so  under 
halfway  favorable  circumstances  and  conditions. 

The  statement  that  only  100  men  are  now  taking  ;ictive  i)art  in  the  union 
is  as  false  as  their  other  statements.  The  official  records  at  headcpiarters  show 
that  4,008  members  are  officially  drawing  strike  benefits  in  Tampa  to-day. 

Every  known  means,  fair  or  foul,  has  been  used  l»y  the  manufacturers  against 
tlie  defenseless  cigarmakers,  while  the  manufacturers  have  been  ]iermittetl  to 
and  have  violated  every  known  law  that  it  became  necessary  to  violate  in  their 
efforts  to  crush  the  spirit  of  the  cigarmakers  of  Tampa.  They  have  operated 
in  violation  of  tlie  Federal  trade  laws,  and  quo  warranto  proceedings  are  now 
pending  against  tliem  for  tliis  act.  They  have  unlawfully  and  maliciously 
driven  representatives  of  the  international  union  out  of  Tampa  for  absolutely 
no  cause.  They  have  now  secured  a  temporary  Federal  injunction  militating 
harshly  against  the  locked  out  cigarmakers,  and  they  are  now  a.sking  the  Fed- 
eral Government,  through  the  Department  of  Labor,  to  assist  them  in  securing 
strike  breakers. 

Mr.  Morrison.  I  have  felt  that  that  statement  shoiihl  ])e  inserted, 
and  that  the  committee  should  know  that  the  Tampa  situation  is 
simply  the  effort  made  by  these  men.  after  the  war  and  when  there 
is  this  tremendous  number  of  people  unemployed,  to  reduce  wa^es. 
As  stated,  the  struggle  goin^'  on  now  has  on  the  one  side  the  repre- 
sentatiA'es  of  great  industries  that  refuse  to  permit  their  people  to 
organize.  They  want  unlimited  immigration.  That  is  the  old  story. 
On  the  other  side  there  is  the  struggle  of  the  unions  to  prevent  the 
lengthening  of  the  hours  and  to  prevent  the  reduction  of  wages. 

Dr.  Henry  W.  Berg,  representing  the  Greater  Xew  York  Taxpay- 
ers' Association,  states  that  the  housing  shortage  was  due  to  the  ex- 
tremely high  wages:  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  reduce  the  cost 
of  labor  in  housing  if  immigration  was  restricted,  and  that  unem- 
ployment was  due  to  high  wages.  The  question  of  high  Avages  has 
created  a  great  deal  of  attention,  and  the  committee  should  take  that, 
probably,  into  consideration.  And  I  don't  want  to  refer  always  to 
the  Eepublican  campaign  book,  but  they  had  a  declaration  that  the 
chief  cause  of  the  so-called  high  wages  was  due  to  the  de])reciation 
of  the  dollar,  so  that  it  would  buy  less  than  50  cents  worth  now :  that 
it  woidd  buy  less  than  50  per  cent  of  wliat  it  did  in  1913  and  191-1. 
and  that  Avas  due  to  the  inflation  of  the  currency. 

Now,  my  contention  is  that  even  at  the  lowered  figures  a  man  must 
receive  at  least  twice  as  much  as  he  did  in  1913  and  1914,  in  dollars, 
to  have  the  same  wage  as  he  did  ha^e  in  1913  and  191-1:;  if  he  does  not. 
it  means  that  he  is  getting  a  reduction  under  what  he  received  in 
wages  in  1913  and  1914. 

And  we  will  only  get  the  dollar  back  Avhen  we  have  paid  our 
de))ts,  and  Avhen  Ave  have  enough  gold  back  of  our  printed  dollars 
so  that  the  man  knoAvs  that  he  has  got  a  dollar  that  Avill  buy  a  dol- 
lar's Avorth  of  merchandise. 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  285 

Now,  this  statement  is  one  that  seems  to  catch  the  minds  of  some' 
men,  that  if  a  man  to-day  gets  $8  where  he  used  to  get  $4,  if  yoit 
could  put  him  back  to  $4  it  would  reduce  the  cost  of  living.  That 
is  the  thought  in  many  people's  minds.  In  Mexico  they  had  this 
situation  years  ago :  They  paid  the  wdiite  man  a  dollar  and  they 
paid  the  ^lexican  a  dollar,  but  the  white  man  Avas  paid  a  dollar  in 
gold  and  the  Mexican  was  paid  in  the  Mexican  dollar.  They  both 
had  a  dollar,  but  the  white  man  had  a  dollar  that  would  buy  a  dol- 
lar's worth  of  merchandise,  whereas  the  Mexican  had  a  dollar  that 
would  only  buy  50  cents'  worth  of  merchandise.  And  we  are  run- 
ning along  now  with  our  Mexican  dollar  with  which  to  buy  our 
product,  and  until  you  change  that  the  wageworkers  of  this  country 
must  not  only  retain  what  they  are  getting  now,  but  in  some  in- 
stances, if  the  cost  of  living  does  not  materially  come  down,  the 
wages  of  these  wageworkers  should  be  increased. 

Mr.  H.  L.  Flam,  president  of  the  Association  of  Dress  Manufac- 
turers of  New  York,  held  that  American  girls  would  not  work  in 
the  industries,  while  they  did  work  as  stenographers,  bookkeepers, 
etc.,  for  $15  a  week,  but  would  not  work  in  the  factories  at  $40  or 
$50  a  week. 

Now,  in  New  York,  up  to  within  10  years,  that  industry  was  a 
sweatee!  industry,  with  very  low^  wages,  and,  of  course,  it  drove  the 
American  girls  out,  and  only  the  girls  that  came  in  from  the  foreign 
countries  that  would  work  at  these  low  wages  would  take  their 
places.  This  situation  was  admirably  brought  to  the  attention  of 
the  cliairman  and  the  tw^o  Senators  sitting  here  bj'-  Andrew  Furu- 
seth  when  he  demonstrated  that  when  the  wages  were  increased  for 
seamen,  and  conditions  under  which  they  could  work  were  satis- 
factory, it  resulted  in  the  employment  of  American  seamen,  raising 
the  number  of  American  seamen  employed  from  a  small  per  cent — 6 
per  cent,  about — up  to  over  50  per  cent.  And  I  think  Admiral  Gibson 
has  thrown  out  a  warning  that  this  should  not  be  departed  from ;  that 
the  American  seamen  should  be  employed  and  retained  for  the  benefit 
of  the  country,  and  that  the  mere  amount  of  difference  of  salaries 
should  not  be  considered ;  that  the  saving  that  might  be  accomplished 
by  lowering  of  wages  would  not  be  a  benefit  to  the  merchant  marine. 
So  I  say  there  is  nothing  in  the  statement  of  Mr.  Flam  that  would 
justify  the  consideration  of  the  committee,  because  it  was  simply  a 
matter  of  wages. 

There  is  nothing  that  Americans  can  not  do  if  they  receive  satis- 
factory wages  for  doing  it.     They  are  capable  of  doing  anything. 

The  president  of  the  Italian  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  New  York 
said  that  the  present  equipment  of  shipping  makes  it  impossible  to 
overcrowd  this  country  with-  immigrants :  that  400,000  a  year  was 
the  largest  possible  excess  of  those  coming  in  over  those  returning 
to  their  native  lands.. 

Now,  he  admits  that  400,000  have  come  from  Italy — that  the  ship- 
ping facilities  wall  permit  of  that  number  coming  in. 

And  I  want  to  differ  from  the  speakers  wdio  just  addressed  the 
committee.  I  find  a  statement  here  of  the  number  of  immigi'ants 
coming  in,  and  this  estimate  w^as  gotten  from  the  Department  of 
Labor. 

26911— 21— PT  5 5 


286  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX. 

Tn  October  lOl.OdO  canio  in.  In  X<)\ ember,  103,000..  I  have  jrot 
no  estimate  for  December. 

Thirty-three  tliousand  went  out  in  October:  o4,000  in  Xoveiiiber. 
That  leaA-es  a  net  gain  of  67,000  a  month.  Multiplied  by  12  makes 
784,000. 

And  Avith  the  information  that  the  committee  has  I  believe  they 
will  ajjree  that  there  is  a  flood  ready  to  come.  The  fact  that  more 
did  not  come  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  State  Department,  as  I 
understand  it,  refu-es  to  issue  passports  from  many  countries. 

Now.  Avith  milli(/ns  of  unemployed  at  the  present  time  in  the  United 
States.  I  think  it  is  a  crime,  a  hisfh  crime,  for  any  man  to  advocate 
the  briiiirinir  in  of  n  million  other  people,  to  be  either  unem[)loyed, 
or  to  take  the  places  of  those  that  are  here,  and  at  a  lower  wa^e,  thus 
destroying  the  standards  that  it  is  necessary  should  be  retained. 

Now,  we  come  to  the  situation  of  the  Mexicans.  I  submitted  to  the 
last  committee  teleiri'ams  from  all  the  cities  in  the  Stares  adjoining 
Mexico  and  some  conti«ruous  thereto,  and  they  claimed  that  there  was 
sufficient,  and  more  than  sufficient,  labor  in  those  States. 

I  do  know  that  the  Department  of  Labor  has  had  an  investigation 
made,  and  the  claim  was  made  in  the  report  that  there  v»-ere  needed 
Mexicans  for  the  cotton,  which,  when  it  opens,  must,  as  I  understand 
it.  be  picked  immediately  if  the  crop  is  to  be  saved.  And  this  also 
applied  to  the  beet  industrj^  and  other  industries.  But.  notwith- 
standino-  that  fact.  I  did  not  ask  any  questions  in  regard  to  this  at 
the  time. 

But  I  have  received  this  telegram  from  El  Paso,  which  is  right-on 
the  border,  and  naturally  would  probably  need  more  ^lexican  labor 
than  anv  other  place : 

El  I'aso.  Tcx.,  Decctr.hei  2S,  in^O. 
Hon.  I'^RAXK  Morrison. 

Secrctan/  A.  F.  of  L..  ^\  nfihi)if/toit.  I).  C: 

El  I'aso  Clianiher  of  Conimerce  will  have  ivi>resentative  bel'oiv  Senate  Ini- 
niiKfatioii  Coiiunittee  askinu  that  Mi  xit-aii  laborers  be  excluded  from  huinisira^- 
toil!  bill.  FA  I'm^v  Ceutral  Labor  Uniou  asks  that  you  meet  this  coumiittee  and 
coiuliat  tliis  representative's  jiotivities.  Mexican  labor  is  a  niena*  •.-  to  tiie  Anier- 
ican  labor  of  thi?'  section. 

Et.    I'ASO   t'K.NTRAI.   I.>.I5I-.R    r!^lON. 

1  want  to  urge  upon  this  committee  to  carry  out  these  thoughts 
contained  in  the  declaration  made  by  the  Ivepullioan  Party  in  con- 
venti(m.  We  have  men  who  want  protection  of  goods  that  come  in 
hei-e.  The  highest -protected  industiies  usually  had  the  lowest  wages 
prior  to  the  war.  Xow,  if  you  protect  the  industry,  and  if  the  pn>d- 
uct  of  the  employer  is  to  be  protected  so  that  he  can  sell  it  at  a, 
greater  price,  the  claim  is  made  that  if  he  can  .sell  it  at  a  higher  price 
than  it  can  be  sold  in  foreign  countries  he  will  be  able  to  pay  labor 
more. 

Now,  that  is  true:  he  is  in  a  position  to  do  it.  But  the  experience 
that  we  have  had  is  that  he  does  not.  And  therefore,  if  it  is  right  to 
pixjtect  products  that  are  not  alive^  how  much  more  necessary  is  it 
for  this  Government  to  protect  the  individuals,  and  not  bring  in  a 
flood  of  immigrants  here  who  can  not  secure  employment  except  they 
take  it  at  a  lower  rate,  to  make  it  an  advantage  for  the  em])loyer 
to  take  the  unskilled  men  in  favor  of  the  skilled  men. 

I  don't  know  what  is  going  to  happen  in  this  country.  I  do  know 
that  these  great  industries  have  clo.sed  down.    I  do  not  accuse  them  of 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  287 

•closing  down  for  the  purpose  of  hiring  them  back  at  lower  wages, 
because  if  a  man  can  not  sell  his  goods  there  is  no  use  of  manu- 
facturing them.  The  claim  has  been  made  that  the  desire  to  close 
down  was  so  that  they  could  sell  off  the  goods  that  they  had  already 
manufactured  at  the  high  price.  But  I  do  know  that  the  cost  of 
living  since  December,  1919,  until  the  present  time  has  decreased 
very  slightly. 

The  cost  of  living  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  was  98.4  in  December,  1919; 
it  went  up  in  June  of  this  year  to  114.3;  then  dropped  back  to  96.8. 
Really  less  than  2  per  cent  lower  than  it  was  in  December,  1919.  I 
want  you  to  bear  that  in  mind,  that  while  we  hear  a  great  deal  about 
the  reduction  in  the  cost  of  living,  in  fact  it  has  not  reached  the 
workers  to  any  perceptible  extent. 

And  I  would  urge  the  committee  to  take  into  consideration  the 
advisability  of  stopping  the  tide  of  immigration  for  a  period  so  that 
the  workers  here  can  secure  sustaining  employment,  and  then  after 
that  condition  comes,  then  only  take  in  a  sufficient  nmnber  of  people 
that  can  secure  sustaining  employment,  that  will  enable  them  to  live- 
in  reasonable  comfort.     I  think  that  is  a  fair  proposition. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Did  you  have  any  particular  reason  for 
fixing  the  period  of  two  years? 

Mr.  Morrison.  No.  I  'just  put  it  at  two  years  because  I  felt  that 
the  reconstruction  period  would  be  difficult;  that  we  had  to  reestab- 
lish our  connections  with  all  the  nations  that  had  been  disconnected 
during  the  war. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  simply  thought  that  would  be  a  reason- 
able time? 

Mr.^  Morrison.  A  reasonable  time,  yes ;  and  I  have  not  changed 
my  mind. 

The  Chairman.  Thank  you,  Mr.  Morrison. 

We  will  now  adjourn  until  to-morrow  morning  at  10.30. 

(Thereupon,  at  4.40  p.  m.,  January  10,  1920,  an  adjournment  was 
taken  until  10.30  a.  m.,  Tuesday,  January  11,  1920.) 


X 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 


HEARINGS 


BEFORE 

COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 
UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGRESS 

THIRD  SESSION 

ON 

H.  R.  14461 

A2BILL5TOIPROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZENS 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  BY  THE  TEMPORARY 

SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 

FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 


TUESDAY,  JANUARY  11,  1921 


PART  6 

Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration 


,t> 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
2C911  1921 


COMMITTEE  OX  IMMIGRATION. 

LeBARON  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island,  Chairman. 
WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,  Vermont.  THOMAS  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 

BOIES  PENROSE,  Pennsylvania.  JOHN  F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 

THOMAS  STERLING,  South  Dakota.  WILLIAM  H.  KING,  Utah. 

HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California.  WILLIAM  J.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 

HENRY  W.  KEYES,  New  Hampshire.  PAT  HARRISON,  Mississippi. 

WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey.  JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 

Hexbt  M.  Baijey,  Clerk. 


EMEKGEXCY  IMMIGEATION  LEGISLATION. 


TUESDAY,  JANUARY  11,  1921. 

United  States  Senate, 
Committee  on  I:mmigration. 

Washington^  D.  C. 
The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m., 
in  Room  235,  Senate  Office  Building,  Hon.  LeBaron  B.  Colt  pre- 
siding. 

Present:  Senators  Colt  (chairman),  Dillingham,  Sterling,  and 
Harrison. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  come  to  order.     Mr.  Johnson^ 
do  you  want  to  submit  some  data  ? 
Representative  Johnson.  Yes,  sir. 

STATEMENT  OF  HON.  ALBERT  JOHNSON,  A  REPRESENTATIVE  IN 
CONGRESS  FROM  WASHINGTON. 

Representative  Johnson.  Mr.  Chairman,  the  other  day  in  address- 
ing the  committee  I  made  some  brief  statements  in  regard  to  the 
present  passport  laws.  Some  inquiries  vrere  made  of  me  later  re- 
garding the  passport  situation,  and  I  have  been  requested  by  the 
chairman  to  present  the  laws  on  the  subject.  I  desire  to  place  in 
this  record  the  act  (Public  No.  154,  65th  Cong.)  by  which  we  estab- 
lished war-time  passport  regulations  for  people  coming  in  and  going 
out. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  be  placed  in  the  record. 

(The  act  presented  by  Representative  Johnson  is  here  printed  in 
full,  as  follows : ) 

[Puur.ic — No.  154 — 65th  Congress.] 

[H.  R.  10264.] 

An  Act  To  prevent  in   time  of  war  departure  from  or  entry  into  the 
United  States  contrary  to  the  public  safety. 

lie  it  enacted  by  the  (Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United 
States  of  A)neriea  in  Conijvess  assembled.  That  wlieu  the  United  States  is  at 
war,  if  the  President  shall  find  that  the  public  safety  requires  that  restrictions 
and  prohibitions  in  addition  to  thos?  provided  otherwise  tlian  by  this  act  be 
imposed  upon  the  departure  of  persons  from  and  their  entry  into  the  United 
States,  and  shall  make  public  proclamation  thereof,  it  shall,  until  otherwise 
ordered  by  the  President  or  Congress,  bo  unlawful — 

(;\)  For  any  alien  to  depart  from  or  enter  or  attempt  to  depart  from  or  enter 
the  I'nited  States  except  under  such  reasonable  r^les.  recrulations,  and  order.*?, 
and  subject  to  such  linutations*:ui(l  ex<'ei'tlons  as  the  President  shall  ))rescribe; 

(b)  For  any  person  to  transport  or  attempt  to  transport  from  or  into  tho" 
United  States  another  person  with  knowledge  or  reasonable  cause  to  believe  that 
the  departure  or  entry  of  such  other  person  is  forbidden  by  this  act ; 

'  2S9 


290  eaii:k(.:k.\cv  lm-vIiciiatioa   jj^cislation. 

(c)  For  any  person  knowingly  to  make  any  false  statement  in  an  apiJlication 
for  permission  to  depart  from  or  enter  the  United  States  with  intent  to  induce 
or  secure  the  firanting  ol"  siich  jH-rmission  either  for  himself  or  for  another; 

(d)  For  any  person  knov.  ingly  to  furnisli  or  alt<'jnpt  to  furiush  or  assist  in 
furnishinu:  to  another  a  itciniMt  or  evidence  <jf  pernnssion  to  depart  or  enter 
not  issued  and  designed  for  sncli  otlior  person's  use; 

(e)  For  any  person  knowingly  to  use  or  attempt  to  use  any  permit  or  evi- 
dence of  perndssion  to  depart  or  enter  not  issued  and  designed  for  Jiis  use ; 

(f)  For  any  person  to  forge,  counterfeit,  mutilate,  or  alter,  or  cause  or  pro- 
cure to  be  forged,  counterfeited,  mutilated,  or  altered,  any  permit  or  evidence 
of  perndssion  to  depart  fi-om  or  enter  the  United  States; 

(g)  For  any  person  knowingly  to  use  or  attempt  to  use  or  furnisli  to  another 
for  use  any  false,  forged,  counterfeited,  mutilated,  or  altered  permit,  or  evi- 
dence (tf  perndssion,  or  any  permit  or  evidence  of  permission  which,  thotigh 
originally  valid,  has  hecome  or  been  made  void  or  invalid. 

Skc.  2.  That  after  such  proclamation  as  is  provided  for  by  the  preceding  sec- 
tion has  been  made  and  published  and  while  said  proclamation  is  in  force,  it 
shall,  except  as  otherwise  provided  by  the  I'resident,  an<l  subject  to  sucli  linuta- 
tions  and  exceptions  as  the  I'resident  may  authorize  and  jtri'scribe,  be  unlawful 
for  any  citi/.en  of  the  United  States  to  depart  from  or  enter  or  attempt  to  depart 
from  or  enter  the  United  States  unless  he  bears  a  valid  passport. 

Skc.  3.  Tliat  any  person  who  shall  willfuHy  violate  any  of  the  provisions  of 
this  act,  or  of  any  order  or  proclamation  of  the  President  promulgated,  or  of 
any  permit,  rule,  or  regulation  issued  thereunder,  shall,  upon  conviction,  be 
fined  not  more  than  $10,000,  or,  if  a  natural  person,  imjirisoned  for  not  more 
than  twe)!ty  years,  or  both ;  and  the  otiicer,  director,  or  agent  of  any  corpora- 
tion who  kiiowingly  participates  in  such  violation  shall  be  punished  by  like  line 
or  imprisonment,  or  both  ;  and  any  vehicle  or  any  vessel,  together  with  its  or 
her  appurtenances,  equipment,  tackle,  aiiparel,  and  furniture,  concerned  in  any 
such  violation,  shall  be  forfeited  to  the  United  States. 

Sec.  4.  That  tlie  term  "  Ignited  States  "  as  used  in  tliis  act  includes  the  Canal 
Zone  and  all  territory  and  waters,  continental  or  insular,  subject  to  the  juris- 
diction of  the  United  States. 

Thp  word  "  person  "  as  used  herein  shall  be  deemed  to  mean  any  individual, 
partnership,  association,  company,  or  other  unincorporated  body  of  individuals, 
or  corix)ration,  or  body  politic. 

Approved,  May  22,  1918. 

Rei:>resentative  Johxson.  That  act  is  still  in  force,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  we  have  not  yet  come  to  peace. 

Later,  in  the  Sixty-sixth  Congress,  an  act  was  passed  extending 
the  war-time  passport  provisions  until  March  4  this  year — that  is  to 
say,  until  the  expiration  of  the  Sixty-sixth  Congress — and  that  act 
passed  both  Houses,  on  the  assumption  that  we  would  come  to  peace 
and  be  found  without  any  passport  regulations.  I  will  insert  that 
act  in  the  record. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  be  inserted. 

(The  act, "  Ptiblic,  No.  79,  Sixty-sixth  Congress,"  presented  by  Rep- 
resentative Johnson,  is  hereAvith  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

[Public — No.   79 — 66th   Congkess.] 

[H.  R.  9782.] 

An  Act  To  regulate  further  the  entry  of  aliens  into  the  United  States. 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  Sena-te  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States 
of  America  in  Conyress  assembled.  That  if  the  President  .shall  find  that  the 
public  .safety  rerpiires  that  restrictions  and  prohibitions  in  addition  to  those 
provided  otherwi.se  than  by  this  Act  be  imposed  upon  the  entry  of  aliens  into 
the  United  States,  and  shall  make  jiublic  i)roc]amation  thereof,  it  shall,  until 
otherwi.se  ordered  by  the  President  or  Congres.s,  be  unlawful — 

(a)  For  any  alien  to  enter  or  attempt  to  enter  the  United  States  except  under 
such  rea.sonable  ful(>s,  regulations,  and  orders,  and  subject  to  such  pa.s.sport. 
vi.sc,  or  other  limitati()ns  and  excei)tions  as  the  President  shall  iirescribe; 


EMEKGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  291 

(b)  For  any  person  to  transport  or  attempt  to  transport  into  the  United 
States  another  person  with  knowledire  or  reasonable  cause  to  believe  that  the 
entry  of  such  other  person  is  forbidden  by  this  act ; 

(c)  For  any  person  knowingly  to  make  any  false  statement  in  an  application 
for  a  passport  or  other  permission  to  enter  the  United  States  with  intent  to 
induce  or  secure  tlie  grantinji  of  sucli  permission,  either  for  himself  or  for 
another ; 

(d)  For  any  person  knowiuirly  to  furnish  or  attempt  to  fundsh  or  assist  in 
furuishinK  to  auother  a  viseed  ]>assj)ort  or  other  permit  or  evidence  of  per- 
mission to  enter,  not  issued  and  desiirned  for  such  other  person's  use ; 

(e)  For  any  person  knowingly  to  use  or  attempt  to  use  any  viseed  passport 
or  other  i>ermit  or  evidence  of  permission  to  enter  not  issued  and  desi.!rned  for 
his  use ; 

(f)  For  any  person  to  forgo,  counterfeit,  mutilate,  or  alt?r,  or  cause  or  pro- 
cure to  be  forged,  counterfeited,  mutilated,  or  altered,  any  p;issport,  vise,  or 
other  permit  or  evidence  of  pernussion  to  enter  the  United  States  ; 

(g)  For  any  pcTson  knowingly  to  use  or  attempt  to  use  or  furnish  to  another 
for  use  any  false,  forged,  counterfeited,  nuitilated,  or  altered  passport,  permit, 
or  evidence  of  pe)-mission,  or  any  passport,  permit,  or  evidence  of  permission 
which,  though  origir.ally  valid,  has  become  or  been  made  void  or  invalid. 

Sec.  2.  That  any  person  who  shall  willfully  violato  any  of  the  provisions  of 
this  act.  or  of  any  order  or  proclamation  of  the  President  pronuilgated,  or  of 
any  permit,  rule,  or  ivgulaticm  issued  th-'reunder,  shall,  upon  conviction,  he 
tilled  not  more  than  ^.I.OOi),  or.  if  a  natiu'al  jierson,  imprisoned  for  not  more  than 
tive  years,  or  both  ;  auil  the  officer,  director,  or  agent  of  any  corporaticn  who 
knowingly  participates  in  such  violation  shall  be  punished  by  like  tine  or 
imprisonment,  or  both  ;  and  any  vehicle  or  any  vessel,  together  with  it-;  or  her 
appurtenances,  equipment,  tackle,  apparel,  and  furniture,  concerned  in  any 
such  violation,  shall  be  forfeited  to  the  United  States. 

Sec.  3.  That  the  term  "  United  States  "  as  used  in  this  act  includes  the  Canal 
Zone  and  all  teriitory  and  waters,  continental  or  insular,  subject  to  th.e  .luris- 
diction  of  the  United  States. 

The  word  "  person  "  as  used  herein  shall  be  deemed  to  mean  any  individual, 
partn<'rship,  association,  company,  or  other  unincorporated  body  of  individuals, 
or  corporation,  or  body  politic. 

Six;.  4.  That  in  ordei-  to  carry  out  the  purposes  and  provisions  of  this  act  the 
sum  of  $600,000  is  hereby  appropriated. 

Sec.  .").  That  this  act  shall  take  effect  upon  the  date  when  the  provisions  of 
the  act  of  Congress  approved  the  i;2d  day  of  May,  191S,  entitled  "An  act  to 
prevent  in  time  of  ^yar  departure  from  and  entry  into  the  United  States,  con- 
trary to  the  public  safety,"  shall  cea.se  to  be  operative,  and  shall  continue  in 
force  and  effect  until  and  including  the  4th  day  of  March,  1921. 

Received  by  the  President,  October  29,  1919. 

[Note  by  the  Department  of  State. — The  foregoing  act  having  lu'en  pre- 
sented to  the  President  of  the  United  States  for  his  approval,  and  not  having 
been  returned  by  him  to  the  House  of  Congress  in  which  it  originated  within 
the  time  presciMbed  by  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  has  become  a  law 
wthout  his  approval.] 

Representative  Johnson.  Xow.  3^011  will  note  that  the  act  to  Avhich 
I  have  jn.st  referred  has  never  been  operative,  for  the  reason  that 
we  oi)erate  under  the  old  passport  act.  In  the  meantime,  in  the 
Diplomatic  and  Consular  bill,  Avhicli  became  a  law  June  4,  1920,  we 
carried  some  le<rislation  with  regard  to  passports  by  which  we  iixed 
the  fees  for  passports  and  vises,  and  undertook  to  make  permanent 
at  least  a  portion  of  the  passport  regulations  whi<;h  had  been  inau- 
gurated under  the  first  act,  the  ^var  act. 

Senator  Lodge,  if  the  members  of  the  committee  will  remember, 
was  desirous  that  the  entire  jjassport  plan  be  made  a  permanent  law. 
The  conferees  did  agree  to  his  legislation,  which  was  introduced  into 
the  Diplomatic  and  Consular  appropriation  bill,  but  the  House  re- 
fused to  accept  the  report  of  the  conferees. 


292  EMERGENCY  iM.MUiKATiox  li:gislati(:i>:. 

The  result  is,  <^entlemen,  that  the  extension  of  the  war  passport 
act  dies  on  jNlarch  4  next,  and  tlie  passport  act  itself  dies  on  the  day 
that  we  declare  peace.  We  are  then  left  with  nothinf^  except  the 
very  thin  literacy  test,  reqiiirinfr  ability  to  read  oO  to  40  words  in 
any  lan<^iiaf!:e,  and  certain  very  moderate  health  recpiirements.  a<^ainst 
those  who  mifrht  want  to  come  in  from  any  part  of  the  vrorld,  from 
any  country  in  the  world,  whether  the  number  be  large  or  small. 
That  creates  an  emergency,  I  think. 

I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  when  we  reach  peace  a  large  number 
of  people  from  the  former  (rerman  Empire  will  desire  to  come  to 
this  country  in  order  to  join  relatives,  or  to  come  into  a  free  field; 
1  believe  the  number  of  those  who  will  come  over  from  the  former 
German  Empire  will  be  very  large.  The}'  will  pass  the  physical 
test,  and  they  Avill  j^ass  the  literacy  requirements,  and  we  will  have 
on  our  hands  more  than  we  can  take  care  of  in  the  next  three  or  four 
years.  In  the  meantime  soup  kitchens  have  opened  in  Philadelphia 
and  other  cities. 

I  don't  care  to  take  more  of  the  committee's  time,  except  that  I 
wish  to  ask  permission  to  insert  in  the  record  the  mention,  at  least, 
of  a  great  many  petitions  that  have  come  to  me  from  patriotic 
societies  all  over  the  I'nited  States.  I  have  not  ihoughi  that  this 
committee  could  spare  the  time  to  hear  individuals  representing  these 
A-arious  societies  interested  in  the  restriction  of  immigration. 

I  have  a  letter  here  from  the  secretary  of  the  Allied  Patriotic 
Societies  of  America,  dated  Philadelphia,  in  which  he  makes  a  re- 
quest for  me  to  appear  before  the  Senate  committee  and  secure  for 
some  member  of  that  organization  a  hearing.  I  think,  if  I  may  have 
the  ]Dermission  of  the  committee,  that  I  would  save  time  by  inserting 
in  the  record  the  names  of  these  other  societies  and  organizations 
petitioning  for  the  immediate  suspension  of  immigration. 

The  Cpiaik:.ian.  With  the  permission  of  the  committee,  they  may 
be  inserted. 

(Here  is  presented  the  list  of  societies  and  organizations  which 
have  recently  sent  petitions  to  the  House  Committee  on  Immigration 
and  Naturalization  for  immediate  suspension  of  immigration,  as 
follows:) 

State  Cuuucil  of  liidepenclent  Americans.  PLiladelphia.  / 

Groble  Couiicll,  No.  1.3,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Pliiladelphia. 

Washinjrtou  Camp.  No.  G24,  Patriotic  Order  Sous  of  America,  Drexel  Hill,  Pa. 

Spanish  War  Veterans.  Major  Brown  Camp.  Taconia,  Wash. 

Washington  Camp,  No.  4,  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

Wliatcom  Council,  No.  1.  Junior  Order  of  United  American  Mechanics,  Belling- 
hani.  Wash. 

WinMeld  Scott  Council.  No.  137.  Junior  Order  of  United  American  :Mechanics, 
Buffalo,  N.  T. 

Patriotic  Order  Sous  of  America,  Altoona,  Pa. 

Mount  Vernon  Council.  No.  10,  Junior  Order  of  United  American  ^lechanics, 
Washintrton,  D.  C. 

Jnirneymen  Bookl>inders'  Union,  Washincrton.  D.  C. 

J.imesA.  Garfield  Council,  No.  41,  Junior  Order  of  United  American  Me- 
chanics, New  York. 

Washington  Camp,  No.  101.  Patriotic  Ord'i^r  Sons  of  America,  Frankford, 
Philadelphia. 

Camp  31.  I'atriotic  Order  Sons  of  America,  Altoona.  Pa.  (second  society). 

Naomi  Council,  No.  31,  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Uihn-ty.  Suffern,  N.  Y. 

Th^  Civic  Club.  Sumner,  Wash. 


EMEKGEXCY   IMZvIIGEATION   LEGISLATIOX.  293 

Allied  Patriotic  Societies  of  America  (representing  several  millions  of  xVmeri- 
cans),  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Blair  Council,  Xo.  15.  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Jmiiata,  Pa. 

Sons  and  Daughters  of  Liberty,  IMorris  Plains,  N.  J. 

Pride  of  Mechanics  Home  Council,  Xo.  Gl,  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Liberty, 
Jamesburg,  X.  J. 

Southwark  Council,  Xo.  144,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Philadel- 
phia, Pa. 

International  Reform  Bureau   (Inc. ).  Washington,  D.  C. 

Frist  Council.  Xo.  60,  Sons  and  r>au,a'hters  of  Libert.v.  Xew  York. 

Carpenter  Council,  Xo.  848,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Ashland,  Pa. 

Western  Forestry  and  Conservation  Association.  Portland,  Oreg. 

Pioneer  Council,  Xo.  380,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Weisenburg,  Pa. 

Xeversink  Council.  Xo.  371.  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Reading.  Pa. 

Ohio  Council,  Xo.  9,  Sons  and  Dauiiliters  of  Liberty. 

Monongahela  Council,  Xo.  122.  Order  of  Indei^endent  Americans,  Braddock, 
Pa. 

George  Vroman  Post,  Xo.  2,  American  Legion,  Casper,  W^yo. 

Pottsville  Council.  Xo.  263,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Pottsville.  Pa. 

Woman's  Club  of  Owensburg,  Ky, 

Woman's  Club  of  Pineville,  Ky. 

Mount  Vernon  Council,  Xo.  333.  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Harris- 
burg,  Pa. 

Shamokin  Council,  Xo.  630,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Shamokin,  Pa. 

South  Fork  Council,  Xo.  74,  South  Fork,  Pa. 

West  Park  Council.  Xo.  408.  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  West  Phila- 
delphia, Pa. 

Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Junior  Order  of  Ignited  American  Mechanics,  Trenton,  X.  J.,  State  Council. 

General  Custer  Camp,  Xo.  1,  Sons  of  Veterans,  Seattle.  Wash. 

Xew  Jersey  Society  of  Sons  of  American  Revolution.  Elizabeth,  X.  J. 

Civic  League  for  Immigrants.  Boston.  Mass. 

Emergency  Association  of  Louisville,  Ky. 

Hazle  Council,  Xo.  258,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Hazleton,  Pa. 

^lelrose  Council,  Xo.  928,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Harrisburg,  Pa. 

Young  America  Council,  Xo.  407,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Philadel- 
phia. Pa. 

Black  Creek  Council.  Xo.  51,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Weatherly.  Pa. 

Woman's  Club  (city  not  given)  of  Kentucky. 

^Nlalta  Council,  Xo  905,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

George  Bancroft  Council,  Xo.  571,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Tacony, 
Pa. 

United  Spanish  AVar  Veterans,  John  R.  Thompson  Camp,  No.  1,  Tacoma, 
Wash. 

Southampton  Council,  Xo.  946,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Holland,  Pa. 

Buffalo  City  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs.  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

William  Penn  Council,  Xo.  64,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Pittsburgh, 
Pa. 

John  Grey  Council,  No.  249,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Washington  Heights  Chapter,  Daucrhters  of  American  Revolution,  Xew  York 
City. 

Sons  of  American  Revolution,  South  Dakota  Society,  Sioux  Falls. 

District  of  Columbia,  Daughters  of  American  Revolution,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Fort  Thomas  Woman's  Club.  Fort  Thomas,  Ky. 

Home  Council,  Xo.  27,  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Liberty,  Vienna,  Md. 

United  Spanish  War  Veterans,  Fortson-Thygesen  Camp,  No.  2,  Seattle,  Wash. 

The  Woman's  Club  of  Falmouth,  Ky. 

D.  F.  Laing  Council,  No.  995,  Order  of  Independent  Americans,  Reading.  Pa. 

Col.  John  Donelson  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 

Representative  Johnsox.  I  ^vould  like  also  at  this  time,  in  order 
to  offset  certain  statements,  to  suggest  that  the  record  show  the 
reports  of  the  Attorney  General  on  the  number  of  seditious  foreign- 
language  newspapers  in  the  United  States.    And  if  that  is  to  be  an 


294  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

issue — and  frivat  stress  was  laid  upon  it  the  other  day  by  one  of  the 
■witnesses — I  think  the  committee  might  do  well  to  call  the  Attorney 
General  in  order  that  he  may  <rive  evidence  before  the  committee. 

I  would  like  to  present  to  the  committee  a  map  of  New  York  City, 
the  Island  of  Manhattan,  showing  the  location  of  the  principal 
colonies  of  alien  and  foreign-born  peoples  there.  The  large  red 
splotches  there  show  those  whom  w'e  know  as  the  Russian  Jews,  or 
Kussians,  or  Poles.  Tt  is  immaterial  from  my  standpoint  whether 
they  call  themselves  Russians  or  call  themselves  Jews.  I  have  not 
the  time  to  make  the  distinction  between  orthodox  Jews,  racial  Jews, 
and  Russians.  They  are  of  that  type  which  Ave  call  Semitic.  I  do 
not  criticize  the  race  or  the  religion.  I  call  attention  to  tlie  con- 
gestion. 

The  brown  shows  the  Italian. 

The  blue  stars  spattered  all  through  sections  of  that  great  city  are 
the  publication  places  of  foreign-language  newspapers,  or  propa- 
ganda newspapers,  you  might  say,  mostly  against  this  Government. 

The  white  dots  there,  which  are  numbered,  are  the  speaking  places 
of  communists  and  radical  socialists  and  socialism,  as  we  permit  it 
to  he  understood  in  this  country,  is  not  the  mild  thing  we  some- 
times think  it  is. 

This  map,  gentlemen,  shows  the  situation  in  Xew  York  City  as  it 
now  is.  And  it  can  easily  be  proved  that  this  is  the  situation.  Where 
these  great  splotches  are  shown  on  the  map.  Mr.  Chairman,  these 
newly  arrived  immigrants  go  in  most  cases,  crowding  themselves  into 
the  already  congested  districts  in  that  part  of  Xew  York,  the  Russians 
and  Poles  into  that  part  which  is  marked  in  red.  the  Italians  in  that 
part  marked  brown,  and  so  on.  And  all  through  those  districts  we 
find  those  speaking  places,  and  those  publications. 

I  secured  this  map  from  Capt.  Trevor,  who  was  the  chief  of  the 
Military  Intelligence  Service  of  Xew  York  during  the  war,  and  who 
had  charge  of  all  the  effort  to  secure  information  concerning  that 
alien  population  in  Xew  York,  and  I  think  the  committee  would  do 
well  to  hear  him  for  a  few  moments,  for  he  is  here  now.  And  bear 
in  mind,  gentlemen,  all  the  time,  that  there  are  over  1,000,000  un- 
naturalized aliens  in  Xew  York  City  alone. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Johnson,  the  committee  thanks  you  for  this 
information.  And  if  there  is  any  other  way  that  you  can  be  of  as- 
sistance to  us  in  getting  at  the  facts,  we  would  be  very  glad  to  have 
that  assistance. 

Representative  Johnson.  I  thank  you  very  much. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Johnson,  we  will  hear  your  witness. 

Representative  Johnson.  I  would  like  to  say  in  his  behalf  that 
Capt.  Trevor  has  handed  to  me  an  analysis  and  a  study  and  a  partial 
indorsement  of  the  Sterling  bill  as  a  constructive  measure.  I  said  to 
him  this  morning,  however,  that  I  thought  the  committee  would  not 
care  to  hear  him  on  that  careful  analysis  which  he  had  made,  at  this 
time,  inasmuch  as  that  bill  was  not  before  the  committee. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  the  bill  is  before  the  committee.  I  mean  to 
say,  it  has  been  introduced  and  referred  to  the  committee. 

"Representative  Johnson.  But  it  is  not  the  subject  of  these  hearings. 

The  (^HAiinr.vx.  We  have  centered  our  hearings  largely  on  the 
emergency  features. 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGEATION   LEGISLATION.  295 

Eepresentative  Johnson.  When  the  time  comes  to  take  that  bill  up 
I  think  the  committee  will  have  a  most  valuable  witness  in  Capt. 
Trevor. 

The  Chairman.  You  may  proceed  Capt.  Trevor.  For  the  informa- 
tion of  the  committee  can  you  leave  that  map? 

Kepresentative  Johnson.  I  shall  be  glad  to  do  so. 

STATEMENT  OF  CAPT.  JOHN  B.  TREVOR. 

Capt.  Trevor,  Mr.  Chairman,  there  are  three  reasons  why  I  am 
in  favor  of  the  passage  of  an  emergency  measure  to  check  immigra- 
tion into  the  United  States.  The  first'  is  the  general  chaos  of  our 
investigating  services.  Having  served  in  the  Military  Intelligence 
throughout  the  war,  I  naturally  am  familiar  with  that  activity.  But 
it  has  also  brought  me  in  contact,  of  course,  with  the  cooperating  bu- 
reaus, and  the  duplication  of  effort.  The  loss  of  efficiency  due  to  a 
multiplicit}^  of  agencies  conducting  investigations  was  borne  in  upon 
us  with  great  force  all  through  the  emergency  period,  and  it  is  my 
belief  that  in  order  to  prepare  a  constructive  measure  so  thorough 
an  investigation  is  necessary  of  these  various  agencies  conducting  in- 
vestigations that  it  is  vital  to  have  time  to  do  it  properly,  and  for  that 
reason,  sir,  I  feel  that  we  should  have  a  breathing  space  before  these 
hordes  of  people  who  have  begun  the  movement  in  Europe  be  ad- 
mitted to  add  to  the  groups  which  are  already  unfortunately  colon- 
ized here. 

Even  the  opponents  of  the  so-called  Johnson  bill  admit  that  one  of 
the  perils  to  our  country  to-day  is  the  aggregation  of  the  foreign  ele- 
ment in  colonies  throughout  the  countr3\  not  only  in  Xew  York,  but 
elsewhere. 

Senator  Sterling.  Have  you  made  an  estimate  as  to  how  many 
would  come  here  per  month  or  per  year  under  existing  conditions 
and  under  the  present  law  ? 

Capt.  Trevor.  Tlie  figures  at  present.  Senator,  of  course,  are  most 
inadequate,  but  the  total  of  arrivals  in  recent  months  seenls  to  me 
to  be  a  fair  indication  as  to  what  we  may  expect:  over  one  hun- 
dred thousand. 

Senator  Sterling.  For  what  month? 

Capt.  Trevor.  For  two  months.  I  should  have  to  refer  to  some 
of  my  documents  here,  but  I  believe  it  was  September  or  October,  I 
am  not  quite  positive. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  think  the  figures  show  that  the  net  immigra- 
tion for  the  three  or  four  months  prior  to  December  ran  about  sixty- 
seven  or  sixty-eight  thousand  per  month. 

Capt.  Trevor.  Well,  if  T  may  suggest.  Senator,  our  transpor- 
tation system,  of  course,  is  now  in  process  of  rehabilitation,  and  with 
every  month  that  we  proceed  there  will  be  a  greater  efficiency  in  the 
means  for  bringing  people  from  Europe,  or  from  any  part  of  the 
world,  and  I  think  this  has  been  demonstrated  by  the  steady  increase 
in  the  totals  arriving  in  this  country.  But,  of  course.  Government 
bureaus  are  the  ones  to  sup]jly  the  statistics  on  that  point  more 
accurately  than  a  private  individual,  because  I  appear  simply  as  a 
private  individual. 

The  Chairman.  I  don't  think  that  the  figures  for  the  last  four 
months,  down  to  the  1st  of  December,  show  any  particular  increase 


296  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

in  the  number — taking  particularly  Octolier  and  November — when 
you  consider  those  who  went  out.  as  coni])ared  to  those  who  came  in. 
I  am  aAvare  that  this  idea  of  a  so-called  flood  is  based  first  on  the 
supposition  that  there  are  a  very  large  number  who  wish  to  come  to 
this  country  and  secondly  ui)on  the  supposition  that  there  will  be 
increased  transportation  facilities  to  bring  them  here.  But  up  to 
the  present  time  tlie  actual  arrivals  here  have  not  shown  any  indica- 
tion of  what  you  might  call  a  flood. 

Now,  to-morrow  we  are  to  have  the  representatives  of  the  steam- 
ship lines  here  in  order  to  ascertain,  if  we  can,  the  transportation  sit- 
uation. I  won't  interrupt  you  any  further  in  the  order  of  your 
testimony.  But  I  thought  the  question  asked  by  Senator  Sterling 
was  very  pertinent.  If  you  are  dealing  with  immigration  you  must 
deal  with  the  fact  of  how  many  have  arrived,  or  what  the  increase 
is.     That  is  a  material  fact,  is  it  not? 

Capt.  Trevor.  Absolutely.  Senator. 

The  CiiATR^rAX.  And  then  you  deal  with  how  many  are  coming; 
that  is  an  indefinite  proposition.  Then  you  deal  with  the  transporta- 
tion facilities.  The  committee  are  going  into  those  three  or  four 
lines  of  investigation,  and  we  hope  quite  thoroughly. 

Capt.  Trevor.  I  am  confident  of  that,  Senator.  May  I  suggest 
just  one  thought  in  that  particular  matter.  Senator.  I  understand 
that  some  of  the  French  press  are  carrying  some  statistics  as  to 
arrivals  from  central  and  eastern  Europe  and  southern  Russia,  in 
France,  and  I  have  seen  the  estimate  of  400,000  people  from  that  area 
coming  into  France,  and  that  it  is  regarded  there  as  a  peril. 

The  Chairman.  "Well,  that  has  very  little  bearing,  and  is  some- 
what in  the  line  of  hearsay.     That  is  no  direct  proof,  is  it? 

Capt.  Trevor.  It  seems  to  me  it  is  proof  as  to  the  movement  of 
these  people  from  the  areas  in  question,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  if  there  is  this  pronounced  movement  be- 
ginning with  the  armistice  and  increasing,  it  seems  to  me  that  it 
should  be  shown  in  the  actual  arrivals  here,  and  in  the  net  increase. 
Xow  the  net  increase,  down  to  the  1st  of  December,  is  not  nearly  equal 
to  what  it  was  before  the  war. 

Capt.  Trevor.  I  was  taking  the  figures  produced  by  some  of  those 
who  are  opposed  to  the  Johnson  bill  as  a  basis.  It  seems  to  me  that 
the  Interracial  Council  have  produced  figures  which  proved  the  con- 
tention which  I  hold.  Senator.  I  think  that  the  figures  produced 
by  the  opponents  of  this  measure  demonstrate  that.  But  possibW  I 
would  not  attempt  to  dispute  the  figures  which  were  introduced  by 
3'ou,  sir,  in  this  connection. 

Second  is  the  question  of  unemployment.  I  have,  of  course,  very 
inadequ:itc  statistics  on  that  point,  but  I  should  like  to  make  the  fol- 
lowing statement.  Reports  received  by  the  Standard  Daily  Trade 
Sejrvice  during  the  last  week  show  the  following  in  regard  to  unem- 
ployment in  various  industries  and  trades : 

IRON    AND    STEEL   INDUSTRY. 

Tlie  Mahoning  Valley  reports  about  15,000  men  idle.  This  includes  Youngs- 
town,  Sharon,  Newcastle,  and  Farrell. 

In  the  .Tohnstown  district  where  KJ.OOO  were  employed  last  .Tune,  only  .5,000 
are  now  working  on  full  time.     About  G,000  have  been  laid  o!T. 

In  the  Reaver  A'alley  district  about  600  are  idle,  and  1,000  are  reported  out 
of  work  in  Wheeling,  W.  Va. 

;Most  of  these  plants  are  owned  by  the  steel  corporations. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  297 


RAILROAD. 


President  Rea,  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  announces  tliat  the  continuation 
of  present  conditions  will  necessitate  a  further  reduction  in  the  number  of 
employees. 

New  England  railroads  have  cut  down  tlie  number  of  their  employees  about 
12  per  cent  in  the  last  few  weeks.  Since  there  are  about  lOOXKM)  employees  in 
this  section,  it  means  no  employment  for  12,000  persons. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Chicago  at  present  has  150,000  idle  workers.  From  10,000  t<.)  15.000  are  out 
of  work  in  the  packing  industry. 

Balt'more  reports  1,000  mariners,  100  nvasters,  and  150  mates  and  eugineers 
out  of  work. 

The  Boston  Navy  Yard  force  lias  been  reduced  40  per  cent.  About  1.000  men 
have  been  I'eleased. 

I  won't  attempt  in  the  brief  time,  Senator,  that  I  know  you  have 
for  this  hearintj,  and  knowin<x  that  you  are  very  much  pressed  by 
other  witnesses,  to  <ro  into  the  fifjures  in  detail. 

The  Cilvir:sian.  Mr.  Bennet  Avas  on  the  stand,  Capt.  Trevor,  l)ut 
then  we  would  be  very  glad  for  you  to  put  in  any  data  or  to  state  gen- 
ei'ally  anvth!n<j  that  you  mig-ht  have  to  ssij. 

Capt.  Trevor.  Weil,  IVIr.  Chairman.  I  have  here  many  of  these 
nev.'spaper  clippings  dealing  with  this  matter.  I  may  say.  sir,  that  I 
did  not  expect  to  be  i)ut  on  the  witness  stand  this  morning. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  would  you  like  to  be  called  a  little  later? 

Capt.  Trevor.  No,  sir. 
'  The  Chairman.  Are  you  in  the  city  here? 

Capt.  Trevor.  Well,  I  planned  to  return  to-night  to  Xew  York. 
As  I  say,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  have  a  number  of  these  newspaper  clip- 
pings, but  publications  in  the  press  regarding  unemployment,  it  seems 
to  me,  are  hardly  proper  to  submit  to  you.  This  information,  how- 
ever, which  I  just  gave  to  you,  was  looked  up  for  me.  But  in  the 
daily  press  there  are  statemxcnts,  clippings  of  which  I  have,  showing 
the  amount  of  unemployment,  and,  if  you  desire,  I  can  submit  them 
to  the  secretary. 

Senator  Sterling.  Wouldn't  j'ou  expect  the  renewal  of  industrial 
actiA-ities  now  within  a  comparatively  short  time,  so  that  men  who 
re  now  out  of  cmploym.ent  would  be  employed  or  reemi^loj^ed  in  these 
industries?  Do  not  financiers  and  economists  and  captains  of  indus- 
try predict  that  witliin  the  next  two  or  three  months  thore  will  be  a 
marked  revival  in  business  and  industrial  activity? 

Capt.  Trevor.  I  saj'  this.  Senator,  tliat  I  prepared  a  very  condensed 
but  somewhat  detailed  memorandum  of  the  immigration  problem 
which  I  have  here  with  me.  It  really  deals  not  only  v.ith  the  emer- 
genc}'  restriction,  which  I  believe  to  be  important  for  the  reasons  I 
have  already  stated,  but  it  takes  up  the  constructive  measures  based 
on  your  bill,  sir,  as  a  basis  of  a  really  constructive  plan  of  selection, 
Avhich  I  think  is  absolutely  neccbsaiy  and  desirable,  and  for  that  rea- 
son I  would  only  support  the  Johnson  bill  as  an  emergency  measure 
ponding  the  construction  of  a  more  carefully  drawn  measure  to  deal 
with  the  situation  for  the  future. 

The  CiiAiR^MAN.  Will  you  prepare  a  statement  along  the  lines  of 
your  last  statement,  Capt.  Trevor,  prepare  it  in  writing,  and  sul)mit 
it  to  the  committee? 


298  EMi:nGEX("\   immigration  ijxh.^i.atiun. 

Capt.  Trevor.  I  have  here,  sir,  this  menioraiulum,  wlii(?h  I  would 
be  very  liapi)y  to  leave  with  you.  if  you  are  interested  in  it.  that  dis- 
cusses the  situation. 

The  Chair.man.  Would  you  prepare  a  number  of  copies  of  this, 
so  as  to  furnish  each  member  of  the  committee  with  a  copy? 

Capt.  Trevor.  I  have  several  copies  here.  .Senator,  that  I  can  give 
you.    If  it  is  satisfactory.  I  will  leave  three  copies  with  you. 

I  had  not  concluded  my  third  point.  Mr.  Chairman,  of  the  radical 
situation,  which  was  the  basis  of  this  map  whicli  was  shown  to  you 
by  Mr.  Johnson.  And  the  situation,  as  shown  there,  the  radical  situa- 
tion, was  one  of  the  reasons  why  I  am  stron«rly  in  favor  of  supporting 
tlie  Johnson  bill.  May  I  make  a  statement  on  that  point,  Mr.  Chair- 
man? 

The  Chairmax.  We  will  hear  you  for  a  moment  on  that,  if  you 
wish  to  make  a  statement. 

Capt.  Trevor.  This  map  which  'Slv.  Johnson  showed  to  you,  gen- 
tlemen, is  really  the  reproduction  of  a  map  which  was  originally 
prepared  for  the  Army.  It  was  the  first  one  of  its  kind,  I  believe, 
prepared  during  the  war,  and  is  noAv.  I  think — although  I  only  know 
this  unofficially — the  basis  of  further  maps  of  similar  character. 
Also  a  copy  of  this  map  was  prepared  for  the  joint  legislative  com- 
mittee investigating  seditious  activities,  with  which  I  was  connected 
for  a  certain  period  as  a  special  deputy  attorney  general. 

This  map  is  based  on  the  data  obtained  from  the  police  department, 
from  various  religious  societies  and  other  agencies  familiar  witli  the 
locations  of  the  alien  population,  and  it  shows  the  preponderant  ele- 
ment in  any  one  district. 

Xow.  that  marked  in  red.  or  "  B."'  indicates  a  district  in  which  the 
preponderant  elements  of  the  population  come  from  central  and  east- 
ern Europe,  what  we  knew  as  Old  Russia,  including  Poland :  and  that 
area,  to  a  certain  extent  Galicia,  overlapping  of  the  Austrian  area, 
not  strictly  Austria-Hungary,  but  all  comprising  a  certain  element 
with  which  we  had  to  contend. 

Xow,  the  round  dots  in  white  with  the  numbers  in  tliem  represent 
the  locations  of  radical  meeting  places. 

The  stars,  with  numbers,  represent  publication  centers,  centers 
where  radical  literature  is  published. 

Senator  Harrison.  And  what  does  the  white  represent? 

Capt.  Trevor.  The  white  represents  mixed  populations,  with  no 
predominant  element. 

Senator  Harrison.  "\Miat  color  is  it  where  the  English  predomi- 
nate? 

Capt.  Trevor,  The  white  represents  the  districts  where  there  is 
a  mixed  population  whicli  we  know  as  American. 

Xow,  I  am  using  the  old  figures.  Senator:  that  is.  the  fisrures  of 
1910. 

The  persons  of  German  origin,  either  b}-  one  or  both  parents,  where 
they  contain  the  Germanic  type,  and  who  group  together  in  these 
colonies  which  are  indicated  here,  numbered  about  748.000  people. 

The  Russians,  located  in  tlie  sections  marked  in  red — and  I  am 
speaking  of  greater  Xew  York  and  not  that  simply  covered  by  this 
map — numbered  754,000  people. 

Senator  Harrison.  And  were  these  Germans,  did  you  say,  located 
in  these  sections  marked  in  red? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  299 

Capt.  Trevor.  No;  the  red  represented  Russians.  The  other  fig- 
ures, aside  from  those,  I  am  not  pre^^ared  to  give  from  memory,  but 
the  substance  of  this  thinw  is  that  the  radical  movement  is  practi- 
call}'  a  Russo-German  movement;  I  mean  that  is  indicated  by  the 
character  of  the  popuhition  which  supports  these  centers.  The  in- 
vestiofators  would  always  report  to  me  the  character  of  the  popula- 
tion in  these  centers,  and  the  vast  majority  of  them  are  aliens. 

Now.  I  see  in  the  report  of  the  Attorney  General,  which  was 
recently  issued,  that  in  reference  to  the  radical  activity  90  per  cent 
of  the  radical  difficulty  is  amoncr  aliens,  is  of  alien  origin. 

And  I  Avould  like  in  that  connection  to  call  attention  to  the  radical 
press.  I  saw  a  statement  in  the  paper  the  other  day  tliat  2i  pei' 
cent  only  of  the  foreign-language  press  is  radical.  If  T  ma3\  I  will 
read  you  a  copy  of  the  statistics  prepared  by  the  Attorney  General 
on  that  subject. 

The  publication  section  of  the  Department  of  Justice  cards  625 
papers.  Of  these,  389  are  Englisli  and  236  foreign-language  publi- 
cations. 

One  hundred  and  sixty-seven  of  the  foreign-language  papers  and 
84  of  the  English  papers  are  considered  as  ultraradical.  Now,  it 
enumerates  in  that  statement  the  ultraradical  papers — English,  84: 
foreign-language  ultraradical  papers,  167;  total,  251. 

Anarchist  papers  ]:>ublished  in  the  United  States  are  as  follows: 
English  anarchist  papers,  3:  foreign-language  anarchist  papers,  14. 

Communist  ]3apers  published  in  the  United  States  are  as  follows : 
English,  8 :  foreign-language  communist  papers,  30. 

Syndicalist  papers  are  as  follows :  English  sj'ndicalist  papers,  5 ; 
foreign-language  syndicalist  papers,  14. 

Ultraradical  papers,  24, 

Anarchist  papers  that  are  published  in  Europe  and  sent  to  the 
United  States,  15. 

Ultraradical  papers  from  Europe,  44, 

I  think.  Senator,  that  it  would  take  up  too  much  of  your  time  to 
go  into  that  in  an}^  more  detail,  but  I  hope  that  I  have  made  that 
clear. 

Senator  Sterling.  A  good  many  of  the  radicals  would  be  shut  out 
if  the  present  law  was  enforced,  V\'ould  they  not? 

Capt.  TRE^'OR.  "Well,  that  is  one  of  the  points  that  I  discussed  in 
my  memorandum.  Senator.  I  don't  believe  that  there  is  a  chance  of 
getting  more  than  1  in  500  radicals,  or  people,  at  least,  that  are  dan- 
gerous to  this  country,  by  the  systems  that  are  now  in  force  or  that 
will  be  in  force  after  the  passports  go  out  of  existence.  The  vise 
proposition  could  be  developed  in  such  a  wav  as  to  do  it,  but  it  would 
require  recasting  our  whole  inA'estigating  service.  And  that  is  a 
big  job. 

Senator  Sterling,  Well,  that  is  a  matter  of  administration,  isn't 
it,  more  than  a  matter  of  positive  law? 

Capt.  Trevor.  Not  altogether.  Senator.  The  trouble  is  that  now 
there  are  so  many  agencies  that  are  covering  this  by  law  that  the 
radical  drops  in  between  and  gets  away. 

I  have  in  my  pocket  a  clipping  from  this  morning's  newspaper, 
which  gives  a  very  good  illustration  of  that.  The  clipping  is  entitled 
"  Holds  Lord  Mayor  Faces  Deportation."  It  a])pears  that  the  Assist- 
ant Secretary  of  Labor,  I  believe,  or  possibly  the  Secretary  of  Labor, 


300  EMERGENCY   IMniGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

coiitoiuls  that  the  Department  of  Labor  is  only  engaged  in  the  en- 
forcement of  the  inmii oration  act,  and  that  if  the  State  Department 
objects  to  the  arrival  of  this  individual  as  an  improper  person  they 
have  got  to  attend  to  tJiat  separately.  I  think  this  is  a  very  specihV* 
instance  that  while  we  have  ample  agencies  t<j  do  it  through  dupli- 
cation tlie  man  falls  in  between.  I  don't  know  anything  more  about 
the  merits  of  this  particular  case,  but  I  just  call  attention  to  it  for 
that  one  purpose,  to  slu)w  the  situation. 

Senator  Sterlikg.  I  would  like  to  ask  you  this  question :  What 
do  you  think  of  an  immigration  board  instead  of  the  present  system? 
Capt.  Trevor.  Absolutel}^  beneficial  in  ever}^  '^ay,  sir;  but.  as  I 
»p6int  out  in  discussing  your  bill.  Senator,  or  at  least  the  bill  that  is 
known  as  the  Sterling  bill,  there  are  certain  things  to  be  considered 
in  connection  with  it.  I  make  certain  comments  on  the  compositifm 
of  that  board.  I  think  that  that  goes  to  the  very  root  of  tlie  matter, 
and  if  it  is  not  clear,  Senator,  I  shall  be  most  hajipy  at  any  time  to 
come  down  here  and  explain  this  memorandum. 
The  Chairman.  Thank  you,  Capt.  Trevor. 

(The  subjoined  statement  is  submitted  by  Capt.  Trevor  and  incor- 
porated in  the  record:) 

.January  12.  1921. 
Hon.  LeBaron  B.  Colt, 

Chairman  Committee  of  Immigration. 
Sir:  In  pursuance  of  the  privilege  accorded  to  me  through  the  courtesy  of 
of  your  committee.  I  submit  hereunder  some  statistics  and  other  data  support- 
ing the  view  that  the  .Johnson  bill  be  rei>orted  out  favorably. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  I  have  already  submitted  a  memorandum  presenting^ 
in  condensed  form  a  study  of  the  immigration  problem  and  its  relation  to  the 
general  reorganization  of  the  investigating  services  of  our  Government  and 
urged  that  the  comprehensive  nature  of  the  task  demanded  prolonged  con- 
sideration of  the  remedies  to  be  applied,  I  will  confine  myself  in  this  discus- 
sion to  the  issue  that  an  emergency  exists  which  demands  passage  of  the 
Johnson  bill  pending  the  preparation  of  adequate  legislation. 

In  my  testimony  of  yesterday  I  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  in  the  report 

'  ■■  ':-  res  it  is.  nlleged  tliat  the  investiga- 
tions made  by  the  Department  of  .Justice  in  the  past  year  "  have  clearly  indi- 
cated that  fully  90  per  cent  of  the  communist  and  anarchist  agitation  is  trace- 
able to  aliens."  In  view  of  this  expression  of  opinion  from  an  authoritative 
source,  it  is  pertinent  to  examine  the  make-up  of  those  centers  of  our  popula- 
tion to  which  the  incoming  immigration  tends  automatically  to  flow.  The 
figures  of  the  census  of  1920  not  being  available  to  me.  I  am  compelled  to  resort 
to  those  of  1910,  which  form,  together  with  other  data,  the  basis  of  the  ethnic 
map  introduced  in  evidence.  It  is  an  incontestible  fact,  based  on  common 
knowledge  as  well  as  detailed  researches  during  the  war,  that  certain  ele- 
ments in  our  population,  both  foreign-born  and  native-boi-n  of  the  first  genera- 
tion from  foreign  parentage,  reacted  partly  by  sentiment  and  partly  through 
intensive  propaganda  originated  and  developed,  directly  or  indirectly,  to  a  great 
extent,  by  our  enemies  during  the  war.  For  example,  it  was  a  matter  of  com- 
ment among  the  staff  that  the  rise  and  fall  of  cases  reported  to  the  Office  of 
Military  Intelligence.  New  York  City,  reflected  to  an  extraordinary  extent  the 
ebb  and  flow  of  the  fortunes  of  the  armies  engaged  in  the  struggle  in  Europe. 

In  saying  this  thi'  wriier  does  not  for  a  mouieiit  (lursiion  the  loyalty  of  a 
very  large  piercentage  of  the  foreign-born  naturalized  citizens  or  persons  of 
native  birth  but  foreign  pan^itage.  It  nuist,  howev(>r.  lie  obvious  even  to  those 
who  have  not  engaged  in  intensive  investigation  of  enemy  or  radical  activity 
that  sentimental  attachment  for  the  land  of  origin  is  sufiiciently  widespread 
to  constitute  a  menace  in  the  present  critical  condition  of  affairs  in  Europe. 
No  one  questions,  for  instance,  the  loyalty  of  the  Irish-American  population  of 
the  T'nited  States,  but  it  is  incontrovertible  that  the  d(>votion  of  this  element 
of  our  population  to  tlie  traditional  conflict  between  their  kinsfolk  in  Ireland 
and  Great  Britain  has  compromised  to  a  considerable  degree  prominent  per- 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  301 

sons  in  that  group  in  the  community  to-day.  In  the  same  way  it  will  be  cleai' 
after  a  little  study  of  the  .situation  that  the  Jewish  element  derive  to  a  great 
extent  from  regions  which  have  sullered  to  an  extraor«linary  degree  from  the 
ravages  of  war,  i-evolution,  famine,  and  disease  should  react  on  behalf  of  their 
coreligionists  uf  central  and  southeastern  Europe.  It  is  a  perfectly  human  re- 
action of  an  element  unassimiliated  as  yet  by  our  population  as  a  whole. 

The  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  in  his  report  of  1913,  page  109 
(see  Appendix  A,  attached  hereto),  says:  "There  can  be  no  question  but  that 
many  of  the  evils  that  grow  out  of  our  present  excessive  immigration  would 
be  remedied,  or  at  least  alleviated,  if  tlie  congestion  of  the  aliens  in  our  large 
centers  of  population  could  be  broken  up."  These  areas  have  not  been  broken 
up,  and  it  is  for  th;it  reason,  as  well  as  through  the  dissemination  of  insidious 
propaganda  generally,  that  unrest  is  frequently  attributed  to  racial  tendencies. 
It  is  the  VtTiter's  opinion,  as  a  result  of  his  experience  during  the  war,  that 
given  the  same  conditions,  any  racial  agglomeration  in  the  midst  of  a  com- 
munity foreign  to  them  will  inevitably  react  in  a  similar  way.  At  this  time 
we  are  confronted  with  facts  from  which  there  is  no  escape ;  Russia  is  in 
the  chaos  of  a  revolutionary  movement.  For  perfectly  comprehensible  reasons 
the  Russian- Jewish  population,  speaking  of  them  as  comprised  within  the 
boundaries  of  the  old  Russian  Empire,  detested  the  Government  of  the  Czar. 
Their  sympathies  were  with  any  movement,  German  or  revolutionary,  which 
would  tend  to  break  down  that  hated  Government. 

Pursuing  this  thoug!\t  to  its  logical  conclusion  the  tendency  is'  not  to  be 
wondered  at,  nor  are  they  altogether  to  be  blamed  in  their  ignorance  and  with 
their  prejudices  for  a  smypathetie  regard  for  Soviet  Russia.  It  is  from  the  ele- 
ment composefl  of  Germans.  Austrians.  Polish,  and  Russian  Jews  and  their  kins- 
folk in  Rumania,  and  the  newly  established  republics  of  the  Baltic  Provinces,  all 
of  them  disturbed  by  the  revolutionary  movement  or  with  vague  antagonisms 
aroused  by  the  results  of  the  war  that  the  incoming  tide  of  immigration  is 
going  to  flow. 

In  order  that  the  committee  may  not  consider  this  situation  as  outlined  above 
to  be  purely  local  to  New  Yoi*k,  permit  me  to  point  out  that  while  the  native-born 
population  of  native  parentage  in  that  city  is  less  than  20  per  cent,  according 
to  the  figures  of  the  census  of  1910,  it  is  also  "  less  than  one-quarter  of  the 
population  of  Chicago.  Boston,  Cleveland,  Detroit,  and  ^Milwaukee,  while  la 
cities  like  Fall  River,  Mass.,  it  constitutes  little  more  than  10  per  cent.  In 
only  14  of  the  50  largest  cities  of  America  does  the  native  parentage  population 
equal  50  per  cent  of  the  total."  (See  p.  6.  America  Police  Sy.stems,  by  Ray- 
mond B.  Fosdick.)  In  connection  with  this  problem  it  is  pertinent  to  add 
some  significant  statistics  collected  by  Mr.  Fosdick  in  regard  to  crime : 

"  London,  in  1916.  with  a  population  of  seven  millions  and  a  quarter,  had 
9  premeditated  murders.  Chicago,  one-third  the  size  of  London,  in  the  same 
period  had  105,  nearly  twelve  times  London's  total.  In  the  year  1916  Chicago  with 
its  2,500.000  people  had  20  more  murders  than  the  whole  of  England  and  Wales 
put  together  with  their  38.000.000  people.  *  *  *  in  1917  Chicasro  had  10 
more  murders  than  the  v.hole  of  England  and  Wales,  and  4  more  murders  than 
all  England,  Wales,  and  Scotland.  In  1918  Chicago  had  14  more  murders  than 
England  and  Wales.  In  1919  the  number  of  murders  in  Chicago  was  almost 
exactly  six  times  the  munl)Hr  committed  in  London.     *     *     * 

•'  New  York  City  in  1916  had  exactly  six  times  the  number  of  homicides  that 
London  had  for  the  same  year,  and  only  10  less  homicides  than  all  of  England 
and  Wales.  In  1917  New  York  had  six  times  more  homicides  than  London  and 
exceede<l  the  total  homicides  of  England  and  Wales  by  56.  In  19J^8  New  York 
again  had  six  times  more  homicides  than  London,  and  exceeded  the  total  homi- 
cides of  England  and  Wales  by  67. 

"  Robberies  and  assaults  with  intent  to  rob :  1915 — New  York.  838 :  London, 
20:  Ensland.  Wales,  and  Scotland,  102:  ^916— New  York,  886;  London.  19; 
England,  Wales,  and  Scotland,  227;  1917— New  York,  864;  London,  38:  Eng- 
land. Wales,  and  Scotland,  233;  1918— New  York,  849;  London,  a";  England 
and  Wales,  100." 

In  connection  with  these  statistics  Mr.  Fosdick,  on  page  10  of  his  book,  makes 
the  following  reflection : 

.i  *  *  M  \^  tiie  iiiiiue  time  the  large  preponderance  in  America  of  certain 
types  of  crime  which  are,  generally  speaking,  unaffected  by  police  activity — 
such  as  premeditated  murder  and  many  kinds  of  commercial  fr;.u<ls — affords, 
a  basis  for  the  belief  that  our  greater  comparative  propensity  to  crime  is  to  a 


302  EMKRGENC'Y   IM.MIGUATION   LEGISLATION. 

certain  dcgipc  <lu('  to  tlie  iiiake-up  of  our  population,  quite  apart  from  the 
iiiellicit'iK'y  of  our  police  forces.     *     *     *  " 

These  items  should  furuisli  food  for  thought  to  those  who  contend  for  the 
wide-open  door  during  this  ]ieriod  wlien,  iKcoi-ding  to  Mr.  Morrison,  of  the 
Federation  of  Labor,  appro.xiniately  2,U00,UU()  men  are  out  of  emploj-ment.  In 
corroboration  of  Mr.  Morrison's  tigures,  and  supplemental  to  those  which  I 
introduced  yesterday  in  my  testimony,  I  quote  the  following  from  the  New- 
York  City  Illustrated  News,  Jiinuary  4,  1921,  under  the  heading  of  "  Unem- 
ployed prey  of  many  swindling  lal)or  bureaus." 

"  *  *  *  During  the  war,  the  agencies  in  Brooklyn  were  able  to  charge  but 
a  nominal  amount  for  services.  In  Brooklyn  to-day  200,000  men  and  women 
are  out  of  work.     *     *     *  " 

Again  quoting  from  a  clipping  of  an  unidefitified  paper  which  states  as 
follows : 

"MASSACHUSETTS     XJNEMPI.OYJIKNT    RKPOUTKI)     WOKST     SINCE     1914. 

"  Boston,  January  5. — Conditions  of  unemployment  unequaled  since  1914 
were  reported  to-day  by  the  public  employment  office  of  the  State  department 
of  labor  and  industries.     *     *     *  " 

lA^t  me  now  (juote  from  the  summary  of  a  report  )».v  a  connnittee  of  the 
INIerchants'  Association  of  New  York,  of  which  Mr.  11.  D.  \Vall)ridge  is  chair- 
man, sunmiarized  in  an  article  of  the  New  York  Times,  Sunday,  Januarv  2, 
1921.     The  report  states : 

"  In  order  to  safeguard  our  social  and  political  welfare,  adequate  laws  have 
already  been  enacted  to  prohibit  the  iumiigratiou  of  such  generally  recognized 
undesirables  as  criminals,  the  physically  and  mentally  unfit,  and  those  advocat- 
ing the  destruction  of  governmeut.  These  laws  were  substantially  strengthened 
last  spring  by  the  passage  of  additional  legislation  applying  particularly  to 
radicals.  Provisions  have  likewise  been  made  to  exclude  from  this  country 
oriental  peoples,  who  are  known  to  be  difficult  of  assimilation.  Your  com- 
mittee believes  tliar  these  measures  are  sound  and  recommends  that  emphasis 
at  this  time  be  placed  not  on  the  addition  of  further  restrictive  measures  but 
rather  on  the  efficient  administration  of  those  already  on  the  statute 
books.     *     *     * " 

The  writer  is  of  the  opinion  that  this  statement  fails  utterly  to  take  into 
account  the  fact  that  passport  restrictions  now  in  force,  inadequate  as  they  are, 
go  out  of  existence  autcmiatically  upon  the  declaration  of  peace  or  terminate 
on  March  4,  1921,  in  any  event  should  peace  be  concluded  at  an  earlier  date. 
The  report  further  says  : 

"  With  200,000  adult  aliens,  who  are  either  illiterate  or  unable  to  speak  the 
English  language,  in  this  city,  and  with  500,000  who  neither  read  nor  write 
the  English  language,  the  committee  asserts  that  not  more  than  10  per  cent  are 
being  reached  by  any  systematic  educational  program,  and  believes  that  a 
larger  number  of  these  people  should  be  reached  and  that  although  the  work 
is  primarily  the  duty  of  the  State,  such  organizations  as  the  merchants'  asso- 
ciation can  and  should  actively  participate  in  an  effort  to  make  the  State's 
program  more  elfeetive. 

"In  regard  to  naturalization  the  committee  finds  that  the  present  law  should 
be  so  amended  to  transfer  to  the  proper  administrative  officials  the  functions 
now  exercised  by  the  courts  at  any  rate  in  the  larger  cities.  *  *  *  The 
facts  of  maldistribution  are  familiar  to  all.  For  the  five  .vear  period  1909  to 
1914,  for  instance,  the  six  States  of  Massachusetts,  Ilhode  Island,  New  York, 
New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  pnd  Illinois,  with  less  than  G  per  cent  of  the  area  of 
the  United  States,  received  50  per  cent  of  the  total  immigration  for  that  period. 
For  the  year  1907  these  same  States  received  69  per  cent  of  the  total  immigra- 
tion." 

It  would  be  difficult,  in  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  to  find  more  cogent  argu- 
ments for  the  imposition  of  emergency  restrictive  legislation  pending  the  prepa- 
ration as  stated  before  of  adequate  legislation. 

It  is  among  these  elements  that  the  propagandists  disseminate  either  by 
word  of  mouth,  where  the  alien  is  illiterate,  or  visually  by  means  of  newspapers 
and  pamphlets,  doctrines  such  as  this : 

"You  can  not  free  yourself  from  high  prices  and  low  wages  by  changing  the 
men  who  operate  the  Government  for  the  capitalists.  You  nuist  destroy  that 
government  and  substitute  a  government  of,  by,  and  for  the  working  class — 
the  dictatorship  of  the  proletariat. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  303 


a  t 


Seeing  red'  and  'feeling  rovolutionary '  is  not  sufficient.  Revolutionary 
action  alone  will  wipe  out  the  '  robbers'  roost.  A  soviet  government — a  govern- 
ment of  workers  councils  must  be  your  aim. 

"  You  can  not  establish  such  a  government  by  the  ballot.  You  must  organize 
your  power  and  prepare  for  revohitionui'y  action. 

"  Y"ou  must  unite  your  separate  strikes  into  general  strikes.  You  must  de- 
velop the  general  political  strike  against  the  capitalist  government.  Out  of  the 
general  political  strike  will  develoj)  that  form  of  mass  action — armed  conflict 
between  the  workers  and  the  capitalist  government — through  which  the  struggle 
between  the  capitalist  robbers  and  the  workers  will  be  tinally  settled  by  the 
e.stablishment  of  the  dictatorship  of  the  proletariat.  That  is  the  program  of 
the  communist  party.     Read  it,  study  it,  talk  to  your  fellow  workers  about  it. 

"  Once  you  have  control  of  the  power  of  the  government  you  can  deal  with 
the  capitalist  robbers,  by  taking  the  industries  out  of  their  hands  and  establish- 
ing social  ownership  and  workers  control.  That  is  the  only  way  to  change  the 
present  conditions."  (From  latest  proclamation  of  the  Communist  Party  of 
America,  received  Dec.  13,  1920.) 

Or  the  following  quoted  from  one  of  a  number  of  subversive  articles  printed 
in  Free  Society,  a  paper  issued  by  the  anarchist  gi'oups  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  dated  January,  1921,  page  3 : 

"  They  all  knew  that  it  was  a  lie  to  blame  the  anarchists  for  the  unfortunate 
accident.  But  to  save  a  few  millions  for  the  Du  Pont  Powder  Co.,  to  use  the 
accident  as  a  shield  for  refusing  to  release  the  social  war  prisoners  while 
spreading  hatred  on  their  most  effective  enemies,  the  anarchists,  was  too  great 
an  opportunity  for  them  to  miss.     *     *     * 

"  If  some  courageous  fighters  for  freedom  can  not  keep  looking  on  at  the 
sui)pression  of  the  workers,  can  not  submit  any  longer  to  the  innumerable 
crimes  of  this  system,  and  starts  to  make  use  of  the  bomb  in  order  to  avenge 
the  wrongs  of  the  ijeople,  as  Leon  Czolgosz  has  done  by  killing  ^McKinley,  then 
none  should  complain  the  less  about  it  than  the  rulers  of  to-day,  who  have 
shown  by  their  spoken  and  printed  words,  during  the  explosion,  that  they  ex- 
pect deserving  repayment  for  all  their  crimes  against  the  people. 

"  Whether  in  times  of  unbearable  suppressions  of  the  fundamental  rights  of 
the  i>eople,  or  during  a  social  revolution,  liberty-loving  people  will  always  arise 
within  the  ranks  of  the  suppressed,  who  will  make  use  of  the  bomb  as  well  as  of 
any  other  necessary  weapon  with  which  to  bring  abotit  a  society  of  free  human 
beings. 

"  No  Government  in  the  world  is  strong  enough  to  kill  forever  the  aspirations 
and  struggle  to  become  free  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of  any  people  that  ever 
lived  or  will  live." 

In  this  connection  the  committee  would  do  well  to  read  in  The  Communist, 
No.  10,  the  official  organ  of  the  United  Communist  Party  of  America,  Section  of 
the  Third  (Comnumist)  International,  the  report  on  the  world  congre.ss  of  the 
Communist  International  as  a  good  exposition  of  the  widespread  revolutionary 
movement. 

Turning  now  to  the  contention  that  the  country  at  the  present  moment  is 
not  in  danger  of  an  undue  influx  of  inunigrants,  permit  me  to  call  attention  to 
a  tal)le  .showing  the  wave  of  immigration  into  the  United  States  from  all  coun- 
tries during  the  past  100  years,  facing  page  276  of  the  Report  of  the  Connnis- 
sioner  General  of  Immigration  for  1920.  It  should  be  noted  in  the  studying 
of  this  table  that  the  figures  taliulated  are  for  the  period  ending  .June  30.  1920, 
and  cover  a  period  where  it  may  be  assumed  that  the  war-time  restrictions 
were  acting  at  almost,  if  not  quite,  their  maximum  rigor.  The  figures  of  430.001 
immigrant  aliens  admittetl  will  be  foinid  again  on  the  table  printefl  on  page 
88  of  the  Report  of  the  Connuissioner  General  of  Immigration  for  1020.  This 
table  is  well  worthy  of  study,  as  it  enmnerates  not  only  the  innnigrant  aliens 
btit  the  nonimmigrant  aliens  coming  into  the  United  States,  making  an  aggre- 
gate of  021  ,.576  entered  against  a  total  of  both  classes  departe<I  of  428,062, 
showing  in  that  period  a  net  increase  of  193,514.  Quoting  now  from  the  New 
York  Times  of  Wednesday,  .January  5,  1921,  for  the  five  months  ending  with 
November,  1920,  the  figures  are  as  follows:  "The  net  (not  total  immigration) 
was  291.3ri4.  or  at  the  rate  of  699,240  for  12  months."  "  In  all  our  past  history 
the  total  (not  net)  immigration  has  exceeded  this  figure  only  twelve  times." 
(Editorial  conmient.)  "The  latest  available  totals  for  last  October  and  No- 
vember were  101,000  and  102.0(K).  respectively,  or  at  the  rate  of  1,224,000  for  12 
26911— 21— PT  (i 2 


304  EMKRGEXCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

mouths.    This  fiirure  1ms  l)een  exceeded  only  once,  in  VMl,  when  the  total  immi- 
gratkm  wus  1.285,389." 

The  opponents  of  the  .Johnson  hill  contend  that  the  shipping  situation  is  in 
such  a  condition  that  means  of  transporting  large  nunihers  of  inunigraiits  are 
not  availal)U'.  hut  in  noting  the  t'nii)hasis  which  is  laid  by  this  element  on 
the  imi)rohahilif.v  of  a  high  net  increase  of  immigration  allow  me  to  call  your 
attention  to  the  Washington  Bureau  Standard  Statistics  Co.  report,  January 
10,  1021.  in  which  it  is  stated : 

"  In  making  their  estimate  that  not  more  than  1,000,000  immigrants  could  be 
added  to  the  country's  popidation  this  year  under  present  conditions,  officials 
do  not  claim  that  the  entries  will  number  only  1,000,000.  Against  the  entries 
they  are  balancing  the  departures,  the  net  they  say  will  not  exceed  the  million 
mark." 

It  is  therefore  merely  in  the  realm  of  argument  that  we  shall  have  a  high 
out-go  from  this  country  and  a  small  increase  owing  to  the  unemployment 
within  the  United  States.  In  reply  to  this  view  I  should  like  to  say  that  it  Is 
equally  reasonable  to  suppose  that  with  great  unemployment  in  Germany  as 
reported  in  the  daily  press,  and  with  great  unemployment  in  France  and  Eng- 
land as  well  as  in  other  countries,  added  to  the  almost  universal  economic 
chaos  existing  abroad  where  actual  revolutionary  movements  are  not  on  foot, 
there  is  little  probability  of  a  heavy  outpouring  of  alien  people  from  this 
country.  However  bad  conditions  may  be  here  it  is  now  becoming  generally 
recognized  that  they  are  inevitably  worse  abroad.  Assuming  this  view  of  the 
question  to  be  correct  we  can  then  argue  that  the  shipping  accommodation  may 
well  be  sufficient  to  carry  the  influx  to  figures  paralleling  those  of  the  year  of 
our  greatest  Increase  in  population. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  opponents  of  the  Johnson  measure  urge  the  in- 
adequate supply  of  labor  for  the  farms  it  is  pertinent  to  refer  to  the  report 
of  the  Commissioner  General  of  Inunigration  for  1920,  page  41.  See  Appen- 
dix B.)  In  this  table  as  reproduced  in  the  appendix  attached  hereto,  I  have 
added  the  percentages  of  farm  laborers  and  farmers  together.  It  will  be 
observed  that  in  the  period  1910  to  1914  the  aggregate  of  these  elements  coming 
into  the  United  States  was  25.4  per  cent,  in  1920  the  aggi-egate  was  G.3  per 
cent.  Supposing  this  ratio  to  hold  good  during  the  present  fiscal  year  it  is 
easy  to  visualize  the  vast  number  of  immigrants  we  must  absorb  in  order  to 
appreciably  increase  our  farming  population.  It  is  highly  significant  that  in 
1920,  40.3  per  cent  of  the  immigrants  should  be  classified  as  having  no  occu- 
pation. In  other  words,  they  are  dei)en.dents,  whereas  in  1910-1914  that  ratio 
was  only  26.2  per  cent. 

With  these  figures  in  mind  turn  now  to  Appendix  C.  attached  hereto,  reprint- 
ing figures  from  the  annual  reports  of  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration 
to  the  Secretary  of  Labor.  This  table  shojis  immigrant  aliens  admitted  by 
States  of  intended  future  residence.  In  preparing  this  table  the  writer  has 
indicated  on  the  right-hand  side  of  each  column  that  element  of  aliens  showing 
a  majority  in  the  area  indicataed.  For  example,  take  the  year  before  the  war — 
1913 — it  will  be  noted  that  Connecticut,  a  manufacturing  State,  took  35,138 ; 
Illinois,  primarily  an  industrial  State,  107.000 ;  Massachusetts,  an  industrial 
State.  101.674:  New  York,  an  industrial  State.  330.. 5.31 :  Pennsylvania,  an 
industrial  State.  182,733.  the  general  ratio  holding  good  for  the  succeeding 
years.  (Note  carefully  that  the  race  indicated  does  not  refer  to  the  total 
number,  but  merely  to  the  majority  of  aliens.)  Substantiating  this  argument, 
reference  is  now  made  to  Appendix  D,  showing  the  foreign-born  population 
in  1910  by  States  and  enumerating  the  nati<mality  which  has  a  majority  in 
each  State  from  the  Bureau  of  Census  Reports,  1910.  Table  36,  "Annual 
statistical  report  for  1919."  A  review  of  these  figures  will  indicate  the  tendency 
among  the  aliens  to  concentrate  in  the  industrial  centers. 

The  situation  may  be  summed  up  briefiy  on  behalf  of  the  Johnson  bill  as 
follows : 

1.  The  task  of  reorganizing  the  investigating  services  of  the  Government, 
of  which  the  Immigration  Bureau  is  a  part,  of  necessity  will  involve  such 
detailed  study  of  the  situation  that  it  can  not  be  disposed  of  as  an  emergency 
measure. 

2.  The  writer  contends  that  an  emergency  exists  for  two  reasons: 

(a)  The  masses  of  immigrants  coming  into  the  United  States  since  1900 
has  imposed  a  greater  strain  on  the  power  of  assimilation  of  the  Nation  than 
it  has  been  able  to  bear,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  reaction  of  all  racial  groups  to 
factional  struggles  in  the  country  of  their  origin. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


305 


( b )  During  the  period  of  economic  reconstruction  with  unemployment  staring 
vast  numbers  of  our  people  in  the  face  the  Nation  should  consider  the  law  of 
self-preservation  and  the  maintenance  of  our  standards  of  development  before 
the  dictates  of  sentiment  on  behalf  of  a  revolutionary  people  and  their  victims 
of  central  and  eastern  Europe,  who  now  threaten  to  submerge  us  l)y  immi- 
gration. 

Respectfully, 

.John  B.  Tkkvor. 


Appendix  A. 


DISTRIBUTION    OF    IMMIGRATION. 


IFiom  the  Report  of  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration,  1913,  p.   109.] 

There  can  be  no  question  but  that  many  of  the  evils  that  grow  out  of  our 
present  excessive  immigration  would  be  remedied,  or  at  least  alleviated,  if  the 
congestion  of  the  aliens  in  our  large  centers  of  population  could  be  broken  up. 
Distribution  of  admitted  aliens,  therefore,  even  from  this  standpoint,  is  a  thing 
nuich  to  be  desired.  ^Moreover,  there  are  certain  sections  of  the  United  States 
that  need  accretions  to  their  population,  especially  laboring  classes,  more  par- 
ticularly of  those  who  v>-iH  work  on  the  farm.s.  If  some  detailed  plan  could  be 
devi.sed  whereby  aliens  could  be  directed  to  those  places  without  disturbing 
labor  conditions  elsewhere,  a  great  deal  of  good  would  be  accomplished. 


Appendix  B. 

Occupations  of  immigrant  aliens,  fiscal  year  ending  June  SO,  1920. 

[From  the  Report  of  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration,  1920,  p.  41.] 


Occupations. 


Prof  es'^ional 

Skilled 

Farm  laborers 

Farmers 

Laborers 

Servants 

Other  occupations 

No  occupation  (including  women  and  children). 

Total 


Number 
in  1920. 


12.442 
69,967 
15, 257 
12, 192 
81,732 
37, 197 
28,081 
173, 133 


Per  cent  of  total. 


2.9 
10.3 
13.5 
12.8 
19.0 
8.7 
6.4 
40.3 


1910-1914 


1.2 
14.5 
2  24.3 
2  1.1 
18.4 
11.7 
2.7 
26.2 


430,001 


100.0 


100.0 


1  Total  of  farm  laborers  and  farmers,  6.3. 


-  Total  of  farm  laborers  and  farmers,  2c.i. 


Appendix  C. 

Immigrant   aliens  admilicd,   bii   Slates  of  intended  future   residence,  shoiring 
nationaHhf  ha  ring  a  majoritu. 

[Taiilc  IX.    From  the  annual  reports  of  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  to  the  Secretary  of 

Labor.] 


1913 

1919 

! 

1920 

Number. 

Nationality. 

Number. 

Nationality. 

1  Number. 

Nationality. 

1.170 

3,945 

353 

32,277 

5,673 

?5,138 

1,81  > 

1.717 

.%.'?52 

787 

1,682 

107.  (:60 

13,0,15 

Italian 

Mexican 

241 

0   4p<5 

''  98 
16,575 

738 
1,653 
•  86 

816 
2,578 

187 

430 
3,9.51 

563 

619 
5,421 

.1             178 
.:      32,5i)2 

•  ;     L4'*<'* 

J  13,212 
.j  .558 
.          1.702 

4,145 
569 

l,;'6i 
.        16.964 

2,586 

Arizona 

Mexican 

Mexican. 

Italian 

German 

Italian 

Polish 

Italiin 

Spanish 

Japanese 

Italian. 

District  of  Columl-ia 

African 

Idaho  

Polish     

Indiana 

Polish 

303 


i:mki;(;i::\('v  i.m.m ic^atiox  legislation. 


hiiininnint   (ilirns  atlmitfcd,   hi/  States  of  iuteudcd   future  residence,   shoiiing 
nuliouulitii  huriiit/  a  mujoiily — Conlinueil. 


1913 

1919 

1920 

Number. 

Nationality. 

Number. 

Nationality. 

1 
Number.     Nationality. 

Iowa 

8,660 
3,6(13 
761 
1,774 
6,62! 

Scandinavian . 
German 

743 

389 

103 

1,355 

2,8  9 

618 

11.4.8 

8,490 

2,326 

12) 

690 

951 

350 

137 

1,668 

2,860 

782 

28, 715 

118 

746 

2,168 

216 

1,329 

3,814 

1,637 

112 

301 

156 

21,629 

588 

1,486 

1,221 

6,399 

235 

2,993 
872 
296 

1  763 

Dutch 

Kcnlnckv 

Louisiana  

Mexican 

French 

English 

do 

do 

Maiae 

French 

6,o.=:.o     French. 
1  65i)  ' 

Maryland     

Mas^chusetis 

l.)l.6.4 
59, 192 
18.693 
415 
11,5,14 

Ita;ian 

41,. 594 
28  2>7 

Engii.sh. 

Tin 

Midii'.'an 

Mi.inesjta 

Scandinavian . 

5,63S     Scandinavian. 
30X  ' 

Mississi \\ii  

2,174 

l,0;i5 

1,397 

7SS 

3,712 

16,666 

953 

106,630 

373 

1,342 

15,377 

497 

3,645 

27,637 

7,341 

248 

1,086 

384 

39,115 

1,387 

3,089 

2,670 

11,462 

2,023 

3,827 

544 

Montana  

5:796 
6,266 

Nebraska 

Neva  ;a 

1,000 

8,230 

61, 358 

New  HaiUiis:iirc 

Now  Jericv 

ircnch 

Pnlish_   _ 



French 

French. 

New  Mexico 

758    

330,531     Italian 

429 



New  Yor^ 

iiug.ish 

North  ia'xo.a 

4,2.S5 

63,007 

1,018 

4,994 

182,  744 

Ohio 

Polish 

Eng.ish 

Oloahoma 

Ore;;on 



Penn-;y!  vaiiia 

Ir:ilian 

English 

Ita  ian. 

Rho Je  Is:aud 

13,678  1 do 

258    

1,641 

Portuguese. 

SoiUh  Caro  ina 

Mexican 

Soutii  I.'akota 

Tennessee 

818 
11,214 
2,932 
3,608 
1, 822 
18,313 

Texas... 

Mexican 

Utah 

Vermont 

French. 

Virginia 

AVashinETton 

Eng.ish 

English. 

A\'est  Virginia 

10,472  1  Itaiau 

23,091      f-i^rman 

Wisconsin 

817 
153 

W}-oiiiLni; 

1,160 

Total 

l,197,Si*2 

141, 132 

Mexican 

430,001 

Italian. 

Appendix  I  >. 

J'(j:<i;/ii-l,(>in    iJOiJuUition    i)i    1910,    by   t>tatcs:    alioir.ii^/    nallonality    irJtich    Itas 

majority  in  each  t>tatc. 
[Table  36,  "Annual  statistical  report  for  1919,"  the  Bureau  of  Census  Kcporvs,  1910.] 


Alabama 

Arizona 

Arkan.sas 

California 

Colorado 

Coime'ticiit 

Delaware 

District  of  Columbia 

Florida 

Georgia 

Idaho 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

Kentucky 

Loiiisian-i 

Maine 

Maryland 

Massachusetts 

Michi'.;an 

Minnes'ita 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Montana 

Nebraska 


Number. 


Nationalitv. 


19,286 

4S,  765 

17, 046 

586, 432 

129, 587 

329, 574 

17,492 

24,902 

4n,tj33 

15,477 

42,  .578 

1,20.5,314 

159, 663 

273, 765 

13.3,450 

43, 162 

.52,  766 

110,.5<:)2 

104,944 

1,059,245 

597, 5.50 

5>13,  .595 

9,770 

229, 779 

94,713 

176,662 


German. 
English. 
German. 

Do. 

Do. 
Irish. 

Do. 

Do. 
West  Indian. 
Russian. 
German. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 
Italian. 
Insii. 
German. 

Do.       • 

Do. 
Swedish. 
Italian, 
(ierman. 
Iri.sh. 
German. 


Nevada 

New  Hampshire 

New  Jersey 

New  .Mexico 

New  York- , 

North  Carolina 
North  Da!<ota 

Ohio 

Oklahoma 

Oregon 

Pennsvlvania 

Rho<le  Island 

ooulh  Carolina 

iSoutli  1  lakota 

Tennessee 

Texas 

llah 

\'ermont 

Virginia 

Wa  :l.ington . . 

West  \irginia 

Wisconsin 

Wyoming 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    Ll^GI.SLATiUN.  307 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  WILLIAM  S.  BENNET,  FORMER  MEMBER  OF 
UNITED  STATES  IMMIGRATION  COMMISSION  AND  FORMER 
MEMBER  OF  CONGRESS— Continued. 

Mr.  Ijkxxet.  Mr.  Chairman.  I  had  the  honor  to  live  for  27  years 
in  Xew  York  City,  and  therefore  I  am  a  <rood  deal  more  familiar 
with  it  than  is  Con;Lrressman  Johnson,  from  the  State  of  Washin<iton. 
He  mi<riit  have  <rone  a  <rood  deal  further  than  he  did  about  the  alien 
population  and  still  have  been  within  the  bounds  of  truth.  For 
instance,  he  mi«rht  halve  told  you — and  it  would  have  been  the  fact — 
that  the  majority  of  the  heads  of  families  in  every  police  precinct 
of  ^lanhattan  Island  are  forei^rn  born.  But  what  of  it?  Unless  you 
^•o  ahead  and  make  some  further  proof,  wliat  of  it? 

He  did  not  tell  you  one  thin<r.  and  I  assume  that  the  reason  he  did 
not  tell  you  was  because  he  did  not  know,  when  he  pointed  out  tliese 
variejjated  colors  down  here  in  the  southeast  i)art  of  the  map.  that 
the  only  places  on  ^Manhattan  Island  to-day  where  there  are  vacant 
apartments  and  rooms  are  down  here  in  the  southeast  corner,  where 
he  says  the  congested  portion  is :  and  you  can  verify  that  by  sending 
a  wire  to  the  buildinir  commissioner  of  Xew  York  City. 

Then  he  mi<zht  have  told  you.  Avhen  talkino-  about  this  horrible 
alien  population.  tAvo  thinofs  :  JFirst.  that  the  population  of  Manhattan 
Island  in  the  last  decennial  period  actually  decreased  instead  of  in- 
creased. 

The  Chaikmax.  Of  Manhattan  Island,  you  said? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Yes,  sir;  that  is  what  he  was  talking:  about.  This 
is  Manhattan  Island  that  he  showed  you.  This  section  at  the  top  of 
the  map  is  the  Bronx.  Manhattan  Island  is  now  a  minority  borough 
of  Xew  York.  There  are  fiSe  boroughs  in  the  city,  and  Manhattan 
is  the  minority  borough. 

Senator  Sterijxg.  How  do  you  account  for  that — increased 
growth  in  the  Bronx,  etc.  ? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  I  account  for  it  from  the  fact.  Senator,  that  from, 
the  southern  portion  up  it  has  been  more  and  more  given  over  to 
trade  and  industry,  and  then  I  account  for  it  by  the  further  fact  that 
this  1920  census  shows  that  the  manufacturing  of  the  country  is 
moving  from  the  large  cities  like  Xew  York  and  Chicago  to  the 
cities  of  lo.OOO  to  50.000  inhabitants,  like  the  city,  for  example,  of 
Marion,  Ohio,  which  is  now  in  the  i)ublic  eye  for  the  moment,  which 
incieased  in  the  last  decennial  period  from  IS.OOO  to  28.000.  And 
why  (  Because  they  haA'e  two  steam-shovel  works  there  and  other 
industries. 

And  you  would  be  interested  in  knowing  that  this  week  the  Marion 
Steam  Sho'vel  Co.  is  putting  on  a  night  shift  to  keep  up  with  the  in- 
creased orders.  So  the  lack  of  work  is  not  general  all  over  the 
country. 

Senator  Sterijxo.  Isn't  this  true,  that  whereas  there  is  increasing 
unemployment  in  certain  quarters  there  is  a  demand  for  more  labor  in 
other  quarters  in  the  country  right  now? 

Mr.  Benxet.  That  is  true. 

^ow,  I  would  like  to  say  a  word  or  two  about  Xew  York  City, 
although  I  am  now  a  resident  of  the  rival  city  of  Chicago.  Facts 
are  not  of  sluj  particular  value  unless  they  are  relevant  to  other 


308  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

facts.  It  is  true  tliat  this  <^reat  bij^  alien  population  is  in  New  York 
City,  iiut  unless  you  can  demonstrate  that  because  of  that  alien 
population  certain  things  have  occurred,  what  difference  does  it 
make '.  Now.  can  anyone  show  that  there  is  more  disorder  in  New 
York  City  than  in  other  places^ 

Here  is  'the  fact :  Since  1^(5.")  we  have  only  had  to  call  out  the 
State  militia  in  the  Borough  of  Manhattan  to  maintain  order  once, 
and  that  was  in  1872.  when  two  ditlerent  brands  of  Irishmen  met 
on  the  12th  of  July  and  engaged  in  what  was  known  as  the  Irish 
riots.  A^  ith  all  our  mixed  population  we  have  never  had  to  have  a 
soldier  on  the  streets  of  Manhattan  to  maintain  order.  Now,  there 
are  other  States,  some  of  them  on  the  Pacific  coast,  that  can  not  say 
that. 

Furthermore,  are  our  schools  retrograding  ?  Are  our  churches  go- 
ing backward?  "Wliat  kind  of  decay  is  there  in  the  large  cities? 
And  in  what  paiticular  borough  \ 

I  have  been  in  and  out  of  C'ongres.-  for  16  years,  and  I  have 
followed  this  immigration  question  rather  closely,  and  the  vote 
against  measures  like  the  Johnson  bill  by  representatives  from  the 
large  cities,  has  been  almost  100  per  cent,  if  not  100  per  cent.  Now, 
why?  It  is  because  the  people  of  the  cities  are  not  opposed  to  the 
immigiation.  And.  of  course,  the  1,500.000  that  brother  Johnson 
say--  are  there  in  Manhactan  do  not  vote.  We  are  not  one  of  the 
States,  like  Indiana,  where  a  person  can  vote  on  merely  tiling  a  dec- 
laration of  intention.  A  man  has  to  either  have  been  born  in  the 
ITnited  States,  or  have  lived  in  the  United  States  for  at  least  five 
years  and  been  naturalized  before  he  can  vote. 

Now.  although  it  is  somewhat  unrelated,  the  accusation  was  made 
that  these  people  do  not  get  naturalized.  Well,  how  can  they?  The 
law  is  that  a  man  must  be  naturalized  before  a  judge,  and  it  is  a 
rather  intricate  and  involved  proceeding,  to  get  naturalized.  There 
are  comparatively  few  judges  in  New  York  City,  and  the  naturaliza- 
tion courts  and  the  State  and  Federal  courts,  both,  in  ^lanhattan 
are  worlring  to-day  up  to  their  maximum  capacity.  If  Congress- 
man Johnson,  who  is  the  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Naturaliza- 
tion in  the  House,  wants  to  increase  certain  naturalization  in  Man- 
hattan Borough,  he  has  got  a  very  definite  and  certain  way  to  do  it. 
He  can  increase  the  staff  of  the  clerks  over  there,  so  that  they  can 
handle  the  increased  number  of  applicants  for  naturalization. 

When  I  wac  a  Meml)er  of  the  House,  in  the  Sixty-first  Congress, 
the  number  of  men  who  wanted  to  be  naturalized  and  who  could  not 
be  naturalized  because  of  the  lack  of  facilities  was  so  tremendous 
that  a  subcommittee  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration  was  ap- 
pointed to  investisrate  to  see  what  could  be  done,  and  we  reported 
back  some  proceedinsrs  which  ameliorated  the  condition  to  some  ex- 
tent. But  it  is  absolutely  and  grotesquely  unfair  to  reduce,  on  the 
one  hand,  the  facilities  which  the  commissioner  of  naturalization, 
if  that  is  his  title,  is  demanding  and  then  turn  around,  on  the  other 
side,  and  blame  the  people  for  not  being  naturalized  when  you  won't 
give  them  the  facilities  for  being  nffturalized. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well.  now.  that  is  a  rather  interesting  fact, 
and  it  is  rather  new  to  me  that  there  are  not  the  facilities  for  natu- 
ralization of  people  who  desire  to  be  naturalized. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  309 

Mr.  Bexxet.  It  is  a  fact.  Why,  Senator,  at  one  time,  before  our 
subcommittee  was  appointed,  the  congestion  in  the  Federal  courts 
was  so  great  that  the  applicants  for  naturalization  who  wanted  to  be 
naturalized  in  the  Federal  court  stood  in  line  all  night  in  order  to 
be  there  when  the  rooms  opened  in  the  morning. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  Has  your  attention  been  called  to  the  con- 
gestion in  the  naturalization  bureau  here  ? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Here  in  Washington? 

Senator  Dillix^gham.  Yes. 

Mr.  Bex'xet.  Xo,  sir,  Senator ;  I  don't  know  that  it  has. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  It  has  been  called  to  my  attention.  I  never 
go  home  without  the  attorneys  who  are  managing  the  naturalization 
business  coming  to  me  with  complaints  that  they  are  unable  to  get, 
the  returns  from  the  naturalization  bureau  regarding  the  aliens 
who  are  waiting  their  turn  for  a  hearing  in  Vermont.  And  the  bu- 
reau tells  me  that  they  can  not  keep  up  with  the  work. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  For  lack  of  help.  I  don't  doubt  it  at  all.  They  tell 
me  in  New  York  City,  and  I  believe  it  is  so — well,  as  a  matter  of 
fact.  I  know  it  to  be  a  fact — that  in  the  county  clerk's  office  and  in 
the  Federal  clerk's  office  they  can  do  no  more  than  they  are  now  do- 
ing because  of  the  absolute  lack  of  assistance. 

Senator  Sterlixo.  Is  that  a  condition  that  has  existed  for  some 
time  or  is  that  a  situation  of  recent  origin? 

Mr.  Bex'xet.  It  has  existed  for  14  years — ever  since  the  act  was 
passed. 

Senator  Dilltx^gha^i.  Has  it  not  been  increased  since  the  last  act, 
requiring  the  registration  of  every  arriving  immigrant  to  be  filed 
here  in  Washington  ? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  That  was  the  act  of  1906. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  It  was  since  that  time  that  the  trouble  oc- 
curred. 

Mr.  Benx^et.  Yes.  I  think  all  the  departments  connected  with 
jthis  work  are  behind  in  their  work. 

Senator  Dillix'gham.  There  is  so  much  machinery  connected  with 
the  work  now  that  I  think  that  has  been  the  cause  of  the  delay — the 
work  of  the  examiners  and  the  worlc  of  the  bureau  here  in  Washing- 
ton. I  am  not  criticizing  it ;  it  has  been  very  necessary.  But  I  think 
that  is  what  has  caused  the  congestion.  I  know  it  exists  in  other 
places.     It  exists  in  m^'  own  State.     And  that  ought  not  to  be. 

Mr.  Bex'x^et.  And,  of  course,  that  has  a  reflex  influence.  If  the 
alien  knows  that  he  can  not  be  naturalized  except  at  the  cost  of  a 
great  deal  of  time,  waiting  day  after  day.  thereby  losing  his  own 
time,  and  not  only  his  own  time  but  that  of  others,  because.  Senator, 
a  man  to  be  naturalized  must  lose  not  only  his  own  time  but  he  must 
lose  the  time  of  two  witnesses,  who  must  go  down  there  with  him 
and  wait,  and  they  must  wait  day  after  day  for  their  turn:  knowing 
that,  it  is  not  surprising  that  some  of  them  put  it  off. 

Senator  Sterltxg.  ]May  I  ask  a  question  right  there?  What  is  the 
disposition  of  industrial  corporations  employing  a  great  many  men 
in  regard  to  the  naturalization  of  their  employees?  Isn't  there  a 
disposition  there  to  encourage  naturalization,  and  even  to  allow  them 
the  time,  and  to  allow  the  time  of  their  witnesses  as  well  in  getting 
naturalized  ? 


310  EMERGENCY   IMM  KJRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Well,  spoakinix  for  our  own  and  allied  corporations, 
which  at  times  employ  as  many  as  8.000  men.  we  will  always  facili- 
tate in  whate\er  way  we  can  tlie  naturalization  of  tliese  people.  In 
Wisconsin  or  Minnesota  our  labor  is  white  labor,  and  in  the  iSouth 
our  labor  is  very  largely  Xep:ro,  which  is  native  to  that  locality,  and 
our  superintendents  and  foremen  have  instructions  to  assist  them  in 
tellin<r  them  how  to  be  naturalized.  AVe  do  everything  of  that  sort, 
because  we  believe  in  Americanization.  If  a  man  takes  enough  inter- 
est to  want  to  be  naturalized  and  does  not  know  how  to  go  about  it, 
why.  our  office  force,  without  any  cost  to  him,  will  supply  him  Avith 
all  the  data. 

In  fact,  since  I  have  been  general  counsel  they  have  referred  some 
questions  doAvn  to  me.  because  they  thought  I  knew  something  about 
naturalization,  and  I  have  taken  great  pleasure,  without  expense  to 
those  people,  in  helping  them  out.  And  why  not?  We  are  not  urg- 
ing them,  but  if  a  man  shows  an  inclination  on  his  own  initiative  to 
be  naturalized,  every  corporation  that  I  know  anything  about  would 
go  to  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and  expense  to  help  him. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Bennet,  from  many  years"  experience  on  the 
Federal  bench.  I  can  confirm  your  statement  that  the  Federal  courts 
are  unable  to  naturalize  the  number  of  applicants  who  come  to  the 
courts,  and,  further,  that  the  more  complicated  the  machinery  be- 
comes the  greater  in  one  sense  the  congestion  becomes. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Certainly. 

The  Chairman.  Of  course,  in  the  month  or  two  preceding  an  elec- 
tion is  the  time  when  the  congestion  is  the  greatest.  I  naturalized 
for  many  years  in  Boston,  and  we  found  it  impossible  to  accom- 
modate tiie  number  of  applicants  who  desired  to  become  naturalized. 
You  have  spoken  on  that  subject,  and  your  statement  that  we  have 
to  provide  additional  judges  and  additional  machinery  for  naturali- 
zation, and  that  that  want  holds  back  a  good  many  of  the  aliens  from 
being  naturalized  is  an  absolute  fact. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Absolutely.  And  yet,  Senator,  from  your  experience 
as  a  United  States  judge,  I  doubt  if  you  would  waive  a  single  one  of 
the  safeguards  that  now  exist  against  the  undue  naturalization  of 
aliens. 

The  Chairman.  I  would  not.  But  I  don't  think  it  is  fair  to  blame 
the  aliens  for  not  being  natiu-alized  when  the  facilities  are  not  offered 
them  to  be  naturalized. 

Mr.  Bennet.  That  is  right.  And  then.  Senator,  you  will  recall 
that  some  years  ago  Congress,  in  order  to  meet  Avhat  in  some  of  the 
State  courts  had  become  a  scandal — the  enormous  naturalization 
preceding  an  election;  in  fact,  they  naturalized  in  Xew  York  City, 
in  one  court,  in  one  day.  2,500 — in  order  to  meet  that  situation  Con- 
gress provided  that  no  final  certificates  of  naturalization  can  now  be 
issued  within  the  three  months  preceding  an  election.  So,  instead 
of  having  12  months  in  the  year  to  be  naturalized,  the  law  now  gives 
the  alien  only  9  months  in  the  year  for  becoming  naturalized. 

The  Chairman.  And  the  difficulty  that  the  alien  experiences  in 
obtaining  two  witnesses,  which  two  witnesses  must  also  leave  their 
work  for  a  time,  also  adds  imj)ediment  and  causes  delay. 

Mr.  Bennet.  And  yet  that  is  not  generally  understood. 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  311 

The  Chairman.  I  think  not.  In  fact,  I  don't  think  this  general 
subject  of  immigration  is  generally  nnclerstoocl.    I  have  found  it  so. 

Mr.  Bennet.  That  is  right. 

I  want  to  call  the  attention  of  the  committee  to  this  fact,  that  Con- 
gress in  1907,  under  a  law  passed  by  Congress,  appointed  a  commis- 
sion, of  which  six  members  were  Meml)ers  of  Congress,  which  had 
two  rather  unique  exj^eriences.  In  the  first  place,  as  to  both  of  the 
questions  involved,  that  commission,  consisting  of  nine  members,. 
Republicans  and  Democrats,  Xortherners  and  Southerners.  Protes- 
tants and  Catholics,  came  to  a  unanimous  conclusion. 

I  allude,  of  course,  to  the  commission  which  Senator  Dillingham 
headed.  And  I  was  rather  amazed  at  the  son  of  my  old  friend,  John 
B.  Trevor,  asking  for  an  investigation,  when  it  is  not  yet  10  years 
since  this  (Tovernment  spent  $800,000  in  the  most  exhaustive  investi- 
gation of  this  subject  that  has  ever  been  undertaken,  but  an  investi- 
gation which  resulted  in  a  unanimous  conclusion,  and  none  of  its 
findings  have  been  subjected  to  criticism. 

Here  are  some  of  the  things  that  they  found,  and  things  have  not  ma- 
rially  changed  m  10  years,  and  the  facts  which  the  commission  found 
10  years  ago  are  still  facts.  We  found — and  this  is  a  summary  of  our 
report,  to  be  found  in  the  first  or  the  second  volume  of  our  41-volume 
re])ort — that  it  does  not  appear  from  available  statistics  that  crimi- 
nology among  the  foreifrn-born  increased  crime  in  proportion  to  the 
total  i)opulation — that  is,  it  does  not  appear  that  the  immigrant  has 
more  tendency  to  crime  than  the  people  among  whom  he  settles. 
That  is  an  important  fact.  We  found  that  the  immigration  of  men- 
tally defective  aliens  is  reasonably  well  controlled  under  the  existing 
immigration  law. 

Senator  Harrison.  That  is  the  unanimous  report,  is  it,  Mr. 
Bennet  ? 

Mr.  Bennet.  That  is  the  unanimous  report.  We  found  that,  the 
effective  administration  of  the  immi oration  law  insures  the  admis- 
sion to  the  Ignited  States  of  physically  healthy  immigrants,  so  that 
there  is  no  adequate  cause  for  concern  in  this  regard. 

AVe  found  further  that  at  that  time — and  the  same  thing  is  still 
true — pauperism  among  the  newly  admitted  immigrants  is  relatively 
at  a  minimum,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  present  immigration  law 
provides  for  the  admission  only  of  able-bodied  or  dependents  whose 
support  by  relatives  is  assured,  and  that  the  number  of  those  ad- 
mitted who  received  assistance  from  organized  charities  in  cities  is 
relatively  small. 

I  could  not  understand  Congressman  Johnson  when  he  said  that 
unless  you  pass  this  bill  of  his  there  would  be  no  bar  to  iiiimi- 
grants. '  Section  2.  as  it  used  to  lie  in  the  Dillingham  bill,  and  it  is 
all  there  yet,  though  it  may  be  renumbered,  contains  about  a  page 
and  one-half  of  prohibitions,  with  every  one  of  which,  except  the 
literacy  test,  I  personally  sympathize — every  one  of  which  is  aimed 
to  keep  out  the  unfit.  And,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  when  you  talk  about 
physical  and  mental  status  we  get  better  men  and  women,  physically 
better  men  and  women  and  mentally  better  men  and  women — and  I 
am  alluding  now  not  to  the  quality  of  the  brain  but  to  what  we  call 
quantity,  that  is  the  compos  mentis — by  immigration  than  we  do  by 
birth.    And  that  must  be  so,  of  course,  because  everyone  that  is  born 


312  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION. 

in  this  country  is  a  citizen,  no  matter  in  what  condition  he  is  born; 
if  he  is  born  ])hysically  defective  or  if  he  is  born  mentally  defective, 
why.  he  is  still  a  citizen,  for  he  was  born  here.  But  when  people 
come  from  across  the  ocean  we  sift  them  out  and  reject  those  who 
are  physically  and  mentally  unfit. 

^Senator  Dillingham.  I  want  to  ask  you  one  question.  Do  you 
remember  that,  speaking  about  the  physical  type,  we  found  that  95 
per  cent  of  the  immigrration  was  under  45  years  of  ajre?    Was  it? 

Mr.  Benxet.  I  thought  it  was  about  80  per  cent.  It  was  95  per 
cent,  was  it  ? 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  think  it  was.  You  are  probably  thinking 
about  those  between  14  and  45. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes,  sir;  that  is  what  I  was  thinking  about. 

Senator  JDillingham.  Yes.  How  much  do  vou  remember  that 
to  be? 

!Mr.  Bennet.  I  think  that  was  about  80  per  cent. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Yes:  I  think  you  are  right.  About  95  per 
cent  were  under  the  age  that  I  mentioned. 

yh\  Bennet:  Absolutely  in  the  flower  of  mental  and  physical  use- 
fulness. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  was  going  to  ask  you  this :  Have  not  the  con- 
ditions changed  essentially  with  reference  to  pauper  immigrants  or 
immigrants  without  means,  or  scarcely  any  means,  since  that  time, 
since  your  report  was  made  ? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Xo.  sir. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  saw  a  statement— and  I  called  attention  to  it 
here  before,  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  fact  that  we  are  on  that  point 
now  I  would  not  call  attention  to  it  airain — I  saw  the  statement  of 
the  arrival  of  an  immigrant  ship  very  recently  with,  as  I  remember 
it.  1,924  immigrants  on  board,  three  hundred  and  ninety-odd  of 
whom  were  without  any  money,  over  200  with  less  than  S5,  and  over 
200  with  less  than  $10." 

Mr.  Bennet.  Such  a  ship  might  have  arrived,  but  a  man  who 
came  to  this  country  without  any  money  would  not  stand  one  chance 
in  a  thousand  of  getting  in.  I  have  seen  a  man  admitted  in  the  port 
of  Philadelphia  with  one  English  shilling  in  his  possession,  and  if 
I  had  I'cen  on  the  board  I  Avould  have  admitted  him.  He  was  a 
young,  healthy,  perfect  physical  specimen  of  an  Irishman,  about  25 
years  old.  that  in  the  then  condition  of  the  country  would  have  a 
job  inside  of  20  minutes. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Excuse  me  a  moment.  Senator  Sterling,  but 
didn't  Mr.  Wallis  explain  that  by  saying  that  those  people  had  been 
robbed  on  the  way  over? 

vSenator  Sterling.  He  said  that  some,  undoubtedly,  had  been 
robbed  on  the  way  over,  and  he  thought  that  about  65  per  cent  of 
them  would  be  admitted  because  they  had  friends  here  who  would 
provide  for  them. 

Mr.  Bennet.  All  right.  Senator:  but  supposing  they  are  admitted 
and  that  the  immigration  inspector  at  the  port  makes  an  error  of 
judgment.  The  law  does  not  stop  there.  It  says  tliat  if  that  man 
or  woman  within  three  years  becomes  a  public  charge,  he  or  she  can 
be  deported,  up  until  that  time,  and  deported  at  the  expense  of  the 
steamship  company  which  brought  him  or  her  over  here.     And.  fur- 


EMEKGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGlSLxVTiu:.'.  313 

thermore,  if  those  immigrants  came  on  an  Italian  ship,  here  is  the 
Italian  law,  which  is  interesting:  ^'ot  only  must  the  man  or  woman 
be  taken  back  free,  but  from  the  moment  he  or  she  leaves  on  this  ship 
from  the  American  port,  until  he  or  she  gets  back  to  his  or  her 
Italian  home,  the  steamship  company  must  pay  wages,  loss  of  time 
to  that  person,  and  all  other  expenses,  including  railwa}'  fare  back 
to  the  place  where  such  person  started  from.  So  that  both  the  xVmer- 
ican  and  Italian  laws  make  it  very  certain  that  it  is  ver}^  unprofitable 
business  to  attempt  to  take  people  to  this  country  who  will  be 
debarred. 

Senator  Dillingha^i.  Before  you  leave  that  subject,  and  on  that 
question  of  the  physical  condition  of  the  immigrants,  I  find  that  the 
statistics  we  took  at  the  time  you  mentioned,  covering  a  period  of 
12  years,  from  1899  to  191-3,  show  that  those  under  15  years  of  age 
constituted  91.9  per  cent  of  the  entire  immigration,  and  that  those 
between  11  and  11  years  of  age,  being  at  the  age  they  could  earn 
their  living,  constituted  82.6  per  cent  of  the  whole,  and  those  under 
11  years  of  age  constituted  12.3  per  cent. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Eighty  per  cent  was  my  recollection.  So  I  wasn't 
ver}'^  far  off.  I  have  not  looked  up  these  statistics  in  six  or  eight 
years. 

The  Chairman.  Shouldn't  you  say,  Mr.  Bennet,  taking  a  country 
like  Poland  or  Rumania,  that  the  more  ambitious  and  able-i)odied 
and  thrifty  of  the  ]>opulation  desired  to  migrate:  that  is,  that  that 
class  of  immigrants  would  be  above  the  average,  perhaps,  of  the 
people  tliat  are  there? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Unquestionably;  undoubtedly. 

The  Chairman.  Because  it  is  quite  an  undertaking,  is  it  not,  from 
the  standpoint  of  the  expense  involved,  and  ever^^thing  else? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Well,  Senator.  "  quite  "  is  a  very  mild  word.  It  is 
a  large  undertaking  for  a  person  of  even  rather  ample  means  to  start 
from  the  interior  of  Kumania. 

The  Chairman.  The  idea  that  the  scum  of  the  populations  are 
those  that  desire  to  emigrate  is  quite  contrary,  is  it  not,  to  the  fact? 
Mr.  Bennet.  Absolute^.  And  now  take  the  Italian,  who  is  abused 
a  good  deal.  Xow,  here  is  a  thing  that  was  of  rather  common  occur- 
rence. I  will  just  state  the  facts  and  let  you  draw  the  conclusions. 
Of  course,  you  know  Italians  look  on  America  as  the  land  of  promise. 
Thei'e  is  a  custom  over  in  that  country  as  in  most  European  coun- 
tries, that  when  a  girl  marries  she  is  given  by  her  pa'rents  a  dower: 
it  may  be  a  feather  bed  or  what  not,  but  she  gets  something  from  her 
family  when  she  marries.  It  is  a  good  custom,  too.  Xow.  there  are 
thousands  of  cases  like  this  :  When  a  young  man  and  a  young  woman 
desire  to  come  to  this  country,  and  being  engaged  to  be  married,  they 
will,  without  saying  a  word  to  their  families  on  either  side,  go  ahead 
and  get  married,  the  Avife  will  get  her  dower,  and  the  young  man 
will  have  saved  up  some  money,  and  then  they  will  take  every  single 
piece  of  their  small  stock  of  furniture  and  her  dower  and  the  gold 
ring  off  the  wife's  finger  and  sell  it  all  and  come  to  this  country. 

Xow,  if  that  is  not  the  regiilni'.  geniii'ie.  old-fashioned  pioneer 
spirit,  I  don't  know  what  is.  And  that  sort  of  a  man  and  Avonian. 
and  their  descendants,  if  their  environment  is  right,  when  they  get 
here,  can  not  help  but  make  good  American  citizens,  in  my  judgment. 


314  i:.Mi:i;uExc'Y  immichation  lixhslatiox. 

Xow.  here  are  some  more  thinjrs  tluit  we  found.  First,  as  to  the 
chihh-en  of  the  immi^^rants.  And  I  want  to  say  ri^dit  here  that  T 
have  made  a  ^ood  many  mihl  enemies  in  this  country  bj'  sayinfr 
what  I  still  believe,  that  no  man  born  in  a  forei«rn  country,  cominir 
here  after  40  years  of  aire,  ever  «rets  to  be  as  irood  an  American  citi- 
zen as  one  born  here.  Sty  friend  Mr.  Husband  over  there  wanted  to 
lick  me  at  one  time  because  his  father  was  born  over  there,  and  lie 
said  that  he  was  as  <ro(Ml  an  American  citizen  as  there  ever  was. 
But  still  I  stand  on  that  statement.  I  think  that  the  irreat  question 
in  this  whole  matter  is  the  second  and  the  succeedinfr  frenerations. 
If  the  children  ^rrow  up  cood  American  citizens,  that  is  the  test  as 
to  whether  immijrration  is  beneficial  in  the  larg-e  sense.  "We  may 
brinn;  in  an  anarchist  occasionally,  and  he  may  do  some  dama^re, 
but  after  all.  in  the  run  of  the  centuries  that  is  trivial. 

As  to  the  children  of  the  immijjrrants.  it  was  found  that  in  the 
grade  schools  in  most  cities  the  children  of  immi<rrants  were  holdino- 
their  own  with  the  children  of  the  native  born.  That  is  a  verj' 
conservative  statement.  Mr.  Chairman.  If  we  had  been  strictly  ac- 
curate we  would  have  said  that  the  chihiren  of  the  immiirrants  were 
distancing  the  children  of  the  native  born,  but  we  wanted  to  err  or» 
the  side  of  conservatism. 

It  was  even  found,  by  a  careful  and  most  scientific  investigation, 
conducted  under  the  direction  of  a  recognized  expert,  that  the  de- 
scendant of  the  European  immigrant  changes  his  type  even  in  the 
first  (feneration  almost  entirely. 

Children  born  even  a  few  years  after  the  arrival  of  the  immigrant 
parents  in  America  develop  in  such  a  way  that  they  differ  in  type 
essentially  from  their  foreign-born  parents.  The  changes  are  in 
bodily  form,  and  even  the  form  of  the  head,  which  has  always  been 
considered  one  of  the  most  prominent  hereditary  features,  under- 
<roes  considerable  change.  The  indication  seems  clear  that  even 
racial  physical  characteristics  do  not  survive  under  the  new  social 
and  climatic  environment  of  America. 

Our  41-volume  report  may  not  be  much  of  what  is  ordinarily- 
termed  ••  popular  reading,"  but  there  is  one  volume  of  that  report 
that  has  a  very  considerable  circulation,  and  will  always  have  among 
the  medical  j)rofession,  because  of  the  fact  that  we  ascertained — and 
ascertained  beyond  any  ca-\-il — somethinir  that  excited  the  interest  of 
the  medical  profession  all  over  the  world,  and  it  has  not  been  ex- 
plained, but  can  not  be  disputed,  namely,  that  children  born  here 
from  parents,  both  of  whom  we  will  say  are  Russian  Jews,  have 
heads  which  approximate  what  might  be  called  the  American 
standard. 

And  to  illustrate  further :  If  they  come  from  a  long-headed  race, 
their  heads  get  more  round.  If  they  come  from  a  bullet-headed  race, 
which  is  not  the  typical  American  head  and  face,  their  heads  tend  to 
elongate  toward  what  might  be  called  the  American  type. 

It  had  been  generally  considered  up  to  the  time  of  our  investiga- 
tion that  the  form  of  the  head  had  never  been  changed,  but  we  demon- 
strated by  an  examination  of  thousands  and  thousands,  with  the 
monev  at  our  command,  that  this  is  a  fact. 

Senator  Sterling.  Is  it  contended  that  that  is  true  Avith  reference 
to  those  children  who  are  born  of  foreign-born  parents? 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION,  315 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Oh,  yes.  You  take  a  couple  of  forei<:ners  that  have 
been  here  as  short  a  time  as  five  years — and  I  think.  Senator,  that 
the  record  Avill  show  that  I  am  rigrht  in  sayinp;  so  short  a  time  as 
five  years — who  will  l)rin<r  two  or  three  children  v.ith  them  who 
were' born  abroad,  and  they  will  have  two  or  three  children  born 
here,  and  the  heads  of  the'foreij;n-born  children  and  tlie  heads  of 
the  American-born  children  can  be  distin<ruished  by  different  char- 
acteristics. I  can  not  explain  it.  The  doctors  do  not  attempt  to 
explain  it.    But  we  have  to  admit  that  such  is  the  fact. 

Senator  Dillixoham.  That  is  alonj:  the  line  that  was  discussed  by 
Prof.  Draper  in  his  "  Intellectual  Development  of  Euroi:>e,"  I  think, 
where  he  brin<rs  out  so  clearly  the  effect  of  climate,  both  upon  the 
shape  of  the  head  and  upon  the  character  and  temperament  of  the 
subject.    Who  was  it  that  made  that  investigration,  Mr.  Bennet '. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Prof.  Boaz. 

Senator  Dillixgiiam.  Prof.  Boaz.  of  New  York.  We  oujrht  to  say, 
Senator  Sterlinof.  that  that  has  been  criticized  by  some  other  scientists, 
but  he  made  tliese  investifrations.  and  from  the  measurements  he 
arrived  at  these  conclusions,  and  we  ^rave  them  to  the  world  for  what 
they  were  worth. 

]Mr.  Bexxet.  And  he  based  his  conclusions  and  his  findinirs  on 
actual  investi<rations  of  hundreds  and  thousands  of  children.  I 
didn't  know  that  there  had  been  criticism  of  that  report.  Senator. 
The  men  who  Avould  criticize  that  report  could  not  base  their  criticism 
on  the  results  of  any  investi<ration  of  any  size;  at  least. of  any  inves- 
ti<ration  comparable  in  size  to  that  which  Ave  made. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Well,  it  would  seem  almost  inconceivable  at 
first  blush  that  such  would  be  the  case.  I  think  you  can  readily  con- 
ceive that  after  a  freneration  or  two  those  thincfs  will  come  about. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  If  you  ^et  that  volume  dealinor  with  the  bodily 
chanires  in  the  descendants  of  immig:rants.  Senator,  you  will  find  it 
very  interesting. 

>sow,  I  want  to  say  a  word  or  two  about  the  physical  inspections  at 
the  ports.  If  you  have  not  heard  that  criticized  by  some  one  in  favor 
of  this  bill,  you  will,  and  if  you  went  down  to  Ellis  Island  for  a  day 
and  saw  them  examine  the  i^eople  there,  you  would  think  that  the 
]:)hysical  inspection  was  inadequate.  Every  man  does  think  so  the 
first  time  he  goes  down  there.  exce]it  doctors. 

We  had  a  very  eneriretic  commissioner  over  there  from  Xew  York 
one  day  who  thought  that  way.  He  had  the  power  to  ascertain 
wliether  that  was  so,  and  he  started  in  to  ascertain,  and  he  first  issued 
an  order  saying :  "  The  next  10.000  men  that  come  through  here  must 
be  stripped  naked  and  be  examined  individually,  naked.*"  and  that 
was  done.  And  the  result  of  the  examination  of  those  10.000  men  in 
that  way  did  not  differ  materially  from  the  result  obtained  in  the 
examination  of  the  10.000  men  who  had  preceded  them,  and  who  liad 
been  examined  mider  the  old  system. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Just  a  minute,  before  you  leave  that  sub- 
ject of  the  physical  condition  of  these  people,  T  think  there  is  one 
thing  that  some  of  the  committee  do  not  know,  and  to  which  their 
attention  ought  to  be  called. 

You  remember  it  was  brought  out  before  our  commission  that  at 
the  frontiers  of  the  countries  in  which  are  located  the  i>orts  of  em- 


316  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

barkation,  control  stations  were  established  to  prevent  the  diseased 
of  other  countries  coming  to  these  ports  to  embark,  because  if  such 
diseased  persons  -were  rejected  at  the  port  of  embarkation  they 
became  residents  of  tlie  country  in  wliich  that  jinrt  was  situated, 
since  most  of  them  were  too  poor  to  go  back.  And  I  find  by  referring 
to  the  testimony  taken  before  the  commission  at  that  time  that  in  the 
13  iDonths  from  December  31.  1907.  there  were  rejected  at  those 
control  stations  on  the  frontiers  27,799  persons.  At  the  port  of  em- 
barkation there  were  rejected  11.832.  making  39.081  that  were  re- 
jected during  that  year,  or  during  that  period  of  13  months. 

Xow,  during  the  same  ]5eriod  there  were  rejected  at  the  ports  of 
the  United  States  only  13.064.  The  total  rejections  for  that  year 
were  r)2.74."").  l)ut  the  system  was  so  perfect  that  39.081  were  rejected 
in  Europe,  and  more  than  half  of  the  whole  numl)er  rejected  were 
turned  back  at  the  control  stations  organized  by  the  countries  in 
which  were  located  the  ports  of  embarkation,  to  keep  the  defective 
persons  even  out  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Bennet.  That  is  true.  And  I  want  to  say  that  I  went  throusrh 
the  station  at  Eydtkunnen.  which  is  located  on  the  frontier  between 
Germany  and  Russia,  and  I  want  to  tell  you  that  they  did  their  work 
very  effectively  there.  They  had  systems  of  baths  and  disinfection. 
And  I  went  into  one  room  and  asked.  "  What  is  this  room  used  for  ?  " 
and  they  said.  "  This  is  where  we  keep  cases  of  smallpox  and  diph- 
theria and  cases  of  that  kind."  and  you  may  believe  that  I  left  that 
room  in  a  hurry. 

I  also  went  through  the  station  at  Trieste,  which  was  constructed 
in  a  little  different  manner  but  with  the  same  idea  as  this  other  place. 
There,  before  the  immigrants  would  go  down  for  a  final  examination 
by  the  steamship  company  doctors,  the  then  government  of  Trieste 
took  them  all  into  two  rooms,  the  men  in  one  room  and  the  women  in 
another,  stripped  them  naked,  and  then  the  men  and  the  women  are 
sent  through  baths,  and  their  clothing  was  put  through  a  fumigator. 
baked,  and  the  people  were  then  examined  for  the  purpose  of  ascer- 
taining whether  they  had  any  diseases.  And  I  want  to  say.  inci- 
dentally, that  that  situation  was  very  largely  due  to  the  energy  of 
one  American  consul  at  Trieste,  who  just  simply  said  that  unless  the 
health  conditions  were  made  to  suit  him  he  never  would  sijzn  a  health 
manifest  for  a  ship.  And  the  steamship  company  had  to  do  this:  the 
steamship  company  built  this  place,  and  it  was  run  by  the  Govern- 
ment:  and  that  was  all  done  because  this  American  consul  com- 
pelled it. 

As  I  recall  the  figures,  for  every  ])erson  rejected  for  mental  or 
physical  defects  at  the  port  of  arrival  here  there  are  four  rejected 
abroad. 

And  then,  in  addition  to  that,  back  in  the  towns  where  these  people 
live  the  penalties  of  the  steamship  companies  are  so  severe,  and 
properly  so  severe,  that  they  have  their  doctors  examine  the  people 
before  they  l)uy  a*  ticket.  And  I  stood  at  the  port  of  Patras  and 
saw  the  do  tor  do  this:  He  had  a  rubber  stamj):  he  would  examine 
a  man  or  a  woman,  and  if  that  j^erson  was  acceptable  he  would 
stamp  him  or  her  on  the  wrist  with  the  rul)])er  stamj).  the  form  of 
which  was  clianged  every  day,  so  that  only  the  man  or  woman  who 
had  the  stam]>  on  that  dav  on  Jiis  or  her  wrist  ((.uld  get  oii  tlie  ship 
that  dav. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  317 

Xow,  all  that  sort  of  thing  is  done  abroad  not  from  any  motive  of 
devotion  to  our  country,  don't  believe  that,  but  because  every  immi- 
grant that  comes  here  and  who  has  to  be  taken  back  means  an  ex- 
pense to  the  steamship  company,  a  fine  for  the  steamship  company, 
and  in  Italy  the  expense  of  travel  and  pay  for  loss  of  time  is  in- 
cluded, as  I  have  indicated.  So  that  our  laws  have  a  very  far- 
reaching  effect;  they  are  actually  enforced  through  these  penalties 
that  are  exacted,  even  in  remote  villages  of  Greece. 

Senator  Dillingham.  And  thus  they  compel  the  foreign  Govern- 
ments to  adopt  measures  for  their  own  protection? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Xow.  I  notice  in  referring  to  the  tables  that 
at  the  port  of  Bremen  3. 178  were  rejected,  while  8.110  who  were 
bound  for  the  port  were  stopped  at  these  stations. 

Mr.  Bennet.  More  than  tAvice  as  many  were  stopped  before  they 
got  to  the  port. 

Senator  Dillingham.  And  that  is  done  because  they  do  not  want 
diseased  people  to  come  into  their  country  or  section  ? 

^Ir.  Bennet.  These  people  were  rejected  and  stopped  from  going 
on  board  because  they  knew  they  would  eventually  come  back,  even 
if  they  were  allowed  to  go  on  board  the  ship.  And  then  at  these 
control  stations  they  keep  the  people  from  coming  into  the  country 
or  coming  to  the  port,  because  if  they  are  rejected  at  the  port  they 
may  not  have  the  means  of  returning  to  their  homes. 

Senator  Dillingham.  We  compelled  them  to  take  that  action  for 
their  own  protection. 

Senator  Sterling.  The  assertion  has  been  made  here,  Mr.  Bennet, 
that  the  steamship  companies,  because  of  the  high  transportation 
rates  that  are  paid,  can  afford  to  take  chances,  and  that  they  need 
not  be  particular  at  all  about  an  inspection  to  begin  with  at  the  port 
of  embarkation,  for  they  can  afford  to  take  back  the  people  who  are 
rejected. 

r\lr.  Bennet.  There  is  a  provision  in  the  law  which  prohibits  a 
steamship  company  from  taking  any  security  of  any  kind  against 
people  being  sent  back,  and  the  provision  is  drastic,  to  this  extent, 
that  if  a  steamsliij)  line  is  found  to  be  taking  securities  against  any 
hajipening  of  that  sort,  its  ships  will  be  refused  clearance  from 
^Vmerican  ports. 

Xow.  of  course,  high  fare  works  in  two  ways.  I  can  naturally  see 
where  there  is  a  high  fare,  we  will  say,  of  $:^}00.  that  the  steamship 
companies  will  take  a  chance;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  if  there  is  a 
high  fare  of  ^?>()0  that  is  almost  as  much  of  an  immigration  barrier 
as  the  Johnson  bill.  So,  as  you  raise  the  fare,  the  steamship  com- 
pany can  perhaps  afford  to  tal^e  more  chances:  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  liigh  fare  itself  bars  people  out.  That  is  just  my  reasoning:  that 
is  all. 

But  so  far  as  taking  securities  against  any  happening  is  con- 
cerned— that  is,  against  the  steamship  having  to  return  a  number 
of  passengers  free — if  the  steamship  company  did  that,  its  ships 
could  not  clear  from  America. 

Xow.  I  have  always  advocated,  but  I  have  never  been  able  to  get 
Congress  to  adopt  it,  because  of  the  expense,  one  thing,  which  I 
think  ought  to  be  done,  and  that  is  this :  T  think  that  on  everv  Ameri- 


318  EAIERGENCV    I.M .MIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

can  ship  comin<j  to  this  country  there  oiifrht  to  be  an  American  in- 
spector and  an  American  matron.  I  think  Senator  I)illinfj;ham 
rather  sympathized  with  me  in  proposing  that,  hut  I  never  could  get 
it  in  tlie  bill. 

Senator  Dillix(.iiam.  We  prepared  a  bill  of  that  kind. 

Mr.  Bkxxkt.  I  know  we  did. 

Senator  STfnji.ixo.  Does  not  the  present  law  provide  that  tlie  Secre- 
tary of  Labor  shall  carry  on  negotiations,  through  the  Secretary  of 
State,  ])roviding  for  that  very  thing? 

Senator  Dii.lixoham.  Yes. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  AA'ell.  it  was  just  plain  bunk. 

Senator  Stereixg.  It  has  not  been  carried  out.  or  no  understanding 
was  ever  had? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Xo:  and  it  was  not  meant  to  be.  That  was  just 
simi)ly  a  sop  to  Cerberus.  But  if  you  put  a  provision  in  the  law 
compelling  every  steamship  company  tiuit  comes  to  this  country  to 
carry  a  United  States  inspector  and  a  matron  at  the  expense  of  the 
steamship  line,  then  you  will  commence  to  find  your  anarchists  and 
your  other  people  in  a  10  or  14  day  trip,  and  if  you  ever  make  any 
amendments  to  the  immigration  law.  for  heaven's  sake,  do  that. 
Do  it  for  the  j^rotection  of  women.  I  compelled  tlie  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives to  take  action  by  a  storv  that  I  told,  that  the  Senator  knows 
about,  of  tlie  young  woman  that  I  picked  out  to  go  back  and  forth, 
and  who  told  how  she  Avas  treated  on  one  German  vessel,  and  I  just 
got  up  and  told  those  facts,  without  mincing  or  embroidery,  in  the 
House,  and  I  dared  the  House  to  refuse  to  yinss  it,  and  they  didn't 
dare  not  to,  and  they  put  it  in  tlie  bill,  but  it  got  out  in  conference 
or  somewhere.     I  feel  very  strongly  that  this  ought  to  be  done. 

Of  course,  there  is  talk  ai)out  a  little  expense.  But  wliat  is  tiie 
expense?  The'  head  tax  must  be  piled  up  now  in  the  Treasury, 
about  fourteen  or  fifteen  million  dollars  surplus,  that  we  have  col- 
lected from  the  immigrant  and  have  not  spent  it  for  his  Avelfare. 

Senator  Dillixghalm.  Do  you  remember  a  young  lady  who  was  in 
the  Department  of  Labor,  in  the  Bureau  of  Immigration,  that  Averft 
home  and  spent  the  summer  in  P^urope.  and  we  had  her  come  back — 
I  think  that  was  under  your  direction  Mr.  Bennet?* 

Mr.  Bexx'et.  Yes. 

Senator  Dielix^gham  (continuing).  "We  had  her  come  back  in  the 
steerage,  and  she  came  through  Ellis  Island  and  was  inspected  by  all 
of  the  officers  there  as  an  immigrant  and  passed,  and  she  gave  her 
evidence  as  to  the  conditions  aboard  the  ship.  That  was  the  case  to 
which  you  referred? 

Mr.  JBexx'et.  Yes. 

Senator  Dieetxgham.  She  was  not  a  detective? 

Mr.  Bexx'et.  Not  a  bit.  She  came  in  with  a  shawl  and  a  basket 
and  was  fleeced  by  the  telegraph  conliinny  at  Ellis  Island  and  had  all 
of  the  experiences  that  sometimes  befell  inimigruits  in  those  days. 
"We  were  able  to  improve  the  conditions  of  the  immigrant  in  many 
respects,  but  we  never  v.ere  able  to  get  the  insix-ctor  and  the  matron 
on  board  shijx  And  the  liti-racy  test  was  i)ut  into  eibH-t.  but  that  is 
not  so  important,  in  my  opinion.  Conirressman  Johnson  admitted 
as  much.     For  IG  years  I  had  been  telling  them  that  when  they  got 


EMERGENCY    I-M.MIGIIATIOX   LEGISLATION.  319 

the  literacy  test  they  ^vouldn't  *ret  anything,  and  now  that  they  have 
got  it,  they  haven't  got  anj'thing. 

Senator  Dillingham.  That  is  the  thing  you  picked  on. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes;  it  is  just  foolishness.  " 

Senator  Dillingham.  Excuse  me  for  using  the  word  "  picked." 
You  resented  it. 

Mr.  Bennet.  I  picked.     I  will  stand  by  that. 

Xow,  a  second  objection  that  I  have  heard  is  that  the  immigrant 
goes  to  the  wrong  ])laco,  and  that  the  reason  he  goes  to  the  wrong 
place  is  that  he  goes  to  the  cities.  I  challenge  the  statement  that  the 
cities  are  the  wrong  place  for  the  immigrant,  so-far  as  the  immigrant 
is  concerned.  All  of  such  statements  are  apparently  based  on  the 
premise  that  immigrants  are  a  huddled  mass  of  ignorant  people,  who 
dump  themselves  down  on  the  cities,  blindly  groping  for  employ- 
ment there. 

Xothing  is  further  from  the  truth.  Our  immigration  commission 
foimd  the  fact  to  be  that  98  per  cent  of  the  immigrants,  in  a  general 
Avay.  and  sometimes  very  specifically,  know  exactly  what  employment 
they  are  going  into  before  they  leave  their  homes. 

Now,  the  reason  why  the  immigrant  goes  to  the  city  is  because, 
being  poor,  he  can  obtain  immediate  employment  in  some  particular 
class  of  industry,  through  which  emi:)ioyment  he  can  obtain  food  and 
shelter  for  his  family  from  the  beginning.  This  does  not  mean  at 
all  that  he  and  his  children  will  forever  remain  in  the  city,  but  that  is 
something  that  I  will  discuss  later.  I  could  prove  that  the  immigrant 
does  not  go  blindly  to  the  two  biir  cities,  Xew  York  and  Chicago,  or 
even  to  the  three  cities,  Xew  York,  Chicago,  and  Philadcdphia.  which 
had.  and  have  had,  a  population  of  over  a  million,  as  shown  by  the 
fact  that  the  19-20  census  demonstrates  that  the  greatest  percentage  of 
increase  in  this  decennial  period  is  not  in  the  three  lartie  cities  men- 
tioned, but  in  the  towns  or  cities  of  from  25,000  to  100,000  population. 
And  I  think  that  this  is  the  first  time  that  that  is  true. 

Xow.  as  I  stated  a  while  ago.  the  factories  are  moving  out  from 
tliese  big  cities  into  these  cities  of  lesser  size,  and  the  result  is  that 
tliis  immigration  goes  to  those  smaller  cities  where  the  factories  are 
located.  X^'ow  the  reason  why  these  factories  are  moving  out  into 
the  open  spaces,  to  smaller  cities,  is  on  account  of  the  changes  in  fac- 
tory construction,  the  saAv-tooth  factory,  for  instance,  and  the  demand 
for"  more  light  in  factories,  and  the  State  laws  compelling  more  light 
in  the  factories,  and  so  on;  all  those  things  are  tending  to  move  the 
factories  out  from  the  cities  Avhere  the  ground  is  so  expensive,  to  the 
smaller  places  where  the  ground  is  less  expensive,  and  Avhere  they 
can  have  more  room,  and  Iniild  their  factories  in  accordance  with  the 
State  laws.     And  the  immigrant  is  following  the  factory. 

Senator  Sterltng.  Xow  ^Ir.  Bennet.  right  there  on  that  point :  Is 
all  this  t;ilk  then  untrue  relative  to  your  overcroAvded  tenement 
liouses,  largely  filled  by  aliens,  or  recent  arrivals  here  from  abroad? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Largely  untrue.  Xoav  I  have  had  the  misfortune  on 
tAvo  or  three  occasions  in  my  life  to  oavu  tenement  property  in  Xew 
York  City.  I  have  lost  money  eAery  time  I  haA^e  owned  tenement 
property."  Up  until  this  recent  increase  in  values  there  almost 
everybody  had  lost  money  on  such  property  in  the  last  10  or  15  years. 

20911— 21— PT  (i 3 


320  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LE(;1SLATI()N. 

And  one  reason  is  that  since  about  1901  the  State  of  Xew  York  has 
enforced  sanitary  re<iridations  wliicli  made  the  owninj;  of  tenement 
property  in  Xew  York  City  something  that  was  impossible  of  profit. 
Xow.  althouirh  that  has  cost  me  money,  gentlemen.  I  say  it  is  a  very 
good  thing,  and  the  same  thing  is  true  in  Chicago,  although  I  am  not 
so  familiar  with  Chicago  as  with  X'ew  York. 

X'ow.  investigations  have  been  made  of  this  question  of  crowding, 
and  it  has  been  fonnd  that  such  conditions  as  are  claimed  do  not 
exist  outside  of  the  pages  of  the  cheap  magazines.  I  have  not  found 
it  anywhere  else.  I  remember  one  night  coming  home  to  my  own 
AVashington  Heights  apartment,  when  I  happened  to  have  my 
mother  and  my  aunt  and  a  cousin,  or  a  nephew  or  two.  with  us,  and 
we  were  pretty  well  crowded  for  sleeping  quarters,  and  at  that  time 
the  statistics  of  these  conditions  were  familiar  in  my  mind,  but  they 
were  not  quite  so  familiar  that  I  could  quote  them  right  off.  So  I 
went  and  got  Jenks"  book  and  looked  at  them,  and  then  I  told  my 
amused  relatives  that  that  particular  night  we  were  sleeping  more 
congested  in  our  fairly  high-priced  apartment  than  the  average  of 
the  aliens  in  Xew  York  City. 

I  would  suggest  that  you  look  up  Jenks*  and  Lauck's  book,  which 
is  probably  a  better  place  to  get  the  figures  than  our  report,  and  you 
will  find  all  of  that  stuff  about  tenement  crowding,  etc..  disproved. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Well.  I  went  down  one  street  in  the  city  of 
New  Y^ork  over  a  year  ago.  and  I  think  I  must  have  traveled  a  mile 
and  a  half  along  that  street,  and  I  couldn't  quite  imagine  that  I  was 
in  America. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Yes:  the  i)eople  there  are  all  foreign  born. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Yes :  all  seemed  to  be  foreigners,  and  the  side- 
walks Avere  just  absolutely  lined  with  men.  women,  and  children, 
from  little  tots  that  could  hardly  walk  on  up  to  16  years  of  age, 
boys  and  girls,  and  men  and  women.  Xow  I  asked  where  those 
people  lived,  and  those  who  were  in  company  with  me.  and  who  knew 
Xew  York,  said  they  lived  upstairs,  over  their  stores.  And  they 
said  that  there  were  many  families  that  lived  upstairs.  And  some 
of  these  buildings  were  very  small,  two  or  three  stories  high  only. 

I  could  not  help  but  think  that  it  would  be  a  fine  thing,  both  for 
Xew  York  and  for  the  country  at  large,  if  those  people  could  be 
distributed  over  the  country. 

Mr.  Bexx'et.  It  would  be  all  right  for  them  after  they  get  a  little 
bit  more  used  to  our  ways,  and  after  they  learn  to  speak  English. 
This  was  in  the  summertime,  wasn't  it.  Senator,  that  you  were  there? 

Senator  Sterlixg.  In  September. 

Mr.  Bex'xet.  X'ow.  in  September  the  weather  is  fine.  And  so  the 
whole  population  of  the  tenement  houses  Avill  come  down  on  the 
street. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  If  it  had  been  cold  they  would  have  been  con- 
fined to  their  rooms. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  They  were  doing  the  sensible  thing:  they  were  out  in 
the  fresh  air.    But  did  they  look  unhealthy  ( 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Xo  ;  1  couldn't  say  that  they  did. 

The  Chairmax.  We  will  suspend  here  until  2.15. 

(Thereupon,  at  12  o'clock  noon,  a  recess  was  taken  until  2.15  p.  m. 
the  same  day.  January  11,  1920.) 


EMEKGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  321 

AFTER    RECESS, 

The  committee  resumed  at  2.15  o'clock  p.  m.,  pursuant  to  recess. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  come  to  order.  We  will  first 
hear  from  Mr.  Hunter.  <reneral  afrent  of  the  Chicafjo.  ^lilwaukee  & 
St.  Paul  Railroad  Co.,  in  charge  of  the  immigration  and  agricul- 
tural department. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  H.  F.  HUNTER,  GENERAL  AGENT  OF  THE 
CHICAGO,  MILWAUKEE  &  ST.  PAUL  RAILROAD  CO. 

Mr.  Hunter.  My  name  is  H.  F.  Hunter.  I  am  general  agent  of  the 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  8t.  Paul  Railroad,  in  charge  of  the  immigra- 
tion and  agricultural  departments,  and  we  ha^e  with  us  here  Mr. 
Leedy  of  the  (ireat  Xorthern  Railroad.  ]Mr.  Seagrave  of  the  Santa 
Fe  Railroad,  Mr.  Jackson  of  the  Chicago.  Rock  Island  &  Pacific 
Railroad,  and  Mr.  Byerly  of  the  Xorthern  Pacific  Railway.  The 
reason  we  are  here.  Senator,  is  that  some  time  ago  we  were  re(;[uested 
by  some  official  in  the  Immigration  Department  to  help  place  some 
of  these  incoming  immigrants. 

Now,  these  gentlemen  that  I  have  just  mentioned  here  represent 
the  western  trunk  lines.  Some  time  ago  the  Immigration  Depart- 
ment asked  our  western  roads  if  we  could  help  place  some  of  these 
incoming  immigrants  on  western  lands,  and  after  making  a  thorough 
investigation  at  Ellis  Island  we  found  that  it  was  impracticable.  ]Mr. 
Leedy  went  down  there  and  made  the  investigation,  and  he  can  tell 
you  why  it  was  impractical  to  use  these  people. 

In  the  first  ])lace,  they  don't  have  enough  money.  There  is  no  one 
of  them  that  has  money  enough  to  pay  his  railroad  fare  West.  In 
the  next  place,  they  do  not  want  to  go  on  farms. 

Now,  our  committee,  after  making  a  thorough  investigation  of 
the  conditions  in  our  country,  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
only  farm  settlers  Ave  can  use  arc  people  from  northern  Europe. 
For  instnnce.  we  can  take  care  of  the  Scandinavians  and  the  Swiss 
and  the  Hollanders  and  the  English-speaking  people  and  some  of  the 
better  class  of  Italians,  but  it  is  absolutely  impossible  to  handle  the 
class  of  people  coming  into  this  country  now  and  get  them  on  our 
farms. 

The  Chairman.  How  about  Canada? 

Mr.  Hunter.  We  will  take  all  the  Canadians  you  can  give  us. 
Let  them  come  in.  But  the  trouble  is  they  are  taking  about  50.000 
of  our  farmers  per  year  over  there,  instead  of  us  getting  Canadian 
farmers  to  come  over  here.  The  condition  in  Canada  has  been  such 
all  fall  that  a  Canadian  farmer  could  ship  his  wheat  to  Minneapolis 
and  sell  it  at  $2  a  bushel  and  then  take  those  $2  back  there  and 
get  $2.24  for  them,  getting  in  that  way  $2.24  a  bushel  for  his 
■wheat. 

Senator  Sterling.  That  is  by  virtue  of  the  difference  in  exchange? 

Mr.  Hunter.  Yes:  by  virtue  of  the  difference  in  exchange. 

Now,  the  people  that  we  need  in  the  West  are  people  with  money. 
Our  Government  lands  are  all  gone:  that  is.  those  lands  that.are 
w'ithin  the  reasonable  distance  of  a  railroad.  We  have  no  so-called 
Government  homesteads  or  cheap  land  any  more,  and  it  is  only  put- 


322  KAiKiuiKXcv  l^rMH;RATIf)X  uuiislatiox, 

till"!  ii  l)iir(U'ii  oil  those  })eopl(>  out  tlieio  to  l)rin<r  i);uij)ers  into  tlie 
count  I'v. 

We  find  that  the  comniercinl  chihs  in  the  small  towns  in  the 
No)t!nvest  have  been  for  years  in  our  territory  \vorkin<ji:  to  build  up 
their  towns.  inducin<r  everybody  to  come  into  town,  and  they  have 
been  robbin*r  the  country  in  or(ler  to  do  it.  Had  they  put  the  same 
monev  and  energy  into  buildin<r  up  the  country,  the  towns  would 
have  taken  care  of  themselves.  Xow  those  people  have  seen  the  mis- 
take they  have  made  and  are  ready  to  help  us  build  up  the  country. 

If  v^e  could  ha\e  an  immiirration  law  alon«r  the  lines  of  Senator 
Sterling's  bill,  where  we  had  rej^resentatives  in  Europe  to  select 
those  people  v»-h()  want  to  come  to  this  country,  then  we  could  work 
in  connection  with  our  people  all  alon<r  the  line,  and  the  farmer  from 
Europe  would  know  just  where  he  was  poinjr,  what  kind  of  a  farm 
he  Avoiild  come  on.  and  what  could  be  ex]")ected  by  him. 

In  the  first  place,  anybody  comin*^  from  Europe  to  be  put  on  a 
farm  in  this  country  should  be  compelled  to  a^rree  to  stay  at  least 
two  years  on  this  farm.  Mr.  Seaorave.  of  the  Santa  Fe.  has  had 
exj^er^ence  with  }>uttin<2:  colonies  on  cut-over  lands  in  Texas.  Later  I 
want  to  have  him  tell  you  how  it  turned  out. 

The  bulk  of  the  foreigners  that  come  to  this  country  now  are 
not  Vke  the  old  settlers  that  we  used  to  jret  20  and  25  years  a^o. 
These  people  want  to  crowd  into  the  cities.  They  are  small  hand 
farmers.  What  they  call  a  farmer  in  Europe  is  a  <2:ardener  in  this 
country.  He  is  not  a  farmer.  Xinety  per  cent  of  the  people  that 
come  into  this  country  now  and  claim  that  they  are  farmers  do  not 
know  even  how  to  harness  up  a  horse,  much  less  how  to  run  a  tractor, 
and  our  farms  out  there  now  are  on  a  hifrhly  developed  basis.  We 
have  the  finest  kind  of  machinery,  and  we  use  horses  instead  of  oxen, 
and  we  use  tractors  out  there. 

Xow,  in  order  for  the  West  to  have  any  benefit  of  any  immiirra- 
tion law  you  have,  you  must  first  have  your  immigrant  examined  at 
his  home  toAvn.  have  him  irive  a  clean  police  record,  so  you  will  know 
Avho  he  is  and  what  he  is:  find  out  how  much  he  has  <rot  to  bring  to 
this  country.  You.r  representative  over  there  will  have  a  list  of 
farms  that  we  want  to  put  people  onto.  The  immiomnt  can  select  his 
neifrhborhood.  he  can  select  his  farm,  and  .no  there,  and  we  know 
those  people  will  take  care  of  him  and  help  him  make  a  success  of  it. 
and  it  will  make  a  good  citizen  of  him.  Every  man  that  comes  into 
our  country  and  gets  color  of  title  to  a  piece  of  land  will  not  be  a 
socialist  or  a  bolshevist,  but  he  is  going  to  be  an  American  citizen. 
And  why?  Because  he  has  something.  Xow.  those  are  the  people 
that  Ave  "want  in  this  country  to  make  it  100  per  cent  American,  and 
we  Avould  better  let  our  farms  stay  idle,  the  fcAv  there  are  that  could 
be  ocupied  uoav.  than  to  try  and"  i)ut  the  ])resent  class  of  incoming 
settlers  on  this  land.  That  is  the  consensus  of  opinion  of  this  com- 
mittee, gentlemen. 

Senator  Stkrlixg.  You  are  acquainted  Avith  the  character  and 
nationality  of  tlie  foreign  settlers  in  the  XortliAvest  pretty  generally, 
aren't  a'ou  Mi\  Hunter? 

Mr.  iHrxTEij.  Yes,  sir:  I  have  been  for  30  years. 
Senator  SrEr.Lixc.  And  you  know  that  the  tAvo  Dakotas  and  Min- 
nesota and  Montana,  for  example.  haAc  been  largely  settled  l)y  Scan- 
dinavians? 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGlSLATlcX,  323 

Mr.  Hunter.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Sterling.  What  do  you  say  as  to  the  character  of  those 
people  and  their  adaptability  to  the  country  and  to  our  institutions? 

Air.  Hunter.  Your  law  on<rht  to  be  so  framed  that  Avhere  any  of 
the  relatives  of  our  present  settlers  want  to  come  to  this  country  we 
could  brinir  them  riofht  over  here.  And  those  relatives  over  there 
could  come  oA-er  here  with  very  little  money,  because  their  people 
over  here  are  financially  able  to  start  th.em  up  in  the  farminfr  busi- 
ness. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  would  you  believe  it  advisalile  to  exclude 
alto<rether.  for  any  period  of  time,  that  class  of  immifrrants  from 
northern  P^urope  ? 

Mr.  Hunter.  Xo.  sir;  not  that  class. 

Senator  Sterling.  The  Scandinavians  or  the  Hollanders? 

Mr.  Hunter.  Xo.  sir:  any  Hollander.  Xorwejrian.  or  Swede,  or 
Swiss  should  be  permitted  to  come  in.  The  Swiss  are  a  jrreat  people 
for  dairyinir  in  this  country,  and  we  have  wonderful  opportunity  for 
dairying  in  the  western  country,  and  we  need  them  for  cheese  makers, 
and  butter  makers,  and  for  creameries. 

The  Chair^ian.  But  it  is  a  large  country.  Supposing  that  the 
manufacturers  of  the  Middle  West  and  the  Xew  England  States  de- 
manded foreign  lal)or  to  run  their  mills,  labor  of  a  tlifferent  class 
than  what  you  are  speaking  of,  labor  from  southern  and  eastern 
Elurope.  Would  you  limit  immigration  to  the  class  of  immigrants 
that  you  are  speaking  of  from  northern  and  Avestern  Europe? 

yiv.  Hunter.  Absolutely  not.  I  am  only  speaking  of  the  needs 
of  the  West.  This  commission  ought  to  be  so  elastic  that  you  can 
bring  labor  in  this  country  when  there  is  a  demand  for  it.  That  is 
where  our  (iovernment  is  weak.  I  think,  in  the  immigration  depart- 
ment, because  they  can  not  bring  labor  in  to  fill  the  requirements 
of  certain  classes  of  business  or  trades.  We  have  had  a  shortage  of 
common  labor  in  this  country,  a  severe  one.  and  it  has  been  felt  on 
the  farms,  although  at  this  time  there  is  no  shortage  of  labor  on  the 
farms  in  the  West.  That  shortage  usually  occurs  in  harvest  times, 
and  during  that  period  they  usually  get  that  hel])  from  the  Middle 
West  cities,  that  come  out  for  a  holiday  and  work  for  two  or  three 
months  through  harvest  and  thrashing.  That  automatically  takes 
care  of  itself.  We  are  not  looking  for  laborei-s  for  the  farms:  we 
are  looking  for  actual  farmers,  particularly  the  people  with  money. 
XoAv.  we  do  not  expect  to  get  those  until  the  exchanges  between  the 
different  countries  become  nearer  normal  than  they  are  now.  ^  on 
take  a  Frenchman,  for  instance,  and  he  couldn't  carry  enough  francs 
over  here  to  buy  a  farm. 

The  Chairman.  You  would  like  to  have  an  elastic  and  a  selective 
system  ? 

Mr.  Hunter.  Absolutely. 

The  Chatr:man.  Xoav.  in  those  words,  it  is  very  easy  to  state  what 
you  want.  The  difficulty  is  in  framing  a  practical  statute  along 
those  lines. 

Mr.  HiNTER.  Well,  I  have  read  Senator  Sterling's  l)illwith  a  great 
deal  of  interest,  and  I  think  a  plan  could  be  wcn-ked  out  whereby, 
instead  of  having  all  these  men  at  Ellis  Island,  lei  us  have  them  in 
Europe,    Avhere   the    immigration   originates,   and   have   your   men 


.;i;-i  i:.Mi:i;(jExcv  i.mmighatiun  legislation. 

selected  there.  Don't  let  a  man  in  that  country  sell  everj^hing  he  has 
^ot  and  then  come  to  Ellis  Island  and  find  out  that  he  can  not  come 
into  tiiis  country.  Then  \-?  is  broke,  and  you  have  to  deport  him, 
and  he  is  ruined. 

The  Chairman-.  AVhen  you  come  to  machinery  abroad,  you  know 
that  at  once  you  run  into  the  diplomatic  field. 

^Ir.  HrxTER.  Yes.  sir. 

The  Chairman.  We  can  not  institute  -whatever  machinery  we  want 
in  Italy  without  the  consent  of  the  Italian  Government. 

!Mr.  HixTER.  I  realize  that  any  immifrration  board  you  mifrht 
create  in  this  country  would  have  to  take  that  up  throufrh  our  diplo- 
matic channels  liere  and  have  that  straiffhtened  out.  That  would 
have  to  be  worked  out :  we  would  have  to  work  intelliorently  with 
them.  But  you  m.ust  realize.  Senator,  that  conditions  in  Europe  now 
are  very  much  different  from  what  they  were  Ijefore  the  war — very 
much  different.  I  would  like  to  have  you  talk  a  little  later  on  with 
Mr.  Jackson,  of  the  Rock  Island,  who  for  10  years  represented  the 
Rock  Island  in  Europe,  and  who  has  been  all  over  that  country  and 
has  directed  thousands  of  immijirants  into  this  territory.  It  is  a 
serious  i^roblem  with  us  in  the  West. 

The  Chairman.  From  the  evidence  that  has  ;nrone  in.  I  think  that 
there  are  as  many  cross  currents  to  restrain  immigration  as  there  are 
inducements  for  the  flow  of  immi<rration.  I  think  from  the  testi- 
mony showinfr  the  actual  immijrrants  that  have  arrived,  it  is  apparent 
that  the  conditions  in  Europe  have  produced  no  particular  chanfje  in 
the  r.umber  of  immi^-ants  that  come  over  here,  compared  with  those 
who  return. 

The  subject  is  a  very  lar^re  one.  as  you  know.  The  home  ofovern- 
ments.  the  new  nations,  are  tryinir  to  induce  their  people  Avho  emi- 
^ated  from  their  countries  to  return  to  build  up  their  nations.  Un- 
employment here  works  to  check  emijrration  aliroad.  I  am  saying 
that  the  various  cross  currents  go  to  show  that  down  to  the  j^resent 
time,  as  shown  by  the  number  of  arrivals,  the  question  of  menace 
does  not  seem  to  be  proved  as  yet.    We  shall  hear  more  testimony. 

Mr.  HrNTER.  The  only  way  I  have  had  to  jud<re  about  this  so- 
called  flood  that  is  expected  in  this  country  is  from  the  majrazines 
and  newspapers  and  our  representatives  abroad. 

However,  we  did  not  come  here  to  discuss  the  problem  of  allowing 
labor  of  any  kind  to  come  in.  or  to  be  kept  out  of  this  country :  we 
came  here  to  tell  you  the  needs  of  the  West  and  the  class  of  people 
who  ou£rht  to  be  allowed  to  come  in  to  fill  that  demand. 

Senator  Dillin(;ham.  You  would  like  to  increase  the  immiorration 
from  western  Europe  that  would  come  out  there  and  buy  farms.  I 
supi^ose  ? 

^Ir.  HiNTER.  Yes. 

Senator  Diij.in(;ham.  Like  what  we  call  the  "old"  immiofration. 
that  which  came  ])rior  to  18S0  i 

Mr.  Hunter.  Yes.  sir.  And  if  the  Immigration  Department  in 
this  country  had  proper  representatives  over  in  those  countries  to 
work  with  our  people  in  the  West,  we  could  get  those  people  and  suc- 
cessfully put  them  on  farms  to  develop  our  country. 

The  Chairman!  You  have  stated  your  ])oint  very  clearly. 

Senator  Stermno.  I  just  wanted  to  ask  one  question:  Do  you 
think.  Mr.  Hiuiter.  that  there  could  be  more  effective  cooperation  be- 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  325 

tAAeen  the  various  State  <r()vernnients  and  the  Federal  (xovernment.  in 
refjard  to  the  distribution  of  the  immi<rrants  comin<r  to  this  country? 

Mr.  HuNiTER.  I  think  your  bill  covers  that  very  thorou^jhly.  That 
is  one  of  the  strong  features  of  your  bill,  that  the  States  should  work 
with  the  National  (iroyernment.  For  instance,  all  the  literature  that 
is  fjotten  out  by  this  country  ou<rht  to  be  p:otten  out  by  the  National 
Government,  and  not  by  the  separate  States,  and  that  literature 
should  be  distributed  in  the  foreijrn  countries,  and  not  at  Ellis  Island. 

I  thank  you  for  your  attention,  <>:entlemen. 

I  will  now  introduce  Mr.  Sea^rave,  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railwa}'. 

STATEMENT  OF  ME.  C.  L.  SEAGRAVE,  SUPERVISOR  OF  AGRICUL- 
TURE OF  THE  ATCHISON,  TOPEKA  &  SANTA  FE  RAILWAY. 

Mr.  Seagrave.  Mr.  Hunter  has  stated  the  case  very  clearly,  gen- 
tlemen. Primarily  we  are  only  interested  in  the  development  of  our 
western  lands,  and  the  point  he  made  ver}'  well  was  the  getting  of 
the  right  kind  of  information  to  the  people  of  Europe  so  they  would 
not  come  here  under  any  misapprehension.  The  more  we  can  en- 
lighten them  over  there  the  better  class  of  people  we  can  get.  Now, 
there  has  been  a  good  deal  of  talk  in  the  last  five  or  six  j^ears  about 
getting  the  people  to  keep  out  of  the  congested  cities  and  moving 
them  onto  the  land.  We  had  several  harrowing  experiences  along 
that  line.  The  first  experience  was  20  years  ago  in  locating  some 
people  for  the  Salvation  Army  on  land.  It  was  a  scheme  of  Gen. 
Booth's,  it  was  a  very  laudable  idea,  and  it  looked  like  it  would 
solve  the  problem  of  taking  care  of  the  poor  in  the  larger  cities. 
Well,  the  upshot  of  it  was  that  it  proved  to  be  a  rank  failure,  and 
those  people  preferred  to  be  in  the  larger  cities,  Chicago  and  New 
York,  and  live  in  the  slums  and  hovels  rather  than  out  on  the  farms 
where  they  might  live  in  their  own  homes,  where  their  families 
could  live  under  good  conditions.  That  scheme  proved  an  absolute 
failure. 

Some  seA^'en  or  eight  years  ago  I  had  a  call  from  a  delegation  of 
Hungarians.  They  came  to  me  with  a  representation  that  these  peo- 
ple, whom  they  represented,  were  all  farmers:  that  they  had  been 
farmers  in  Hungary;  that  it  had  not  been  possible  for  them  to  own 
any  lands  in  Hungary  on  account  of  the  conditions  existing  there, 
but  that  their  one  sole  ambition  was  to  have  a  home  in  this  country — 
to  have  a  farm.  There  were  -±0  families,  and  they  were  located  in 
eastern  Texas.  We  bought  some  5,000  acres  of  land,  put  in  the 
roads — cleared  the  lands  and  built  roads.  We  bought  100  head  of 
mules,  harnesses,  and  farm  implements.  We  sold  these  lands  to  them 
at  cost.  Our  aim  was  not  to  make  any  profit  but  to  make  the  ex- 
periment, the  demonstration,  and  get  these  people  started  in  there. 
Well,  it  was  but  a  short  time,  within  possibly,  I  might  say.  less  than 
a  year  when  every  one  of  those  -tO  families  went  away.  We  spent 
on  that  venture,  in  buying  and  imi)roving  that  land,  upward  of 
$85,000  or  $90,000.  It  proved  a  pretty  expensive  experiment.  Of 
course,  we  were,  curious  to  know  why  these  people  did  not  remain. 
We  should  have  found  out  sooner  than  we  did.  of  course,  as  to 
their  adaptability  as  farmers,  but  these  people  all  spoke  the  Hun- 
garian language  and  we  had  to  communicate  with  them  through  an 


326  EMKRGEXCY    IMMICRATION    LEGISLATldX. 

interpreter,  so  we  could  only  accept  the  statements  as  they  were 
given  to  us  by  the  interj^reter.  But  they  were  not  farmers,  and  they 
would  not  work.  And.  as  Mv.  Hunter  said,  they  did  not  even  know 
how  to  harness  their  teams.  And  they  all  went  away  from  these 
farms.  The  reason  was  that  they  wanted  to  go  back  to  tlie  city,  to 
the  bright  lights,  to  the  big  excitement. 

Those  were  some  experiences  that  we  have  had  witli  that  class  of 
people. 

We  have  had  other  experiences  with  other  nationalities,  experi- 
ences which  were  not  quite  as  disastrous  as  those  two  proved  to  be. 
So  we  say.  as  Mr.  Hunter  stated,  that  if  this  information  could  be 
given  to  these  people  in  Europe,  as  to  what  is  expected  here,  and 
what  they  must  do.  why.  then,  we  Avould  not  get  so  many  of  these 
misfits  into  our  country. 

As  was  said  by  ]Mr.  Hunter,  of  course  the  day  of  public  lands  is 
gone.  The  best  lands  are  gone.  And  that  is  true  of  our  grant  lands. 
The  people  coming  here  must  have  some  money,  because  they  must 
make  some  payment,  even  if  it  is  only  a  very  small  payment,  on  their 
lands:  they  need  money  to  get  their  lands  seeded,  and  make  neces- 
sary improvements:  and  furthermore,  they  must  have  some  capital 
so  as  to  be  able  to  live  until  such  time  as  they  make  a  crop,  otherwise 
the  venture  for  them  will  prove  to  be  a  failure.  Xow.  that  is  some 
of  the  information  that  I  think  we  ought  to  give  to  these  people. 
There  is  no  use  of  going  into  the  farming  sections  of  Europe  and 
inviting  people  who  have  no  meatis  to  come  here.  We  can  not  use 
such  jDeople.  We  are  only  bringing  disaster  upon  them  by  bringing 
them  over  here,  as  well  as  disaster  upon  this  country. 

Senator  Sterling.  Unless  it  is  a  class.  Mr.  Seagrave.  that  will 
work  on  the  farms  as  farm  hands,  for  example. 

Mr.  Seagrave.  Oh.  yes:  surely  so.  Some  desirable  ones  might  pos- 
sibly be  utilized  on  rented  farms :  I  dare  say  we  can  place  a  nimiber 
of  those,  but  I  think  that  we  should  get  away  from  farm  tenancy  as 
quickly  as  possible.  Farm  tenancy  is  a  curse  to  this  country.  And 
that  is  a  problem  that  we  must  try  to  solve  now.  the  problem  of  farm 
tenancy :  and  in  solving  that  question  we  will  also  be  helping  to  solve 
the  question  of  farm  labor.  If  each  man  owns  his  own  place,  it  will 
in  a  great  measure  help  sohe  the  problem  of  lal)or  on  the  farm.  The 
more  people  you  get  out  there  Avho  own  their  own  farms,  the  less 
you  will  have  to  contend  with  the  problem  of  farm  labor. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Witness,  supposing  you  had  a  large  farm; 
in  that  case  don't  you  use  a  considerable  percentage  of  unskilled 
labor  or  farm  hands,  so  to  speak,  that  are  not  skilled  laborers,  just 
the  class  that  Senator  Sterling  was  speaking  of  ?  Hasn't  there  been 
quite  a  demand  for  unskilled  farm  labor  on  the  farm? 

Mr.  Seagrave.  Yes:  that  has  been  during  the  harvest  season. 

The  Chairman.  That  doesn't  demand  any  capital  on  the  part  of 
the  farm  laborer  coming  in.  does  it? 

Mr.  Seagrave.  No:  that  does  not.  And  those  i)eople  who  come  in 
as  farm  laborers,  if  they  are  thrifty,  will  in  time  probably  become 
permanent  farmers.  They  will  have  their  own  farms.  But  many  of 
them  come  here  with  the  idea  of  going  to  the  farm  without  any 
capital,  and  I  think  that  they  should  be  enlightened  as  to  what  the 
requirements  are. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATIOX   LEGISLATION.  327 

Now,  a  certain  class  of  those  people  could  be  used  on  the  farms  as 
farm  laborers,  who  later  on  could  become  farm  tenants,  and  then 
still  later  on  they  would  be.  perhaps,  able  to  oaa'u  their  own  places. 
But  this  information  concerning  our  farms  should  be  given  to  the 
people  in  Europe,  so  they  will  understand  just  what  our  conditions 
hero  are. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  might  disagree  with  the  idea  thf\t  there  is  not 
a  demand  for  farm  labor  outside  of  harvest  time.  I  think  in  South 
Dakota,  especially,  there  has  been  a  scarcity  of  farm  labor,  independ- 
ent of  the  harvest  time. 

Mr.  Seagrave.  I  had  in  mind  the  harvest  period,  as  there  is  al- 
ways a  demand  for  farm  labor  at  that  time,  but  there  is  ahvays  some 
demand  for  farm  labor  at  other  seasons,  but  our  greatest  difficulty 
has  been  during  the  harvest  season.  Take  it  in  1918.  the  pressure 
then  was  very  intense,  and  also  in  1919.  In  1920  it  was  not  so  bad, 
because  there  was  more  labor  available. 

Thank  you. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  E.  C.  LEEDY,  GENERAL  AGRICULTURAL  AND 
DEVELOPMENT  AGENT  OF  THE  GREAT  NORTHERN  RAILWAY. 

Mr.  Leedy.  Mr.  -Chairman.  I  don't  think  I  can  add  anything  to 
what  Mr.  Hunter  and  Mr.  Seagrave  have  already  said  on  this  sub- 

For  several  years  past  some  of  our  northwest  States  have  been 
interested  in  the  distribution  of  arriving  immigrants  at  Ellis  Island, 
and  this  subject  has  come  up  at  different  times,  as  to  how  we  might 
secui'e  some  of  these  immigrants  for  our  northwest  States.  At  one 
time  it  was  thought  we  miglit  establish  an  office  at  Ellis  Island,  and 
assist  in  the  distribution  of  these  immigrants,  but  I  investigated  this 
aljout  eight  years  ago,  and  we  decided  against  it,  as  being  imprac- 
ticable. 

It  came  up  again  this  fall,  in  Xovember.  and  I  made  a  very 
thorough  investigation  of  conditions  at  Ellis  Island,  of  the  class  of 
immigrants  arriving.  I  found  that  from  75  to  85  per  cent  of  the 
people  Avho  are  arriving  have  no  money,  and  have  no  desire  to  go  to 
the  farms.  A  great  majority  of  them  are  going  to  the  cities,  and  are 
not  the  class  of  people  that  we  can  use  in  our  northwest  States. 

Senator  Sterling.  Was  that  the  reason  that  you  felt  it  impracti- 
cable in  your  first  investigation? 

Mr.  Leedy.  Well,  not  entirely,  but  we  found  that  it  was  not  a 
practical  proposition  to  try  to  divert,  or  to  educate,  immigrants  at 
Ellis  Island.  The  education  must  be  done  on  the  other  side,  because 
the  immigrant  must  shoAV  a  destination  before  he  leaves  the  port  of 
embarkation,  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  reach  them  at'  Ellis 
Island.  They  are  hurried  through  the  island,  and  it  is  not  a  practical 
place  to  reach  them.  Any  distribution  of  literature,  or  educational 
work,  or  information  concerninc:  the  opportunities  or  resources  of 
this  country,  should  be  done  in  Europe. 

Senator  Sterling.  What  did  you  find  the  intended  destination  of 
the  immigrants  to  be  for  the  most  part,  as  you  examined  them? 
What  citv  or  cities? 


328  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  Lkedy.  "Well,  they  Avore  <r()in<r  to  the  hir<re  cities,  like  Cleve- 
land, and  Akron,  and  Detroit,  and  C'liicajro:  laimdv  to  cities  in  the 
Middle  AVest. 

Senator  Stkklixc;.  Well,  did  many  of  them  have  Xew  York  in 
mind  as  the  place  to  come  to? 

Mr.  Leedy.  Yes;  quite  a  number  of  them.  A  great  number  of 
them  were  goinfj  to  Xew  York. 

The  Chairman.  Senator  Dillingham  stated  yesterday  that  the 
immigrants  follow  along  the  lines  of  racial  groups:  that  was  a  very 
general,  fundamental  tendency. 

Mr.  Lkedy.  Well.  I  think  that  a  very  large  per  cent  of  the  arriv- 
ing immigrants  have  some  close  relatives  or  distant  relatives  or 
acquaintances  in  this  country,  and  naturally  if  their  relatives  are  in 
Cleveland  they  go  there,  and  if  their  relatives  are  in  Xew  York 
City  they  go  to  New  York  City. 

The  Chairman.  You  would  not  have  any  doubt,  if  you  had  a  large 
number  coming  from  Xorway  and  Sweden,  that  you  could  divert 
them  to  the  Xorthwest,  would  you? 

Mr.  Leedy.  Xo  :  you  could  not  divert  them  at  Ellis  Island.  They 
could  not  be  diverted  at  Ellis  Island,  because  they  would  already 
have  their  destination. 

Senator  Sterling.  They  would  have  made  up  their  minds  to  fol- 
low certain  lines  before  leaving  the  old  country. 

Mr.  Leedy.  I  interviewed  a  Dutch  family  at  Ellis  Island  when  I 
was  there  on  the  last  trip,  and  this  family  was  destined  to  a  point  in 
southern  Minnesota,  and  there  were  others  Avho  were  destined  to 
points  in  Michigan,  but  they  were  all  going  to  some  of  their  friends, 
where  there  is  already  a  Dutch  settlement.  And  I  think  that  is 
largely  true  of  all  of  them.  It  is  not  practical  to  try  to  divert  even 
farmers. 

The  Chairman.  I  don't  mean  to  "  divert."  I  mean  that  they 
would  naturally  follow  along  the  lines  of  their  racial  groups  in 
some  parts  of  the  country? 

]Mr.  Leedy.  Yes ;  I  think  that  is  so. 

The  Chairman.  A^nd  if  the  Xorthwest  is  largely  Scandinavian, 
owing  to  correspondence,  or  one  thing  or  another,  the  Scandinavians 
who  arrive  would  naturally  follow  where  there  were  Scandinavians. 

Mr.  Leedy.  Yes.  sir. 

The  Chairman.  I  am  not  speaking  of  my  own  knowledge,  but 
Senator  Dillingham  has  made  a  verly  exhaustive  study  of  the  whole 
subject,  and  that  is  his  conclusion  as  a  result  of  it. 

Mr.  Leedy.  Yes,  sir :  I  think  that  is  right. 

I  don't  think  there  is  anything  that  I  can  add.  unless  you  wish  to 
ask  me  some  questions.  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  all.    Thank  you. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  H.  W.  BYERLY.  FEDERAL  IMMIGRATION 
AGENT.  THE  NORTHERN  PACIFIC  RAILWAY  CO..  ST.  PAITL. 
MINN. 

Mr.  Byerly.  ^iv.  Chairman,  I  don't  know  that  there  is  anything 
that  I  can  add  to  what  has  been  i:)reviously  said  by  my  associates. 
We  went  over  this  proposition  quite  tlu)roughly  together,  and  I  think 
that  the  gentlemen  who  preceded  me  have  stated  the  situation  fully. 


EMKRGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  329 

However,  Mr.  Jackson  is  yet  to  be  heard  from,  and  he  was  in 
P^urope  for  a  period  of  10  years. 

The  Chairman.  You  indorse  what  Mr.  Hunter  and  the  other  wit- 
nesses have  said? 

Mr.  Byerlt.  Yes.  sir. 

Senator  Stkrling.  ^Ir.  Chairman,  I  want  to  ask  the  men  repre- 
sentiufT  the  raih'oads  just  one  question:  Mr.  Hunter,  what  have  you 
to  say  in  regard  to  the  need  of  the  raih'oads  for  railroad  laboi*  at  the 
present  time? 

Mr.  Hunter.  Senator,  there  is  always  need  for  railroad  labor, 
because  a  railroad  lives  all  out  of  doors,  and  has  to  be  worked  on 
every  day  to  be  kept  up.  Durin<r  this  time  of  the  year  our  permanent 
section  crews  are  able  to  handle  that  work,  but  in  the  summer  time, 
when  we  put  extra  service  men  on,  and  extra  men  during  the  summer 
season  to  resurface  the  roads  and  gravel  them,  then  we  need  a  great 
number  of  men.  Recently  we  have  been  getting  some  of  those  from 
Mexico. 

But  whatever  bill  is  passed  here  ought  to  have  a  provision  in  it 
that  when  there  is  a  demand  for  those  men  they  can  be  brought  in 
to  (io  that  work,  if  they  ai'e  not  already  in  the  country. 

The  CuAiRiiAN.  Is  that  unskilled  labor  ? 

Mr.  Hunter.  Absolutely  so:  yes,  sir.  It  requires  a  strong  man 
on  a  short-handled  shovel. 

The  Chairman.  Is  there  a  demand  for  that  at  this  time? 

Mr.  Hunter.  Xot  in  the  Xorthwest.  Possibly  there  is  in  the  South. 
But  all  of  our  extra  work  is  done  during  the  summer  months. 

Mr.  Jackson,  of  our  committee,  is  here,  and  we  Avould  like  to  have 
him  say  a  few  words,  Mr.  Chairman. 

The  Chairman.  Very  well,  ^Ir.  Jackson. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  ALEXANDER  JACKSON.  AGRICULTURAL 
AGENT  OF  THE  CHICAGO.  ROCK  ISLAND  &  PACIFIC  RAILWAY 
CO..  CHICAGO,  ILL. 

Mr.  Jackson.  ]Mr.  Chairman,  I  represent  the  Rock  Island  Rail- 
way. I  might  say  that  any  remarks  I  make  are  altogether  personal. 
They  are  not  in  any  way  made  on  behalf  of  the  railroads.  They  arg 
simply  personal  remarks,  which  I  make  as  the  residt  of  direct  observa- 
tion in  Euroi^e  for  10  years,  from  1906  to  1916. 

The  Chairman.  Will  you  state,  please,  what  position  you  hold 
now  ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Agricultural  agent  for  the  Rock  Island  line.  I  am 
located  in  Chicago.    I  am  also  in  charge  of  immigration  matters. 

As  I  said,  any  i-emarks  I  make  are  strictly  personal.  What  I  have 
to  say  does  not  apply  to  the  Rock  Island  Railway  whatever,  because 
I  don't  know  how  my  people  feel  in  regard  to  immigration,  nor  do  I 
want  to  make  any  statement  which  might  not  be  in  line  with  their 
|)olicy. 

The  Chairman.  You  are  giving  your  own  personal  views  and  con- 
clusions from  your  own  observations  '. 

Mr.  Jackson.  Yes:  I  am  giving  my  views,  based  on  my  own  ob- 
servation, and  not  from  the  railroad  company's  point  of  view. 

In  1906  I  was  sent  over  to  Europe  by  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  in 
•charge  of  immigration,  freight,  and  passenger  business,  with  the 


3)0  i:.mi-.i;v;k.\('^    i.m  mici-aiio-n   !,!.iii.- i.ation". 

title  of  frenonil  Kur()i)ean  atrent.  My  district  extended  from  St. 
Petersbiirji:  to  Palenuo.  from  Ixiissia  to  Sicily,  including  all  of  the 
Scandinavian  countries,  everything,  in  fact,  except  the  Balkan. 
States.  I  didn't  have  anything;  to  do  with  the  Balkan  States,  be- 
cause we  considered  tliat  the  immigration  from  those  States  was  not 
worth  botherinir  about. 

The  CuAiiniAX.  "Well.  now.  what  was  your  proposition? 

Mr.  Jacksox.  My  proposition  was  to  try  and  develop  jrood  immi- 
gration, that  we  could  classify  as  assets  instead  of  liabilities.  We 
were  after  assets  for  our  territory,  and  not  liabilities. 

The  CiiAiRMAX.  What  class  of  immijrrants  did  you  want? 

Mr.  Jackson.  People  who  were  able-bodied,  who  had  capital,  and 
who  would  dcA'elop  into  good  American  citizens.  We  were  instructed 
to  keep  away  from  these  people  who  mean  trouble  for  us.  all  kinds 
of  undesirable  people,  of  which  class  we  have  too  many  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  and  with  which  class  we  are  threatened,  at  the  present  time, 
with  having  a  good  deal  more  come  to  this  country. 

Senator  Sterling  :  Will  you  tell  what  trades  or  occupations  you 
wanted.  ]Mr.  Jackson? 

^Ir.  Jackson.  Strictly  those  for  whom  a  necessity  existed  in  this 
country,  but  under  the  contract  law  of  America  we  could  not  solicit 
those  things  at  all.  We  could  solicit  no  man  for  a  trade.  The  con- 
tract law  does  not  allow  a  corporation  or  an  individual  to  do  that. 
You  have  got  to  wait  until  they  come  to  this  country,  and  then  take 
your  chances. 

Xow.  with  all  due  respect  to  you.  Senator  Sterling,  the  one  Aveak 
point  in  your  bill  is  this:  The  education  of  these  people  after  they 
get  here,  instead  of  before  they  come  over  here.  That  is.  the  distribut- 
ing of  literature  in  their  own  language  after  they  arrive  at  Ellis 
Island  is  not  worth  ami:hing  whatever,  because  they  must  have 
their  minds  made  up  before  they  leave  the  point  of  origin.  Most 
of  these  people  know  where  they  are  going.  Xotwithstanding  the 
fact  that  they  si.f^n  r.  deciar-it'ou  showinir  whv  they  are  coming 
here,  as  a  rule  I  should  say  that  if  you  get  down  to  bed  rock  you 
will  find  that  a  large  percentage  of  these  people  have  perjured  them- 
selves in  that  particular.  A  large  per  cent  of  those  foreign  immi- 
grants perjure  themselves  in  their  declaration  that  they  are  not  com- 
ing to  this  country  under  any  promise  of  work  or  employment  or 
anvthing  else.  I  have  observed  this  situation  for  10  years,  and  in 
my  judgment  90  per  cent  of  the  people  who  are  coming  over  here 
know  where  they  are  going,  and  what  they  are  going  to  do  when, 
they  get  here.  They  have  been  primed  by  their  friends,  and  have 
really  been  schooled  over  in  Europe  so  that  they  can  get  by  at  Ellis 
Island.  They  are  told  before  they  come  over  here :  "  When  you 
get  to  Ellis  Island  you  will  be  cross-examined  by  sharp  people,  and 
if  they  find  any  grounds  for  doing  so  they  will  deport  you."  and 
so  they  are  schooled  in  how  to  answer,  and  how  to  forestall  those 
people  at  Ellis  Island.  When  a  man  comes  here  and  is  asked  where 
he  is  going  he  will  say  "  I  am  going  to  St.  Paul:  my  boy  is  there:" 
'^)i"  perhaps  to  Young^town.  or  Pittsburgh.  And  they  know  what 
they  are  going  to  get.  down  to  the  dollar  i)er  week  when  they  get 
there. 

There  are  banks  and  as«^o -iations.  private  associations,  in  Europe 
that  finance  thes(>  iiu'n.  nnd  whcTi  tlipv  couk^  here  with  ?i'300.  that  $200 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  331 

has  been  culvanoed  by  some  i)rivate  bank  in  Italy,  or  some  other 
forei^-n  nation,  and  tl\at  money  is  collected  over  here  by  some  other 
bank  for  this  private  bank  in  Italy,  and  the  man  who  borrowed  $200 
may  have  to  pay  back  $500,  which  will  be  deducted  from  his 
earnings. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  are  you  criticising  that  ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  AVell,  we  are  admittinir  a  lot  of  people  who  are 
perjuring  themselves  to  get  in  here. 

Tiie  C'HAiiniAN.  Aren't  you  making  i\  pretty  broad  accusation 
against  tlie  immigrants  who  come  here? 

Mr.  Jackson.  I  know  several  cases  where  it  is  a  fact. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  you  might  know  several  cases,  but  your 
proposition  is  here  that  the  immigrants,  the  nationalities  that  come 
here  from  England,  France,  the  Scandinavian  countires,  as  well  as 
southern,  western,  and  eastern  Europe,  are  doing  that.  You  \\ould 
hardly  want  it  to  go  in  the  record,  would  you.  that  they  are? 

JSIr.  Jackson.  I  am  not  referring  to  the  Scandinavian  people. 

The  Chairman.  That  they  are  committing  perjury  f 

Mr.  Jackson.  I  am  referring  more  particuhirly  to  the  i^eople  from 
southern  Europe. 

Senator  Sterling.  What  class  of  people  are  interested  in  outfitting 
these  immigrants  and  posting  them  on  the  kind  of  an  examination 
they  will  have  to  pass  here  at  Ellis  Island,  and  furnishing  th^^m  with 
money. 

Mr.  Jackson.  Italians,  principally. 

Senator  Sterling.  Italians? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Yes. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  granting  that  they  are  Italians,  what  par- 
ticular class  of  Italians?  What  is  the  business  or  vocation  of  these 
Italians? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Well,  it  is  a  regular  business  to  handle  these  people, 
to  advise  and  instruct  them  as  to  how  to  get  by.  and  the  Ignited 
States  (Tovernment  knows  it  and  has  made  several  investigations  on 
the  subject. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  it  is  not  done  by  Government  officials? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Oh,  no;  by  private  bankers,  just  the  same  as  we  have 
private  bankers  in  Chicago. 

Senator  Sterling.  And  are  they  men  who  are  seeking  to  make 
money  out  of  it?  Are  they  in  the  business  solely  for  the  purpose 
of  making  money  out  of  it? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Absolutely.  We  did  not  attempt  to  interview  any 
of  these  people  coming  over  foi-  wages.  We  Avere  not  looking  for 
wageworkers.  We  were  sim))ly  looking  after  these  people  who  de- 
velop into  ])roducers  and  iiood  American  citizens  later  on. 

Senator  Sterling.  Noav,  what  success  attended  vour  eiforts.  may 
Task? 

]Mr.  Jackson.  Well,  we  had  great  siu-cess  in  Xorway,  Sweden.  Den- 
mark, part  of  (irermanv.  part  of  Belgium,  and  part  of  Holland. 

Senator  Sterling.  Did  you  get  many  of  these  people?  Did  many 
of  them  come  ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Yes:  a  good  many  English  people  from  the  British 
Tsles — England.  Ireland,  Scotland,  and  Wale-.  AVe  were  not  in- 
structed to  hunt  for  these  ]:)eoi^le.  but  when  they  came  to  us  for  in- 


332  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

formation  we  absolutt'ly  jrave  them  the  ri«rlit  information.  For 
example,  if  a  younfr  Knjzlishman  came  to  me  at  my  oflice  and  asked 
me,  "  What  do  you  think  my  chances  are  in  America  i  I  have  .£r>()(»."" 
which  is  $2,500.  Now.  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  that  man  had  that 
much  money,  if  I  felt  that  he  would  not  make  ^^ood  in  this  country.. 
I  would  not  advise  him  to  come. 

The  Chairman.  You  were  engaged  in  inducing  people  to  come 
here  from  abroad  ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Yes;  who  had  money,  and  who  had  a.ssociates.  I)ut 
we  did  not  do  anything  which  Avould  come  in  ( ontlict  with  the  con- 
tract laws. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  you  were  on  the  l)order  line,  were  you  not. 
of  the  contract  laAv? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Xo;  because  we  took  no  action  with  these  immi- 
grants at  all.  If  any  of  these  people  said.  "  I  am  going  as  an  immi- 
grant," we  paid  no  attention  to  them. 

The  Chairman.  Now,  I  want  to  know  what  you  found  about  the- 
Italians,  because  I  have  the  highest  resjject  for  the  Italians. 

Mr.  Jackson.  I  have,  too.  for  many  of  them. 

The  Chairman.  You  said  that  the  Italian-  were  the  ones  who 
made  these  false  representations? 

Mr,  Jackson.  That  is  the  only  place  we  found  these  societies  work- 
ing for  the  financing  of  these  people.  In  Italy  was  the  only  place 
Avhere  we  found  that. 

Senator  Sterling.  In  what  part  of  Italy?  In  one  part  more  than 
another  ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Xo  :  practically  all  over  Italy. 

Senator  Sterling.  All  over  Italy  ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Yes. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  made  no  difference  between  north  and 
south  Italy  ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Northern  Italians  are  a  better  class  of  people  than 
the  southern  Italians,  of  course,  as  a  rule,  for  immigration. 

The  Chairman.  The  Italian  GoA'ernnie»t.  then,  or  the  Italian 
bankers,  rather,  were  encouraging  immigration,  were  they? 

^Ir.  Jackson.  They  were  at  that  time  when  I  was  over  there :  yes. 

The  Chairman.  When  was  that? 

Mr.  Jackson.  1906  to  1916.  They  were  encouraging  it.  and  they 
were  making  the  collections  on  this  side. 

The  Chairman.  Well.  now.  can  you  not  give  us  some  ideas  as  ta 
what  you  think  about  the  restriction  on  immigration,  etc.? 

Mr.  Jackson.  AVell,  I  think  the  way  things  are  to-day  that  the  first 
thing  we  should  do  is  to  put  our  own  house  in  order.  We  have  a  lot 
of  unemployed  here  with  us  to-day. 

The  Chairman.  What  do  you  mean  by  "  putting  our  own  house  in 
order  "  ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Until  we  get  a  satisfactory  solution  of  the  conditions 
that  we  have  in  this  coimtrv  to-day;  conditions  are  very  unsatisfac- 
tory, the  labor  conditions ;  we  should  go  very  slow. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  you  belieA'e  there  should  be  any  exclusion  for 
any  length  of  time?    Total  exclusion  of  all  immigrants? 

^Ir.  Jackson.  Xot  a  total  exclusion,  but  there  should  be  an  exclu- 
sion of  certain  people  engaged  in  certain  lines. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  333 

The  Chairman.  Exclusion  of  certain  people  Avho  are  engaged  in 
what  lines  ?  « 

Mr.  Jackson.  Well,  those  that  the  official  census  to-day  shows  that 
we  have  an  oversupply  of  at  the  present  time. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  that  is  indifinite.  ()A-ersupply  of  what? 
What  classes? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Principally  unskilled  labor. 

The  Chairman.  Have  we  an  oversupply  of  unskilled  labor  to-day? 
Mr.  Jackson.  The  last  census  of  the  United  States  Government 
showed  a  little  over  a  million  and  a  quarter.  I  think,  on  the  1st  of 
December. 

The  Chairman.  We  have  had  testimony  showing  that  there  was  a 
scarcity  of  unskilled  labor  in  the  States  bordering  on  Mexico,  in 
Florida,  and  in  certain  agricultural  sections,  such  as  Colorado. 

Mr.  Jackson.  Xot  at  the  present  time,  I  think.  I  was  out  in  Colo- 
rado two  weeks  ago,  and  there  was  no  scarcity  then.  There  is  a 
scarcity  at  certain  times  of  the  year.  Colorado  would  have  a  scarcity 
during  the  beet-harvesting  season. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  it  is  necessary  to  have  labor  if  you  are  to 
have  a  beet  crop,  isn't  it  ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  But,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  is  just  for  two  or  three 
months  time.  What  are  we  going  to  do  with  these  people  after 
the  beet  crop  and  the  Kansas  Avheat  crops  are  harvested.  That  is 
the  great  problem,  what  to  do  with  the  people  after  they  come  there, 
and  the  harvest  season  is  over. 

The  Chairman.  The  Mexicans  go  back? 

Mr.  Jackson.  The  Mexicans  go  back,  and  that  is  a  very  wise  pro- 
vision.    But  you  can  not  send  a  foreigner  back  to  Europe. 
*    The  Chairman.  Do  you  want  to  send  any  people  back? 

Mr.  Jackson.  Yes;  I  would  like  to  send  these  lawbreakers  that 
make  trouble  for  us  back  to  P^urope. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  we  are  not  speaking  of  the  lawbreakers. 
Mr.  Jackson.  I  do  not  think  the  same  way  as  did  my  friend  who 
testified  this  morning  on  foreign  immigration.  There  is  a  great 
deal  of  difference  in  our  views  on  the  subject,  and  I  think  we  have 
both  made  personal  observations,  and  veiy  careful  observations  on 
the  subject.     I  am  referring  to  Mr.  Bennet. 

Senator  Sterling.  You  would  not  exclude  any  of  the  classes  that 
you  interviewed  when  you  were  over  in  Europe  in  1906  to  1916? 
You  would  not  exclude  any  of  these,  would  you  ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  I  would  advise  at  least  60  per  cent  of  the  people  I 
interviewed,  even  with  capital,  not  to  come  to  this  country,  because 
I  feel  that  they  would  not  make  good.  They  would  be  liabilities 
rather  than  assets  to  this  country. 

Senator  Sterling.  Don't  you  anticipate  a  revival  and  an  early 
revival  in  business  in  this  country,  so  that  there  will  be  more  need  for 
laborers,  skilled  and  unskilled,  than  there  is  at  the  present  time  ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  AVell.  we  read  very  optimistic  remarks  made  by  these 
captains  of  industry,  but  I  am  not  prepared  to  say.  because  I  don't 
know.  It  seems  to  me  we  have  an  awful  lot  of  people  in  this  country 
here  to-day  without  work. 

Senator  Sterling.  They  predict  a  very  early  revival  of  industry 
and  business  in  this  country? 


334  IL-MKRGEXCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

^Ir.  Jackson.  Yes:  they  are  very  optimistic  on  that  score.  But 
I  don't  know. 

Senator  Sterling.  In  fact,  they  talk  as  thoujih  it  has  already  come. 
That  the  revival  of  business  is  already  bejrinniufr. 

Mr.  Jackson.  Yes:  l)ut  there  are  more  people  unemployed  to-day 
than  there  were  a  month  ag^o. 

I  have  here  an  editorial.  Mr.  Chairman,  from  the  Chicago  Tribune, 
which  covers  the  situation.  I  think  very  fully. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  wish  it  introduced  into  the  record? 

^Ir.  Jackson.  If  you  please. 

The  Chairman.  Very  well,  it  may  be  placed  in  the  record. 

(The  editorial  from  the  Chicaoo  Tribune  of  January  7.  1921,  pre- 
sented by  Mr.  Jackson,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

(From  Chicago  Tribune.   Jan.   7.   lltJl.] 

IX     DEFEX.sk    of    A5IERHA. 

Commissioner  of  IinmiCTation  Wallis  told  tlie  Senate  committee  considering 
the  immijrration  bill  tluU  Europe  is  ••  literally  moving  to  the  United  States." 

This  is  an  emphatic  statement  by  an  official  in  touch  with  the  situation,  and 
it  is  corroborated,  moreover,  from  other  sources. 

Yet  the  di.spatch  carrying  ilr.  Wallis's  assertion  goes  on  to  note  that  It  left 
members  of  the  committee  '"still  doubtful"  of  act:on  to  l)e  taken  on  the  bill 
barring  out  the  tide  for  one  year.  •  Several  Members  exi»ressed  doul>t  that 
any  measures  of  restriction  would  be  enactetl  at  tliis  session." 

We  understand  that.  The  liearings  held  by  the  connnittee  have  brought  out 
significant  currents  of  life  in  America.  Race,  religion,  and  industrial  self- 
interest  have  been  expressed,  and  their  organized  pressure  is  being  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  responsive  nerve  of  polidcs  to  defeat  or  emasculate  the  lueasure. 

Yet  the  is.sue  is  clear.  It  is  the  most  important  liefore  Congress  and  one  of 
the  simplest.  If  Congress  fails  to  give  America  protection  it  will  sacrifice  its 
highest  duty,  the  defense  of  the  Repuldic,  to  selfish  expediency  and  political, 
cowardice. 

The  forces  contending  are,  on  the  one  side,  those  which  would  defend  Ameri- 
can standards,  American  institutions.  American  citizenship.  They  are  con- 
cerned first  and  last  with  America  and  with  protection  of  the  integrity  of  Ameri- 
can life  and  progress.  On  the  contrary  side  are  those  whose  pocketbook  is 
dominant  over  their  patriotism  and  those  who  are  more  devoted  to  the  ties  of 
alien  race  and  culture  than  to  America  and  her  punioses. 

If  Congress  has  not  forgotten  Noven<.l»er  2,  it  will  realize  that  the  great  ma- 
jority of  tlie  American  people  are  Americans  and  do  not  propose  to  .surrende* 
their  national  integrity  to  the  dividing  currents  of  the  outer  world.  This  is  '.he 
issue  raised  by  the  innnigration  bill.  Xo  other  consideration  can  conceal  or 
should  be  allowed  to  confuse  it.  We  do  not  need  lalmr  now.  Our  own  people 
want  work.  When  we  do  need  labor  it  should  be  admitted  only  on  terms  c(un- 
palible  with  justice  to  our  own  American  workers  and  with  the  preservation  of 
the  character  of  American  life,  American  standards  and  customs.  American 
institutions.  Alienism  has  gr<»wn  more  insolent  through  organization  and 
growing  numbers.  It  is  a  threat  to  Americanism  and  to  American  national 
integrity.  It  should  be  challenged  witht>ut  further  procra.stination  and  defeated 
in  an  issue  clear  as  that  of  restriction. 

Mr.  Jackson.  I  think.  Senator  Sterlin<r.  if  you  could,  under  your 
bill,  arranire  to  fret  literature  from  this  (Tovernment  tlioroujrhly  di- 
gested on  the  other  side  it  wouUl  be  better  tlum  to  give  it  to  the 
immigrants  after  they  get  here. 

Senator  Sterling.  That  meets  with  my  view  of  the  situation — in- 
foiTuation  given  to  the  people  who  are  intending  to  become  immi- 
grants. 

Mr.  Jackson.  That  information  should  be  issued  liy  tiie  Federal 
(yovernment  rather  than  bv  each  State.    All  that  information  should 


EAIEltGEXCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION'.  335 

be  taken  care  of  by  the  Federal  Government  and  issued  by  the  Fed- 
eral (lovernment. 

That  is  all  I  have.  Mr.  Chairman. 

The  CiiAiRMAX.  Thank  you. 

CONTINUING   STATEMENT   OF  MR.    WILLIAM    S.   BENNET. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  ^Ir.  Chairman,  the  interesting  thing  about  the  testi- 
mony of  these  railroad  men.  and  especially  of  Mr.  Jackson,  is  that 
unquestionably  the  Rock  Island  Railroad,  in  having  him  there  in 
Europe  for  10  years,  was  violating  the  statute.  Here  is  the  law  on 
the  subject: 

Skc.  4.  That  it  sliall  lie  a  misflemeanor  for  any  person,  company,  ]iartnership, 
or  corporiition  in  any  manner  wluitsoever  to  prepay  the  transportation  or  in 
any  way  to  assist  or  encourage  the  importation  or  migration  of  any  contract 
]al)orer  or  contract  laborers  into  the  I'liitod  States  unless  such  contract  laborer 
or  conti-act  laborers  are  exempted  under  the  terms  of  the  last  two  provisos  con- 
tained in  section  2  of  this  act. 

Sec.  5.  That  for  every  violation  of  any  of  the  provisions  of  section  4  of  this 
act  the  person,  partnership,  company,  or  corporation  violating  the  same  by 
knowingly  assisting,  encouraging,  or  soliciting  the  migration  or  importation 
of  any  contract  laborer  into  the  United  States  shall  forfeit  and  pay  for  every 
such  offense  the  sum  of  .$1,000. 

And  so  forth. 

Senator  Sti:rlixg.  Xow,  he  disclaims  making  any  contract. 

Mr.  Jackson.  That  refers  to  bringing  in  contract  labor.  It  refers 
altoirother  to  contract  labor.    But  this  is  altogether  different. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  That  is  pretty  close  to  the  line.  And  if  that  had  been 
known  when  we  had  the  debates  in  the  House  of  Representatives 
much  would  have  been  made  of  the  fact  of  the  railroad  company 
maintaining  an  agent  in  Europe  for  10  years  for  the  purpose  of  ad- 
vising people  in  relation  to  the  United  States. 

The  CiiAiRMAX'.  Mr.  Bennet,  as  one  member  of  the  committee.  I 
am  interested  in  this  question  of  unskilled  labor  and  the  demand 
in  this  country  for  unskilled  and  perhaps  partially  skilled  labor :  and 
the  last  witness,  as  I  understood,  took  the  position  that  we  did  not 
need  any  more  unskilled  alien  labor. 

XoAv,  I  find  that  in  an  address  delivered  by  Commissioner  Wallis 
ho  makes  these  statements,  as  to  what  is  done  by  alien  labor  in  this 
country,  Avhich,  it  seems  to  me.  have  a  bearing;  and  I  would  just 
like  to  ask  you  whether  you  agree  with  them : 

Alien  labor  contributes  8.5  per  cent  of  all  the  labor  in  most  packing  industries; 
seven-tenths  of  the  coal  mining;  75  per  cent  of  the  woolen  mills;  nine-tenths  of 
all  the  labor  in  the  cotton  mills;  nine-tenths  of  all  the  labor  in  connection  with 
clothing;  more  than  half  of  the  shoes;  four-fifths  of  all  the  furniture;  one-half 
of  the  collars,  cuffs,  and  shirts;  four-lifths  of  the  leather  ;  one-half  of  the  gloves; 
nine-tenths  of  the  sugar;  one-half  of  the  tobacco  and  cigars. 

Those  are  the  proportions  of  the  products  of  those  various  indus- 
tries that  are  ]n'oduced  by  alien  labor,  as  summarized  by  those  who 
have  made  a  study  of  the  question. 

I  wanted  to  ask  you  Avhether  you  agree  generally  with  those  state- 
ments ? 

]N[r.  Bexxet.  Except  that  I  do  not  think  it  is  correct  as  to  the  pack- 
ing industry,  because  since  immigration  was  shut  off  by  the  war  the 
26911— 21— PT  G i 


336  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

packinfr  industries  have  been  importin<r  the  Xejrro  from  the  South, 
until  now  the  great  packing  industries  of  Chicago  have  in  their 
employ  50  per  cent  of  negroes,  who  were  taken  from  the  farms  of  the 
South. 

The  CiiAiRifAX,  Of  course,  if  a  largo  proportion  of  these  various 
products  is  produced  by  alien  labor,  how  can  we  cut  off  alien  labor  at 
once  and  then  go  ahead  and  increase  our  j^roduction? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Why.  it  is  absolutely  impossible.  Your  question  an- 
swers itself.  Senator.    We  could  not  do  it :  that  is  the  answer. 

And  thoy  talk  about  this  flood  of  immigration  coming  in  at  the  rate 
of.  I  think  you  figured  out,  net  something  like  .lO.OOO  a  month:  less 
than  that — say.  500,000  a  year. 

Xow,  the  population  of  the  United  States  of  America  is  somewhere 
around  106.000.000.  The  proportion  of  500.000  a  year  is  negligible. 
I  know  at  one  time,  when  I  was  more  directly  in  touch  with  the 
details.  I  was  told,  and  I  verified  it.  that  we  incapacitated  in  this 
country  by  accident  in  industries  and  on  railroads  somewhere  be- 
tween 250.000  and  300.O00  people  a  year:  th.it  we  had  that  drain  that 
had  to  be  taken  care  of  right  at  the  foundation,  and  aou  could  not 
have  a  20  per  cent  increase  in  industrial  activity  in  this  country — 
you  just  simply  could  not  have  it — unle=s  you  bankrupt  the  farms. 

Xow.  these  gentlemen  all  tell  facts  about  the  farms. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  it  is  not  only  the  farms,  but  it  i-  the  f victories 
that  should  be  considered. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Yes :  not  only  the  f arm.s.  but  the  factories  should  be 
considered.    Of  course,  they  leave  those  entirely  out  of  consideration. 

Xow,  we  have  got  52.000  factories  in  Chicago  that  ship  goods  over 
their  railroads,  and  they  are  the  most  interested  people  in  the  world 
in  the  factories,  in  a  way.  because  the  raw  material  is  shipped  to  the 
factories  in  the  cities  and  the  finished  product  is  shipped  out  of  the 
factories  over  their  railroads,  giving  them  their  freight.  The  farms 
are  robbed  of  their  workingmen.  of  their  farm  labor,  for  their  section 
hands,  and  the  fii-st  gentleman  stated  the  case  alisolutely  correct 
when  he  stated  that  there  is  a  constant  demand  for  section  hands: 
and  still,  as  I  imderstand.  they  come  here  protesting,  in  a  way, 
against  the  coming  of  laborers  that  are  needed  by  the  factories  in 
the  cities.     Their  attitude  is  entirely  provincial:  that  is  all. 

Mr.  HuxTER.  May  I  interrupt.  Mr.  Bennet.  a  moment?  I  stated 
plainly  to  the  chairman  that  we  came  here  only  to  show  the  class  of 
people  we  needed  on  the  farms,  and  not  to  interfere  in  any  way  with 
any  common  labor  or  any  scheme  they  might  have  for  bringing 
them  in. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  what  I  understood. 

Mr.  HuxTER.  I  wanted  to  say  that,  Mr.  Chairman,  to  keep  the 
record  straight. 

Mr.  Bexnet.  Then  to  that  extent.  ^Ir.  Chairman.  I  was  incorrect. 

The  Chairmax'.  I  understood  Mr.  Himter  and  those  other^  wit- 
nesses were  limited  simply  to  one  aspect  on  this  question. 

Mr.  Hrx'TER.  Absolutely. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  But  then  they  get  nowhere,  except  the  last  witness, 
Mr.  Jackson,  who  made  that  startling  accusation  of  the  large  number 
of  people  coming  in  here  who  perjure  themselves.  In  the  first  place, 
unless  the  methods  have  changed  since  I  was  in  direct  touch  with  the 


e:.iergex('y  immigration  legislation ,  337 

situation,  they  do  not  fill  out  any  lists  abroad  at  all.  They  fill  out 
no  list  at  all  abroad.  The  master  of  the  ship,  under  a  law  that  we 
have  had  on  the  statute  books  for  over  100  years,  is  compelled  to 
make  out  a  list.  He  is  the  only  man  that  takes  an  oath.  The  immi- 
o^rant  never  takes  an  oath.  AVhen  he  gets  to  Ellis  Island,  or  any 
other  place,  he  is  asked,  I  think,  about  '21  questions.  And  it  is  true, 
as  he  said — and  I  saAv  this  Avhen  I  went  to  Greece  and  Italy — that 
they  were  circulating  among  the  intending  immigrants  copies  of 
the  questions  that  they  Avould  be  asked,  and  I  have  always  thought 
that  tliat  Avas  a  very  proper  thing.  Why  not?  There  is  no  secret 
about  it.  Those  questions  are  on  the  statute  books.  Why  shouldn't 
a  man  be  prepared  frankly  and  candidly  to  answer  the  questions? 

^Ir.  Jackson.  May  I  interrupt  you  a  moment.  Mr.  Bennet? 

yir.  Bexnet.  That  is  up  to  the  committee. 

The  Chairman.  What  is  it,  Mr.  Jackson? 

Mr,  Jackson.  In  reference  to  that  declaration  of  Mr.  Bennetts. 
What  year  did  you  make  the  last  investigations? 

3,[r.  Bennet.  When  did  I  make  them? 

]Mr.  Jackson.  Yes. 

Mr.  Bennet.  I  just  read  the  statute  of  1917. 

Mr.  Jackson.  When  j^ou  came  back  to  Ellis  Island  what  year 
did  you  come  back  in  ? 

Mr.  Bennet.  1907. 

]N[r.  Jackson.  And  you  say  that  the  immigrants  never  made  this 
application  to  the  steamship  companj^?  Why,  as  an  American  citi- 
zen you  would  have  7  questions  while  they  would  have  about  29. 
Now,  I  have  h^d  experience,  Mr.  Bennet,  for  a  long  time,  for  many 
years,  in  booking  passengers,  and  I  know  that  that  is  a  fact. 

]Mr.  Bennet.  That  is  the  steamship  company's  own  private  regu- 
lation ? 

Mr.  Jackson.  That  goes  to  Washington. 

]\Ir.  Bennet.  It  does  not. 

3Ir.  Jackson.  Well,  they  answer  these  questions;  they  sign  these 
papers.  And  now,  Mr.  Bennet,  in  regard  to  that  point  you  made 
about  contract  labor.  When  there  was  ever  any  question  over  there 
we  took  the  matter  up  with  the  State  Department  on  this  side  to  see 
whether  there  might  be  any  objection.  And  my  position  and  con- 
nection over  there  was  not  in  any  way  connected  with  the  contract 
labor. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Do  you  want  any  of  those  figures  on  the 
foreign  employees  and  manufacturers? 

Mr.  Bennet.  I  might  use  them. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Answering  Senator  Colt's  question,  I  find 
by  a  reference  to  the  report  of  the  commission  that  in  the  iron  and 
steel  manufacturing  57.7  per  cent  of  those  employees  are  of  foreign 
birth,  and  that  there  were  a  very  large  number  of  the  second  genera- 
tion, a  small  proportion  being  American  workmen.  And  in  the 
packing  and  slaughtering  industry  16.7  per  cent  were  foreign  born. 
In  bituminous  coal  mining,  61.9  per  cent  were  foreign  born;  in  glass 
manufacturing,  39.3  per  cent;  Avoolen  and  worsted  goods,  61.9  per 
cent;  silk  goods,  44.9  per  cent;  cotton  goods,  21.8  per  cent:  clothing 
manufacture,  72.2  ])er  cent ;  boots  and  shoes,  27.3  per  cent:  furniture, 
51.1  per  cent:  and  so  on  it  runs  through  all  occupations  of  the 
country. 


338  i:mi:ugency  im:\[I(;i;.\tiox  legislation. 

Mr.  Benxet.  Absolutely. 

Senator  STEULixr,.  One  question.  You  spoke  about  the  packing 
industry  in  Chic'a<ro.  Mr.  Bennet. 

Mr.  Benxet.  Yes.  sir. 

Senator  Stehlixg.  And  about  the  colored  employees  there ;  can 
you  tell  about  how  many  employees  there  are  in  the  pafkin<r  industry 
in  Chicatro? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Xo,  sir:  I  can  not,  Senator. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Can  you  make  any  estimate  or  approximate  the 
number  ? 

^Ir.  Bexxet.  Well.  I  should  sav — it  would  be  a  very  rough  guess — 
but  I  should  say  90.000. 

Senator  Sterlix-^g.  Xinety  thousand? 

^Ir.  Bexxet.  That  is  an  absolutely  wild  guess;  just  my  estimate. 
It  may  be  way  out  of  the  way. 

Xow.  in  relation  to  these  other  things  that  these  gentleman  ask.  it 
is  prohibited  by  the  statutes  of  this  country  to  do  the  things  they  ask. 
Let  me  read  the  statute : 

Sec.  S.  That  it  shall  be  unlawful  and  be  deemed  a  violation  of  section  4  of 
this  act  to  assist  or  encourage  the  importation  or  migration  of  any  aliens  by 
promise  of  employment  throujih  advertisements  printed  and  published  in  any 
foreign  country. 

So,  if  you  publish  the  adyertisement  in  a  foreign  country'  asking 
these  men  to  come  to  this  country  as  farm  laborers,  you  would  be 
guilty  of  a  crime. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Xow.  I  understand  that  Mr.  Jackson  disclaimed 
anything  of  that  kind. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  I  am  not  talking  about  Mr.  Jackson.  I  am  talking 
about  what  they  ask.  They  say  that  this  information  ought  to  be 
giyen  to  the  people  abroad.  AVell.  there  are  only  a  few  ways  that 
you  can  giye  this  information.  The  most  natural  way  would  be 
through  adyertisement  in  the  newspapers.  The  last  time  I  looked  up 
the  German  statutes — and  I  assume  they  haye  not  been  changed,  and 
the  statutes  of  almost  eyery  other  country  are  the  same — it  was  a 
crime  to  publish  in  the  newspapers  oyer  there  anything  inducing  a 
man  to  emigrate  from  that  country  to  any  other  country.  They  are 
just  as  anxious  to  keep  their  good  people  oyer  there  as  we  are  to  get 
them  oyer  here,  and  haying  a  more  centralized  system,  they  can  go 
further.  And  you  coul.l  not.  under  the  law  of  any  foreign  country, 
publish  advertisements  in  newspapers  to  get  people  here. 

Mr.  HuxTER.  I  said  that  that  should  be  taken  up  with  the  State 
Department,  and  the  State  Department  should  take  it  up  with  the 
foreign  (royernments. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  I  noticed  that,  but  I  thought  I  would  bring  to  the 
attention  of  the  committee  the  long,  arduous  course  that  they  would 
haye  to  undertake  through  the  methods  of  diplomacy  to  get  those 
countries  to  reverse  their  practice  of  the  last  'i."*  years  in  prohibiting 
adyerti.sements  for  ijeople  to  come  to  this  country. 

The* Chairmax.  Mr.  Bennet,  might  I  ask  you  a  question?  Quite 
a  good  deal  has  been  said  about  the  unemployment,  that  we  are  in 
a  stage  of  unemployment.  Conceding  that  we  are  in  a  "stage  of  un- 
employment, our  country  covers  the  best  part  of  a  continent.  Our 
population  is  KX'i.oOO.OOO  or  106.000.000  jieople.     The  conditions  of 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX    LEGISLATIOX.  339 

labor,  etc.,  vary  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  The  immif^rants 
who  come  are  comparative  widely  scattered.  Now.  I  want  to  ask 
you,  Avhat  effect  do  you  think  it  would  have  upon  the  unemployment 
if  (iO.OOO  immiL^rants,  nearly  half  of  whom  Avere  women,  landed  in 
this  country  a  month? 

Mr.  Bennet.  It  would  not  have  anj'^  effect  whatever,  not  an  appre- 
ciable effect  anywhere.     It  would  be  too  small  a  number. 

The  Chairman.  Could  it  possiblj'  have  any  effect  upon  the  general 
labor  market? 

Mr.  Bennet.  No,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  I  mean  as  a  freneral  proposition  ? 
Mr.  Bennet.  It  would  not  have  anywhere  near  the  effect  that  the 
epidemic  of  influenza  had  a  couple  of  years  ago.     People  forget  the 
size  of  our  country. 

But  I  might  as  well  take  up  right  here  the  c{uestion  of  what  this 
cessation  of  immigration  that  is  asked  for  by  the  Johnson  bill  would 
do  to  the  farms  which  these  railroad  men  are  interested  in,  and  which 
is  the  only  phase  of  my  general  counselship  in  which  I  impinge  on 
immiuration  at  all.  We  have  got  a  lot  of  cut-over  land  up  in 
northern  Wisconsin.  The  Edward  Hines  Lumber  Co.  in  the  next 
20  years  expects  to  sell  200,000  acres  of  land  up  in  that  country,  so 
we  are  to  that  extent  interested. 

Xow,  here  is  the  Avay  we  ha^-e  found  that  this  cessation  of  immi- 
gration has  affected  the  farmer,  and  I  know  more  about  it  in  the 
South,  because  I  have  been  more  directly  in  touch  with  it  there  than 
in  the  North.  Before  the  war  we  paid  the  Negro  down  there  a 
dollar  a  day.  In  Gulfport,  our  nearest  large  town,  he  Avas  paid 
possiblv  a  dollar  and  50  cents,  whereas,  on  the  farms  he  was  paid  a 
little  less  than  $1. 

When  immigration  stopped.  Avhat  happened  ?  The  Negi'o  from 
Gulfport,  and  from  the  other  towns,  followed  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  right  straight  up  to  Memphis,  Meridian,  and  Chicago, 
and  all  those  towns  along  the  line.  Our  sawmill  men  started  to 
Gulfport  to  take  the  place  of  the  men  who  had  been  there,  and 
we  went  out  on  the  farms  and  as  we  increased  our  wages  from  $1  a 
day  to  $o  a  da}'^  we  denuded  the  farms  of  their  l)est  Negroes. 

Now,  what  effect  has  that  on  this  agricultural  problem?  It  has 
this  effect,  and  I  think  that  Senator  Sterling  may  not  agree  with 
me,  but  I  think  that  possibh^  to-day  the  farmer  Avho  is  the  worst  off 
is  the  southern  cotton  planter.  I  hold  no  brief  for  him,  but  I  tb.ink 
he  is  worst  off  for  this  reason:  In  the  first  i)lace,  lie  has  to  fertilize 
everything  and  pay  a  high  price  for  fertilizer;  and  in  the  seconA 
place  he  has  got  to  increase  his  wage  scale  300  per  cent  to  compete  witli 
us  in  sawmills.  And  what  he  is  suffering  from  to-day  is  not  the  fact 
that  he  has  to  sell  his  cotton  at  a  low  price,  that  is  not  it  alone,  but 
he  is  suffering  from  the  fact  that  long-staple  cotton,  which  actually 
sold  in  ^lemphis  this  week  at  0  cents  a  pound,  cost  him  over  30 
cents  a  pound  to  produce. 

Now,  if  you  pass  this  Johnson  bill  and  exclude  immigration,  you 
make  it  impossible  for  the  farmers  to  continue  in  business.  That  is, 
both  the  wheat  man  in  the  North,  and  the  cotton  man  in  the  South. 
And  I  will  tell  vou  Avhv. 


340  E.MKIMKNCV    IMMIORATION    LKGISLATION. 

"We  have  ^ot  in  Chicajro  52,()()()  factories.  We  have  jrot  in  Xew 
York  City  100,000,  I  imagine.  This  is  a  little  Int  of  an  estimate,  but 
there  are  at  least  1.200,000  people  employed  in  factories  in  Xew  York 
City  alone.  And  there  are  factories  all  over  the  country:  there  are 
factories  in  your  State  of  Rhode  Island,  Senator,  and  in  the  State 
of  Xew  Hampshire.  Senator,  but  not  so  many  in  Vermont  and  not  so 
many  in  Xortii  Dakota.  Now.  we  can  do  what  the  farmer  can  not  do, 
and  tlie  railroads  can  do  what  the  farmer  can  not  do.  If  we  find  that 
necessity  arises,  such  as  now  exists  in  the  lum))er  industry,  where 
we  are  sellin*:  lumber  below  the  cost  of  production,  we  can  do  what 
we  have  done :  we  can  shut  down  our  mill.  We  can  stop  our  lojrging 
operations.  If  we  do  not  want  to  shut  down  the  whole  mill,  we  can 
shut  down  part  of  the  mill.  And  then  when  we  resume,  and  wages 
go  up,  why  we  can  add  the  increased  cost  of  labor  to  our  product,  be- 
cause we  can  control  the  production  of  our  product,  and  we  do  do  it. 
and  every  factory  manager  does.  The  railroads  do  that.  When  they 
have  lost  money  they  neglect  their  tracks.  I  don't  say  that  they  do 
it  in  a  criminal  way.  but  they  do  less  work  on  their  tracks:  they  do 
not  employ  so  many  section  hands. 

But  when  the  farmer  plants  his  crop  he  has  got  to  see  it  through 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  and  he  has  only  one  turnover  a  year. 
And  yet  the  direct  result  of  what  is  aimed  at  in  this  bill  is  to  make 
this  farming  more  precarious  in  this  country  than  it  is  now,  and  to- 
day the  farmer  is  the  greatest  gambler  that  there  is  in  this  country. 

Senator  Steeling.  Perforce  i 

Mr.  Bennet.  Perforce  by  nature  of  his  profession.  And  then 
there  is  another  thing  that  they  seem  to  forget.  To  hear  the  average 
city  man  talk — it  amuses  me,  although  I  am  somewhat  of  a  city  man — 
you  would  think  that  any  galoot  from  Fifth  Avenue  could  go  out  on 
a  farm  and  make  a  go  of  it.  Why,  farming  is  a  business.  I  don't 
know  whether  any  of  you  gentlemen  are  farmers — I  am  not — but  if 
you  should  give  me  a  thousand-acre  faim  and  put  me  out  there  and 
make  me  plant  it.  I  couldn't  do  it,  could  I.  Senator? 

Senator  Sterlixg.  I  don't  know. 

The  Chairman.  Senator  Sterling  is  a  farmer. 

Mr.  Benxet.  It  is  a  business,  isn't  it  ? 

Senator  Sterling.  Oh,  yes :  it  is  a  business. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Of  course,  it  is  a  business.  Now.  if  this  effort  to  stop 
immigration  succeeds,  that  is  just  where  the  burden  is  going  to  come, 
because  the  factory  man  can  beat  it,  because  he  can  control  his 
product,  his  output,  and  the  farmer  can  not  control  his  product.  I 
j^idn't  mean  to  bring  that  rifrht  in  there,  but  it  is  just  a  plain,  ordi- 
nary, common  sense  conclusion,  if  a  man  will  take  the  trouble  to 
work  it  out. 

These  gentlemen  object  to  the  alien  going  to  the  cities.  Now,  I 
don't  agree  in  every  respect  with  every  one  of  them.  I  do  not  want 
the  average  alien,  who  does  not  know  anything  about  farming,  to  go 
directly  on  the  farms,  because  he  will  have  the  same  experience  that 
those  Hungarians  did  whom  they  induced  to  go  out  there  and  settle 
on  their  5.000  acres  of  land.  He  can  not  farm,  and  he  goes  back  to 
the  citv  a  discouraged  man.  and  less  good  is  done  than  if  he  hail  gone 
in  the  first  place  to  the  city  and  got  employment.  Avhere  he  could  have 
made  good,  made  a  moderate  financial  success  of  it. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  341 

Senator  Steeling.  But  if  they  could  go,  Mr.  Bennet,  not  to  operate 
farms,  but  to  work  on  the  farms,  they  might  help  solve  the  problem 
in  the  South,  to  Avhich  you  alluded  a  while  ago.  That  would  help 
solve  the  situation  out  in  South  Dakota,  for  example. 

Mr.  Benxet.  You  can  not  get  it.  and  I  will  tell  you  why,  Senator : 
The  farmer  gets  the  last  whack  at  the  labor  in  this  country,  because 
on  account  of  his  economic  situation  he  must,  perforce,  pay  the  lowest 
wage.  It  comes  down  to  the  question  of  supply  and  demand,  when 
3'ou  get  right  down  to  it.  and  if  the  farmer  in  this  country  is  going 
to  have  enough  labor  to  work  his  farm  economically,  so  that  he  can 
produce  his  crop  so  that  we  can  buy  our  food  in  the  cities  at  the  prices 
that  we  ought  to  pay — and  I  am  not  objecting  to  the  high  prices  for 
the  farm  products — then  we  must  have  an  abundant  supph'  of  labor 
in  this  country. 

Xow,  with  the  slowing  down  of  industry — although  it  is  not  slow- 
ing down  everywhere — the  stream  has  started  back  to  the  farm  from 
tlie  factory,  and  practically  tht^  only  noticeable  purpose  that  this 
Johnson  bill  would  have  wouhl  be  to  stop  that  stream,  because  it 
would  serve  notice,  plain  notice,  on  the  factories,  that  they  could  not 
expect  anything  from  the  commoi^  labor  of  Europe,  whence  they  have 
been  getting  common  labor  for  a  century,  and  that  tliey  must  depend 
on  the  supply  that  is  here.  The  men  at  the  head  of  factories  have 
the  necessary  brains  to  see  that  they  would  ha\'e  to  keep  their  people, 
and  they  would  keep  them,  and  add  the  increased  cost  to  the  cost  of 
tlie  product,  and  the  farmer  would  suffer  as  the  result,  in  addition 
to  the  consumer,  who  w^ould  pay  the  increased  cost. 

Senator  Steeling.  Let  me  ask  you :  Who  has  ever  heard  of  the 
Italians,  who  come  here  to  work  in  our  industries  or  on  our  railroads, 
if  there  is  no  need  of  their  employment  there,  goine:  to  the  farm  to 
work?  Or  of  the  Rumanians,  or  South  Russians,  for  example — un- 
less, indeed,  those  from  South  Russia  are  farmers  themselves — who 
ever  hears  of  their  going  to  the  farm?  It  makes  no  difference  what 
happens,  they  may  be  thrown  out  of  employment  in  the  city,  but  they 
do  not  seek  employment  on  the  farms. 

Mr.  Bennet.  But  when  the  Clarion  Steam  Shovel  Co.  opens  its 
night  shift  this  week  every  place  that  is  not  filled  by  a  Rumanian  or 
a  Lithuanian  or  a  Russian  or  a  Slovak  or  a  Czech  or  a  Croat  is  filled 
by  a  farmer  boy  from  the  farm.  In  other  words,  if  we  do  not  let 
the  Marion  Steam  Shovel  Co.  take  the  Rumanians,  etc..  for  their  fac- 
tory, they  will  outbid  you  and  they  will  take  more  of  your  farmer 
boys  in  the  Dakotas.    Xow,  that  is  history. 

Senator  Sterling.  "We  might  keep  the  farmer  boys  on  the  farm, 
and  still  there  will  be  need  for  more  farm  labor. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes;  there  will  still  be  need.  But  if  you  pass  this 
Johnson  bill,  you  will  shut  off  the  only  supply  of  labor  that  we  have 
in  this  country. 

Senator  Steeling.  I  agree  with  you.  but  the  problem  is  to  induce 
these  people  to  come  out  to  the  farm.  Xow.  you  take  these  people 
who  can  not  get  employment  in  the  great  industries,  the  problem  is 
to  induce  them  to  come  out  on  the  farm. 

Mr.  Bennet.  All  right :  I  might  just  as  well  come  to  that  right 
now.  That  is  an  interesting  thing.  When  our  commission  reported. 
Senator  Dillingham,  one  of  the  things  that  we  unanimously  reported 


342  EMERGENCY   IMMIGP.ATIOX    LEGISLATION. 

•was  that  there  ou<iht  to  be  cooperation  between  the  Federal  (iovern- 
ment  and  the  States  in  connection  with  this  matter,  and  in  the  Dil- 
lin^rham  bill  of  1907  there  was  the  vermiform  appendix,  at  least,  of 
a  process. 

Senator  Dillingham.  We  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  to  work  out  a 
scheme. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes. 

Senator  Dillingham.  It  was  murdered,  to  some  extent,  in  Con- 
gress, but  the  nucleus  of  it  ^ras  left  in  the  law. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes :  and  it  is  there  vet.  Now.  Xew  York  has  a  plan, 
which  is  operated  through  the  State  department  of  agriculture,  by 
which  a  farmer  in  Schoharie  County  who  Avants  farm  laborers  can 
send  a  check  to  the  secretary  of  agriculture  and  ask  him  to  send  a 
man  or  men  up  to  him  on  the  farm,  such  men  as  want  to  go  to  the 
farm,  and  the  State  agent,  who  used  to  be  at  23  Park  Row — I  don't 
know  where  he  is  now — makes  an  inquiry,  and  if  he  finds  such  men, 
and  in  times  when  the  economic  situation  will  permit,  who  want  to 
go  up  to  Schoharie  County  as  farm  laborers,  he  buys  them  a  ticket 
and  sends  them  up.  Xow.  that  ought  to  be  a  universal  practice. 
There  ought  to  be  a  central  FederaJ  bureau,  based  on  your  old  plan^ 
Senator,  which  you  said  was  subsequently  mangled  and  has  not 
functioned  very  much.  There  ought  to  be  with  it  this  State  coopera- 
tion all  over  the  countiy.  That  is  the  big  problem.  There  is  some- 
thing constructive  about  that. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Without  something  of  that  kind  the  prob- 
lem seems  to  be  a  hopeless  one.  The  immigration  which  we  see  moves 
so  much  in  racial  groups  and  stays  in  racial  groups  that  without  the 
active  cooperation  of  the  State  and  the  National  Governments  that 
propensity  can  not  be  broken.    I  am  satisfied  of  that  now. 

I  recall,  for  instance,  that  during  the  great  strike  in  ^lassachu- 
setts.  at  Lawrence,  men  were  out  of  employment  there  for  weeks,  and 
for  months,  and  were  poverty  stricken.  A  friend  of  mine,  who  had 
work  of  a  constructive  nature  in  Vermont,  went  down  there  and 
offered  some  of  these  men  three  times  their  ordinary  wage  to  come 
up  there  and  work  for  him.  offering  them  good  quarters.  But  they 
would  not  go  up  there.  They  would  rather  stay  with  their  own  and 
starve,  rather  than  to  go  up  and  work  there  for  him. 

Mr.  Bennet.  And  yet  in  Connecticut  and  New  York,  especially 
southwestern  New  York,  they  have  started  very  satisfactory  fariri- 
ing  communities  of  Poles  and  Italians,  people  of  that  kind. 

I  motored  this  summer  up  through  Wisconsin,  northwest  of  Wau- 
sau.  for  one-half  a  day  through  what  looked  to  me  to  be  as  good 
farming  country  as  any,  and  I  looked  at  the  names  on  the  rural  free- 
delivery  boxes,  and  saw  that  almost  every  name  ended  in  "ski." 
There  were  more  Poles  than  any  other  nationality  in  that  section. 
And  why  not  ?  Poland  is  an  agricultural  country,  it  is  a  wheat-rais- 
ing country. 

When  I  was  in  Russia,  in  Warsaw,  in  1007,  they  had  a  very  curi- 
ous-economic situation.  The  Germans  were  paving  a  higher  price 
for  harvesting  than  the  Poles  could,  because  the  Pole  had  to  combat 
with  the  Russian  over  to  the  east,  the  Mujik.  and  the  Polish  farm 
laborers  were  going  over  to  Germany  for  the  harvest,  and  they  took 
up  with  me  the  question  as  to  whether  they  would  not  be  justified 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  343 

in  bringing  over  Chinamen  over  the  Transsiberian  Kaihvay  to  har- 
vest the  wheat  crop  in  I'oland. 

Kural  Pohmd  reminds  more  of  Xebraska  than  any  other  part  of 
the  country.  It  is  a  little  bit  more  wooded  than  Nebraska,  but  they 
are  trained  to  do  farm  work  from  their  youth  up  in  that  country, 
and  Avith  a  system  of  Federal  and  State  bureaus  there  isn't  any  rea- 
son at  all  why  Ave  couldn't  get  some  of  these  people  out  on  the  farms. 
It  might  take  four  or  five  years  to  get  them  going,  but  what  is  that 
in  the  development  of  a  country.  There  is  no  reason  wh}'  j^ou  should 
not  start  among  those  who  are  here  and  can  speak  English,  and  whc- 
have  a  little  bit  more  independence  of  movement  than  the  new  man 
coming  in. 

Xow,  the  trouble  with  the  new  man  is  this:  First,  he  has  got  to 
have  immediate  emploj^ment  at  a  remuneratiA^e  Avage  so  as  to  sup- 
port his  family,  and  he  can  get  that  in  the  factory  toAvn.  In  the 
next  place  he  knows — and  I  do  not  say  this  in  discouragement  of 
the  country  at  all — that  at  the  immediate  moment  of  his  start  in 
this  country  he  and  his  family  are  better  looked  after  in  the 
cities  than  they  are  in  the  country.  The  sanitary  arrangements  in 
the  cities  are  better  than  they  are  in  the  country.  There  is  nobody 
to  guard  his  drinking  water  out  in  the  country.  In  cities  like  New 
York  and  Chicago  they  have  spent  hundreds  of  millions  of  dollars 
on  the  developments  of  their  Avater  systems,  so  the  alien  when  he 
lives  in  the  city  has  pure  Avater.  Of  course,  that  applies  to  the  per- 
manent resident  of  the  cities,  too.  In  my  adopted  city  of  Chicago 
they  have  gone  so  far  as  to  put  chlorine  in  the  Avater  to  kill  the 
colon  bacillus  and  they  A^ary  the  amount  of  chlorine  they  put  in  the 
Avater  in  accordance  Avith  the  need  for  safeguarding  the  health  of 
the  city. 

NoAv,  the  result  is  that  the  death  rate  of  the  two  cities  of  Ncav  York 
and  Chicago  is  loAver  ]3er  thousand  than  any  State  in  the  Union, 
taking  any  State  by  and  large. 

In  addition  to  that,  the  children  get  better  treatment  in  the  schools, 
because  in  those  cities  they  have  been  used  for  generations  to  the 
foreign  born  in  the  schools.  There  is  no  prejudice  against  them. 
The  fact  that  they  are  Catholic  or  Jew  does  not  hurt  any.  as  it  does 
in  some  rural  communities  North,  East.  South,  and  West.  We  might 
as  Avell  l)e  frank  about  that. 

Besides  tliat,  in  the  cities  the  health  of  the  children  is  better  looked 
after.  Eyei-y  month  when  my  children  were  in  the  public  schools 
in  New  York  City  along  with  the  foreign  born  they  were  inspected 
by  a  nurse  hired  by  the  city  and  by  a  physician  hired  by  the  city, 
and  if  anything  Avas  Avrong  Avith  them  we  were  notified.  I  think  at 
one  time  Ave  did  get  a  notice  that  our  youngest  daughter  ought  to  be 
sent  to  the  dentist;  that  she  liad  a  tooth  that  required  to  be  filled; 
and  Ave  did  not  knoAv  of  it.  Noav,  all  that  has  been  done  for  them  in 
the  cities. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  there  is  a  reason  for  that  inspection  that 
does  not  exist  in  the  country. 

Mr.  Bennet.  I  doubt  that. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  isn't  there  more  reason  for  that  because 
there  is  more  liability  of  contagion,  infectious  diseases,  etc..  in  the 
city,  Avhere  great  numbers  congregate,  than  there  is  in  the  country? 


344  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LE(;iSLATl()N. 

Mr.  Bexnet.  Well,  the  Public  Health  Service  fij^ures  do  not  quite 
hear  that  out.  There  is,  of  course,  reason  for  it,  but  if  he  is  tliere  he 
knows  that  he  is  protected  and  cared  for  at  the  time  when  he  himself 
would  not  be  able  to  care  for  himself,  his  wife,  and  his  family. 

The  Chairman.  ^Ir.  Bennet,  have  you  any  special  testimony  that 
you  desire  to  give  as  representing  any  particular  interest  ? 

Mr.  Bennet.  No,  sir;  I  am  here  entirely  for  myself.  The  indus- 
try with  which  I  am  connected,  the  lumber  industrj',  is  not  in  any 
great  distress.  We  are  in  the  factory  class,  and  we  take  pot  luck 
with  the  rest  of  the  factories. 

The  Chairman.  I  was  going  to  say  we  will  sit  a  little  longer  this 
afternoon,  but  to-morrow  morning  we  have  some  witnesses  specially 
assigned. 

Mr.  Bennet.  I  can  close  with  what  I  have  to  say,  Mr.  Chairman, 
in  10  minutes. 

The  Chairman.  Don't  limit  yourself  to  10  minutes  if  you  wish 
longer  time. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Well.  I  think  I  can  do  that. 

The  Chairman.  We  have  been  very  much  interested  in  your  testi- 
mony. Mr.  Bennet. 

Mr.  Bennet.  I  would  like  to  take  up  this  question  of  congestion, 
alleged  congestion. 

The  Chairman.  Coming  down  to  the  Johnson  bill  now — the  sub- 
ject of  alleged  congestion. 

Mr.  Bennet.  The  alleged  congestion.  I  want  to  give  some  figures. 
Ours  is  far  from  being  a  congested  country.  I  saw  the  statement  in 
a  recent  issue  of  Leslie's  in  connection  with  the  first  immigration  of 
some  Italians  to  this  country,  that  we  could  put  the  entire  popula- 
tion of  Italy,  estimating  it  at  35.000,000.  in  the  single  State  of 
Texas,  in  addition  to  the  present  population  of  that  State.  And  add 
to  that  total  the  entire  population  of  France,  stated  as  40.000.0tX). 
and  that  then  the  State  of  Texas  would  not  be  as  thickly  populated 
as  Italy  is  at  the  present  time.    I  think  those  figures  are  correct. 

I  have,  however,  made  a  few  figures  of  my  own.  The  present  pop- 
ulation of  the  United  States  is  105,708,771.  If  we  were  as  densely 
populated  as  France  we  would  have  a  population  of  573.960,770. 
And  mind  you,  France  had  so  much  of  forests  and  everything  of 
that  sort  that  her  forests  alone  were  able  to  bear  the  demands  of  a 
4-year  war;  so  France  is  not  entirely  covered  with  people,  and  it  is 
a  very  extensive  agricultural  country.  But.  as  I  say.  if  we  were  as 
densely  populated  as  France  we  would  have  a  popuhition  of  573.- 
960.770.  At  our  present  rate  of  increase  of  population,  it  would  be 
nearly  400  years  before  we  arrived  at  the  state  of  population  which 
exists  in  France.    So.  we  won't  be  swamped  in  1921. 

Germany  also  has  a  large  agrarian  population.  And  it  has  the 
Black  Forest.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  forest  system  of  Germany  is 
held  up.  and,  I  think,  correctly,  to  us  as  as  a  model — especially  to 
those  of  us  who  are  in  the  lumber  business — as  to  the  method  of  for- 
estry. Xow.  if  the  United  States  to-day  had  as  large  a  population, 
proportionately,  ns  has  Germany,  it  would  have  924.>«99.790  inha])i- 
tants.  In  other  words,  we  could  continue  at  our  present  rate  of 
growth  over  700  years  before  there  would  be  as  many  of  us  to  the 
square  mile  as  there  are  in  Germany. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  345 

The  United  Kinojdom  occupies  a  unique  place  in  contemporary 
histor}'.  We  are  all  the  while  reading  of  the  people  that  r^o  to  the 
Scottish  hills  or  the  English  country,  and,  up  to  the  last  year  or  two, 
to  the  Irish  lakes  for  their  vacations,  and  most  of  us  have  seen  some- 
thing of  the  agriculture  of  England.  Xow.  if  the  United  States  were 
as  thickly  settled  as  the  United  Kingdom  we  would  have  a  popula- 
tion of  1,112.234,800.  In  other  words,  we  would  have  to  continue  at 
our  present  rate  of  growth  nearly  900  years  before  we  would  have 
as  many  people,  proportionately,  in  this  country  as  has  the  United 
Kingdom. 

I  took  the  unfair  advantage  of  looking  up  a  couple  of  the  States 
represented  on  this  committee ;  very  good  States — New  Jersej'  and 
Rhode  Island.  There  is  a  lot  of  room  in  Xew  Jersey ;  I  know  some- 
thing about  that.  I  know  the  northern  part  of  the  State;  not  the 
southern.  If  the  United  States  were  populated  on  the  same  scale 
as  Xew  Jersey,  we  would  have  a  total  population  of  1,249.023.800. 
In  other  words,  this  country  could  continue  to  grow  at  its  present 
rate  a  thousand  years  before  reaching  the  state  of  congestion  in  which 
the  Xew  Jersey  man  is  contented  and  prosperous.  Rhode  Island 
is  one  of  our  progressive  and  independent  States.  It  is  not  denuded 
from  either  a  forestry  or  an  agricultural  standpoint.  There  is  more 
white-pine  acreage  in  Rhode  Island  to-day  than  there  was  when  the 
Pilgrim  Fathere  landed,  and  it  is  significant  to  note  that  there  is 
room  in  Rhode  Island  to  cultivate  white-pine  trees,  a  slow  but  a 
profitable  crop. 

Senator  Sterling.  They  are  great  conservationists? 

;Mr.  Bennet.  Yes,  sir:  they  are.  The  timber  conservation  in  the 
United  States  is  being  done  in  Xew  Hampshire.  Maine.  Massachu- 
setts, eastern  Xew  York,  and  Rhode  Island,  and  done  profitably. 

If  the  rest  of  the  country  were  as  thickly  populated  as  Rhode 
Island,  we  would  have  a  total  population  in  the  United  States  of 
1,747.021,740.  Our  country  could  continue  to  grow  at  its  present 
rate  for  nearly  1,500  years  before  we  vrould  reach  the  point  at  which 
Rhode  Island  now  is. 

What  is  the  use  of  saying  that  we  are  a  congested  country  in  the 
face  of  facts  like  those  ? 

I  have  got  one  or  two  figures  here  about  the  agricultural  lands  that 
remain,  and  then  I  will  thank  the  chairman  for  his  consideration. 
But  first  I  just  want  to  say  one  word  about  a  feature  of  this  Johnson 
bill  that  is  simply  humorous,  and  that  is  section  4.  This  provides 
for  alleged  absolute  prohibition  for  one  year,  and  then  under  section 
4  it  provides  this  : 

A  citizen  of  the  United  States  21  .v«'iirs  of  ase  or  over  who  is  a  resident  of 
the  United  States  may,  iinder  re2:ul:itions  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  Labor, 
apjily  to  him  for  permission  to  brine  into  the  United  States  or  send  for  an 
otlierwise  admissible  wife,  parent,  irrandparent,  unmarried  .son  under  21  years 
of  ape.  unmarried  or  widowed  daujrliter,  grandson  under  16  years  of  age  whose 
father  is  dead — 

And  the  House  added: 

brother  or  sister  or  unmari^ied  or  widowed  granddaughter  whose  father  is 
dead,  and  any  alien  who  has  declared  in  the  manner  iirovided  by  law  his  inten- 
tion to  become  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  and  who  is  a  resident  of  the 
United  Stat-es  may  make  like  application  in  reference  to  an  otherwise  ad- 
missible husband  or  wife,  ininiarricd  son  under  twenty-one  years  of  age,  or 
unmarried  or  widowed  daughter :  but  no  application  uiay  be  made  under  this 
paragraph  in  the  case  of  any  relative  by  adoption. 


346  KMEUOEXCV    IM.MHiKATloX    LKCISLATIOX. 

Tn  otlier  Avords.  if  yon  pass  tlie  Johnson  hill,  every  alion  who  is  in 
this  country,  every  person  Avho  can  be  -ome  naturalized,  and  every 
alien  who  has  not  become  naturalized  who  can  file  his  declaration  of 
intention — and  that  covers  everybody  except  the  Japanese  and  the 
Chinese — will  commence  immediately  to  send  for  his  dependents,  and' 
the  result  will  be  that  in  this  year  you  will  jret  into  this  country  about 
as  many  ])eople  as  you  would  otherwise.  The  only  difference  is  that 
you  would  not  iret  any  laborers  f)f  the  ordinary  kind :  you  would 
simply  jjet  dependents. 

Now.  we  did  the  same  fool  trick  that  these  railroad  men  did  up  in 
our  Virsrinia-Kainey  Lake  Co..  and  about  at  the  same  time:  that  is^ 
we  sent  down  two  representatives  to  Ellis  IsLand.  I  was  not  con- 
sulted. 1  am  frank  to  say,  but  we  sent  down  two  good  men  to  Ellis 
Island  in  October  and  tried  to  get  labor.  It  was  simply  a  vacation 
for  two  estimable  and  worthy  gentlemen  who  were  entitled  to  it  for 
long  service.  You  can  not  get  anything  down  there,  and  they  told 
us.  I  suppose,  the  same  thing  that  they  told  these  railroad  people — 
that  most  of  the  people  that  were  coming  in  at  that  time  were  de- 
pendents of  people  who  were  already  here. 

Senator  Sterling.  When  was  that.  Mr.  Bennet? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  October. 

Senator  Sterlix'G.  This  last  year? 

Mr.  Bex'Xet.  Yes.  sir.  I  gave  them  letters  of  introduction  when 
they  got  to  Chicago  and  told  them  that  tliey  would  just  have  a  useless 
trip :  that  I  wanted  them  to  see  Xew  York :  tliat  I  was  proud  of  the 
place.  They  went  over  to  Ellis  Island  and  presented  my  letters  and 
the  man  in  charge  laughed  at  them.  "Why."'  he  said.  "I  have  got 
'25  places  here  in  my  own  establishment  that  I  have  been  trying  to  get 
filled  now  for  three  months,  and  I  can  not  get  anybody  to  fill  them."" 

The  CHAiR:krAX.  Couldn't  get  anybody? 

^fr.  Bexx'^et.  Couldn't  iiet  anybody.  The  immigrant  knows  where 
he  is  going,  and  everything  of  that  sort.  And  your  only  solution  of 
the  pi-oblem.  in  the  long  run.  is  an  intelligently^  carefully,  conscien- 
tiously worked-out  scheme  of  distribution,  without  racial  or  religious 
prejudice. 

Senator  Dillix'gham.  Isn't  it  true.  ^Ir.  Bennet.  that  substantially 
every  immigrant  that  comes  to  this  country  knows  just  where  he  is 
going  ? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Why,  yes ;  practically  every  one. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  And  you  can  not  change  his  purpose  at  Ellis 
Island? 

Mr.  Bennet.  No,  sir:  you  can  not  change  his  purpose  after  he 
starts. 

Senator  Sterling,  flight  not  his  purpose  be  changed  abroad, 
before  he  leaves  for  this  country  ? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Well.  now.  let  us  see:  You  would  need  to  do  it  by 
some  form  of  propaganda,  wouldn't  you.  Senator? 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Well.  I  don't  know  whether  you  would  call  it 
propaganda  or  not :  by  agents  over  there,  anyhow.  American  agents 
representing  the  Government.  I  can  not  figure  it  out  exactly,  how  it 
might  be  done  to  do  it  effectively. 

Mr.  Bexxet.  The}-  would  have  to  represent  the  General  Gov- 
ernment, wouldn't  thev?    You  would  not  want  a  system  under  Avhich-. 


E.MERGKXCY    I.MMIGllATIOX    LEGI.SLATIO^■ .  347 

•each  of  the  48  States  avouIcI  send  a  competing  agent  over  there,  would 
you? 

Senator  Sterling.  No,  sir:  I  would  hardly  want  each  of  them  to 
send  an  agent  abroad. 

^Ir.  Bexnet.  Xo,  sir.  Well,  now.  the  State  of  South  Carolina, 
curiously  enough,  tried  out  the  only  recent  experiment  of  that  kind 
of  Avhich  I  have  any  knowledge,  and  tried  it  out  rather  well,  don't 
you  think,  Senator? 

Senator  DiLLiXGHA:\r.  Yes. 

Mr.  Bennet.  They  did  that  in  1905  or  1906.  They  sent  an  intelli- 
gent man,  a  very  good  man,  ^Nlr.  "Watson,  over  to  Belgium  and  Ger- 
many, and  around  through  there — the  so-called  desirable  sections — 
and  he  got  people  together  (lie* being  a  State  agent),  and  he  char- 
tered a  ship  and  brought  nearly  400  people  to  South  Carolina,  and 
they  landed  at  Charleston,  and  they  had  a  public  holiday  on  account 
of  this  new  departure.  But  in  less  than  one  year  less  than  (»0  of 
tho.-^e  people  remained  in  South  Carolina. 

Senator  DiLLiXGHA:\r.  Those  were  for  the  cotton  mills,  weren't 
the}^  ? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes:  those  people  were  brought  over  for  the  cotton 
mills.  But  in  less  than  a  year,  as  I  say,  there  were  fewer  than  60  of 
those  men  and  women  remaining  in  South  Carolina,  because  they 
found  out  that  they  could  get  higher  wages  in  the  Xorth,  and  nat- 
urally came  there,  where  they  could  get  higher  wages. 

There  is  the  trouble.  You  can  not  get  away  from  the  economic 
<|uestion.     You  never  can  get  away  from  that. 

Xow.  here  is  what  you  would  have  to  do  if  you  wanted  to  educate 
them  abroad:  First,  you  would  have  to  get  a  series  of  treaties  with 
the  (iovernments  where  you  wanted  to  go  and  do  this,  permitting  you 
to  do  this.  You  might  not  now  have  so  much  difficulty:  since  the  war 
conditions  there  may  be  more  free  and  liberal  on  that  subject.  Be- 
fore the  war  we  could  not  do  in  any  country  in  Europe  what  Canada 
does  in  our  country.  Canada  maintains  at  every  railroad  station  on 
every  Canadian  railroad  in  the  north  and  central  west,  and  very 
possibly  in  your  State,  agents  to  depict  to  Americans  the  conditions 
in  Canada,  the  advantages  of  the  land  there,  and  advantages  of  every 
sort  that  they  can  shoAv.  and  they  are  taking  people  out  of  here  by 
the  thousands,  aren't  they,  Mr.  Hunter? 

Mr.  Hunter.  Yes;  they  are. 

]\rr.  Bennet.  Certainly.  But  that  is  because  our  la  ays  permit  it. 
But  you  can  not  do  that  abroad,  under  the  laAvs  of  European  coun- 
tries. Before  you  could  do  that  you  Avould  haA-e  to  change  those 
laAAS.  And  here  is  what  you  Avould  haA'e  to  do :  You  Avould  have  to 
advocate  the  United  States  generally;  in  other  words,  a  GoA-ernment 
agent  could  not  go  abroad  and  say.  what  I  don't  doubt  that  you 
would  say  with  conviction  and  honesty,  that  the  best  place  for  a 
man  to  go  would  be  North  Dakota. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  you  aaouKI  haA-e  the  GoAernment  repre- 
sentative, agent,  or  inspector,  or  AvhateA-er  you  might  call  him, 
abroad.  Noav,  there  would  need  to  be  cooperation  betAveen  the  sev- 
eral States  and  the  GoA-ernment  generally,  so  that  the  agent  abroad 
would  knoAA'  the  needs  of  the  Aarious  States  of  the  T'nited  States. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Xoav.  on  that  point.  ]\[r.  Bennet.  North 
Dakota  wants  bona  fide  immigrants  aaIio  Avill  come  there  and  pur- 


348  EMERGEXCV    I.M.MIGnATI():N'    I.ij.  ISi,All(K\. 

chase  land  and  l)econie  citizens.  What  is  to  prevent  North  Dakota 
malcinjr  her  wants  known  in  the  Scandinavian  countries? 

Mr.  Benxet.  She  lias  the  riirht.  under  the  existinir  statutes,  to  send 
a  State  a*rent  over  and  make  those  wants  known.  That  is  tlie  law — 
always  has  had  that  ri^rht.     That  is  the  one  exception  in  the  law. 

Senator  DiLLiNGHA>r.  That  recofrnizes  the  sovereignty  of  the 
States. 

Senator  STiatLiNG.  Are  you  sure  that  under  tlie  present  immigra- 
tion law  that  is  true  i 

Mr.  Benxet,  Yes.  sir. 

Senator  Steketxg.  That  the  State  may  send  its  agent  abroad? 

]S[r.  Bexxet.  Yes. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  The  State  may  send  an  agent  to  Ellis  Island. 

yir.  Bex'xet.  Yes,  sir.  Mr.  Husband  says  that  Senator  Dilling- 
ham and  I  are  wrong:  that  that  was  repealed  in  1917. 

Senator  Steelix'g.  Section  30  of  the  immigration  law. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  But  that  was  permitted  under  the  old  lav>'? 

Mr.  Bex'xet.  Yes;  and  it  ought  not  to  Iiave  been  repealed,  but  it 
was.  But.  Senator,  supposing  that  you  send  a  man  to  Scandinavia, 
a  Government  representative,  and  I  was  a  Scandinavian,  as  hard- 
headed  as  most  Scandinavians  are  reputed  to  be.  do  you  tlnnk  that 
vrithout  inspection  or  anything  I  woidd  buy  from  a  Government 
agent  in  Scandinavia  a  farm  in  Xorth  Dakota  ? 

Senator  Steklix'g.  Oh.  no ;  my  idea  did  not  contemplate  anything 
of  that  tvpe,  or  go  so  far  as  that,  at  all.  But  if  there  were  a  rep- 
resencative  of  the  Government  there,  he  would  he  able  to  say  whether 
in  South  Dakota,  for  example,  there  are  op]:»ortunities  for  men  to 
purchase  farms,  or  opportunities  for  farm  laborers,  etc.  He  would 
get  that  information  from  this  country,  and  then  he  would  be  able 
to  give  it  over  there. 

Mr.  Bexx'et.  Oh,  I  am  in  sympathy  with  that  absolutely.  But, 
of  course,  in  that  case  you  would  have  to  send  abroad  a  pretty — 
what  shall  I  say — a  pretty  broad-minded  man.  who  would  be  able 
to  disassociate  himself  from  the  needs  of  his  particular  locality, 
Xow,  these  railroad  men  are  very  high-class  citizens,  and  yet  it  was 
not  until  the  chairman  called  their  attention  to  the  fact  that  Bliode 
Island  mio-ht  need  men  in  her  factories  that  they  saw  the  whole  of 
the  situation.  They  have  got  to  recognize  this  fact,  that  our  coimtry 
is  a  large  country,  and  Avhat  affects  one  part  affects  other  parts  of 
the  countrj'. 

The  Chairmax.  ^Vlr.  Bennet.  the  suspension  of  immigration  called 
for  by  the  Johnson  bill  receives  considerable  support,  I  think,  from 
the  statements  that  are  found  in  the  public  press  as  to  the  numbers 
of  immigrants  that  now  propose  to  come  to  this  country  from  va- 
rious countries.  That  condition  arises  by  reason  of  the  situation 
created  by  the  war.  Xow,  I  am  aroing  to  ask  you  this  question: 
Supposing  I  should  accept  those  statements,  and  should  say,  "I  am 
in  favor  of  the  suspension  of  immigration,  because  I  understand  that 
there  are  millions  of  European  nationals  who  desire  to  come  to  this 
country,  from  Italy,  from  Rumania,  from  Jugo-Slavia,  Czecho- 
slovakia, and  from  Poland:  that  there  is  evidence  of  men  who  have 
been  there  in  those  countries  who  come  back  with  the  report  that 


k:»[eiigency  immtgkatiox  legislatiox.  349 

there  are  millions  preparino;  to  come  to  this  country,  and  that  when 
wo  hnvQ  a  state  of  technical  peace  between  Germany  and  the  United 
States,  and  between  Austria  and  Hungary  and  the  United  States, 
there  will  be  added  to  the  millions  who  are  already  desirous  of  com- 
ing more  millions,  so  that  the  condition  of  the  world  is  such  that 
provided  they  can  obtain  transportation  this  country  in  a  given  year 
would  be  flooded  with  millions  of  immiofrants." 

Xow,  have  you  any  reply  to  make  to  those  «reneral  statements, 
which,  to  my  mind,  have  caused  a  good  deal  of  apprehension  in  the 
general  public  mind  ? 

'S\t.  Bennet.  Why.  yes;  there  are  a  whole  lot  of  answers.  In  the 
first  place.  I  don't  doubt  at  all  that  there  are  millions  in  those  coun- 
tries that  are  very  desirous  of  coming  to  America.  But  there  are 
a  irreat  many  considerations.  The  first  and  foremost  consideration 
is  that,  desirous  as  they  may  be.  they  have  not  the  price.  That  is 
almost  an  insuperable  thing. 

The  Chatrmax.  They  have  not  what? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  They  haven't  the  money,  so  they  could  not  come. 
In  the  second  place,  a  great  many  of  those  millions  that  want  to  come 
Mould  be  ])hysically  and  mentally  disqualified  by  an  examination. 

In  the  third  place,  in  1910.  T  think  it  was.  with  the  German  lines 
running  at  full  capacity,  and  with  the  French  lines  running  at  full 
capacity,  with  the  English  lines  running  at  full  capacity,  with  the 
Dutch  lines  running  at  full  capacity,  and  with  the  American  lines 
running  at  full  capacity,  the  total  amount  of  immigrants  that  they 
could  bring  to  this  country  was  1.200,000. 

Xow.  we  all  know — it  is  a  matter  of  common  knowledge — that 
I'-reat  numbers  of  those  pas-enger  ships  were  sunk  or  disabled  in  one 
way  or  another,  so  that  there  is  not  the  passenger  carriage  to  bring 
them.  And  in  the  next  place.  Senator,  and  above  all,  you  never  can 
ilisassociate  immigration  from  the  economic  question.  Xow,  an  im- 
miorant  may  desire  to  come  to  the  United  States  to-day:  there  may 
come  to  his  little  village  to-morrow  a  letter  from  some  former  resi- 
dent of  his  country  there,  in  which  he  is  informed  that  industry  in 
the  Ignited  States  has  closed  down,  and  there  are  people  out  of  em- 
ployment ;  that  stops  the  so-called  floods. 

You  called  attention  yourself  yesterday.  Senator,  to  the  fact — and 
it  is  a  fact — that  every  period  of  hard^  times  in  this  country  has 
been  followed  by  cessation  of  immigration,  and  what  has  happened 
before  will  continue  to  happen.  "We  naver  have  been  in  danger  of 
a  flood.  When  those  immigrants  came,  they  were  absorbed  into  in- 
dustry, and  wentiout  to  farms. 

Xow,  the  latest  available  figures  that  we  have  in  relation  to  the 
alien  on  the  farm — or  the  latest  figures  that  I  have,  at  least — are 
1900.  and  at  that  time  21  per  cent  of  foreign  born  in  the  United  States 
were  either  farmers  or  farm  laborers,  so  that  they  go  everywhere  and 
they  are  needed. 

As  I  show  from  these  figures,  we  are  an  undeveloped  country. 

So,  in  the  first  place,  the  flood  can  not  come.  In  the  second  ]->lace, 
the  flood  won't  come.  And  in  the  third  place,  if  the  flood  came  it 
would  come  in  response  to  an  economic  demand  and  go  where  it  was 
desired. 


350  EMEKGEXtJY    IM.MU;UAT10.\    LEGlSLATiUX. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  now,  let  me  ask  you :  These  war  conditions 
have  existed  since  the  aimistiee — for  more  than  two  years? 

Mr.  Bennet.  Yes,  sir. 

The  CiiAiRMAX.  If  this  supposed  flood  were  a  fact,  wouldn't  it  have 
been  reflected  in  a  marked  increase  in  immigration,  especially  during 
the  last  3'ear? 

^Ir.  Bexxet.  Why,  certainly,  Senator. 

The  CiiAiioiAX.  Now.  that  is  the  basic  fact.  Let  me  ask  you  this : 
Isn't  it  true,  or  a  matter  of  demonstration,  that  as  soon  as  there  is 
a  period  of  unemployment  in  this  count i-y  it  is  immediately  reflected 
in  the  diminished  number  of  immigrants? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Yes. 

The  Chairmax.  The  flood  of  immigrants  follows  our  prosperity, 
and  in  time  of  business  reaction  the  flood  ceases. 

yiv.  Bexxet.  Xot  only  ceases,  but  it  sets  in  the  other  way. 

The  Chairmax'.  Well,  that  is  a  cross  current. 

Mr.  Bex'xet.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairmax.  Let  me  ask  3'ou  this:  They  have  set  up  in  Europe 
various  new  countries.  Is  there  or  is  there  not  a  disposition  on  the 
part  of  those  countries,  the  suppressed  nationalities  having  obtained 
freedom  and  independence,  a  tendency  to  check  immigration?  Isn't 
there  a  cross  current  tending  to  check  immigration  in  the  effort 
of  those  countries  to  retain  their  own  nationals  i 

Mr.  Bexxet.  In  every  one  of  those  coimtries. 

The  Chairmax.  Is  there  not  also  a  cross  current  to  the  actual 
increase  in  immigration,  in  the  fact  that  the  immigrants  here  and 
even  those  who  liaAe  been  naturalized  are  returning  to  their  Hative 
count  ly  ? 

Mr.  Benxet.  Certainly. 

The  Chairmax^.  I  notice  that  in  the  month  of  August,  I  think  it 
was — and  I  can  not  give  the  figures  accurately,  but  I  can  give  them 
substantially — that  whereas  3.000  Poles  came  to  the  United  States 
between  5,000  and  6.000  immigrants  went  home. 

Mr.  Bex'xet.  Polish  immigrants. 

The  Chairmax^  As  another  cross  current,  isn't  it  also  true  that 
Italv  and  Greece,  especially,  together  with  these  new  countries,  are 
looking  to  the  retention  of  their  own  nationals  and  discouraging 
emigration? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  Yes.  sir:  and  especialh'^  the  landed  proprietors  in 
Italy  have  for  years  attempted  to  prevent  emigration,  and  if  it  were 
not  for  the  provisions  of  the  Italian  constitution  I  think  they  would 
have  succeeded  in  getting  legislation  through  their  chamber  of  depu- 
ties. But  there  is  a  provision  in  the  Italian  constitution  preventing 
the  passage  of  any  such  law. 

The  Chairmax.  Well,  let  me  summarize  by  this:  Would  it  be  your 
opinion,  then,  that  the  current  of  immigration  for  the  next  year,  with 
these  cross  current  or  retarding  influences,  will  be  at  about  its  present  ) 
amount — that  is,  that  these  retarding  influences  would  tend  to  keep  » 
the  immigration  to  this  country  at  its  present  amount  or  standard  ? 

Mr.  Bexxet.  I  think  it  would  be  less.     I  think  it  would  be  less.       ^ 

The  Chairmax.  Don't  those  cross  currents  or  checks  upon  immi- 
gration ]:)resent  a  strong  argument  to  the  etTect  that  there  Avill  not  be, 
assuming  they  had  sufficient  transportation  facilities,  any  marked 
increase  in  immigration  during  the  next  six  or  eiglit  months? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   KEGISLATION.  351 

Mr.  Benket.  Certainly ;  unless  economic  conditions  here  improved 
tremendously.  There  will  not  only  not  be  an  increase  in  the  present 
rate  but  there  will  be  a  very  marked  decrease.  It  has  started  now, 
I  read  a  newspaper  clipping  concerning  that  into  the  record  at  a 
former  hearing. 

The  Chairman.  Looking  at  the  present  immigration  and  assiiming 
that  it  would  take  some  months  to  prepare  a  constructive  bill,  do  you 
see  any  danger  in  allowing  the  present  law  to  stand  until  some  con- 
structive improvement  upon  the  present  immigration  bill  could  be 
framed  ? 

Mr.  Bennet.  None  whatever. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  all. 

Mr.  Bennet.  And  I  think,  Mr.  Chairman,  if  you  will  permit  me, 
that  there  never  was  a  committee  that,  on  account  of  the  conditions 
and  the  present  situation  in  the  country,  had  the  opportunity  l^efore 
it  that  the  two  committees  of  the  two  Houses  have  to  take  up  this 
basic  question  on  distribution.  And  may  I  tell  you  why  ?  The  pre- 
ponderating i^olitical  influence  in  this  country  is  the  farmer,  and  in 
my  time,  at  least,  the  farmer  has  never  been  in  as  i)ad  an  economic 
condition  as  he  is  now,  and  never  faced  with  so  hard  a  situation. 
And  with  the  backing  of  that  public  sentiment — and,  after  all,  this 
Government  ought  to  be  representing  public  sentiment — you  have 
got  the  time  of  times  to  work  out  a  system  of  distribution  that  will 
be  the  one  thing  that  will  settle  this  immigration  question. 

Senator  Sterling.  Just  one  question  further,  that  was  suggested 
by  the  questions  asked  by  the  chairman.  Does  not  the  (juestion  of 
subsistence  in  densely  populated  countries  enter  into  this  question  ? 
The  question  of  the  laboi*  markets  in  those  countries,  and  the  question 
of  subsistence,  do  they  not  enter  into  the  question  as  an  inducement 
to  immigration  to  this  country,  and  are  they  not  also  an  inducement 
to  the  countries,  the  Governments  themselves,  to  encourage  emigra- 
tion? Take  it,  for  example,  in  Japan.  We  have  heard  a  great  deal 
about  Japan  and  how  Japan's  dense  population  is  seeking  an  outlet. 
We  have  also  heard  of  this  in  reference  to  (irermany:  that  Germany 
is  seeking  an  outlet  for  its  too  dense  a  population.  It  is  a  question 
of  subsistence  and  labor  markets,  is  it  not? 

Mr.  Bennett.  The  answer  to  that  is  that  the  Imperial  German 
Government,  until  it  was  overthrown,  maintained  laws  making  it  a 
felony  for  any  country  to  attempt  to  induce  its  nationals  to  leave- 
Germany. 

Senator  Sterling.  Tliat  may  be  true  in  reference  to  anyone  en- 
deavoring to  induce  the  nationals  of  Germany  to  leave  that  country, 
if  they  have  made  it  a  criminal  offense  for  anyone  to  try  to  induce 
them  to  leave,  but  still  tliat  German  Government  was  very  well  satis- 
fied with  its  nationals  in  America. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Well,  not  with  all  of  them.  ^lost  of  them  that  I 
know  Avell  came  over  here  as  fugitives  of  1845.  or  are  the  descendants 
of  those  fugitives. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Mr.  Bennet,  before  you  leave  the  stand,  and 
to  justify  yourself  and  myself  in  the  statement  we  made  regarding 
the  rights  of  States.  I  want  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  tluit  section 
6  of  the  law  of  1007,  which  makes  it  unlawful  "  to  assist  or  encourage 

26911— 21— PT  6 5 


^52  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

the  importation  or  migration  of  any  alien  by  promise  of  employment 
throuo^h  advertisements  printed  and  published  in  any  foreijrn  coun- 
try," etc.,  contained  this  provision : 

P/-or/(7«<7.  That  this  sortion  shnll  not  apply  to  States  or  Territories,  the  Dis- 
trict of  Cohinibia,  or  places  siil).ioct  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States  ad- 
vertisiiiir  the  inducements  they  offer  for  inuuiKration  thereto,  respectively. 

That  remained  the  law  until  1917,  and  in  some  way  or  other,  and 
without  my  knowledjre,  that  provision  was  dropped  off  and  does  not 
appear  in  the  law  of  1917. 

Mr.  Bennet.  Well,  I  was  in  Congress  too  at  the  time,  and  it  got 
by  me.  And  I-  want  to  say  this,  in  conclusion,  I  probably  said  one 
thing  to-day  which  was  rather  unjust  to  the  Department  of  Labor, 
in  relation  to  the  inspectors  and  matrons  on  the  ships.  It  is  a  very 
excellent  provision,  but  this  present  law  did  not  become  a  law  until 
the  1st  of  May,  1917,  at  which  time  we  were  in  the  war,  and  the  State 
Department  has  really  had  no  chance  to  work  that  thing  out. 

But  when  the  committee  does  take  up  the  constructive  legislation, 
I  think  it  would  be  a  good  idea  if  they  would  send  for  representatives 
of  that  department,  and  take  that  into  consideration. 

I  thank  the  committee  for  their  extremely  generous  attention. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Morrison  has  handed  me  the  following  tele- 
gram: 

QuiNCY,  Mass..  January  11,  1921. 
Frank  Morrison, 

American  Federation   of  Labor  Building, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

From  information  received  from  various  local  unions  we  estimated  that  there 
were  between  45,000  and  50,000  unemployed  building  laborers  dtiring  the  month 
of  December  and  the  number  of  unemployed  is  rapidly  increasing.. 

D.  D'Alessandbo. 

The  committee  will  stand  adjourned  until  to-morrow  morning  at 
half  past  10. 

(Thereupon,  at  4.30  o'clock  p.  m.,  the  committee  adjourned  until 
10.30  o'clock  a.  m.,  Wednesday,  January  12,  1921.) 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 

HEARINGS 

BRFORE 

COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 

UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGRESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 

H.  R.  14461 

A  BILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZENS 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  BY  THE  TEMPORARY 

SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 

FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 


WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  12,  1921 


PART  7 

Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration 


WASHINGTON' 

OOVERNMENT   I'KINTINO   Ol'FH.'I': 

1021 


COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION. 

LeBARON  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island,  Chairman. 

WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGBLIM,  Vermont.  TH03>L\S  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 

BOIES  PENROSE.  Pennsylvania.  JOHN  F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 

THOMAS  STERLING.  South  Dakota.  WILLIAM  H.  KING,  Utah. 

HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California.  WILLIAJSI  J.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 

HENRY  W.  KEYES,  New  Hampshire.         "  PAT  HARRISON.  Mississippi. 

WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey.  JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 

HEXBi-  M.  BabbXj  Clerk. 
n 


EMEEGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 


WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  12,  1921. 

UxiTED  State?  Senate, 
Committee  on  Immigration. 

Washington,,  D.  C. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m., 
in  room  235,  Senate  Office  Buiklinof,  Senator  LeBaron  B.  Colt  pre- 
siding. 

Present:  Senators  Colt  (chairman).  Dillinfrham,  Sterling,  Keyes, 
Harris,  and  Phelan.  '    , 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  come  to  order,  please.  Mr. 
Sandford  will  be  heard  first. 

The  committee  are  desirojis  of  hearing  with  regard  to  the  trans- 
portation feature  in  connection  Avith  immigration ;  that  is,  the  reasons 
for  the  congestion  and  delay:  the  question  of  how  far  transportation 
facilities  are  offered  to  immigration:  the  general  subject  of  trans- 
portation in  connection  with  immigration.  You  may  proceed  in  your 
own  way.  Mr.  Sandford. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  LAWSON  SANDFORD,  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY, 
OF  THE  FIRM  OF  PHELPS  BROS.  &  CO. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Would  it  please  you  to  begin,  Mr.  Chairman,  with 
the  question  of  the  existing  fleets  of  steamers  of  the  established  lines? 

The  Chairman.  It  would.  Will  you  please  state  your  qualifica- 
tions ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  I  have  been  in  the  steamship  business  all  my  life, 
sir:  connected  with  all  branches  of  the  business.  At  present  lam  a 
partner  in  the  firm  of  Phelps  Bros.  &  Co.,  American  steamship  agents 
and  operators,  of  New  York. 

In  the 'reorganization  of  transatlantic  liner  service  the -armistice 
did  not  end  the  war  service  of  practically  every  Atlantic  passenger 
steamer.  Some  steamers  were  returned  to  passenger  service  on  their 
accustomed  routes  as  early  as  ^lay,  1919,  and  others  not  until  the  late 
autumn  of  1919. 

The  present  fleet  of  passenger  steamers  in  the  transatlantic  trades, 
which  is  estimated  to  comprise  about  100  steamers  of  all  types,  has 
suffered  the  necessary  delays  due  to  repairs  incident  to  war  service 
and  transport,  many  strikes,  many  difficulties  of  every  nature  in  con- 
nection with  operation,  and  the  so-called  efficiency  to-day,  even  in 
1921,  is  far  below  the  owners*  standards  that  had  gradually  been 
established  in  the  recent  years  ended  with  1914. 

353 


354  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Consequently,  with  the  h)n^or  time  in  port  everywhere,  with  some- 
times prohlems  ahout  car<r()  or  hullast  or  hunker  coal,  the  number  of 
round  trips  which  the  avera<re  passenjrer  steamer  makes  to-clay  is 
materially  less  than  it  was  in  1914. 

The  CiiAiKMAX.  You  mean  to  European  ports? 

Mr.  Sandfokd.  European  ports.  The  passen<rer  line  for  which  our 
firm  is  at  present  a<rents  is  the  Cosulich  Line,  of  Trieste.  There  are 
at  present  definitely  assi<ine(l  for  the  ])assen<rer  business  three  steam-' 
ers — the  Preshlenfe  Wilsofi.  the  lielridere,  and  the  Ar(/entina.  They 
are  averairin<r  about  six  round  trips  per  annum. 

The  distance  from  New  York  to  Trieste  is  4.9()()  miles  direct,  but 
there  are  intermediate  jjorts  of  call  on  the  route.  A  steamer  like 
the  P resident e  Wihon  in  normal  times  would  probably  make  seven 
to  ei<rht  round  trips  a  year — a  steamer  of  IG  knots. 

The  total  tonnaire  available  in  the  transatlantic  passenger  trade  is 
minus  the  fleets  of  the  Hamburjj:  Line  and  the  Xorth  German  Lloyd, 
with  the  exc:  j)tion  of  j)ossibly  six  or  ei'rht  ex-(Terinan  steamers,  which 
are  now  beinfr  operatetl  under  other  fla<is,  three  under  the  American 
flag,  two  under  the  British  flag,  one  under  the  Italian  flag,  and  one 
under  the  French  flag. 

Costs  of  operation  of  an  Atlantic  passenger  liner  to-day  have  felt  the 
effects  which  have  been  found  here.  There  have  been  tremendous  in- 
creases in  every  department  of  transport>ation,  maintenance,  and  up- 
keep. The  repair  bills  are  astonishing.  In  some  trades  to-day  the  ac- 
tual cost  of  loading  cargo  approaches  one-third  of  the  gross  freight 
money.  The  increased  cost  of  coal  for  bunker  purposes,  and  fuel  oil, 
which  has  shown  tremendous  advances  likewise,  is  to  be  measured  in 
hundreds  of  per  cent.  "\ATiereas  in  1914  ininker  coal  at  United  States 
Atlantic  ports  cost  about  '^'2.75  to  $3.25  a  long  ton,  and  to  load  it,  even 
overside,  and  not  availing  of  chutes,  35  to  40  cents  a  ton.  it  is  the 
experience  of  practically  every  Atlantic  operator  that  they  have  been 
obliged  during  1920  to  pay  as  high  as  $16  a  ton  for  anything  that  was 
black.  It  was  not  asked  whether  it  was  good  coal  or  not.  And  the 
cost  of  loading  has  increased  certainly  250  per  cent,  from  probably 
.35  to  40  cents  a  ton  to  $1.25  a  ton,  and  with  a  great  deal  of  overtime. 

Provisions,  wages,  every  element  which  enteis  into  the  cost  of 
operation,  have  mounted  by  hundreds  of  per  cent. 

An  interesting  article  was  published  in  the  Xautical  Gazette  on 
January  1,  1921,  in  which  it  is  shown  from  official  figures  of  Great 
Britain  that,  as  compared  with  1914,  the  1920  cost  of  bunker  coal 
for  foreign-going  steamers  had  mounted  473  per  cent,  provisions  326 
per  cent,  wages  233  per  cent,  port  dues,  190  per  cent  insurance  321 
per  cent,  and  repairs  358  per  cent. 

The  Chairman.  "We  are  dealing  here  specifically  with  the  question 
of  immigration.    How  many  steamships  does  your  line  o])erate  i 

Mr.  Saxdp'ohi).  At  the  moment  we  are  operating,  as  agent-^,  about  30 
steamers,  of  which  three  at  present  are  passenger  steamers. 

The  Chairman.  How  many  immigrants  have  you  brought  to  this 
country  since  the  1st  of  July? 

Mr.  Sandfori).  Mav  I  figure  it? 

The  Chairman.  What  we  want  to  o^et  at  generally  is  the  number, 
if  we  can.  of  steamships  that  are  available  for  carrying  immigrants 
and.  assuming  that  there  are  a  large  number  in  Eui-ope  who  desire 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  355 

to  come  to  this  country,  how  many  could  be  carried  b}'  the  present 
number  of  steamships  available  for  that  purpose.  Can  you  o;ive  us 
some  ireneral  estimate? 

Mr.  Sandford.  A  conservative  estimate  woould  be  800,000  to  850,000 
during  1921,  even  with  additions  to  the  present  fleet,  and  provided 
there  were  no  blocks  in  transportation,  and  provided  the  traffic  were 
evenly  divided  so  that  all  of  the  great  gateways  of  Europe  were  used 
to  full  capacity. 

The  Chairman.  Are  you  dealing  with  all  the  steamships  available 
of  all  the  lines? 

Mr.  SANoroRD.  I  am  endeavoring  to  do  so ;  yes,  sir ;  in  answer  to 
your  question. 

The  Chairman.  If  you  should  take  800,000  as  the  maximum,  and 
deduct  the  number  of  emigrants  who  went  back  home,  you  would  in 
that  way  get  the  net,  wouldn't  you  ? 

Mr,  Sandford.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  that  would  bring  the  net,  judging  from 
the  present  number  who  went  home,  at  somewhere  about  500,000, 
would  it  not  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  On  the  basis  of  1920,  which  is  possibly  a  good 
premise  to  start  upon,  the  net  of  European  immigration,  if  we  use 
the  term  as  so  generally  it  is  used  to  apply  to  European  steerage 
passengers,  is  197,000  for  1920.  If  the  present  rate  should  be  main- 
tained 500,000  is  a  very  generous  estimate  net  for  1921. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  you  are  aware  that  during  the  last  two  or 
thrpe  months  tliere  has  be,en  a  slight  increase  in  the  net  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  If  that  went  on  to  increase  up  to  the  maximum  that 
the  steamships  could  carry,  you  come  back  to  your  general  proposi- 
tion, that  the  most  the  steamships  would  carry  in  a  vear  would  be 
800,000.  don't  you  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  If  all  gateways  and  all  steamers  were  used  to  full 
capacity. 

The  Chairman.  Yes. 

Mr.  Sandford.  It  is  interesting  to  note  the  average  weekly  num- 
ber of  arrivals  of  European  steerage  for  the  period  from  the  1st  of 
July  to  the  end  of  the  year.    That  is  a  fairly  good  indication. 

The  Chairman.  You  mean  to  the  1st  of  January  of  this  year? 

Mr.  Sandford.  To  the  1st  of  January  of  this  year;  yes.  Broad  and 
wide,  without  actually  computing  it,  the  average  arrivals  per  week — 
and  sometimes  the  ships  can  not  help  arriving  quite  in  a  bunch,  and 
at  other  times  there  Avill  be  lapses  without  many  steamers  arriving — 
a  fair  average  weekly  inward  arrival,  including  citizens — because  the 
figures  do  not  differentiate,  they  simply  refer  to  the  broad  and  wide 
steerage  movement — would  be  1)5,000  a  Aveek,  all  I"^nited  States  ports, 
from  all  of  Europe.  Multiply  that  by  26  and  that  gives  us  the  re- 
sults, based  upon  present  carryings,  from  July  1  to  December  81. 

The  Chairman.  I  wish  you  would  prepare  a  table,  if  you  can.  and 
have  it  inserted  in  the  record  to  that  effect. 

Mr.  Sandford.  I  have  such  a  table  here,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  During  the  same  period,  does  your  table  show 
how  many  went  out? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes.  Without  actually  computing  it.  about  6,000 
a  week,  on  the  average,  from  July  1  to  December  31,  1920. 


S56  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

The  Chairman.  Does  that  table  include  nonimirii<rrants  a?  vceW 
as  immifrrants? 

Mr.  Sandford.  All  steerage  traffic. 

Senator  Dii.lin(;iiam.  AVell.  what  proportion  of  the  steeraofe  traffic 
is  made  up  of  immifriants  and  emifirrants? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  ti<riires  of  the  C'ommis<ioner  Cieneral  of  Im- 
migration would  show.     I  am  not  familiar  with  them  offhand. 

Senator  Dillix(;ham.  Prettv  largely  made  up  of  immigrants,  isn't 
it?        ^ 

^Ir.  Sandford.  Yes.  In  fact  the  pathos  of  the  European  steerage 
travel  since  the  armistice  is  striking:  the  efforts  at  reunion,  people 
sej)arated.  on  account  of  inability  to  secure  transportation  practically 
for  Sac  or  six  years:  families  -eparated.  The  reunions  which  all  of 
us  have  witnessed  on  our  docks  as  ships  have  arrived  have  been  in- 
deed pathetic :  families,  fathers,  mothers,  and  children  separated  for 
years. 

Senator  Dii.lin(;ham.  Speaking  about  that  reparation,  won't  you 
go  into  that  a  little  more  fully  and  explain  the  pathetic  side  of  it? 
I  mean,  what  do  you  refer  to  when  you  say  the  separation? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  fact  that  August.  1914.  found  families  sepa- 
rated in  various  part*  of  the  world,  who  could  not  rejoin  until  after 
the  war  was  over. 

Senator  Dillingham.  And  the  effort  is  now  being  made  on  their 
part  to  come  together  again. 

Mr.  Sandford.  It  is  obvious.     It  is  plain,  as  we  watch  the  steamers. 

Senator  Dillingham.  In  that  connection,  can  you  tell  what  pro- 
portion of  the  immiorration  in  the  last  four  or  five  months  has  been 
made  up  of  females? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xo  :  our  figures  do  not  show. 

Senator  Dillingham.  They  do  not  show  that? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xo. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Commissioner  TTallis  thought  that  substan- 
tially one-half  of  those  coming  to  Ellis  Island  were  females. 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  proportion  is  noticeable.  Exactly  the  amount, 
I  haven't  any  knowledge  of. 

The  Chairman.  From  the  statistics  we  have  in  July  and  August 
what  Senator  Dillingham  says  is  borne  out.  that  the  number  of  fe- 
males about  equals  the  number  of  males.  I  don't  think  any  month 
they  are  in  excess,  but  very  nearly  equal. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes:  about  equal. 

Senator  Dillin(;ham.  And  the  fact  that  prior  to  the  war  we  re- 
ceived five  or  six  males  to  every  female  that  came  among  that  class 
makes  that  very  noticeable? 

^Ir.  Sandford.  Yes. 

Senator  Dili.ingham.  You  were  speaking,  in  the  opening  of  your 
remarks,  about  the  excessive  costs  of  operating  at  the  present  time  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Were  you  leading  up  to  some  fact  connected 
with  immigration  in  making  those  statements? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xo.     Endeavoring  to  answer  a  general  question. 

The  Chairman.  You  mentioned  the  increased  cost  of  operation. 
Does  that  lead  to  an  increase  in  the  passenger  rates  for  steerage? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes.  sir. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 


357 


The  Chairman.  What  is  the  increase  as  compared  with  the  pre- 
war period? 

Mr.  Sandfori).  It  varies.  It  varies  from  125  per  cent  to  200  per 
cent,  or  possibly  225  per  cent,  steeratre.  Would  you  care  to  have  a 
table  on  that  ? 

The  Chairman.  Can  you  stat(^  it  in  dollars,  what  the  amount  is? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Here  is  a  table  coverino^  the  ports  now  used  for  em- 
barkation in  Europe  to  the  United  States,  with  the  distances,  the 
prewar  steerage  rates,  and  the  present  steerage  rates,  approximately 
accurate.  If  two  or  three  days  were  given  us,  we  could  probably 
make  it  exact. 

Senator  Diixingham.  I  think.  Mr.  Chairman,  that  that  table  re- 
lating to  the  numbers  that  came  in  steerage  and  returned  in  steerage 
should  go  into  the  record. 

The  Chairman.  Without  objection  those  tables  may  go  in  the 
record. 

(The  two  tables  furnished  by  Mr.  Sandford.  one  covering  the 
ports  in  Europe  now  used  for  embarkation  to  the  United  States, 
with  the  distances,  the  prewar  steerage  rates  and  the  present  steerage 
rates,  and  the  other  showing  the  totals  per  we^k  of  arrivals  from 
Europe  and  departures  to  Europe  at  United  States  Atlantic  ports, 
Boston  to  Galveston,  inclusive,  during  the  calendar  year  1920.  are 
herewith  printed  in  full  as  follows:) 

Distances  and  rates  from  certain  foreign  ports  to  certain  American  ports. 


To— 


Distances  in  nautical  miles  from — 


Balti- 
New  York.    |       more 
(more). 


Win- 

Sum 

Win- 

ter. 

mer. 

ter. 

4,053 

4,223 

286 

3,928 

4,029 

286 

3, 601 

3,771 

286 

3,2o0 

3,420 

286 

3,107 

3, 219 

291 

3,122 

3,210 

286 

3,648 

3,749 

286 

3,628 

3,729 

286 

3,387 

3,488 

386 

3,3S6 

3,487 

286 

3,125 

3,226 

286 

3,192 

3,293 

286 

2,920 

2,968 

286 

3,207 

3,225 

283 

3,895 

3,913 

283 

4,060 

4,078 

283 

4,182 

4,200 

283 

4,600 

4,618 

283 

4,900 

4,918 

283  1 

5,030 

5,048 

279 

5, 170 

5,188 

279 

5,200 

5,218 

279 

Sum- 
mer. 


Boston 

(less). 


Win- 
ter. 


Sum- 
mer. 


Philadel- 
phia 
(more). 


Win- 
ter. 


Sum- 
mer. 


Third  class  or  steerage  rates. 


Prewar. 


Present. 


Danzig 

Copenhagen- . . 

Christ  iania 

Bergen 

Liverpool 

Southampton. 

Hamburg 

Bremen 

Rotterdam 

Antwerp 

Cherbotirg 

Havre 

Vigo 

ijibralter 

Mar.soille 

Genoa 

Naples 

Patras 

Trieste 

Constantinople 

Varna 

Constanza 


269       179 
269  I     179 


269 
269 
269 
269 
269 
269 
269 
269 
269 
269 
269 
266 
266 
266 
266 
266 
266 
262 
262 
262 


179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
179 
183 
183 
183 


161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
161 
165 
165 
165 


143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
139 
139 
139 


143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
143 
139 
139 
139 


(») 
.00-Ul  .50 
.00*-  44.00 
.00-  44.00 
.50-  37 .50 
.7.5-  35.00 
.00-  48.00 
.00-  48.00 
38.00 
38.00 
.00-  40.00 
.00-  40.00 


(') 
38.00 
.00-  45.00 
.00-  45.00 
.00-  42.00 
.00-  45 .00 

(') 

(') 

(') 


$135 .00 

$105.00-  107.00 

107.00 

105.00-  107.00 

75 .00-    77 .50 

75.00-    80.00 

125 .00 

125.00 

115.00 

125 .00 

95.00-  100.00 

95.00-  100.00 

95.00-  101.00 

C-) 

95.00 
90.00-  100.00 
90.00-  100.00 
100.00-  1Z5.00 
90.00-  100.00 
(») 
(') 


'  No  direct  service. 


'  No  traffic  of  consequence. 


>  Add  $30  to  $35  to  the  Naples  rate. 


358 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   I^EGISLATION. 


Statement  slioirinfj  the  totals  per  treek  of  arhralx  front  IJuropc  and  departures 
to  Europe  at  all  United  States  Atlanlie  ports,  Boston  to  Galveston,  inclusive, 
during  calendar  year  1920. 


Week  of- 


Jan.  3... 
Jan. 16. . 
Jan.  23.. 
Jan.  30.. 
Feb.  6... 
Feb.  13.. 
Feb.  20.. 
Feb.  27.. 
Mar.  5... 
Mar.  12.. 
Mar.  19.. 
Mar.  26.. 
Apr.  2... 
Apr.  9... 
Apr.  16.. 
Apr.  23.. 
Apr.  30.. 
Mav  7... 
Mavl4.. 
May  21.. 
May  2S. . 
June  4 . . 
June  11. 
June  18. 
June  25 . 
July  2... 
July  9. . . 
July  16. . 
July  23. . 
July  30. . 
Aug.  6. . 
Aug.  13. 
Aug.  20. 
Aug.  27. 
Sept.  3.. 
Sept.  10. 
Sept.  17. 
Sent.  24. 
Oct.  1... 
Oct.  S... 
Oct.  15. . 
Oct.  22.. 
Oct.  29.. 
Noy.  5. . 
Nov.  12. 
Nov.  19. 
Nov.  26. 
Dec.  3... 
Dec.  10.. 
Dec.  17.. 
Dec.  24.. 


From  Europe. 


First- 
class. 


To  and  including  Dee.  31 . 
Preliminary  total,  1920. 


Second- 
class. 


317 

390 

750 

697 

016 

61 

1,197 

718  i 

945  I 

849 

818 

416 

626 

909 

543 

1.313 

465 

689 

1,123 

1,547 

927 

W3 

1,424 

1,202 

1,763 

1.734 

926 

503 

1,062 

1,895 

1,921 

1.299 

1,761 

2,9.S6 

2,6ll 

1, 72S 

3.293 

2,142 

2,231 

3,500 

1,820 

1,704 

2,a57 

2,201 

1,647 

1,470 

1,278 

1,292 

2,158 

1,132 

1, 3.52 

638 


third- 
class 


1,,546 
591 
857 
944 
2, 2S1 
457 
2,648 
1,158 
2,380 
1,697 
1,825 
2,154 
1,559 
1,622 
2,a36 
1,857 
1,8.34 
1.854 
2;  506 
3,5-30 
2,343 
2,125 
2, 90S 
1,677 
3,538 
3,893 
2,709 
1,400  ' 
3.169 
2,814  i 
2,747 
1,617 
2,724 
5,438 
3,229 
2,067 
3,777 
4,533 
3,071 
3,996 
2,725 
3,538 
4,333 
3,971 
3,741 
3,612 
1.800 
4,043 
3. 883 
2, 558 
2,944 
3,155 


69,349       135,  .537 


To  Europe. 


First- 
class. 


4,117 

2,017 

1,S45 

1,937 

8,723  I 

2.774 

7,402 

6,968 

4,353 

4,071 

3,846 

10,398 

6,708 

7,179 

6,356 

6,051 

6,040 

6,927 

7,384 

11,599 

4, 8.52 

7,412 

8,192 

9,236 

12,026 

12,120 

11,845 

7.200 

9,757 

7,760 

10, 720 

8,  .527 

11,064 

13, 141 

13,302 

17,611 

15, 529 

16, 112 

6,235 

15,926 

12,943 

13,094 

19, 139 

15,523 

11,219 

17,265 

7,938 

15,740 

11,375 

13,820 

13,342 

14,694 


Second- 
class. 


778 
563 
681 
723 
739 
924 
182 
1,263 
990 
997 
1,178 
919 
816 
911  I 
1,287  I 
1,244  I 
1,703 
249 
1,242  ' 
1,687  I 
2,133  : 
1.422  I 
1,372 
2,348  I 
1,592  ' 
2.974  j 
3,274  ! 
1,426  i 
1,300 
1,360 
2,631 
2,560 
1,272 
1,029 
1,993 
1,23s 
629 
1,503  I 

361 
1,044  • 
1,398 

779  , 

1,084  ' 

874  ' 

1,218 

815 

807 

754 

7»S 

1,401 

4.50 

870 


1,058 

1,170 

367 

906 

8.56 

1,234 

514 

1,824 

S60 

1,775 

1,802 

1,189 

1,X21 

1.781 

1.994 

2,385 

1,875 

1,374 

i,sa3 

2.275 
4.1S1 
1,898 
1,918 
3,489 
1.323 
2;  967 
3,805 
2,685 
1,592 
3,238 
2,894 
2,609 
1,2.55 
1.911 
3,138 
2,196 
1,233 
1,851 
2,074  I 
1.473  ( 
2.093  I 
1.148  i 
1,534  I 
1,617  I 
1,435 
1,011  I 
1.427  , 
.577  ' 
2,226 
1.757 
737  i 
614 


Third- 
class 


steerage. 


4,. 396 
3,982 
2,  .586 
2,881 
2,402 
5, 287 
3,496 
.5,215 
5,45') 
3,771 
5,862 
2,696 
7,509 
6,133 
7,909 
5,161 
6,618 
2,621 
8,629 
7.637 

13, 880 
6,051 
8,418 
8.914 
7■,.^30 
9,237 

10,804 
7,912 
6,588 
9,706 
9,266 
6,619 
5,254 
4,683 
6,667 
4,290 
6,668 
4,  ,538 
3,343 
2,195 
6,520 
4,849 
2,651 
7,814 
5,036 
4,322 
6,241 
2,980 

10, 301 
4,629 
3,657 
2,461 


Con- 
sular 
passen- 
gers. 


25 
38 
23 

2 

5 
34 
47 
31 
46 
31 
60 
40 

3 
44 
11 
19 
25 
53 

9 
126 
31 
53 
23 

7 
48 
23 
43 
35 
47 
74 
20 
27 

7 
80 
46 
28 
105 
48 
19 
90 

4 
116 

7 


500, 527  I   63, 766  I   92, 764   303, 383   2, 106 


De- 
ported. 


28 
34 
19 
45 
4 
27 
33 
48 
31 
23 
33 
14 
91 
38 
32 
42 
27 
59 
25 
24 
39 
24 
39 
57 
40 
53 
66 
4S 
24 
63 
74 
46 
4» 
52 
32 
70 

107 
47 
21 
35 
53 
67 
56 

106 
71 
52 
70 
16 
89 
35 
55 
65 


2,389 


The  Chairman.  Do  you  recall  the  number  of  steamships  that  are 
enf!:a<red  in  carryinor  steerage  passengers  or  immigrants  from  Euro- 
pean ports  to  this  country? 

Mr.  Sandfoiid.  Approximately  100.  Would  you  like  to  have  an 
exact  list  of  those? 

The  Chairman.  Have  j^ou  the  list? 

Mr.  Sandford.  It  is  not  complete  in  that  si:)ecific  form.  We  have 
the  figures  of  the  Avhole  year,  and  of  each  year,  jwud  such  a  list  -would 
naturally  involve  tiie  name  of  each  steamer  emploj'ed.  It  could  be 
figured  between  now  and  to-morrow  morning. 


EMEKGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  359 

The  Chairman.  We  Avould  be  very  glad  to  have  the  figures. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Very  well,  I  Avill  get  them. 

The  Chairman.  I  understood  you  to  sa}^  that  assuming  those  100 
steamships  were  engaged  in  trans-Atlantic  service,  and  made  the  ordi- 
nary number  of  trips,  they  could  not  bring  in  immigrants  in  excess 
of  800,000.     Is  tliat  your  statement? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Provided  that  the  movement  of  the  traffic  was 
equalized  through  all  gateways. 

The  Chairman.  1  don't  understand  that. 

Mr.  Sandford.  And  provided  that  the  travel  taxed  the  capacity 
for  third-class  passengers  of  each  of  the  steamers  on  each  trip,  be- 
cause, as  a  study  of  immigration  shows,  not  alwaj's  will  a  Liverpool 
line  be  carrying  full  capacity,  and  not  always  will  a  line  from 
Antwerp  or  a  line  from  Genoa  be  carrying  full  capacit}\  The  move- 
ment varies  like  the  winds;  it  is  not  constant,  due  largely  to  geo- 
graphical reasons. 

The  Chairman.  How  do  you  estimate  that  inconstant  feature?  Is 
your  estimate  of  800,000  based  upon  the  proposition  that  the  steam- 
ships are  cariying  the  full  amount? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes.  Ami  based  also  upon  the  voyages  each  one 
of  the  vessels  has  made  this  year;  that  is,  in  1920,  and  should  make  in 
the  coming  year,  1921. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  if  these 
conditions  prevailed  the  number  would  be  less  than  800,000? 

Mr.  Sandford.  A  fair  estimate  would  be  800,000,  based  upon  the 
experience  of  1920. 

Senator  Keyics.  Would  it  not  be  possible  to  make  other  steamships 
available  for  bringing  the  immigrants  into  this  countr3\  in  addition 
to  the  100  now  so  employed? 

Mr.  Sandford.  It  is  possible. 

Senator  Keyes.  Well,  there  are  other  boats  that  might  be  made 
available? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Oh,  yes. 

Senator  Keyes.  Have  you  any  idea  of  the  number? 

Mr.  Sandford.  No,  sir. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  you  know  the  greatest  number  admitted  in 
any  one  year  during  the  past? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes,  sir.    Third-class  steerage  from  Europe? 

Senator  Sterling.  All  together;  immigrants  admitted  to  this 
coimtry  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  In  the  year  1907  there  were  landed  from  all  of 
Europe  to  all  of  the  United  States  gateways,  1.221,658.  and  there 
departed  527,881  steerage  passengers.  But  it  is  difficult  to  read  that 
year  perhaps  by  itself,  because  in  1908,  354,188  came  fi'om  Europe, 
and  C)20,9C)3  returned. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  I  am  talking  now  about  the  actual  ad- 
mission. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes. 

Senator  Sterling.  Because  I  want  to  know  the  capacity  of  your 
steamships,  how  do  the  transportation  facilities  compare  now  with 
what  they  were  in  1907? 

Mr.  Sandford.  About  the  same,  less  the  German  fleet. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  how  much  does  that  deplete  it? 


360  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  Saxdkokd.  Certainly  20  per  cent. 

The  Chairman.  I  find  from  the  memoran<him  that  I  have  before 
me  that  in  1913,  1.4-27.227  were  admitted:  G11.U24  departed,  leaving  a 
net  of  yi.'^.ODO.     I  th()U«iht  that  was  the  hi<rh-water  mark.  1913. 

Mr.  SAM)F(tni).  Mr.  I'hainiian.  the  H<rure.s  (juoted  by  me  are  those 
of  the  steera<re.  It  is  possible  that  your  fi<rures  include  all  aliens 
from  Europe  in  first,  second,  and  third  class. 

The  Chairman.   Yes. 

Mr.  Sandford.  That  woukl  make  a  distinction  and  a  difference. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  are  dealing  wholly  with  the  steerage 
passengers? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Purely,  yes:  if  that  is  your  wish. 

The  Chairman.  Are  the  steamships  arriving  during  the  last 
month  carrying  their  full  capacity  of  steerage  passengers  ( 

Mr.  Sandford.  From  some  European  ports,  yes :  from  others,  no. 

The  Chairman.  Can  you  tell  the  European  ports  from  which  they 
are  carrying  their  full  capacity  i 

Mr.  Sandford.  Mediterranean  ports:  probably  Kotterdam.  Ant- 
werp :  possibly  Havre.  It  would  be  necessary  to  examine  the  figures 
very  closely  to  reply  accurately. 

Senator  Sterling.  Has  there  not  been  some  increase  in  the  number 
of  ships  that  would  carry  passengers  since  1907.  independent  now  of 
the  German  fleet  (  Haven't  we  an  increase  in  our  own  shipping  facili- 
ties since  1907:  vessels  flying  the  American  flag? 

Mr.  Sandfor.  In  the  net.  no:  if  the  American  liners  of  the  Sf. 
Louis  type  are  not  restored  to  service  next  year.  Three  of  the  former 
German  ships  have  been  placed  in  service — BJaxk  Arro\i\  Susque- 
hanna^ Xew  RocheUe,  and  such  others  that  may  be  reconditioned  and 
placed  in  the  service  by  the  Shipping  Board. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  what  part  of  the  German  fleet,  how  many 
vessels  are  out  of  commission  and  not  being  used  for  the  transpor- 
tation of  passengers  and  freight  i  Are  there  not  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  them  in  the  service  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  In  the  transatlantic  service  i 

Senator  Sterling.  Yes. 

Mr.  Sandford.  From  a  rough  estimate  I  Avill  say  that  80  per  cent 
are  not  used. 

Senator  Sterling.  Are  not  used? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xot  used. 

Senator  Sterling.  May  I  ask  what  is  being  done  with  them? 
AYhere  are  they  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  They  are  everywhere:  some  in  England.  Probably 
15  here.     Some  in  Germany. 

Senator  Sterlinc;.  Well,  aren't  those  taken  over  by  the  United 
States  Government  in  use  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  They  are  not  in  use  except  the  Black  Avrou\  the 
yew  RochelJe.  and  the  Susquehanna  at  the  present  time.  It  is  said 
that  another  one  of  the  (xerman  steamers,  the  Princess  Matoika,  is  to 
resume  serxice  this  month. 

Senator  Sterlinc;.  Have  they  not  been  in  the  service? 

Mr.  Sandford.  In  the  Atlantic  passenger  service? 

Senator  Sterling.  Yes.  sir. 

Mr.  SANDFt)RD.    No. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGKATIOX    LEGISLATION.  361 

Senator  STf:RLiX(:.  A^'llat  German  vessels  are  not  in  the  service — 
that  is.  (lerman  vessels  taken  over  by  us  durinrr  the  war? 

Mr.  Sandfokd.  About  15. 

Senator  Sterling.  Can  you  o^ive  us  their  names? 

Mr.  Sandf(;kd.  Not  offhand.  May  1  frive  you  a  list  of  those  names 
later  ( 

Senator  Sterling.  Yes;  I  will  be  jrlad  to  receive  it.  And  will  you 
also  show,  in  that  connection,  where  they  are? 

Senator  Harris.  They  were  not  used  durin<r  the  war  either? 

Mr.  Sandford.  They  were  all  used  durinjj:  the  war. 

The  Chairman.  AVe  are  dealin<r  here  in  the  first  instance  with  the 
emer<iency  jiroblem.  which  assumes  that  very  lar^e  numbers  of  immi- 
irrants  are  comin<2:  from  Europe.  Now,  you  say  that  about  100  ves- 
sels— and  you  f^five  the  number  as  100 — are  now  enpifred  in  trans- 
atlantic service.  Xow,  let  me  ask  you  :  Isn't  there  a  probabilitj'  that 
that  number  miofht  be  increased  substantially  durinor  the  next  six  or 
nine  months  or  a  year? 

Mr.  Sandford.  I  can  o;ive  you  an  approximate  answer.  The  Amer- 
ican Line  expects  to  add  one:  the  Cunard  Line,  two,  which  will  prob- 
ably be  ready  next  autumn:  the  Red  Star  Line,  two:  the  United 
American  Lines,  two,  ready  in  the  sprino;:  the  United  States  Mail 
Line,  one,  which  apparently  is  the  Princess  Matoll-a,  mentioned  a 
moment  aofo ;  the  White  Star  Line,  two ;  the  Cosulich  Line  may  have 
two  or  three.  I  am  not  at  all  sure  about  that.  It  depends  upon 
conditions,  which  also  includes  the  question  of  car|ro  and  the  cost  of 
operation. 

The  Chairman.  Assuming  that  there  was  that  increase  over  100, 
to  the  extent  that  you  have  mentioned,  to  what  extent  would  that 
increase  the  number  of  800,000  which  you  estimate  could  be  carried? 

]Mr.  Sandford.  Fifteen  thousand  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  per 
voya^re.  And  the  averagfe  number  of  voya<res,  dependino:  upon  the 
trade,  it  might  be  fair  to  fix  at  eight  or  possibly  nine,  because  most 
of  these  steamers  will  be  on  the  shorter  north  Atlantic  routes. 

The  Chairman.  AVell,  the  increase  that  you  mentioned  of  one  or 
two  ships  here  and  there  would  not  substantially  change  the  net 
increase  of  immigration  during  the  next  nine  months  or  a  year, 
would  it? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Unless  the  routing  of  passengers  is  geographically 
possible  through  gateways  where  the  regular  liners  now  employed 
are  not  fully  utilized. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  anything  else  that  you  desire  to  offer? 
Mr.  Sandford.  One  subject  which  is  of  very  great  interest  to  all 
of  us  in  the  steamship  business  is  the  facility  for  distribution  at  the 
time  the  alien  reaches  Ellis  Island.  As  a  matter  of  interest  we  utilized 
vacant  space  of  certain  Army  transports  this  last  year  to  bring  some 
Italians  and  reservists  and  some  Jugo-Slavs  to  the  Ignited  States,  and 
we  took  from  u\^  destinations  verified  at  Ellis  Island  the  representa- 
tion of  the  vStates  in  the  distribution  of  the  1.995  third-class  passen- 
gers which  arrived  on  President  (h'anf  November  18,  and  it  quite 
bore  out  something  which  we  considered  to  be  almost  vital  to  help 
]\Ir.  "Wallis.  It  bore  out  the  fact  that  to  a  vState  like  Ohio  this  steamer 
from  Trieste  brought,  of  its  total  complement,  22  per  cent,  or  420. 
Practically  all  those  people  bound  for  Ohio  had  secured  their  pas- 
sages in  Europe. 


362  KMKRGENCV    I.M  .MIGRATION    LEGISLATION, 

There  were  on  that  steamer  about  600  out  of  tlie  1,995  whose  tickets 
had  been  purchased  in  this  country  and  sent  abroad  by  relatives  as 
the  safest  means  of  assurin<r  throu<rh  ])assa<re. 

We  absohitely  need,  all  of  us,  by  every  element  of  Government, 
by  every  element  of  transi)()rtation.  special  facilities  by  wliich  there 
can  be  simply  and  definitely  ascertained  at  the  time  of  bookin^r  in 
Europe  the  cost  of  the  inland  transportation  to  the  destination  in  the 
T'nited  States.  AVhatever  the  reasons  may  be,  it  does  not  alter  the 
fact  that — if  one  may  make  a  personal  plea — it  is  absolutely  essential 
that  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commisison  be  accpiainted  with  the 
lack  of  facilities  for  throu<rli  bookin<r,  resultin<r  in  hardships,  perhaps 
deportation,  as  likely  to  become  a  })ublic  charore  throu<rh  loss  of  money 
or  unexpected  expenses.  Whereas,  in  the  old  order  that  we  enjoyed 
before  the  war,  any  sinfrle  steamsliij)  booking  a<rent  anywhere  in  the 
world  who  sold  a  ticket  to  an  immi<rrant  destined  to  the  I'nited  States 
Avould  be  disciplined,  suspended,  or  canceled  if  he  failed  to  throuofh 
book. 

Senator  Sterling.  If  he  failed  to  what? 

Mr.  Sandford.  To  throusfh  book.  In  other  words,  the  orjfanization 
which  our  conference  permits  us  to  have  in  respect  to  all  auxiliaries 
in  transportation  dominated  and  maintained  that  element  of  throuffh 
bookinir.  whether  the  man  started  from  Cairo  or  from  Calcutta,  and 
no  matter  how  he  mifrht  have  reached  the  I'nited  States,  when  he  ar- 
rived here  he  held  an  order  upon  the  consiirnee  of  the  vessel,  irood 
for  his  railroad  transportation  to  his  destination.  Whereupon,  if  he 
was  otherwise  admisible.  he  proceeded  the  same  day. 

Senator  Sterling.  Xow  do  you  mean  to  say  that  he  is  only  booked 
to  the  place  of  debarkation  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Simply  because  we  do  not  know  what  the  rate  is  to 
the  destination  :  yes.    That  is.  the  airent  in  Europe  does  not  know  it. 

The  Chairman.  That  deals  with  this  question  of  distribution, 
which  is  most  troublesome  and  most  important. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Also,  if  I  may  be  pardoned  in  sayin^r  so,  it  also 
deals  with  the  conofestion  at  Ellis  Island. 

The  Chair:man.  Yes:  it  certainly  does. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Before  the  war  every  sin<rle  a<rent  authorized  to  sell 
a  steamship  ticket  to  an  emifrrant— that  is,  a  third-class  European 
traveler — had  a  plain  and  simple  compendium  specially  prepared  by 
the  Trunk  Line  Association,  namin<r  every  place  in  the  United  States 
and  Canada  and  Mexico,  with  the  rail  rate  applicable,  and  those  rates 
were  frood  for  one  year  from  the  date  of  the  issue  of  an  order,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  terms  of  the  tariff.  Consequently — as  not  always 
does  an  immi<rrant  start  rirrht  away — when  he  arrived  the  "  Clearin<; 
House."  because  it  was  so  called,  at  Ellis  Island,  sent  him  ri<rht  on 
his  wav — no  stop,  no  harassment. 

To-day.  on  account  of  the  con<restion  with  which  Mr.  Wallis  is 
contendin<r.  they  have  orone  further  than  ever.  The  other  day  a 
man  came  to  our  office  from  Sparks.  Xev..  who  had  come  to  Xew  York 
to  meet  his  Avife  and  cliildren:  and  under  an  ortler  from  Ellis  Island 
we  could  not  send  iiim  to  Ellis  Island  to  meet  them  there  because 
they  could  reach  their  destination  by  rail.  The  situation  is  abso- 
lutely impossil)le  from  the  stand[)oint  of  a  traffic  manajrer.  It  is 
almost  incredible  to  us.  after  stru<rgling  with  it  since  the  armistice, 


EMERGENCY   lAIMIGRATIOX    LEGISLATIOX.  363 

that  a  remedy  has  not  heen  devij-ecl,  Avhich  remedy  is  simply  this : 
Issue  a  tariff.  Don't  ask  a  man  in  Cairo  to  try,  from  four  master, 
••  key."  antl  basini;;  tariffs,  to  compute  the  inhind  rate  to  Sparks, 
Xev. :  it  can  not  be  done.  That  is  a  verj'  bad  arran<jfement,  as  com- 
2:)ared  with  1914  and  prior  thereto,  Avhen  we  had  a  simple  compen- 
dium. To-day  Ave  have  to  work  with  these  four  volumes.  It  is 
almost  an  impossible  situation.  And  if  you  can  remedy  that  you 
have  started  tlie  correction  of  all — what  I  might  be  permitted  to 
call — the  anxiety  about  the  type  of  people  coming  to-day  from  Eu- 
rope, and  their  number,  and  the  congestion  at  P^llis  Island. 

Imagine  that  a  carrier  is  obliged  to  write  to,  perhaps,  a  Ived  Cross 
organization  in  Buffalo:  "We  are  very  sorry  tliat  your  friend  can 
not  meet  his  wife  at  Ellis  Island,  because  she  can  reach  her  destina- 
tion by  rail.  We  have  sent  the  husband  back  by  the  next  train." 
That  is  what  happened,  and  Ave  haA'e  the  correspondence. 

Apparently  the  neAv  methods  of  constructing  rail  rates  in  the 
United  States  makes  it  uncertain  how  long  a  rate  from  a  particular 
point  to  a  destination  Avill  be  valid.  If  distribution  is.  as  Ave  all 
knoAv  it.  so  important,  Avhy,  if  the  hnv  does  not  permit  a  recognition 
of  the  necessity  for  stability  of  rates  for  this  European  steerage 
business,  perhaps  the  laAv  can  be  changed.  It  is  the  most  intolerable 
situation  Ave  haA'e  CA'er  run  up  against  in  respect  to  proper  transpor- 
tation methods. 

NoAv,  perhaps  you  would  like  to  see  the  table  of  distribution  of  the 
Pve^'iiJent  Grant.  Illinois  receiA'ed  11.15  per  cent  of  the  carryings  of 
that  ship. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  What  ship  do  you  refer  to? 

Mr.  SAxnroRD.  The  President  Grant. 

Tlie  Chahoiax.  Let  me  ask  you  this:  Take  an  Italian  going  to 
Columbus,  Ohio,  and  arriving  at  Ellis  Island,  Avould  he  haA-e  to  buy 
his  ticket  from  Xcav  York  to  Columbus  after  he  landed  i* 

Mr.  Saxdford.  Yes;  because  if  he  has  not  been  a  jjrepaid  passen- 
ger, I  defy  any  European  to  analyze  and  quote  the  rate  to  Columbus, 
Ohio,  from  the  information  before  us,  the  only  information  Ave  can 
obtain.  But  if  he  was  booked  here  by  his  brother  or  his  father  on  a 
pre])aid  ticket  he  proceeds. 

Tlie  CnAiR.AiAX.  Is  the  money  question  at  Ellis  Island  of  interest — 
the  (piestion  of  cash  money  on  arrival?  We  Avould  be  glad  to  hear 
from  you  on  that. 

Mr.  Saxdford.  That  is  another  great  problem.  It  is  not  so  easily 
remedied.  But  if  40  per  cent  of  the  temporary  detentions  at  Ellis 
Island  can  be  remedied  by  tlirough  booking,  Avhich  Ave  want  to  do, 
then  Ave  can  take  A^ery  much  better  care  of  the  net  of  the  money  cases, 
so  called,  because  undoubtedly  many  of  these  money  cases  are  held 
up  by  insufficient  funds  to  buy  railroad  tickets. 

All  lines  maintain  iuAvard  passenger  departments,  the  business  of 
Avhich  is  to  clear  all  questions  connected  Avith  arriving  passengers  of 
all  classes,  but  particularly  the  third  class.  We  lun-e  money  very 
often  sent  in  our  custody  for  delivery  to  an  arriving  passenger.  We 
do  not  ahvays  have  a  chance  to  deliAxr  it.  The  treasurer  at  Ellis 
Island  is  the  medium  through  Avhich  the  remittances — and  there  are 
many  daily — are  supposed  to  be  cleared.  But  on  this  same  vessel 
that  I  mentioned,  the  President  Grant.,  arriA'ed  a  woman  who  was 


364  EMERGEXCY    IMMIGRATION    LKGISLATION. 

g:oing  to  join  her  husband,  and  for  some  reason  she  was  sent  to  the 
hospital.  We  achanced  lier  tlie  necessary  means  to  defray  her  petty 
expenses  to  destination  when  she  k'ft  the  hos]>itaL  despite  the  fact 
that  meanwhik'  the  husband  had  sent  money  to  T^llis  Ishmd  and  it 
had  been  returned  to  him. 

There  is  another  question  tliat  Mr.  AVallis  is  considerin<r.  and  it 
.  requires  very  serious  attention.  It  is  a  limitation  in  tlie  number  of 
callers  accepted  at  Ellis  Island.  All  callers  are  restricted  from  meet- 
ing any  except  females  until  the  day  followinor  arrival.  Avhen  passes 
may  be  issued  to  persons  to  claim  a  detained  jiassenger.  In  the  old 
days  it  was  possible  to  issue  passes  the  day  the  passengers  reached 
Ellis  Island,  and  many  of  them,  perhaps  lo  or  20  per  cent.  Avere  im- 
mediately cleared  by  that  method.  Xow  that  situation  adds  to  the 
overnight  detentions. 

Senator  Steri.ixg.  What  do  you  know  in  regard  to  the  exploiting 
of  the  immigrants  before  their  emljarkation.  by  their  own  people, 
etc.?  There  has  been  some  intimation  here  that  there  is  a  great 
deal  of  that  done,  so  that  they  take  passage,  having  been  deprived 
of  funds  that  they  had  intended  for  their  use  in  obtaining  passage 
to  their  destination  after  the}-  got  here. 

]Mr.  Saxdford.  AVe  have  investigated  a  great  many  of  those  cases. 
Perhaps  in  25  per  cent  of  the  cases  the  vise  expense  is  involved.  The 
European  does  not  understand  the  vise,  which  costs  him  $10.  Broad 
and  large,  it  must  be  the  principle  of  every  carrier  to  regularize  the 
business  from  the  time  the  passenger  is  booked  at  the  interior  point 
until  he  is  safely  aboard  the  steamer,  if  only  in  self-interest,  because 
reputation  helps  quite  largely  in  respect  to  the  patronage  of  people 
who  travel  third  class.  It  is  alwaj^s  better  to  conduct  one's  business 
so  there  are  no  complaints. 

There  are  abuses  every  day.  Probably  there  is  more  lawlessness 
now  than  there  ever  was  before.  It  must  apply  everywhere  along 
the  route.  Wherevei"  an  opportunity  arises  to  correct  it.  the  remedy 
is  certain  to  come  swiftly. 

The  Chairimax.  Thank  you. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  Mr.  Chairman,  the  witness  has  produced  a 
table  here,  of  Avhicli  there  are  seA'eral  copies,  I  suppose  intended  for 
the  committee  if  they  wanted  them,  that  to  my  mind  is  very  inform- 
ing, and  I  would  like  to  have  it  put  in  the  record,  and  to  call  atten- 
tion to  the  facts  contained  in  it. 

This,  apparently,  is  an  analysis  of  the  destinations  of  1.995  steer- 
age passengers,  as  declared  at  Ellis  Island,  who  came  in  on  the 
steamer  arriving  November  18.  1920,  and  leaving  Trieste  October  23. 
This  analysis  shows  where  91.89  per  cent  of  those  people  went.  The 
balance,  S.ll  per  cent,  were  scattering.  But  of  the  almost  92  per 
cent  coming  in  on  that  steamer.  2.30  per  cent  went  to  California.  2.51 
per  cent  went  to  Indiana,  11.15  per  cent  went  to  Illinois.  2.51  per  cent 
went  to  Minnesota.  4.10  per  cent  went  to  ^lichigan.  4.76  per  cent 
went  to  Xew  Jersey.  3  per  cent  went  to  Xew  York  State.  13. CI  i)er 
cent  went  to  Xew  York  City,  22  per  cent  went  to  Ohio,  20.10  per 
cent  went  to  Pennsylvania,  2  per  cent  went  to  West  Virginia,  and 
3.85  per  cent  went  to  Wisconsin. 

So  that  out  of  the  91.89  per  cent,  only  13.61  per  cent  went  to  Xew 
York  City,  which  I  think  is  a  verj'  suggestive  statement,  and  with  the 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION, 


365 


chairman's  permission  I  would  like  to  have  that  appear  in  the  record. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  be  placed  in  the  record. 

(The  statement  presented  by  Mr.  Sandford  is  herewith  inserted 
in  full  as  follows:) 


Analysis  of  the  destinations  of  the  1,99")  steerage  passengers,  as  declared  at  Ellis 

Island. 


Destination. 


Alaska 

Arizona 

Alabama 

California 

Coloratio 

Connecticut 

District  of  Columlua 

Georgia 

Iowa 

Indiana 

Illinois 

Kansas 

I-onisiana 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Ma^sacluisctls 

Mimicsota 

Michisan 

Maryland 

Montana 

Neltraska 


Persons. 

Per  cent 
of  whole. 

1 

(') 

1 

(') 

2 

(') 

44 

2.30 

18 

(') 

28 

0) 

1 

(') 

2 

(M 

1 

0) 

49 

2.51 

213 

11.15 

2 

(') 

3 

(') 

1 

(') 

15 

f! 

11 

(') 

48 

2.51 

78 

4.10 

3 

(') 

3 

(') 

5 

O 

Destination. 


New  Mexico 

Nevada , 

New  Hampshire 

New  Jersey 

New  York"  Stat e 

New  York  City 

Ohio ■ 

Oklahoma 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania 

Rhode  Island 

Texas 

Virginia 

West  Virginia 

Wyoming 

Washington 

Wisconsin 

Canada 

I'nited  States  citinens 

Total 


Per  cent 
of  wnole. 


1 

3 

2 

91 

58 

260 

420 

1 

11 

384 

8 

2 

1 

39 

13 

13 

74 

21 

64 


(') 

(') 

(') 

4.76 

3.00 

13.61 

22.00 

(') 

(') 
20. 10 

(') 

0) 

(') 

2 

(') 
3.85 

(') 

(') 


00 


1,995 


91.89 


'  Scattering,  S.ll  per  cent  of  total. 

Senator  Sterlinc;.  May  I  ask  if  the  witness  knows  what  the  nation- 
alities of  those  immigrants  were  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Southeastern  P^urope  and  Italy. 

Senator  Harris.  AVhat  per  cent  of  them  were  from  Italy? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  figures  Avere  not  analyzed  in  that  record. 

Senator  Dillingham,  But  the  steamship  was  from  Trieste. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  one  steamship? 

Mr.  Sandford.  At  random ;  yes. 

Senator  Harris.  Is  that  about  an  average  of  the  usual  distribution 
of  arrivals? 

Mr.  Sandford.  With  the  service  from  Trieste  it  is  probably  repre- 
sentative. 

The  Chairman.  Could  you  get  up  any  more  statements  with  regard 
to  other  steamships,  and  the  percentages? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Ellis  Island  records  were  utilized  for  this  informa- 
tion. 

The  Chairman.  Well.  I  am  asking  you. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes ;  for  our  entire  service  for  the  year. 

The  Chairman.  It  has  been  said  that  a  great  many  of  the  immi- 
grants now  arriving,  a  large  percentage,  perhaps,  remained  in  Xew 
York  City. 

INIr.  Sandford.  Of  certain  nationalities. 

The  Chauolvn.  Well,  I  am  not  dealing  with  that.  I  am  saying 
that  it  has  been  maintained  that  quite  a  percentage  remained  in  Xew 
York  City.  I  would  be  glad  if  you  could  supplement  your  statement 
by  statements  in  regard  to  other  steamships. 


366  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Senator  St?:rling.  Do  you  know  why  so  lar^e  a  percentage  of  thera 
went  to  Ohio  i  AVere  there  any  particular  reasons  for  that  at  that 
time? 

Mr.  Saxdford.  The  class  of  workers  needed  out  there — the  outdoor 
man — mostly. 

Senator  Sterlixo.  Do  you  know  to  what  point  in  Ohio  they  went? 

^Ir.  Saxdford.  No.    That  could  be  analyzed. 

The  Ciiair:max.  Thank  you.  Mr.  Sandford. 

We  will  now  hear  from  Mr.  Farley. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  R.  H.  FARLEY.  ASSISTANT  PASSENGER  TRAF- 
FIC MANAGER  OF  T^E  PANAMA  PACIFIC  LINE.  THE  INTERNA- 
TIONAL MERCANTILE  MARINE  CO.,  NEW  YORK  CITY. 

Mr.  Farley.  My  name  is  R.  H.  Farley:  I  am  assistant  passenger 
traffic  manager  of  the  Panama  Pacific  Line,  and  the  International 
Marine  Co. 

The  Chairmax.  Mr.  Farley,  perhaps  you  will  confine  your  testi- 
money  as  near  as  may  be  to  the  general  line  of  the  last  witness?  We 
are  on  the  immigration  question  as  you  know. 

Mr.  Farley.  Certainly.  I  came  here  more  particularly  prepared 
to  answer  questions.  HowcYer.  there  are  one  or  two  points  which  Mr. 
Sandford  has  touched  on  that  I  might  speak  of. 

The  high  cost  of  passenger  rates  was  touched  on  here.  Xow.  I  think 
it  would  be  proper  to  state  that  the  lines  are  carrying  oYer  a  consider- 
able number  of  passengers  that  were  sold  at  the  rates  in  effect  prior  to 
the  war.  who  bY  reason  of  the  war  we  could  not  carrY.  up  to  the  4:th  of 
August.  19U.  " 

The  Chairman.  That  is.  the  tickets  were  purchased  before  the  war  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  The  tickets  were  purchased  before  the  war.  and  we 
are  carrying  out  our  contract,  and  to  a  certain  extent,  of  course,  they 
figure  in  the  carryings. 

The  Chairmax'.  HaYe  you  any  idea  of  what  percentage  that  would 
be  of  the  number  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  Ten  to  15  per  cent.  I  should  say. 

The  Chairmax.  Ten  to  15  per  cent  on  prewar  tickets? 

Mr.  Farley.  Yes;  I  would  say  that  10  to  15  per  cent  of  the  carry- 
ings of  the  ships  woidd  be  old  prepaids. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  That  is  on  your  line  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  Certain  lines :  yes. 

The  Chairmax.  How  many  ships  will  be  or  are  now  aYailable  for 
transatlantic  service  in  the  carrying  of  immigrants? 

Mr.  Farley.  Well,  to  ])e  exact.  93  at  the  moment.  Mr.  Sandford 
stated  in  round  numbers  100.  AVe  expect  to  add  to  that  a  certain 
number  of  steamers.  Mr.  Sandford  mentioned  the  number  of  steam- 
ers of  the  different  lines. 

The  Chairmax.  What  would  be  the  cai:)acity  of  the  93  transatlantic 
steamers  as  to  numbers:  how  many  immigrants  could  they  take  over 
vn  a  year? 

Mr.  Farley.  Seven  hundred  and  eight v  thousand  would  be  the 
total. 

The  Chairmax'.  Do  you  know,  or  have  you  a  general  recollection 
of  the  number  of  outsroinj'  emiorrants  returning  home  ? 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  367 

Mr.  Farley.  It  is  very  considerable  in  the  spring  of  the  year.  Last 
year  in  New  York  we  had,  particularly  on  the  British  services,  a 
very  large  number  of  Irish  and  English  that  went  back,  that  had  not 
been  over  there  for  four  and  a  half  years,  and  on  one  of  our  steamers 
as  much  as  two-thirds  of  the  passenger  list  were  people  who  were 
returning  home  to  the  old  country. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  when  you  estimate  the  number  at  700,000 
and  how  many? 

Mr.  Farley.  Seven  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  incoming. 

The  Chairman.  Seven  hundred  and  eighty  thousand.  Then,  in 
order  to  get  the  net  increase  of  our  alien  population,  you  would 
have  to  deduct  from  that  the  number  who  went  home,  wouldn't  you  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  Exactly. 

The  Chairman.  Now,  how  much  of  an  increase  is  there  likely  to  be 
in  the  next  six  or  eight  months  in  the  number  of  steamships;  you 
sav  there  are  now  93  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  Well,  I  think  it  is  safe  to  say  10  to  15.  Not  more 
than  15. 

The  Chairman.  Supposing  all  those  additional  steamships  were 
put  into  passenger  service,  then  how  man}?-  immigrants  could  be  car- 
ried during  the  vear? 

Mr.  Farley.  About  100,000  additional. 

The  Chairman.  About  100.000  additional  immigrants.  That 
would  make  880,000,  would  it  not? 

Mr.  Farley.  Approximately. 

The  Chairman.  Provided  the  additional  steamers  were  put  into 
the  service? 

IVIr.  Farley.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  If  you  deduct  from  that  the  number  who  re- 
turned home,  you  would  get  the  net  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  Exactly. 

Senator  Sterling.  You  are  speaking  wholly  of  third-class  pas- 
sengers? 

Mr.  Farley.  Yes.  sir. 

The  fact  has  been  mentioned.  Senator — I  have  seen  it  in  the 
papers — that  the  steamship  lines  were  fostering  immigration  or  in- 
ducing this  immigration.  We  are  now  told  that  in  large  part  this 
flood  of  immigrants  that  had  come  over  and  that  is  alleged  to  be 
coming  over  is  due  to  the  rapacity  of  the  steamship  lines. 

Now,  I  want  to  say  .that  the  steamship  lines  are  not  doing  any- 
thing to  induce  or  encourage  immigration,  beyond  what  the  law 
allows  us  of  publishing  our  sailing  lists.  Section  6  of  our  present 
immigration  act.  which  Senator  Dillingham  well  knows,  it  being 
copied  from  previous  laws,  specifically  controls  that,  and  the  lines 
are  obliged  to  file  with  the  Secretary  of  Labor  a  certificate  that  the 
United  States  immigration  law  is  on  file  at  the  office  of  every  agent 
booking  passengers  in  Europe. 

Furthermore,  the  different  European  countries  exercise  a  very 
close  control  over  the  agent,  much  more  so  than  in  this  country,  and 
he  would  be  rounded  up  if  he  were  to  do  anything  in  the  nature  of 
exploiting  the  immigrant.  There  is  a  very  great  and  fixed  control 
over  immigration  in  European  countries. 

26911— 21— PT  7— — 2 


368  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    T.EGISLATION. 

Senator  Sterling.  Just  ^vhllt  do  you  mean  by  exploiting  the  im- 
micrant,  there? 

^Ir.  Farley.  Well,  endeavoring  to  induce  him  to  go,  and  defraud- 
ing.  him  as  has  been  stated. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  would  endeavoring  to  induce  him  to  come 
to  America  be  regarded  as  exploiting  him?  Do  they  supervise  that 
and  prohibit  it? 

Mr.  Farley.  They  prohibit  anything  in  the  nature  of  attempting 
to  bring  a  man  under  false  pretenses,  so  to  speak. 

Senator  Sterling.  Certainly. 

Mr.  Farley.  I  consider,  Mr.  Senator,  that  the  character  of  the 
immigration  we  are  now  bringing  into  this  country  is  high.  The 
fact  that  a  great  deal  of  it  is  on  prepaid  tickets,  purchased  by 
friends  and  relatives  in  this  country,  who  are  residents  of  this 
country,  living  here,  is  more  or  less  of  a  guaranty  that  there  is 
some  one  here  to  look  after  them,  and  as  you  know,  and  we  all  know, 
a  large  part  of  the  Irish  immigration  has  been  by  the  sister  or 
brother  who  had  come  to  this  country  and  sent  for  his  or  her  rela- 
tives. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  not  confined  to  the  Irish;  it  is  so  gen- 
erally. 

Mr.  Farley.  Xo.  it  is  not  confined  to  them.  It  is  true  of  the 
Hebrew  and  the  Italian  as  well.     They  all  purchase  prepaid  tickets. 

Senator  Sterling.  What  ports  do  you  make  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  Our  steamers  make  the  ports  of  Antwerp,  Hamburg, 
Cherbourg,  Queenstown.  and  Liverpool,  and  also  the  Mediterranean^ 
Genoa.  Naples,  the  Azores. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  you  bring  any  of  the  Scandinavians  or  peo- 
ple from  Holland? 

Mr.  Farley.  We  do.  Well,  I  should  say  we  do  not  bring  so  many. 
The  immigration  of  Scandinavians  is  now  more  or  less  centered  in 
the  direct  lines  between  Scandinavia  and  America.  The  British 
lines  used  to.  in  foraier  years,  carry  a  large  percentage  of  what  we 
term  Scandinavians,  but  now  our  carryings  of  that  nationality  are 
smaller  than  they  were  before  the  war.  »The  Scandinavians  have 
three  lines  of  their  own  running  direct  from  Scandinavian  ports. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  ami:hing  else  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  There  is  one  point  which  I  wanted  to  add,  Mr.  Chair- 
man. 

The  Chairman.  Yes ;  if  anything  occurs  to  you. 

Mr.  Farley,  As  far  as  the  so-called  congestion  at  Ellis  Island  is 
concerned,  the  feeling  of  myself  and  my  confreres  in  some  respect 
is  that  that  is  due.  of  course,  to  the  fact  that  under  the  present  law 
the  passing  of  an  immigrant  takes  longer  on  account  of  the  reading 
test  than  before,  but  there  are  a  large  nuniber  of  inspectors  that  are 
detailed  for  other  work  besides  immigration,  such  as  the  examina- 
tion of  seamen,  which  takes  from  the  available  force  at  Ellis  Island 
a  consideraljle  number  of  inspectors.  And  the  feeling  is  that  a  lot 
of  that  work  of  examination  of  seamen  is  to  a  certain  extent  unneces- 
sary, for  the  reason  that,  for  example,  they  are  examining  the  same 
stewards  month  after  month:  a  steward,  for  example,  that  is  on  a 
steamer  like  the  OJi/mpic.  who  had  been  on  her  since  she  was  built, 
and  will  remain  on  her.    It  seems  almost  a  waste  of  time  for  him  to 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  369 

be  put  through  that  examination  every  time  he  comes  to  New  York. 
And  if  some  of  that  work  could  be  minimized  and  those  inspectors 
could  be  put  on  to  their  work  of  examining  the  immigrants,  there 
would  not  be.  probably,  the  congestion  which  has  caused  so  much 
talk. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  isn't  it  a  matter  of  fact  that  many  of  those 
seamen  are  really  immigrants;  that  they  leave  or  desert  the  ships 
after  their  arrival  in  New  York? 

Mr.  Farlet.  Not  on  the  regular  liners.  The  percentage  of  de- 
sertion is  small.    They  have  every  inducement  to  stay. 

Senator  Sterling.  Just  one  more  question.  Have  you  had  any 
experience  with  stowaways  on  j^our  vessels? 

Mr.  Farley.  "We  have.  I  wish  there  was  a  law  covering  them,  or 
that  the  immigration  law  would  be  amended  so  that  the  stowaway 
could  be  prosecuted  just  as  in  the  courts  of  their  own  countiy.  A 
stowaway  steals,  just  as  much  as  if  he  attempted  to  steal  a  ride  from 
here  to  iBaltimore;  if  he  did  that  he  would  be  turned  over  to  the 
police  and  prosecuted. 

Senator  Sterling.  Have  you  had  any  susj)icion  that  the  police 
authorities  in  other  countries  connive  in  getting  the  stowaway 
aboard  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  No  :  nothing  of  the  sort,  because  we  know  very  well 
that  our  ships  are  searched,  but  they  will  turn  up  amongst  the  crew. 
But  I  don't  think  that  the  public  authorities  of  any  of  the  European 
countries  are  in  any  coiispirac}"  to  foster  stowaways. 

The  Chairman.  'Thank  you. 

STATEMENT    OF   MR.    SIDNEY    E.    MORSE.    SECRETARY    OF    THE 
TRANSATLANTIC  PASSENGER  CONFERENCES,  NEW  YORK  CITY. 

The  Chair:man.  Mr.  Morse,  you  have  heard  the  general  line  of 
inquiry,  and  we  would  very  glad  to  hear  from  you. 

Mr.  Morse.  I  have  no  particular  statement  to  make.  ^Ir.  Chairman. 
I  would  be  very  glad  to  answer  anj'  questions  that  you  might  like 
to  put. 

The  Chairman.  What  do  you  estimate  as  the  number  of  steamers 
engaged  in  transatlantic  service  carrying  immigrants  to  this  country 
at  the  present  time  available? 

Mr.  ^Iorse.  They  are  93  or  94. 

The  Chairman.  As  to  the  probable  increase  in  that  number  during 
the  next  nine  months  or  a  year? 

Mr.  Morse.  The  best  figure  that  we  could  get — and  we  asked  each 
line  to  supply  us  before  coming  doAvn — would  show  about  10  to  15, 
some  of  which  would  not  be  available  until  the  fall. 

The  Chairman.  How  many  immigrants  do  you  estimate  the  93  or 
94  steamships  would  carrv  to  the  United  States  in  a  year? 

Mr.  :Morse.  About  TSO'.OOO. 

The  Chairman.  How  much  would  you  increase  that  number,  pro- 
vided these  additional  steamships  were  used? 

Mr.  Morse.  Fifteen  to  twenty  thousand,  possibly,  per  trip. 

Senator  Sterling.  And  for  the  j^ear  it  would  amount  to  how 
many;  that  is,  the  carrying  capacity  of  the  additional  vessels? 


:Sli)  E.MERGEMY    IMMKIMATIOX    LEtil.SLATlOX. 

Mr.  Morse.  Depending  on  the  way  the  steamers  went :  I  should 
say  a  round  trip  of  six  to  eijrht  weeks,  whicli  wouhl  be  al)out  eight 
trips;  say,  seven  to  eight  trips. 

Senator  Sterling.  And  that  wouhl  increase  the  number  how 
much  ( 

Mr.  Morse.  About  lOo.ODO,  sir. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  you  knoAv  how  many  vessels  thei'e  were  in 
1907  engaged  in  the  transportation  of  immigrants  ? 

Mr.  Morse.  Not  the  exact  number,  but  I  could  give  you  the  num- 
ber of  trips  that  they  had  during  that  year. 

The  Chairman.  Then,  if  you  take  that  number  of  780,000  increased 
by  100,000 — 880,000 — you  would  have  to  deduct  the  number  of  emi- 
grants who  Avent  home,  wouldn't  you? 

Mr.  Morse.  Yes,  sir ;  to  get  the  net. 

The  Chairman.  Which  I  find  in  all  the  years  beginning  with 
1909  amounted  to  several  hundred  thousand.  You  would  ha^e  to 
deduct  that,  wouldn't  you,  to  get  the  net? 

Mr.  Morse.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  I  think,  generally,  in  considering  this  problem  we 
are  very  apt  to  leave  out  the  fact  of  the  number  of  departures,  the 
number  of  emigrants  who  go  back,  and  we  are  c^uite  apt  to  say: 
"  Why,  here  the  population  has  been  increased  by  the  number  of 
immigrants,"  whereas  we  will  find  that  the  net  increase  is  very  much 
less,  owing  to  the  nimiber  who  go  home. 

Senator  Sterling.  What  was  the  average  number  of  trips  per  year 
in  1907 — the  number  of  trips  for  the  vessels? 

Mr.  Morse.  The  number  of  trips  for  the  vessels  to  Xew  York, 
1.103:  Boston,  151;  Philadelphia,  44:  Baltimore,  62:  Xew  Orleans, 
52 :  Galveston.  18.  Some  of  those  would  possibly  be  a  little  duplica- 
tion, because  the  same  steamers  that  went  to  Baltimore  went  also  to 
Galveston,  carrying  passengers  to  both  ports  on  the  same  trip. 

Senator  Sterling.  Yes:  but  take  any  one  vessel:  what  Avould  be 
the  average  number  of  trips,  supposing  it  was  engaged  in  the  carry- 
ing trade  all  the  time?  "\Miat  would  be  the  average  number  of  trips 
it  would  make  during  the  year  in  1907,  or  about  that  time  ? 

Mr.  Morse.  It  would  vary,  just  the  same  as  it  does  now.  The  fast 
boat  would  probably  turn  around  in  a  month,  and  the  slower  ones 
from  six  to  eight  weeks. 

Senator  Sterling.  Would  you  say  that  they  do  not,  on  the  average, 
make  more  trips  a  year  now  than  they  did  then? 

Mr.  Morse.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Sterling.  They  do  make  more. 

Mr.  Morse.  No  ;  they  do  not. 

vSenator  Sterling.  The}^  do  not  make  more  trips? 

Mr.  Morse.  No,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  anything  further,  Mr.  Morse? 

Mr.  Morse.  I  have  here  some  tables  which  I  asked  the  different 
steamship  lines  to  make  up — if  they  would  be  of  interest — showing 
the  number  of  trips  they  have  had  since  the  armistice  up  to  Decem- 
ber 31,  1920,  and  alongside  of  the  westbound — that  is,  coming  in — 
figures,  third  class,  they  have  included  the  total  capacity  of  the 
steamers,  third  class,  so  that  j^ou  can  tell  at  a  glance  whether  they 
are  coming  full  or  whether  they  are  not.     In  some  eases  the  total 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATIOX   LEGISLATION.  371 

number  carried  is  more  than  the  capacity,  but  that  is  accounted  for 
by  the  number  of  souls— that  is,  two  children  may  occupy  a  berth,  or 
a  woman  may  take  her  infant  with  her  in  a  berth — so  that  the  num- 
ber of  souls  carried  is  a  little  in  excess,  whereas  the  "  capacity  "  is 
calculated  on  the  number  of  berths. 

The  Chairman.  Are  the  steamships  that  are  now  arriving  coming 
full? 

Mr.  Morse.  Some  are  and  some  are  not? 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  any  tables  showing  the  destination  of 
the  immigrants? 

Mr.  Morse.  No,  sir.  We  could  make  that  up,  as  Mr.  Sandford 
offered  to. 

The  Chairman.  I  wish  you  would  make  up  a  table  showing  the 
destinations  of  the  immigrants,  so  far  as  you  could,  from  the  1st  of 
July  to  the  1st  of  January.  Now,  I  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  can 
do  it  complete,  but  that  would  be  very  helpful.  I  mean  so  far  as  you 
can  do  it  as  a  practical  question. 

jSIr.  Morse.  For  all  lines  of  steamers? 

The  Chairman.  Yes;  for  all  lines.  I  don't  believe  you  can  make 
it  complete,  but  it  will  be  an  index.  We  have  had  one  or  two  tables 
put  in.  I  would  like  further  data  of  that  description.  Will  you  see 
what  3'ou  can  do  in  that  line? 

Mr.  Morse.  Yes,  sir ;  I  will  be  very  glad  to. 

The  Chairman.  Thank  you. 

Senator  Sterling.  Can  you  tell  what  German  ships  are  not  now 
in  use? 

]Mr.  Morse.  I  haven't  them  in  my  head.  The  number  they  had  in 
191-1  was  about  49.  I  can  give  that  to  you  very  accurately,  if  you 
would  like  me  to,  and  submit  it  to  you  later. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  would  be  pleased  to  get  the  number. 

Mr.  Morse.  In  1914? 

Senator  Sterling.  In  1914 ;  and  the  names  of  the  ships,  if  you  can 
give  them. 

Mr.  Morse.  Yes;  I  will  be  glad  to  do  that.  I  will  give  you  the 
ships  that  are  now  in  service  used  by  the  other  lines  as  well. 

Senator  Sterling.  Thank  you. 

Mr.  Morse.  I  have  some  tables  and  figures  here,  Mr.  Chairman,  if 
you  wish  to  look  at  them. 

The  Chairman.  Yes :  you  may  leave  them  for  our  inspection. 

(The  tables  and  figures  referred  to  by  Mr.  Morse  are  here  printed 
in  full,  as  follows:) 

Mr.  Henry  ■M.  Barry, 

Clerk,  Committee  on  Immigration, 

United  States  Senate,  Washington. 

Dear  Sir:  Referring  to  various  questions  regarding:  transatlantic  steerage 
traffic  wliicli  came  up  incident  to  testimony  before  your  committee,  the  estab- 
lislied  steamship  lines  have  been  canvassed,  but  they  have  not  the  data  to  com- 
pile the  proportions  westbound  of  the  sexes  or  the  destinations  of  recent  arri- 
vals.   This  material,  corrected,  is  best  obtainable  at  the  Bureau  of  Immigration. 

There  is  attached  a  list  of  the  transatlantic  passenger  steamers  now  in  serv- 
ice and  a  list  of  steamers  now  contemplated  to  be  added  during  1921,  with  state- 
ment of  steerage  capacity  of  each. 

Concerning  the  inquiries  regarding  the  volume  of  westbound  steerage  at  pres- 
ent and  (hiring  1921,  a  table  is  appended  showing  the  steamers  which  have  ar- 
rived at  United  States  Atlantic  ports  from  Europe,  from  and  since  January  1, 
1921,  with  the  actual  steerage  passengers  on  board,  as  compared  with  the  capaci- 


372 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


ties,  and  the  steamers  reported  on  the  way,  with  the  cable  figures  of  the  steerage 
and  also  showing  the  capacities.  The  "  capacities  "  are  based  on  the  berths  for 
adults.  As  children  and  infants  do  not  require  full  berth.s,  the  total  souls 
in  westbound  steerage  will  average  10  to  20  per  cent  higher  than  the  total 
capacity  for  adults.  The  figures  in  this  table  comprise  approximately  the  ar- 
rivals and  expected  arrivals  for  the  first  26  days  of  the  month  of  January,  1921, 
and  bear  out  the  view  of  the  traffic  men  who  appeared  before  the  committee  that 
the  westbound  steerage  travel  is  lessening  materially,  as  compared  with  the 
average  volume  of  European  steerage  business  during  the  past  few  months. 
Very  truly,  yours, 

Sidney  E.  Morse,  Secretary. 


Siatetnetit  of  the  transatlantic  passenger  lines,  giving  list  of  these  lines  noic 
operating,  steamers  now  in  service,  capacity  for  third-class  carryings  of  each 
steamer. 


American  Line :  Capacity. 

Mongolia 1,  399 

Manchuria 1,  378 

Haverford 1, 113 

Baltic  American : 

Estonia 1. 180 

Lithuania 1.  070 

Palonia 920 

Baltic  Steamship  Corporation : 

New  Rochelle 1.  600 

Cosuiieh : 

Presidente  Wilson 1.  228 

Belvedere 1.  409 

Argentina 953 

Cunard : 

Aquitania 1.  297 

Imperator 1.  281 

ilauretania 783 

Carmania 1.  242 

Caronia 1, 17.5 

K.  A.  Victoria 980 

Saxonia 976 

Pannonia : 1.  583 

Italia 968 

Calabria 792 

Columbia 5.52 

Fabre : 

Providence 1.  750 

Patria 1,740 

Canada 1.  6-50 

Madonna 1,250 

Asia 1.2.50 

Braga 1.  2-50 

Britannia 790 

Roma 780 

French : 

France 1.096 

Lafayette 764 

La  I^rraine 487 

La  Savoie 503 

La  Touraine 550 

Kocharabeau 1.  4-50 

Chicago 1,  384 

Niagara 1,112 

I^eopoldina 1,148 

Caroline 566 

Rou.s.sillon 1.312 


Holland-America :  Capacity. 

R.itterdam 1.  800 

New  Amsterdam 1.  800 

Nuordam 1,  500 

Ryndam 1,  800 

Lloyd  Sab:uulo : 

Pesaro 1,  090 

Re  d'ltalia 1.450 

Regina  d"Italia 1,  450 

National  Greek : 

Meaali  Hellas 1,  570 

Kine  Alexander 2. 176 

Themistocles 1,  075 

Navigazione     Generale     ItaU- 
ana : 

Duca  degli  Abruzzi 1.  277 

Duca  d'Aosta 1.  277 

America ±. 1.  9<>5 

Taormina 1,  941 

F.  Palasciano 1,  222 

Norwegian-America  : 

Stavangerfjord 900 

Bergensfjord 860 

Polish  -  .Ajnerican     Navigation 
Corporation : 

Gdansk 750 

Red  Star: 

Lapland —  1.  211 

Kroonland 814 

Finland 797 

Zeeland 962 

Gothland 1.320 

Scandinavian-American : 

Oscar  II 700 

Hellig  Olav 700 

United  States 700 

Frederik  VIII 625 

Sicula  Americana : 

Gmrlielmo  Pierce 927 

Spanish  : 

Antonio  Lopez 754 

Isla  de  Panay 230 

Manuel  Calvo 982 

Leon  XIII 916 

P.  de  Satrustegui 952 

Buenos  Aires 402 

Montevideo J<82 


EMEKGEI^rCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATIOlSr. 


373 


Spanish — Continued. 

Montserrat 

C.  Lopez  y  Lopez 

Keina  Ma.  Cristina_ 
Alfonso  XIII 

Swedish-American  : 

Drottniniiholm 

Stockliohn 

Traiisathuiticu  Italiana : 

Dante  Ali^hieri 

({iuseppe  Verdi 

United  American : 

Mount  Clay 


Capacity. 
600 
342 
518 
997 

G95 
794 

1,  5.30 
1,  SoO 

1,  3.")0 


United  States  IVIail : 

Susquelianna 

Princess  Matoika. 

White  Star: 

Olympic 

Adriatic 

Baltic 

Cedric 

Celtic 

Cretic 

Canopic 


Capa 
1 
1 


city. 
200 
800 

028 
252 
454 
420 
334 
402 
372 


Grand  total 105,  969 


Statement  of  the' transatlantic  lines  givino  steamers  expected  to   come  into 
service  during  1921,  capacity  for  third-class  carryinys  of  each  steamer. 


American  Line:  Capacity. 

Minnekahda 2, 150 

Anchor  Line: 

Cameronia 1,  082 

Algeria. 100 

Baltic  Steamship  Corporation : 

:Mercury 1,  700 

Cosuiich: 

San  Giusto 1,100 

Cunard : 

Scythia 1.  SOO 

Tyrhennia 1, 187 

Red  Star: 

Poland 1,  380 

Samland 1,  380 

Following  are  not  being  operated  at  present : 
American  Line:  Capacity. 

St.  Paul 331  New  York. 

I'hiladelphia 358 

Witlidrawu  from  transatlantic  service : 

National  Greek  Line  :  Capacity. 

Patris 990 


Iloyal  Mail  Steam  Packet  Co. :  Capacity. 

Orduna 500 

Orhita 500 

Oropesa 300 

United  American  Lines : 

Mount  Clinton 1,  200 

Mount  Carroll 1,  20P 

United  States  Mail : 

Amphiou 1,  256 

White  Star  Line : 

A'edic 1,  200 

Arabic 1,  870 


Capacity. 
430 


Steamers  of  the  German  lines  in  the  transatlantic  sei'vice  in  lOl.'f. 


Steamer's  old  name. 

Present  name  if 
changed. 

Owner.                                       Remarks. 

Arcadia  • 

Atlantic  &  Adriatic  Steam- 
ship Co. 
V.  S.  Fox  Steamship  Co. . . 

United    States    Shipping 

Armenia ' 

Sterling. 
Tied  up  at  Newport  News;  disposi- 
tion undetermined. 

Amerika ' 

America 

Barcelona ' 

Ancona 

Board.                                !      reflttinp,    date    of    commission 
1      undetermined. 
Italian  Government Not,   in   triins-AtlnTitir  sprvifp-   nn 

Barbarossa  ^ 

Mercury 

Baltic  Steamship  Corpora- 
tion. 

French  Government   

White  Star  Line 

data  available. 

Batavia ' 

undetermined. 
Disposition  undetermined. 
Refitting  for  Mediterranean  trade; 

ready  in  spring. 
On  sale  to  British  nationals  only. 

Berlins 

Arabic 

Bremen  ^ 

B  ritish  G  o vernment 

Bosnia ' 

Bulgaria ' 

Philippines 

United    States    Shipping 

B  randenburg  ^ 

Board.                           "        undetermined. 

Breslau2 

Bridgeport 

Cassel2 

French  Government 1  Disposition  undetermined. 

British  Government Placed  on  sale  to  British  nat  (uals 

Chemnitz  - 

1      only. 

1  Formerly  of  the  Hamburg  American  Line. 

2  Formerly  of  the  North  German  Lloyd. 


374  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Steamers  of  the  (JcniKin  lines  in  the  lidHs-Mlitiitic  serrii-e  in  I'Jl'i — Coiitiiiiied. 


Steamer's  old  name. 


Cincinnati'.. 
Cleveland » s. 


Corcovado ' ' . 


Frankfurt  - 

Friederich    der 
Grosse.2  < 

Furst  Bismark  ^-... 


Present  name  if 
changed. 


Covington 

King  Alexander. . 


Guglielmo  Peirce. 


Huron 

San  Giusto. 


Owner. 


Army  Transport  Service. 
M.  <t  L.  Embiricos 


Sicula  Americana. 


Graf  Waldersee  >  — 
George  Washington 


Grosser  Kurfurst  -^.\  Aeolus . 


Hamburg ' ' I  New  Rochelle. 


Hanover ' . . 
Imperator ». 


British  Government 

United    States    Shipping 
Board. 

Italian  Goverim:ient 


British  Government 

United    States    Shipping 

Board. 
....do 


Kaiserin    Auguste   

Victoria.! 
Koenig  Albert  2  3. . .[  F.  Palasciano. 


Kroprinzessin    Ce-  I  Princess 

cilie.i  ■•  j 

Kronprinzessin  Ce-  1  Mount  Vernon . 

cilie.2 


Kaiser  Wilhelm  der  1 

Grosse.2  ' 

Kronnrinz        Wil-  I  Von  Steuben. 

helm  2. 
Koeln  2 Amphion. 


Koenin^en  Luise  - 
Pallanza  i 


Patricia  1 

Pennsvlvania ' !  Nansemond. 


Pisa' Ascutney. 

President  Grant ' 


Baltic  Steamship  Corp. 

British  Government 

....do 


do 

Italian  Government. 


Ellerman's    A-    Bucknall 

Steamship  Co. 
United    States    Shipping 

Board. 


United    States    Shipping 

Board. 
....do 


British  Government. 


President  Lincoln  i.| 

Pret  oria ' 

Prinz  Adalbert ' 

Prinz  Oscar' Orion. 


Prinzess  Irene 2 Pocahontas.. 

Rhaetia',3 Black  Arrow. 


British  Government 

United    States    Shipping 

Board. 
Atlantic       &       Adriatic 

Steamship  Co. 
United    States    Shipping 

Board. 


Army  Transport  Service. 
British  Government 


United    States    Shipping 
Board. 


.do. 
.do. 


Rhein  2,  a Susquehanna. 

Rugia ',  ■• 

Moltke  1, 3 Pesaro 


Main  2 

Neckar2 i  Antigone. 


British  Government 

United    States    Shipping 
Board. 


1  Formerly  of  the  Hamburg  American  line. 

-  Formerly  of  the  North  German  Lloyd. 

'Now  opei'ated  in  trans;itlantic  servict^. 

*  Now  operated,  but  in  other  than  transatlantic  trades. 


.do. 


British  Government. 
Italian  Government. 


Remarks. 


Torpedoed  during  the  war. 

Now  operated  by  National  Greek 
Line  in  -N'ew  York-Mediterra- 
nean trade. 

Now  operated  in  New  York-Medi- 
terraiican  trade. 

On  sale  to  British  nationals. 

Munson  Lit:e,  to  l,c  turned  over  to 
United  .'-tates  Mail;  now  in 
South  American  trade. 

Operated  by  the  Cosulich  Line  in 
the  New  York-.\driatic  trade  for 
one  trip  (in  February,  1921). 

On  sale  to  British  nationals. 

United  .^tates  Mail;  refitting;  d^te 
of  commission  undetermined. 

Munson  Line;  now  in  South  Amer- 
ican trade. 

Now  in  New  York-Havre-ranzig 
trade. 

On  sale  to  British  nationals  only. 

Cunard  Line,  now  in  trans-.\tlaritic 
trade  to  Cherbourg,  Southamp- 
ton. 

Now  operated  by  Cunard  Line  in 
New  York-Liverpool  trade. 

Now  operated  by  Navigazione 
Generale  Italiana  in  New  York- 
Mediterranean  trade. 

Operating  in  United  Kingdom 
India  Service. 

Refitting;  to  be  operated  by  United 
State?  Mail  Steamship  Co.;  date 
of    commission    undetermined. 

Torpedoed  during  the  war. 

Tied  up  at  Hoboken;  disposition 
midetermined. 

Refitting;  to  be  operated  by  the 
United  States  Mail  Steamship 
Co.;  date  of  commission  unde- 
termined. 

On  sale  to  British  nationals  only. 

No  data  available;  not  in  trans- 
Allantic  trade. 

On  sale  to  British  nationals  only. 

Tiedup;  disposition  undetermined. 

Tramp  trade:  in  hands  of  receiver, 
G.  W.  Sterling,  receiver. 

Refitting;  to  be  operated  by 
United  States  Mail  Steamship 
Co.;  date  of  commission  unde- 
termined. 

Torpedoed  during  the  war. 

On  sale  to  British  nationals  only. 

No  data  available. 

Refitting:  to  be  operated  by  United 
States  Mail  Steamship  Co.;  date 
of  commission  undetermined. 
Do. 

Now  operated  by  the  New  York 
&  Cuba  Mail  Steamship  Co.  in 
New  York- .Spain  trade. 

Now  operated  by  the  United 
States  Mail  Steamship  Co.  in 
New  York-Bremen-Danzig  trade. 

Now  operated  by  Urion  Castle 
Sieani.sliip  Co.  in  South  African 
trades. 

Now  operated  bv  the  Lloyd  Sa- 
baudo  Steamship  Co.  in  New 
York-.Mediterranean  trade. 

On  sale  to  British  rationals  only. 

Refitting;  to  be  operated  by  the 
United  States  Mail  Steamship 
Co.;  date  of  commission  unde- 
termined. 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGKATIOX   LEGISLATION.  375 

(Steamers  of  the  Gcniiun  lines  in  the  transatlantic  service  in  lOl.'i — Continued. 


Steamer's  old 
name. 

Present  name,  if 
changed. 

Owner. 

Remarks. 

LaBordonnais 

To  be  operated  in  the  New  York- 

Seydlitz  -   . . 

Havre  trade. 
Tied  up  at  Bremen. 

WOlehads 

Wyandotte 

Leviathan 

United    States    Shipping 

Board. 
do 

Tird  up  at  Newport  News. 

Tied  up  at  Hoboken. 

Hansa 

Hamburg  American  Line. 

To  be  operated  by  the  Hamburg 

American  Line  in  the  New  York- 
Hamburg  trade  in  conjunction 
with  the  Uiiiled  American  Lines. 

1  Formerly  of  the  Hamburg  American  Line. 

2  Formerly  of  the  North  German  Lloyd. 

Steamers  not  operated  in  tJie  trans-Atlantic  service  in  Idl.). 


Steamer's  old 
name. 

Present  name,  if 
changed. 

Owner. 

Remarks. 

Bluecherii' 

Leopoldina 

Mount  Clay 

Princess  Matoika.. 

Brazilian  Government 

United  American  Lines.. 

United    States    Shipping 
Board. 

This  steamer-  was  leased  by  the 

Priiiz  Eitel  Fried- 
rich. 2,  3 
Prinzess  Alice 2, 3... 

Brazilian  Government  to  ,  the 
French  Government,  who  turned 
it  over  to  the  French  Line,  now 
operating  in  the  New  York- 
Ha\Te  trade. 

Now  operating  in  the  New  York- 
Hamburg  trade.                  ^ 

Refitting;  to  be  operated  by  the 
United  States  MaU  Steamship 
Co.  in  the  New  York-Mediter- 
ranean trade  early  this  year. 

^  Formerly  of  the  Hamburg  American  line. 
-  Formerly  of  the  North  German   Lloyd. 
^  Now  operated  in  trans-Atlantic  service. 

Transatlantic    steamers    arrived    at    United    States    Atlantic    j)orts    for    the 
period  Jan.  1   to  Jan.  IS,  1921,  and  passengers  carried. 


steamer. 


Ryndam 

Lapland 

La  Lorraine 

Vasari 

Pesaro 

King  Alexander. 

Braga 

Manchuria 


Regina  d'ltalia. 

Columbia 

K.  A.  Victoria., 

Pannonia 

Stockholm 

Adriatic 

LaTouraine... 

Belvedere 

Megali  Hellas . . 

Zeeland 

Stavangerfjord . 
Imperator 


Total . 


Port  of  departure. 


Rotterdam 

Antwerp-Cherbourg 

Havre 

Liverpool 

Naples-Genoa 

Piraeus 

Lisbon 

Hamburg-Antwerp-Cher- 
bourg. 

Naples-Genoa 

Glasgow 

Liverpool 

Patras 

Gothenburg 

Southampton-Cherbourg . 

Havre 

Trieste 

Piraeus 

Antwerp-Cherbourg 

Bergen 

Southampton-Cherbourg . 


Date 
arrival. 


Jan.  3 
...do.... 
.Jan.  4 
...do.... 

...do 

.Ian.  5 
Jan.  6 
...do.... 

Jan.  7 
Jan.  8 
Jan.  9 
Jan.  10 
Jan.  12 
Jan.  15 
...do.... 
Jan.  17 
Jan.  18 
..do.... 
...do.... 
...do.... 


First 
class. 


97 

213 

119 

6 

83 

36 
130 

96 


165 
119 


100 
86 
26 

293 

1,693 


Second 
cl&ss. 


Steerage. 


302 
413 
462 
23 
379 
344 


469  ' 
10  j 
208  ' 
133  I 
421 
262 
160  '. 
497 
358  ! 
141 
482 


1.511 
1,380 
479 
50 
1,0.S5 
1,846 
1,331 
1,446 

1,568 
486 
998 

1,385 
340 

1,110 
479 

1,400 

1,175 
907 
266 
632 


5,135         19,964 


Capacity 

of     4 

steerage. 


11,800 
1,600 
■483 
t200 
1,090 
2,176 
1,250 
1,37S 

1,450 
552 
980 

1,583 
794 

l,2.i2 
550 

1,411 

1,570 
962 
900 

1,281 

23, 262 


376  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Cable  rcpcyrts  of  steamers  en   route  to   United  States  ports. 


steamer. 


NewRochelle... 
Frederik  VIII... 

Rotterdam 

Megan  tic 

Vedic 

Dante  Alighieri. 

Saturnia 

Saxonia 

Mongolia 


Port  of  departure. 


Expected 
date  of 
arrival. 


Havre-Danzig Jan.    19 

Copenhagen do 

Rotterdam do 

Liverpool ■ . .  .do 

Jan.  20 
...do.... 
...do.... 
Jan.  21 
...do.... 


Haveford  (Pliila.')'.! 

Argentina 

Britannia 

La  Savoie 

Duca  degli  Abruzzi. 
Gdansk 


do. 

Naples-Genoa 

G  lasso  w-Cherbourg 

London-Cherbourg 

Hamburg-Antwerp-Cher- 
bourg. 

Naples-Genoa 

Liverpool 

Trieste 

Marseille 

Havre 

N  aples-Genoa 

Danzig 


Total. 


...do.... 
Jan.  22 
...do.... 
Jan.  23 
...do.... 
Jan.  24 
Jan.    26 


First 
class. 


176 
75 

275 
50 


Second 
class. 


43 


"92"!. 
100 


323 
550 
345 


239 
153 
401 


244 
100 
150 
52 
210 
100 


Capacity 
Steerage.        of 

steerage. 


L076 

612  I 

1,896  i 

531 

620  I 

1,650  ! 

759  i 

996 

1,222 

1,805  I 
429 
925 
552 
487 

1,358 
6M 


1,600 

625 

2,000 

1,100 

1,200 

1,550 

759 

976 

1,399 

1,740 
1,113 
950 
790 
503 
1,277 
7.50 


2,  870  ;      15,  eo2 


18,332 


The  Chairman.  Xow,  Mr.  Wliatniougli,  we  Avill  hear  you. 

STATEMENT  OF  ME.  PERCY  W.  WHATMOTJGH,  GENERAL  PASSEN- 
GER MANAGER  OF  THE  CUNARD  STEAMSHIP  CO.  (LTD.),  AND 
ANCHOR-DONALDSON  LINES,  NEW  YORK  CITY. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  AYhatmough,  what  is  your  estimate  of  the 
number  of  steamships  engaged  in  transatlantic  service  carrying  im- 
migrants at  the  present  time? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  ]Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen  of  the  committee, 
I  took  out  some  figures  that  might  be  interesting  to  you,  and  I  think 
they  pertinently  answer  your  direct  question.  At  the  present  time 
there  are  20  lines  running  across  the  Atlantic  in  the  passenger  serv- 
ice. The  number  of  steamers  is,  say.  95.  The  total  capacity  of  these 
steamers  for  the  immigrants — that  is,  the  third  class — is  about 
106,050.  That  would  give  you,  say.  1,150  immigrants  per  steamer. 
That  is  maximum  capacity,  if  every  berth  were  occupied. 

I  estimate  that  the  average  number  of  trips  that  these  steamers  can 
make  in  their  various  trades — the  long  voyages  and  the  short  voy- 
ages— would  be,  say.  nine  trips  per  year.  Of  course,  some  steamers 
on  the  fast  lines,  and  on  the  short  routes,  would  make  considerably 
more  voyages  per  year  than  steamers  running  down,  say,  to  Adriatic 
or  to  Grecian  or  to  Levant  ports.  The  average,  we  will  say,  would 
be  about  9. 

Working  on  that  basis.  I  think  that  the  maximum  number  of  pas- 
sengers that  could  be  carried  by  all  the  steamers  that  we  can  see  as 
available,  including  the  95,  and  the  possible  ones  that  could  come  into 
service  in  1921,  would  be,  say,  954.000.  That  would  be  the  absolute 
maximum.    I  can  not  see  any  more. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  you  know  how  many  vessels  there  were  in 
the  passenger  service  in  1907  ? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  I  could  very  well  make  it  up  foryou  and  give 
it  to  you  accurately ;  but  if  you  could  take  an  approximate  statement 
I  should  say  that  it  would  be  about  150. 

Senator  Sterling.  One  hundred  and  fifty  at  that  time  as  against 
95  now? 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGKATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  377 

Mr.  Whatmough.  As  aorainst  95  now,  Mr.  Senator;  yes,  sir;  that 
is,  approximately.  I  don't  think  that  would  be  so  very  far  away 
from  the  exact  number.    I  would  say  150. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  If  you  can  give  exact  data  in  regard  to  that,  I 
would  be  very  much  pleased. 

^Ir.  ^A'hatmough.  Yes :  we  will  be  verj'  glad  to  do  that. 

The  Chairman.  Will  you  prepare  it,  please,  and  send  it  in  to  the 
committee  ? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  Yes. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  The  reason  I  asked  that  question  was  because 
one  witness  stated  that  the  maximum  was  reached  in  1907,  when 
there  was  something  over  a  million  that  came. 

The  Chairmax.  Yes. 

!Mr.  Whatmough.  The  carryings  of  all  the  lines  in  1920  on  a 
similar  basis  might  be  interesting  to  you,  Mr.  Chairman,  and  to  the 
committee.  From  January  1  to  December  31  the  arrivals  were 
500,500.    The  number  of  departures  were  30.3.300. 

That  made  the  excess  of  arrivals  of  immigrants  in  1920  over  de- 
partures 197.200.    That  is  the  net  increase. 

The  Cunard  lines  and  Anchor  lines,  whom  I  represent,  in  1920 
brought  in,  westbound,  67,324.  If  the  steamers  had  been  loaded  to 
their  full  capacity  they  could  have  brought  85,603. 

The  Chairmax".  AMiat  time  is  that  you  are  dealing  with? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  In  the  year  of  1920.  January  1  to  December  31. 
Eastbound  we  took  out  47,655 ;  roughly,  about  three-quarters  of 
those  that  we  brought  in. 

Senator  Sterlix'g.  IMay  I  ask  you  this :  How  do  the  departures  and 
arrivals  in  1920  compare  with  the  arrivals  and  departures  of  pre- 
vious years?    Have  you  had  occasion  to  go  into  that? 

Mr.  "Whatmough.  I  think  I  could  do  it  for  all  the  lines  very 
readily  if  you  will  permit  me  to  get  that  information. 

The  Chairmax"".  There  is  a  call  for  the  Senate,  and  you  can  go  on 
at  a  quarter  past  2,  can  you,  INIr.  Whatmough  ? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  Certainly,  Mr.  Chairman. 

The  Chahimax.  Very  well;  we  will  take  a  recess  until  a  quarter 
past  2. 

(Thereupon,  at  12.05  p.  m.,  the  committee  took  a  recess  until  2.15 
o'clock  p.  m.) 

after  recess. 

At  2.15  o'clock  p.  m.  the  committee  reassembled  pursuant  to  the 
taking  of  recess. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  come  to  order.  Mr.  What- 
mough, take  the  stand  please. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  PERCY  W.  WHATMOUGH.  GENERAL  PASSEN- 
GER MANAGER  OF  THE  CUNARD  STEAMSHIP  CO.  (LTD.)  AND 
ANCHOR-DONALDSON  LINES,  NEW  YORK  CITY— Resumed. 

The  Chairman.  You  may  proceed,  Mr.  Whatmough,  from  where 
you  left  off  at  the  time  we  took  a  recess. 

Mr.  Whatmough.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  was  asked  specifically  this 
morning  by  your  good  self,  I  believe,  as  to  the  total  number  of  ships 
that  were  in  the  passenger  service  in  1907,  and  that  I  replied  ap- 


378  EMERGEXCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATIOX. 

proximately,  as  near  as  I  could  perhaps  make  a  guess,  it  would  be 
150.  Since  then  Mr.  Morse  has  been  good  enough  to  take  out  figures 
for  me  that  show  that  there  were  177  ships  that  actually  ran  in  the 
passenger  service  in  1907. 

The  Chairmax.  Does  that  conflict  in  any  way  with  the  testimony 
that  only  100  would  be  available  ? 

Mr.  WiiATMouGH.  In  1921? 

The  Chairman.  Yes. 

Mr.  "Whatmough.  Xo.  Mr.  Chairman. 

Senator  Dillingham  also  asked  me  about  the  proportion  of  the 
incoming  to  the  outgoing  passengers  over  a  series  of  years.  We  have 
a  table  here,  and  I  have  taken  the  figures  from  1893  up  to  1920,  that 
is  28  years.  In  those  28  years  the  arrivals  were  14:.672..571.  The 
total  departures  were  6,530,425.  The  difference  between  the  two 
making  an  excess  of  arrivals  over  departures  of  7,742,146. 

The  Chairman.  During  how  many  years  ? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  Twenty-eight  years. 

Senator  Sterling.  From  what  period  to  what  period  ? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  1893  to  1920,  Senator. 

Therefore,  the  departing  people  approximately  are  50  per  cent  of 
the  arrivals. 

We  carried  that  out  a  little  bit  further.  The  average  arrivals 
per  year  for  those  years  were  524.000.  The  average  departures  were 
247.512.  So  that  the  average  of  the  arrivals  over  the  departures, 
or  in  other  words  the  annual  increase  in  the  population,  would  really 
be  about  276,508,  people  as  against  the  197,200  in  1920  previously 
mentioned. 

I  think,  this  morning,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  got  up  to  the  point  where 
I  mentioned  the  Cunard  and  Anchor  Lines'  figures.  Some  carrying- 
capacity  figures  were  given;  that  eastbound  we  had  carried  47.655. 
I  think  that  is  the  point  where  I  left  off  in  my  statement.  I  have 
the  capacity  of  every  Cunard  and  Anchor  Line  steamer  now  running, 
in  1921.  Eleven  steamers.  If  these  11  steamers  were  filled  to  their 
utmost  capacity  we  could  not  bring  more  than  65.000  people  over 
in  1921.  Supposing  that  we  got  three  new  ships  in  service  in  1921 — 
I  don't  know  that  we  will,  but  we  may,  possibly — wa  shall  have  one 
or  two,  certainly,  in  a  month  or  two — and,  assuming  that  these  three 
ships  made  six  voyages  each,  and  that  is  a  liberal  estimate,  they  might 
carry  a  maximum  of  28,500  people.  That  would  put  our  total  ca- 
pacity for  the  year  1921  up  to  about  95,000  people  at  the  utmost. 

It  may  be  interesting,  perhaps,  to  mention  that  the  largest  num- 
bers that  the  Cunard  Line  ever  carried  were  in  1906  and  1907.  In 
each  of  these  years  we  carried-  about  135.000  people.  Our  biggest 
years  in  carrying  the  eastbound.  or  departing  passengers,  were  in 
1908  and  1911.  and  in  these  yeai-s  we  carried  about  62.500  each.  The 
following  is  illustrative  of  the  point  that  you  made  a  little  while 
ago  as  to  whether  the  177  steamers  in  1907  could  be  compared  with 
the  95  to  100  that  are  available  at  the  present  time.  In  1914  the 
Cunard  and  Anchor  Lines  had  27  passenger  ships  in  service.  To-day 
we  have  only  got  11.  And  the  reason,  of  course,  is  perfectly  well 
known. 

I  can  give  you  the  names  of  the  ships  that  we  lost  if  you  would 
like  to  hear  them,  such  as  the  Lus't'Oiin.  Fvmiconia.  Laronia^  Iveimia^ 


EMERGENCV    IM:*1IGKAT10X    LEGISLATION.  379 

€arpathm,  Tuscania^  Andania,  Alunia,  Ascam'a,  Ausonia,  Aurania, 
Transylvania,  TJltonia,  Peniffia,  Caledonia^  California^  Cameronki — 
all  of  them  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

Senator  Sterling.  Were  all  of  these  vessels  of  the  Cnnard  Line? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  All  vessels  of  the  Cunard  and  the  Anchor 
Lines. 

Senator  Stekling.  All  vessels  of  the  Cnnard  and  Anchor  Lines? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  Yes;  all  passenjier  carriers  bnilt  for  a  specific 
purpose,  and,  of  course,  steamers  of  that  caliber  are  built  for  specific 
trades.  The  Maurctanias  and  Olympics  and  Aqiutaniax  and  Inti- 
jjerators  can  only  live  on  one  trade :  for  instance,  between  Xew  York 
and  the  English  Channel.  Thoy  Avould  be  of  no  use  anywhere  else. 
And  that  applies  more  or  less  to  every  trade,  practically,  in  which  a 
large  company  is  engaged,  because  they  build  these  passenger  steam- 
ers for  particular  trades,  they  adapt  them  to  those  trades,  and  that 
is  one  of  the  reasons  why  joa  can  not  at  the  present  day  replace 
those  steamers  that  you  have  lost,  readily.  It  takes  quite  some  time 
to  do  so. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  do  these  lines  contemplate  building  steam- 
ers so  as  to  have  the  number  originally  owned,  do  jow  think? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  In  course  of  time,  if  the  trade  warrants,  we 
shall  undoubtedly  build  steamers  to  provide  for  it. 

The  Chairman.  Are  any  of  the  Cunard  steamships  on  their  way 
over  to  New  York  at  the  present  time  ? 

Mr.  Whatmoltgh.  Yes,  Mr.  Chairman. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  know  whether  they  are  loaded  to  their 
full  capacity  or  not  ? 

]Mr.  Whatmough.  They  are  not,  Mr.  Chairman.  Would  you  like 
me  to  instance  them? 

The  Chairman.  Yes. 

Mr.  Whatmough.  The  Saxonia  at  the  present  time  is  on  her  way 
across.  She  has  a  capacity  of  about  1.300,  and  she  has  300  vacant 
third-class  berths. 

The  Imperator  is  on  her  way  over.  too.  and  she  has  a  capacity  of 
about  1,300,  but  she  has  700  vacant  third-class  berths. 

The  Chairman.  From  what  ports  did  they  sail  ? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  The  Saxonia  is  coming  out  from  London,  the 
Imperator  from  Southampton. 

The  Chairman.  Any  others? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  Those  are  the  only  two  that  I  know  of  our  own 
lines  and  you  would  not.  I  dare  say,  ask  me  to  speak  for  any  others? 

The  Chair:sian.  In  your  opinion  is  there  danger  of  the  so-called 
flood  of  immigration  from  Europe? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  I  don't  think,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  there  really 
does  .seem  to  be  any  such  real  danger. 

The  Chairman.  In  your  opinion  does  such  an  emergency  exist  as 
to  justify  the  temporary  suspension  of  immigration  called  for  by 
the  Johnson  bill  ? 

Mr.  WHAT>rouGH.  Xo;  I  don't  think  there  is  such  emergency. 

The  Chairman.  Does  the  present  rate  of  immigration  differ  very 
much  from  the  normal  immigration? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  Might  I  ask  whether  you  mean  in  volume  or  in 
character? 

The  Chairman.  Volume  first. 


380  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

^l^.  WiiATMouGH.  Xo;  I  think  that  the  volume  is  more  or  less 
normal  considering  all  circumstance. 

The  Chairman.  When  you  say  "considering  all  circumstances" 
what  do  you  mean  by  that  ? 

Mr.  ^^'IIATMouGII.  That  relatives,  for  instance,  of  the  people  that 
have  been  here  for  years  and  who  have  been  separated  from  them  for 
the  period  of  the  war  naturally  are  coming  across  and  are  being 
brought  across  as  quickly  as  possible. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  that  would  swell  the  immigration  above 
the  normal,  would  it  not  i 

Mr.  Whatmough.  It  would,  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  What  is  the  tjpe  of  the  present  European  immi- 
gration— the  character:  better  or  worse? 

Mr.  WiiATMorcH.  I  think  it  is  rather  above  the  usual  class. 

The  Chair^ian.  Do  you  know  whether  there  are  more  women 
among  the  immigrants  now  arriving  than  usual  in  proportion  to 
men? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  I  think  that  is  quite  a  correct  statement.  Senator: 
quite  correct. 

The  Chairman.  TMiat  have  you  to  say  with  regard  to  Ellis  Island 
and  the  causes  of  congestion  and  detention  there  ? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  I  think  that  the  main  cause  of  the  congestion 
at  Ellis  Island  is  a  shortage  of  competent  staff:  a  shortage  of  ade- 
quate staff  to  deal  with  the  numbers  that  are  coming. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  think  the  failure  to  obtain  transportation 
by  rail  to  the  interior  has  an^'thing  to  do  with  the  detention  i 

Mr.  Whatmough.  It  has.  It  has  quite  a  little  to  do  with  it.  Mr. 
Chairman. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  anything  further  that  you  wish  to  state  ? 
Have  you  any  data  that  you  wish  to  introduce  ( 

Mr.  Whatmough.  Xo:  ^Ir.  Chairman,  I  think  that  I  have  given  all 
the  facts  that  I  have  at  my  disposal. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  would  like  to  ask  you :  Do  your  ships  touch 
at  southern  and  southeastern  European  ports? 

Mr.  Whatjiough.  Yes:  we  have  three  steamers  which  go  up  the 
Adriatic  and  call  at  Grecian  ports. 

Senator  Sterling.  Are  there  many  immigrants  from  northern 
and  northwestern  Europe  coming  out  now  by  your  lines? 

^Ir.  Whatmough.  Yes :  we  bring  quite  considerable  numbers  from 
Great  Britain  and  a  fair  proportion  from  Scandinavia. 

Senator  Sterling.  Any  Hollanders? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  Hollanders  would  be  in  a  very  small  proportion 
by  our  steamers. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Has  your  observation  enabled  you  to  observe 
what  particular  interests  attract  the  Scandinavians  to  come  over? 

Mr.  Whatmough.  Generally  we  have  attributed  to  the  Scandina- 
vians the  following  of  agriculture  and  timber  trades. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  didn't  know  but  you  had  been  among  them 
enough  so  that  you  knew  what  their  ambition  was. 

Mr.  Whatmough.  Xo.  Senator. 

Senator  Dillin(;ham.  All  right. 

The  Chairman.  Thank  you. 

Mr.  Farley.  Mr.  Chairman,  may  I  permitted  to  supplement  my 
statement  ? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  381 

The  Chairman.  Certainly. 

Mr.  Farley.  The  previous  speaker  mentioned  that  the  steamers 
of  the  Cnnarcl  Line  were  not  comino-  over  filled  tq  capacity.  I  wish 
to  say  that  the  same  applies  to  the  American  and  White  Star  Lines. 

Oiii-  steamer  Megmitic^  now  en  route  from  Liverpool,  is  carrying 
approximately  half  her  capacity;  530  passengers  against  a  carrying 
capacity  of  about  1,100. 

The  steamer  Mongolia^  of  the  American  Line,  from  Hamburg  and 
Antwerp,  is  carrying  about  200  less  than  her  capacit}^,  and  we  have 
been  obliged  to  discontinue  calling  at  Vigo,  Spain,  owing  to  the  lack 
of  immigration.  We  had  from  that  port  large  numbers  of  very  de- 
sirable immigrants  that  mostly  went  to  West  Virginia  and  Connecti- 
cut, but  on  account  of  the  stories,  we  are  told  by  our  agents,  of  the 
lack  of  employment,  and  reports  sent  back  by  these  passengers,  the 
Spanish  authorities  have  let  it  be  known  that  immigration  to  the 
United  States  was  not  desirable. 

Senator  Dillingham.  How  recently  was  that? 

Mr.  Farley.  Within  the  last  few  weeks. 

The  Chair3ian.  Are  these  steamers  en  route  that  you  are  speaking 
about  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  These  steamers  that  I  just  mentioned  are  en  route 
from  Europe,  the  Megantic  from  Liverpool. 

The  Chairman.  And  what  other? 

Mr.  Farley.  And  the  Mongolia.  The  steamer  Megantic  only 
picked  up  about  50  passengers  at  Queenstown,  the  Irish  port;  we 
usually  get  a  couple  of  hundred  there. 

The  Chairman.  Hasn't  the  immigration  from  Spain  been  quite 
heavy  in  the  last  five  or  six  months? 

]\Ir.  Farley.  Yes.  It  has  been  fairly  heavy,  commencing  in  about 
May,  a  very  desirable  class  of  immigrants. 

The  Chairman.  Do  j^ou  mean  by  what  you  testified  to  that  the 
news  of  the  state  of  unemployment  here  has  reached  Spain,  and  that 
it  has  had  its  effect? 

Mr.  Farley.  Exactly. 

The  Chairman.  That  it  has  had  its  effect  on  the  number  coming 
over  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  On  the  movement.  Yes;  in  other  words  the  law  of 
supply  and  demand.  The  immigrants,  as  typified  in  1908.  won't 
come  here  if  there  are  hard  times  in  this  country.  And  that  is  why 
the  outgoing  movement  in  those  years  was  heavy  and  we  are  likely 
to  see  an  increase  in  that  movement  right  iioav.  1  think  I  might  also 
say,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  as  to  the  class  of  immigration  we  are 
bringing  the  best  evidence  of  the  fact  that  Ave  are  not  bringing 
the  decrepit  or  feeble  class  is  the  small  percentage  of  deporta- 
tions that  the  lines  are  carrying.  I  believe  that  the  figures  of  the 
Immigration  Service  wall  show  that  we  are  carrying  hardly  1  per 
cent  of  deports  back,  despite  the  fact  of  the  rigid  immigration  law 
now  in  force  and  its  application.  This  I  think  should  be  an  evidence 
that  the  class  of  immigration  that  we  are  bringing  to  the  country  is 
not,  as  has  been  stated  by  some,  poor  and  not  able  to  comply  with 
the  law. 

The  Chairman.  Is  it  your  opinion,  then,  that  the  adverse  business 
condition  here  has  a  double  effect  upon  immigration,  or  upon  the 
immigration  question  ? 


382  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  Farley.  It  has,  certainly. 

The  Chairman.  Xartielj',  that  it  restricts  the  number  coming  in 
and  increases  the  number  poino:  home? 

Mr.  Farley.  Yes,  That  is  borne  out,  as  I  said,  by  the  condition  we 
had  when  we  had  the  semipanic  in  1907  and  1008.  The  fi^riu'es  that 
were  recited  by  the  other  o;entlemen,  I  think,  show  that  very  clearly. 

The  Chairman.  In  j'our  opinion  is  there  danger  of  a  so-called 
flood  of  immigration  from  Europe  during  the  next  few  months? 

Mr.  Farley.  There  is  not,  in  my  opinion. 

The  Chairman.  In  your  opinion  does  such  an  emergency  exist  as 
to  justify  the  temporary  suspension  of  immigration  called  for  by  the 
Johnson  bill  ? 

Mr.  Farley.  Not  in  my  opinion ;  no,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  all.    Thank  you. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  FRANCIS  C.  HARIEY.  SECRETARY  OF  THE 
NATIONAL  IMMIGRATION  COUNCIL,  ASTORIA,  OREG. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Haiiey,  you  are  the  secretary  of  the  National 
Immigration  Council,  are  you  ? 

Mr.  Harley.  Yes.  sir.  I  am  from  Astoria,  Oreg.  I  am  the  na- 
tional secretary  of  the  National  Immigration  Council,  Mr.  Chairman, 
I  presume  you  want  me  to  give  you  a  resume  of  what  the  National 
Immigration  Council  consists  and  what  it  is  doing  i 

The  Chairman.  You  may. 

Mr.  Harley.  The  National  Immigration  Council  consists  of  engi- 
neers throughout  the  United  States  who  are  as  familiar  with  the 
unskilled  labor  situation  as  they  are  with  any  other  class  and  who, 
in  fact,  are  more  familiar  with  the  unskilled  labor  situation  than  any 
other  class  of  professional  men  in  America,  because  of  the  fact  that 
they  furnish  more  work  for  labor  than  does  any  other  class,  and  they 
are  themselves  workmen. 

Our  committee  has  been  in  existence  for  three  years,  and  the  study 
that  we  have  been  making  has  been  a  systematic  study  from  one  end 
of  the  United  States  to  the  other.  The  reason  we  made  this  exten- 
sive and  systematic  study  of  the  labor  situation  was  because  of  the 
waj'  we  were  affected  on  the  west  coast  by  the  question  of  unskilled 
labor.  VCe  never  did  have  the  source  of  supply  of  unskilled  labor 
that  the  East  has  had.  statistics  showing  that  75  per  cent  of  the 
immigration  entering  the  United  States  remained  east  of  the  Ohio 
River.  20  per  cent  of  it  coming  to  the  territory  l)etween  the  Ohio 
River  and  the  Mississippi  River,  and  less  than  5  per  cent  of  it  coming 
west  of  the  ^lississippi  River  or  to  the  Pacific  coast. 

Because  of  the  conditions  that  existed  in  the  West,  the  big  under- 
takings that  were  going  on,  and,  for  example,  the  development  of  our 
water  power,  the  reclaiming  of  hundreds  of  millions  of  acres  of  land 
in  the  ^Vest,  we  needed  a  great  many  laborers.  AVe  have  been  under- 
taking great  irrigation  and  drainage  projects,  b\it  these  projects 
could  not  be  carried  on  l)ecause  we  did  not  have  the  labor  to  carry 
them  on  with,  and  so  naturally  this  was  a  question  for  the  engineers 
to  solve. 

Our  committee  planned  to  bring  in  Chinese  labor  for  our  Avork  and 
our  plans  were  going  along  well  when  the  armistice  came  along. 


E-MEROEXrV    IM.MIGilATION    LEGISLATION.  383 

Senator  DiLLixcHA^r.  And  that  stopped  it  i 

Mr.  Harley.  And  that  stopped  it.  And  then  it  looked  as  though 
our  work  had  been  altogether  unnecessary,  because  immediately  the 
cry  Tvas  set  up  by  our  United  States  Employment  Service  Bureau  that 
on  account  of  the  return  of  the  millions  of  our  soldiers  there  would  be 
an  enormous  amount  of  unemployment,  and  it  was  said  that  within  a 
few  months  we  would  have  soup  houses  and  bread  lines  extending 
from  one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other,  because  of  the  niiUions  of 
our  boys  coming  back  and  not  being  able  to  find  employment, 

Xow.  every  one  of  our  committee  believed  that  such  would  be  the 
case.  We  believed  that  when  the  soldiers  did  return  there  would  be 
a  tremendous  amount  of  unemj^loyment.  But  when  they  did  come 
back  the}"  were  absorbed  into  our  industrial  life,  and  our  industrial 
expansion  was  greater  than  ever  before  in  our  history,  and  the  short- 
age of  labor  became  more  acute  than  it  was  during  the  war.  And  dur- 
ing the  war  the  only  reason  why  we  were  able  to  maintain  our  pro- 
duction in  the  agricultural  section  of  the  United  States — and  I  am  re- 
ferring particularly  to  the  country  west  of  the  Mississippi  River  and 
in  the  far  West — was  because  we  sent  our  women  and  children  into  the 
fields  to  work.  They  patriotically  responded  to  the  need  for  help,  and 
went  out  into  the  fields  and  worked  during  the  war.  The  minute  the 
armistice  was  signed,  however,  thev  relaxed  their  efforts,  and  they 
refused  to  go  any  further,  for  which  they  are  to  be  given  credit,  be- 
cause if  we  fought  this  war  for  democracy,  we  certainly  are  not  going 
to  peasantize  our  women  and  children  by  sending  them  into  the  fields 
like  they  do  in  Europe.  We  would  not  have  gained  anything  by 
winning  the  war  if  as  a  result  we  would  make  peasants  of  them. 

Xow,  there  was  a  shortage  of  labor  confronting  us.  Our  work 
was  laid  aside  for  six  months.  In  May  the  demand  for  labor  again 
became  ofreat.  in  fact  it  became  greater  than  it  had  ever  been  before. 

The  Chairman.  May  of  what  vear? 

Mr.  Harlet.  In  May  of  1919.  Senator,  because  the  armistice  came 
in  1918.  and  we  had  then  laid  aside  our  work.  In  December  of  1918 
Ave  laid  aside  our  work  and  let  it  go.  but  in  May  of  1919  the  demand 
for  labor  became  as  great  again,  or  even  greater  than  before,  and 
many  members  of  the  committee  thouglit  that  the  work  of  the  com- 
mittee should  be  pushed  forward.  But  at  that  time  our  work  was 
just  sectional,  we  were  only  interested  in  our  section,  and  working 
for  that,  but  we  realized  that  it  would  not  be  possible  to  get  a  pro- 
vision from  Congress  affecting  us  alone :  that  if  we  were  to  get  relief 
it  was  necessary  that  we  have  an  amendment  to  our  law.  because 
Congress  could  not  give  this  help  to  one  section  alone,  it  had  to  be 
of  national  scope.  Therefore  we  made  it  national,  and  started  the 
movement  to  appeal  to  Congress  for  the  modification  of  our  pres- 
ent immigration  laws  as  they  existed,  to  make  them  more  liberal,  so 
that  the  illiterate  immigrants  could  come  in  from  Europe,  for  we 
believe  that  if  there  is  any  necessity  for  restriction,  it  would  be  lietter 
to  restrict  the  intellectual  from  coming  into  the  countrv.  We  don't 
need,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  any  more  merchants  or  peddlers,  or  junk 
dealers,  but  we  do  need  pick-and-shovel  men  and  farm  laborers. 
Xow.  we  are  supposed  to  have  located  out  in  our  country  the  hot-bed 
of  T.  W.  W.'s.  I  happen  to  be  the  mayor  of  a  city  in  which  is  lorntpd 
2nni  1  —21  — PT  7 ?, 


384  lI.MKRfiEXCV    IM.MICIIATIOX    LKOTSI.ATIDX. 

a  hotbed  of  I.  W.  A\'".s.  and  I  have  never  found  one  of  these  jjeople 
in  jail  hut  tliat  was  an  eihicated  fellow,  and  if  yon  had  seen  the  books 
that  some  of  them  had  with  tiiem  while  the}'  were  in  jail  it  would 
have  surprised  you.    Many  of  them  had  verj'  j^ood  educations. 

Senator  Sterling.  ( )f  what  city  are  you  mayor  i 

Mr.  Hakley.  Astoria.  Orep.,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  Kiver, 
Senator. 

Senator  Sterlixo.  You  spoke  about  the  ^reat  demand  in  May, 
1919,    For  Avhat  class  of  workers  was  that  demand  i 

Mr.  Harley.  For  farm  labor  and  pick-and-shovel  workers,  because 
of  the  fact  that  there  Avere  no  more  pick-and-shovel  workers  nor 
farm  laborers  left.  They  iiad  all  been  made  skilled  mechanics  during 
the  war. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  And  how  has  it  been  since  that  time? 

Mr.  FLarley.  It  has  been  absolutely  the  same.  There  are  some 
points  that  I  want  to  bring  out  here.  I  have  had  the  opportunity  of 
speaking  all  over  the  Ignited  States  before  chambers  of  commerce, 
commercial  l)odies.  civic  bodies,  churches,  and  before  all  kinds  of 
organizations  on  this  question,  and  we  have  taken  a  ballot  to  ascer- 
tain as  to  how  people  feel  on  the  immigration  question. 

Senator  Dillixgha^f.  Xow.  as  the  result  of  this,  what  amendment 
to  the  laAv  are  you  recommending? 

Mr.  Harley.  The  present  laws  are  satisfactory,  or  we  would  like 
to  have  them  even  more  liberal. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  In  what  respect? 

Mr.  Harley.  To  allow  the  illiterate  to  come  in :  to  allov,-  the  pick- 
and-shovel  men.  and  the  farm  laborers,  and  the  house  servants  to 
come  in.  and  bar  the  others,  the  educated  ones,  because  we  find  that 
the  educated  fellow  is  the  agitator. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  Well,  now,  suppose  the  literacy  test  were 
repealed,  what  further  would  you  recommend  ( 

Mr.  Harley.  What  further  recommendation  would  I  make  ? 

Senator  Dillixgham.  Yes. 

Mr.  Harley.  In  regard  to  handling  the  situation  as  to  the  labor 
conditions? 

Senator  Dillixgham.  For  the  modification  of  the  present  law. 

Mr.  Harley.  If  there  had  to  be  any  restriction,  as  some  of  our 
members  have  advocated,  if  that  were  necessary,  and  it  was  felt  that 
something  had  to  be  d(me  to  safeguard  the  country  as  to  the  immi- 
grant coming  in  from  other  countries,  why  I  would  suggest  that  on^ 
immigrant  be  allowed  to  come  in  on  an  American  bottom  for  every 
immigrant  that  is  allow'ed  to  come  in  on  a  foreign  bottom. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  Xo:  but  I  understood  you  to  say  that  you 
wanted  the  law  so  amended  that  a  larger  number  of  common  laborers 
could  come. 

Mr.  Harley.  I  thought  you  asked  me  as  to  what  suggestion  I 
would  make  if  there  were  to  be  restrictions? 

Senator  Dillixgham.  No.  You  first  advocated  the  modification  by 
repeal  of  the  reading  test.  Now,  if  that  was  done,  what  further 
would  vou  lecommend ? 

Mr.  ItlARLEY.  Why,  I  would  reconnuend  that  there  be  provision 
made,  say,  for  the  distribution  of  the-e  i)eople  into  the  sections  of 
the  country  where  they  are  needed.  Neither  the  city  of  New  York, 
noi-  Chicago,  nor  any  of  the  big  cities  needs  more  labor.     But  the 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  385 

a<iriciiltuial  districts  need  more  labor,  and  we  need  more  labor  out 
ill  my  country  for  all  the  biu"  projects  that  will  have  to  be  carried  on. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Now.  sui)pose  that  I  am  with  you  on  that — 
and  I  ain^— how  Avill  you  do  it  practically?  How  would  you  reach 
that  result  ?    I  am  askin"-,  because  I  want  practical  sugoestions. 

Mr.  Harley.  Absolutely.  Senator;  and  I  want  to  show  you  by 
some  newspaper  statements  that  I  have  here,  what  are  the  condi- 
tions in  different  sections  of  the  country  where  the  (piestion  as  to 
labor  has  come  up.  I  would  sufrgest  that  w-e  allow  no  one  to  come 
into  the  country  except  such  a  class  of  labor  as  we  need,  such  as  farm 
labor.  })ick-and-shovel  men,  and  house  servants,  and  they  should  go, 
when  they  come  to  this  country,  to  the  places  where  they  are  needed. 
These  peoj^le  should  not  go  to  the  places  where  their  relatives  are 
sending  for  them  to  come,  for  then,  in  most  cases,  they  wnll4)e  going 
to  places  and  sections  Avhere  they  are  not  needed.  Make  a  provision 
requiring  that  they  go  to  only  those  sections  where  they  are  needed. 
And  if  they  don't  want  to  come  into  this  country  under  those  con- 
ditions, then  don't  let  them  enter  the  country.  ^Xe  should  certainly 
have  that  right.  Senator. 

Senator  DiLLiNOHA^r.  You  would  not  permit  any  to  enter  who  are 
not.  as  you  term  it.  pick-and-shovel  men? 

]\rr.  Harley.  Absolutely  not.    We  don't  need  any  others.  Senator. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  would  forbid  the  entrance  into  this 
country  of  all  other  classes? 

Mr.  Harley.  We  have.  Senator,  a  hundred  million  Americans, 
every  one  of  them  claiming  to  be  of  the  intellectual  class  to-day, 
no  one  of  them  willing  to  do  the  common  labor  work.  The}'  consider 
themselves  above  that. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Yes;  but  you  would  oppose  letting  the  other 
classes  come  in  for  the  present? 

Mr.  Harley.  I  Avould,  absolutely. 

Senator  Sterling.  What  is  your  position  on  the  question  of  letting 
skilled  labor  come  in? 

Mr.  Harley.  We  don't  need  any  more  skilled  labor.  Senator.  We 
have  enough  of  that. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  would  you  exclude  it  by  law? 

^Ir.  HiVRLEY.  Well,  no;  I  would  not.  You  are  asking  me  person- 
ally if  T  would? 

Senator  Sterling.  Yes. 

^Ir.  Harley.  No;  as  far  as  T  am  concerned,  T  would  not.  But  I 
am  more  interested  in  the  pick-and-shovel  labor. 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  now,  where  is  the  great  demand  for  the 
pick-and-shovel  labor? 

^fr.  Harley.  In  the  section  of  the  country  from  where  you  come. 
Senator,  and  from  where  I  come,  in  the  western  country,  west  of  the 
Mississippi,  in  the  farming  sections  of  our  country,  and  also.  Senator, 
to  carry  on  our  big  governmental  projects.  The  engineers  became 
interested  in  this  work  for  the  simple  reason  that  there  were  hundreds 
of  millions  of  dollars  worth  of  governmental.  State,  county,  and  city 
projects  that  were  being  held  in  abeyance  because  of  the  excessive 
cost  connected  with  carrying  that  work  forward.  Why.  Senator, 
if  10  years  ago  we  had  had  to  pay  day  labor,  pick-and-shovel  labor. 
any  five  or  six  dollars  a  day,  or  if  20  years  ago  we  had  to  pay  as 


360  K.MKKuEXt  V    l.U.MiGKATiuX    Lhi.lSLATloN. 

high  as  five  and  six  dolhirs  a  day  for  day  hibor,  do  you  believe,  Sen- 
ator, that  we  would  have  our  great  transcontinental  railroads  that  Ave 
have  got  across  this  continent  to-day?  No;  they  never  could  have 
been  built.  They  were  built  because  we  had  economical  labor  to  do 
it  with,  and  at  that  time,  Senator,  we  had  the  source  of  supply  avail- 
able from  which  to  draw  that  labor;  isn't  that  true  ( 

Now,  here  is  a  card  that  appeared  everywhere  in  the  city  of  New 
York.  I  was  there  yesterday  and  I  took  one  of  these  cards  with  me. 
There  they  are  advertising  for  labor.    This  card  saj^s : 

Men  wanted — Street-cleaning  department.  Steady  work.  Drivers,  $.5.60  a 
day;  sweepers,  $.5.21  a  day.  Kxanuned  and  appointed  the  day  you  make  ap- 
plication. 

Senator  DiLLixoHAii.  When  was  that  issued? 

Mr.  Harley.  ^Vh}-.  that  is  appearing  in  New  York  at  the  present 
time.  They  are  advertirring  extensively  for  labor.  They  have  these 
big  posters,  such  as  the  Ami}-  and  Navy  posters,  placed  everywhere, 
advertising  for  help.  And  these  are  scattered  all  over  in  different 
parts  of  the  city,  saying  they  will  pay  men  $5.21  and  $5.60  a  day. 
Why,  five  years  ago  a  man  had  to  have  the  indorsement  of  the  political 
ward  leader  and  the  ward  boss  to  get  a  job  at  $2  or  $2.50  a  day  as  a 
street  sweeper  or  street  cleaner.  And,  Mr.  Senator,  it  is  the  tax- 
payer that  is  paying  the  bills.  All  of  the  burden  of  paying  for  this 
high-priced  labor  falls  upon  the  taxpayer.  And  indirecth'  it  is  the 
workingman  of  the  country  who  is  paying  those  bills  by  means 
of  taxes. 

Now,  I  can  show  jou  reports  on  the  labor  conditions  in  Italy  to 
the  effect  that  a  skilled  artisan  there  makes  150  liras  a  week,  and 
that  same  man  can  come  over  here  and  sweep  the  streets  of  New  York 
and  make  as  much  in  one  single  day  as  he  makes  over  there  in  a 
week.  Now,  under  those  conditions,  why  shouldn't  he  come?  But 
if  we  had  the  source  of  supply  available  to  us,  we  would  not  have 
to  pay  S5.21  a  day. 

The  Chairman.  Are  there  am'  questions? 

Senator  Dillixgham.  Your  idea  is  that  if  we  allowed  these  com- 
mon laborers,  pick-and-.'^hovel  men.  as  you  call  them,  to  come  in, 
they  would  bring  down  the  wages  of  labor  ? 

Mr.  Harley.  No,  sir;  I  don't  contend  that  at  all.  I  contend  that 
the  price  of  labor  is  up  to  $5.21  a  day  because  we  have  no  one  to 
do  it. 

Senator  Dilijxgiiam.  "Will  you  please  read  what  there  is  on  that 
card  into  the  record?  That  is.  the  card  advertising  for  labor  in  the 
city  of  New  York. 

Mr.  Harley.  Yes.    It  reads  as  follows: 

Want<'d^=— Street-cieaninjr  department.  Steady  work.  I>iivers.  .S.j.W  a  day; 
sweepers.  .'?.5.21  a  day.  Examined  and  appointed  tlie  day  you  make  applinUiim. 
riomolion.  <  )i'p«>rruiiity  for  (piick  advancenient  to  a  responsible  position.  Vaea- 
ticm,  medic-al  and  dental  ;iitention.  and  pensions.  Aiit\  I'l  to  4.".  For  infor- 
mation apply  here. 

And  wherever  yon  pass  one  of  these  places  where  the  cards  are 
up  you  can  go  right  in  tliere  and  get  tlie  job.  I  could  have  gone  in 
and  gotten  one  <>t"  tliese  jobs  ye.sterday.  because  I  only  got  this  poster 
yesterday.    So  you  see  it  is  recent. 

Senator  Dillixcham.  And  how  recently  do  you  say  that  was 
issued  i 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  387 

Mr.  Harley.  Well,  j'oii  can  find  those  lithographed  posters  all 
over  in  the  different  parts  of  the  city  of  Xew  York. 

Senator  Dillingham.  AVell.  I  mean,  when  were  they  posted?  Do 
you  mean  that  these  are  bein<r  put  out  at  the  present  time? 

Mr.  Hakley.  I  just  jrot  this  one  yesterday  on  the  fourteenth  floor 
of  the  city  hall  of  Xew  York. 

Senator  Dillingham.  That  is  what  I  wanted  to  know. 

Mr.  Harley.  I  got  it  yesterday. 

Xow,  then,  to  further  prove  that  statement,  3'ou  will  remember, 
gentlemen,  that  the  only  real  snow  flurry  they  had  in  Xew  York 
this  year  was  two  weeks  ago.  Xow  we  can  find  out  how  many  men 
wanted  to  do  pick-and-shovel  work  in  Xew  York.  On  December  28 
there  was  an  article  in  the  Xew  York  World  describing  the  situa- 
tion as  regards  getting  labor  to  clear  away  the  snow.  The  big  storm 
struck  the  city  on  the  night  of  the  27th.  Here  is  what  it  says  in  the 
Xew  York  World : 

Snow-shoveling  jobs  go  a-begging.  City  calls  for  8,000  workers,  but  few 
respond.    Tractors  prove  a  siu-cess. 

Xow,  farther  down  in  the  article  it  says : 

Later  an  appeal  was  made  to  the  State  labor  bvn-eau.  In  spite  of  the  offer 
of  65  cents  an  hour,  2,017  men  were  all  that  Acting  Commissioner  Eschman 
was  able  to  muster  when  he  wantetl  8,000. 

Do  you  care  to  have  me  read  all  of  this  article  so  as  to  get  the 
connection? 

Senator  Dillingham.  Such  portions  of  it  as  you  think  are  im- 
portant. 

Mr.  Harley.  Well,  it  begins  this  way : 

If  there  are  many  unemployed  in  the  city  it  was  not  made  manifest  to  the 
street-cleaning  department  yesterday,  when  an  appeal  for  workers  to  help  re- 
move the  snow  brought  scant  response. 

When  the  snow  had  reached  an  inch  a  call  was  issued  through  the  police 
to  the  regulars  and  also  to  the  3,500  '*  extras  "  who  had  registered  and  others 
who  had  not. 

Later  an  appeal  was  ma'de  to  the  State  labor  bureau.  In  spite  of  the  offer 
of  65  cents  an  hour,  2,017  men  were  all  that  Acting  Commissioner  Eschman 
was  able  to  muster  when  he  wanted  8,000. 

Xow,  that  is  the  only  snowstorm  that  they  have  had  in  Xew  York, 
and  that  is  the  situation  that  arose  when  they  found  it  necessary  to 
make  an  appeal  for  labor  to  clear  away  the  snow  on  the  streets  of 
Xew  York. 

The  Chair:man.  I  judge  from  what  3'ou  say  that  you  are  not  in 
favor  of  the  suspension  of  immigration. 

Mr.  Harley.  I  am  absolutely  not.  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  all.    Tliank  you. 

]\Ir.  Harley.  Are  there  any  questions  that  you  would  like  to  ask 
me?  Because  I  can  give  you  a  lot  of  other  inforiruition  concerning 
this  subject.  Here  is  the  Xew  York  Times  of  last  Sunday,  and  also 
the  Xew  York  World.  Xow,  here  is  the  section  in  the  Xew  York 
World  containing  "  Help  wanted  "  and  "  Situations  wanted."  Xow, 
gentlemen,  this  is  probably  the  best  way  to  find  out  just  exactly  what 
the  situatioii  is  to-day  in  regard  to  getting  labor.  And  this  same 
thing  will  apply  in  all  the  large  cities  of  the  United  States.  If  you 
will  take  and  look  through  the  advertising  columns  of  any  paper  in 
any  of  the  large  cities  you  will  find  this  same  condition  prevailing. 


388  kmhr(;excv  i.m.mhuiatjon  lk(;islatiox. 

In  the  New  York  "World  there  are  29  columns  of  ''  Female  help 
A\  anted."  mind  you.  jrentlemen.  29  colmims  of  ''  Female  help  wanted." 
and  25  columns  of  '*  Male  help  wanted,"  a  total  of  54  columns.  And 
while  most  of  these  advertisements  are  only  for  one  individual,  still 
there  are  a  numV)er  of  them  asking  for  more;  in  fact,  there  is  one 
here  asking  for  600. 

Now.  as  against  that,  take  the  columns  containing  "  Situations 
Avanted  "  in  the  same  newspaper,  and  each  one  of  those  advertise- 
ments is  for  a  position  for  one  person.  Altogether,  in  that  paper, 
there  appear  Oi  columns  of  "  Situations  wanted,  female.""  and  11^  col- 
umns of  •'  Situations  wanted,  male."'  Now.  there  we  have  54  columns 
asking  for  help,  and  less  than  20  columns  of  "  Situations  wanted."" 

And  the  same  thing  is  true  of  the  Xew  York  Herald.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  look  through  these  advertisements  to  see  the  kind  of  posi- 
tions that  are  wanted.  In  all  these  ads  appearing  in  the  Xew  York 
Herald  there  is  only  one  among  the  "  Situations  wanted,  female."^ 
asking  for  the  job  of  chambermaid,  and  two  for  housework.  And 
all  the  rest  of  them  are  asking  for  "  easy  "  jobs.  Why.  gentlemen,  a 
lot  of  them  are  willing  to  be  *'  companions "' :  a  lot  of  them  will  con- 
sent to  go  traveling  with  you  to  California  or  to  Europe  as  a  compan- 
ion or  a  secretary  or  something  like  that.  They  will  work  for  you  as 
a  clerk  or  bank  cashier  or  bookkeeper,  or  they  will  go  with  you  on 
your  private  yacht ;  and  some  of  these  are  people  who  want  to  go  to 
work  at  12,  have  an  hour  for  lunch,  and  quit  at  1  o"clock.  But.  gen- 
tlemen, what  this  country  needs  is  workmen.  It  needs  less  brain  and 
more  brawn.  That  is  what  we  want  in  this  country.  I  thank  you, 
gentlemen. 

The  Chairmax.  I  think  you  closed  very  well. 

I  might  say  that  ]Mr.  Sandford  is  preparing  certain  data  which  he 
will  submit  to-morrow  morning  at  the  opening  of  the  session. 

"We  will  now  stand  adjourned  until  to-morrow  morning  at  half- 
past  10. 

(Whereupon,  at  3  o'clock  p.  m..  the  committee  adjourned  to  meet 
at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m.,  Thursday,  January  13,  1921.) 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 


HEARINGS 


BEFORE 


COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 
UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGRESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 

H.  R.  14461 

A  BILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZENS 
OF  THE  UNITED  'STATES  BY  THE  TEMPORARY 
SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 
FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 


THURSDAY,  JANUARY  13,  1921 


PART  8 

Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration 


^r 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT   PRINTING   OFFICII 
26911  1021 


COMMITTEE  OX  IMMIGRATION. 

LeBARON  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island,  Chairmun. 
WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,  Vermont.  THOMAS  P.  GORE.  Oklahoma. 

BOIES  PENROSE,  Pennsylvania.  JOHN  F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 

THOMAS  STERLING,  South  Dakota.  WILLIAM  H.  KING.   Utah. 

HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California.  WILLIAM  J.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 

HENRY  W.  KEYES,  New  Hampshire.  PAT  HARRISON,   Mississippi. 

WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey.  JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 

Henbt  M.  Baret,  CJerk. 


EMEEGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 


THURSDAY,   JANUARY   13,    1921. 

United  States  Senate, 

Committee  on  Immigration, 

Washington,  D.  C . 
The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m., 
in  room  235,   Senate   Office   Building,   Senator  LeBaron   B.   Colt, 
presiding. 

Present:  Senators  Colt  (chairman),  Dillingham.  Sterling,  John- 
son, Keyes,  Edge,  Nugent,  King,  Harris,  and  Harrison, 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  come  to  order,  please.  Mr. 
Sandford,  will  you  please  take  the  stand.  You  had  some  memoranda 
in  addition  to  what  you  introduced  yesterday. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  LAWSON  SANDFORD— Continued. 

Mr.  Sandford.  I  wish  to  speak  with  particular  regard  to  the  Ellis 
Island  congestion.  The  European  immigrants,  race  by  race,  arriv- 
ing now  and  since  the  armistice,  are  about  the  same  in  type  as  in  the 
prewar  movement.  That  statement  is  based  upon  personal  observa- 
tion of  the  passengers  actually  arriving  on  vessels  to  our  consign- 
ment throughout  the  entire  year  1920.  In  fact,  it  is  the  practice  in 
our  own  business  carefully  to  analyze  every  occurrence  throughout 
the  transportation  period,  until  the  passengers  are  either  passed  and 
admitted  at  Ellis  Island,  or  deported,  for  the  purpose  of  studying 
any  remedies  in  respect  to  any  minor  difficulties  that  may  be  found 
in  the  ordinary  progress  of  the  business. 

The  congestion  witnessed  at  Ellis  Island  is,  in  our  mind,  due  to 
several  plain  facts.  Since  August,  1914,  there  was  disintegration  in 
the  well-organized  staffs  there,  in  fact,  employment  elsewhere 
promised  higher  compensation  and  greater  opportunity  to  many  of 
the  Ellis  Island  inspectors. 

Inspection  work  did  not  tax  the  staff  remaining,  because  the  arri- 
vals of  European  steerage  at  United  States  Atlantic  ports  were  very 
much  reduced  during  the  World  War  years.  The  figures  are: 
103,980  in  1915;  149,2>4  in  1916;  46,088  in  1917;  12,926  in  1918,  and 
80,589  in  1919. 

Senator  Sterling.  Those  are  the  arrivals? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  arrivals ;  yes,  sir. 
_  The  immigration  act  of  1917  and  the  new  provisions  found  in  it. 
like  the  reading  test,  and  the  provisions  for  inspection  of  seamen, 
added  to  the  scope  and  to  the  extent  of  the  operations  in  the  first 
World-War  period— that  is,  the  second  half  of  1914— in  1915.  1916, 
and  part  of  1917. 

389 


390  E.MtK<;EX(  V    l.MMlv.KATlD-X    LlXilSl.ATIOX. 

Xow.  with  the  extension  of  the  scope  of  operations,  the  increase  in 
the  arrival  of  European  steerage  in  1920  was  phiinh'  more  than  the 
machinery  found  in  1920  could  possibh*  handle,  despite  the  loyal 
and  untiring  effort  of  the  veteran  principal  officers.  The  average  of 
arrivals  in  steerage  from  Europe  for  the  first  half  of  1920  works 
out  roughly  6,500  persons  weekly,  and  in  the  second  half  of  the  year 
the  average  is  prohaltly  12.000  weekly.  Naturally,  the  .-teamers  do 
not  come  in  on  the  schedule  of  a  railway  system  and  sometimes  several 
steamers  will  arrive  in  one  da}'.  The  number  of  seamen  to  be  in- 
spected in  1919  and  1920  was  probablv  greater  than  it  was  in  either 
1917  or  1918. 

The  remedy  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Government,  or  in  the  hands  of 
Congress,  in  respect  to  this  very  serious  situation.  Ellis  Island 
to-day  is  what  might  probably  be  termed  a  barrier  in  the  conduct 
of  orderly  transportation  of  a  man  who  makes  a  journey  which  em- 
braces two  continents,  with  the  ocean  between  ^nd  the  effort  to  reach 
his  destination  in  the  interior  of  this  continent.  In  fact,  our  excuse 
for  making  this  presentation  is  that  we  consider  it  a  vital  spark  in 
the  present  theory  that  there  is  an  immigration  menace. 

In  analyzing  Sir.  Wallis's  tables  of  the  number  of  detained  pas- 
sengers at  Ellis  Island — and  he  gave  us  a  table  over  the  period  be- 
ginning with  the  arrivals  of  December  13  and  ending  with  those  that 
arrived  on  Deceml>er  28 — it  is  found  that  there  are  three  prime  causes 
of  detention : 

First.  Special  inquiry.  The  practice  appears  to  be  that  if  the  pri- 
mary inspector  who  receives  the  applying  alien,  after  passing  the 
medical  examination  upon  arrival  at  the  Ellis  Island  station,  finds 
anything  at  all  questionable  in  respect  to  the  admissibility  of  the 
applicant,  the  applicant  is  immediately  set  aside  and  marked  for 
special  inquiry,  which  means  that  his  case  is  thoroughly  examined 
by  a  board  of  probably,  on  the  average,  three  other  immigrant  in- 
spectors. 

The  second  category  is  known  as  "temporary  detains."  and  on 
the  average  is  double  the  special-inquiry  detention  list.  They  are 
detained  for  possibly  one  of  five  or  more  main  reasons : 

Fir^t.  Awaiting  the  appearance  of  some  one  at  Ellis  Island  to 
claim  the  alien. 

Second.  Awaiting  some  finishing  proof  of  admissibility. 

Third.  Arrivals  without  tickets  to  destination.  As  stated  yester- 
day, this  third  cau^e  of  temporary  detention  is  probably  contributing 
more  tlian  any  other  cause  to  the  total  of  the  temporary  detains  to-day 
at  Ellis  Island. 

Fourth.  The  fourth  cause  is  that  a  certain  proportion  of  th?  aliens, 
for  reasons  which  can  be  elaborated  if  you  please,  have  not  sufl5cient 
cash  money  on  arrival. 

Fifth.  The  fifth  cause  is  that  recently  it  became  necessary,  in  the 
judgment  of  the  commissioner,  to  limit  the  number  of  persons  termed 
"  callers '"  at  the  Ellis  Island  station.  This  limitation  is  very  serious. 
The  aim  was  undoubtedly  to  reduce  the  number  of  people  at  any  one 
time  on  the  island  in  order  that  those  who  were  there  could  better  be 
handled. 

The  third  general  heading  of  detentions  comprises  the  proportions 
of  persons  admitted  to  Ellis  Island  Hospital  upon  the  primary  medi- 
cal inspection  when  the  aliens  arrive  there. 


EMERGENCY   TMAILGRATION   LEGISLATIOX.  391 

The  total  number  of  detentions  in  the  period  December  18  to  De- 
cember 28,  with  respect  to  arriving  vessels,  for  special  inquirj',  is 
reported  to  be  3,621.  The  total  number  of  temporary  detains,  5,592. 
The  total  number  of  hospital  cases.  539.  That  is  a  statement  of  the 
number  of  those  who  were  detained  out  of  a  total  of  2T.06S  arrivals. 

But  the  detentions  overnight,  which,  after  all.  do  cause  the  great 
problem  for  the  commissioner,  are  very  serious,  indeed.  On  De- 
cember 13,  according  to  this  statement,  there  were  1.569  persons 
lodged  at  Ellis  Island  overnight.  It  varied  throughout  the  ensuing 
days.  Sometimes  below,  but  usually  above.  On  the  night  of  De- 
cember 16  there  Avere  2,011  people  detained  at  Ellis  Islan<l  overnight. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  suppose  your  idea  is  that  through  tickets  to 
destinations  would  obviate  a  great  deal  of  that  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  They  would  march  through  the  island  the  same 
day  and  take  their  trains  to  destination  if  crtherwise  admissible. 

Lately  it  has  been  possible  for  Mr.  Wallis  to  issue  at  the  end  of 
each  day  a  partial  list  of  these  detained  aliens  under  the  temporary 
detention  classification,  and  these  lists  are  available  to  all  interested 
in  coordinating  the  various  functions  that  must  be  performed  at 
Ellis  Island  by  the  numerous  aid  societies  and  others.  Every  single 
nationality  that  is  represented  in  large  numbers  in  our  country  has 
some  immigrant  aid  society. 

In  addition  the  steamship  line  primarily  must  bear  the  burden  and 
responsibility  of  endeavoring  to  clear  up 'the  causes  for  temporary 
detention,  so  that  there  may  be  quick  adjudication  of  each  indi- 
vidual detention.  It  means,' though,  that  all  of  those  persons  who 
for  any  reasons  throughout  the  day  are  detained  for  any  one  of  the 
five  main  reasons  for  temporary  detentions  lodged  at  Ellis  Island 
ovei'  at  least  one  night. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  these  boards  of  special  inquiry  act  promptly  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  As  fast  as  possible.  I  am  not  cornpetent  to  say 
whether  the  number  of  inspectors  assigned  to  special  inquiry  boards 
are  sufficient  for  what  appears  not  to  be  an  enormous  amount  of 
traffic  per  day  on  the  average,  even  during  the  past  six  months,  and 
when  Ellis  Island  apparently  broke  down  in  September;  it  is  an 
average  of  about  2,000  persons  per  day. 

Senator  Sterling.  One  M-ould  think  that  there  would  be  a  need  for 
several  of  those  boards. 

Mr,  Sandford.  Indeed. 

Senator  Sterling.  And  in  session  at  the  same  time  hearing  these 
various  cases. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Ciiair:man.  That  leads  me  to  ask  you  a  question :  What  remedy 
have  you  got  to  proiwse  to  better  the  conditions  at  Ellis  Inland?  Is 
there  any  fault  in  tiie  machinery  provided  in  the  statute?  Does  it 
require  additional  legislation  in  any  way? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Not  legislation.  It  requires  legislation  in  the  sense 
of  appropriations. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  will  you  state  what  remedy  you  have  in  mind 
to  better  the  conditions  of  detention  and  congestion  at  Ellis  Island? 

Mr.  Sandford.  A  larger  appro])riation  and  an  increased  staff  and 
recognition  of  the  fact  that  the  present  scale  of  compensation  at 
Ellis  Island  is  still  prewar. 


392  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

The  Chairman.  Didiit  you  say  somethino:  about  the  raih-oad 
facilities.  Mr.  Sandford? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  That  they  were  inconvenient  or  inadequate  or 
something  of  that  kind  \ 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes.  May  I  lead  on  to  that  in  the  development 
of  my  statement  I 

The  Chairman.  Yes.  I  don't  wish  to  interrupt  the  order  of  your 
testimony.    Proceed  in  your  own  way,  Mr.  Sandford. 

Mr.  Sandford  To  restore  the  simplification  of  through  travel  by 
a  class  of  people  who  require  it.  from  our  experience,  facilities  at 
time  of  starting  on  the  journey,  to  reach  the  destination,  in  the  sense 
of  the  transportation.  To-day  there  is  no  compilation  of  rail  fares 
from  ports  of  landing  in  the  United  States  to  the  interior  cities  and 
towns  to  which  there  is  a  tide  of  travel  from  Europe.  The  informa- 
tion available  to  the  steamship  lines  in  Europe,  and  to  the  booking 
agent  in  Europe,  is  comprised  in  the  list  of  rail  tariffs  filed  with 
you  yesterday,  and  it  would  require  almost  a  lifetime  of  service  in 
railroad  business,  and  familiarity  with  computations  of  rates  on  the 
basis  of  keys  and  master  tariffs  to  determine  what  is  the  rate  to  Ash- 
land. Oreg..  from  Xew  York. 

As  long  back  as  memory  runs,  in  1914.  and  prior  to  1914,  the  need 
of  a  special  facility  for  the  through  booking  effectively,  correctly,  and 
at  the  start  of  the  movement  of  the  passenger,  was  met  by  the  issue 
of  what  was  termed  the  "  immigrant  rail  tariff'.*"  and  in  that  tariff 
there  appeared  alphabetically,  with  the  name  of  the  State  following 
it.  the  destinations  in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  the  rail  rate, 
the  baggage  allowance,  and  all  necessary  information,  so  that  any- 
one who  applied  say.  in  Liverpool,  to  proceed  to  the  United  States, 
was  first  asked :  '*  What  is  your  destination  {  "  And  if  he  said,  "  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio."  he  was  not  accepted  as  a  passenger  or  booked  without 
a  quotation  of  the  ocean  rate  and  the  inland  rate  to  make  the  through 
rate.  And  he  was  re(}uired  to  book  through.  Consequently,  if  on 
primary  examination  at  Ellis  Island  that  individual  was  found  ad- 
misible.  he  was  immediately  transferred  to  the  railroad  room,  so- 
called,  at  Ellis  Island,  and  went  out  to  Columbus  on  an  evening 
train. 

To  meet  this  emergency,  which  the  ocean  carrier  considers  to  be 
a  very  serious  element  in  Ellis  Island  congestion,  and  also  to  con- 
tribute to  the  so-called  "  lack  of  money  '*  cases,  the  steamship  lines 
have  employed  a  man  who  has  been  at  work  for  weeks  in  an  attempt 
to  use  the  master  tariff  and  the  key  tariff'  in  the  construction  of  a 
special  tariff.  That  was  filed  with  you  yesterday.  It  will,  however, 
take  two  months  before  it  will  show  its  results  in  respect  to  pas- 
s'engers  who  are  booked  in  Europe. 

Those  passengers  who  are  booked  in  America  for  their  travel  from 
Europe  to  America,  are,  however,  through  booked  here,  because  the 
agent  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  can  go  to  the  local  railway  agent  at  Co- 
lumbus. Ohio,  and  ascertain  the  rate  from  Ellis  Island,  X.  Y..  to 
Cohunbus.  and  the  "  prepaid  passenger.''  as  we  term  it.  the  man 
whose  ticket  is  purchased  here  and  sent  abroad  as  the  safest  means 
of  providing  for  transportation,  does  not  come  into  this  element 
at  all. 


E.MERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  393 

The  Chairman.  If  they  had  adequate  machinery  for  distribution 
at  Ellis  Island,  in  your  opinion,  would  there  have  been  any  com- 
plaint as  to  congestion  at  the  present  time  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  In  this  particular  respect,  in  respect  to  the  through 
booking,  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  from  25  to  40  per  cent,  depend- 
ing upon  race,  would  proceed  through  Ellis  Island  as  a  clearing 
house  instead  of  a  detention  camp. 

Senator  Sterling.  You  say  they  were  formerly  required  to  book 
through  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes. 

Senator  Sterling.  Now,  who  required  that? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  steamship  companies. 

Senator  Sterling.  And  did  the  immigrant  pay  for  his  passage 
through  to  destination? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  immigrant  paid  for  his  passage  through  to 
destination. 

Senator  Sterling.  To  the  steamship  company? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes ;  to  the  steamship  company ;  and  the  steamship 
company  settled  with  the  railroad. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  any  data  as  to  the  destinations  of  the 
immigrants  and  the  percentages  that  go  to  different  parts  of  the 
country  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Not  here. 

The  Chairjian.  There  was  some  introduced,  I  think,  yesterday. 

JNIr.  Sandford.  It  was  requested  that  we  prepare  and  submit  mate- 
rial of  that  description. 

The  Chairman.  Can  you  submit  it? 

]Mr.  Sandford.  The  Ellis  Island  authorities  can  do  so  much  better 
than  we.  because  the}'  check  over  every  one  of  the  answers  b}'  the 
individual  alien  to  the  28  questions  required  by  law  to  be  answered, 
and  it  may  be  that  our  information  would  not  be  quite  so  correct, 
because  often  a  man  changes  his  mind  about  his  destination. 

The  Chairiman.  Is  there  any  such  flood  of  immigrants  at  Ellis 
Island,  in  your  opinion,  that  calls  for  a  suspension  of  immigration? 

Mr.  Sandford.  There  certainly  is  not. 

The  CHAiR:\rAN.  Were  j^ou  familiar  with  the  tide  which  came  in  in 
the  prewar  period? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  How  does  the  prewar  period  compare  in  regard  to 
numbers  with  the  present  arrivals? 

Mr.  Sandford.  In  net  of  European  steerage? 

The  Chairman.  Yes. 

Mr.  Sandford.  It  was  higher,  on  the  average. 

The  Chairman.  Higher,  on  the  average,  now? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Higher,  on  the  average,  then. 

The  Chairman.  Before  the  war? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  I  think  the  figures  bear  you  out  in  that. 

Senator  Harrison.  When  did  the  steamship  companies  cease  to 
practice  this  through  routing? 

Mr.  Sandford.  When  the  railways  ceased  to  furnish  the  tariffs. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  when  was  that? 


394 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION, 


Mr,  Sandford.  Well,  probably  shortly  after  1014,  when  the  war 
be<ran.  The  traffic  then,  however,  was  so  very  small  that  this  lack 
did  not  constitute  a  problem. 

Senator  Dillingham,  Did  you  place  in  the  record  yesterday  a 
statement  of  the  number  in  steerage  comintr  into  this  country  cover- 
ing a  period  of  years  t 

Air.  Sanuford.  Xo;  simply  the  totals  of  the  period  prior  to  the 
war  and  of  the  post-war  period. 

Senator  Dillingham.  "Well,  what  period  did  that  cover? 

Mr.  Sandford.  From  1S93  to  1920.  inclusive. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Have  you  got  the  figures  relating  to  Canada 
during  the  same  period  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes:  on  the  same  statistical  sheet  the  Canadian 
immigration  is  also  embraced. 

Senator  Dillingham.  So  that  is  already  in  the  record? 

Mr.  Sandford.  I  don't  believe  it  is  in  the  record. 

Senator  Dillingham.  AVell.  I  would  like  to  have  it  put  in  the 
record,  if  you  have  it. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes :  I  will  find  one. 

Senator  Dillingham.  If  you  do  that,  we  will  be  glad  to  have  it 
printed, 

(The  statement  of  transatlantic  passenger  movement  for  United 
States  and  Canadian  ports,  submitted  by  Mr.  Sandford.  is  herewith 
printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

Statement  of  transatlantic  passenr/cr  movement. 

UNITED    STATES   PORTS. 
IBoston  to  Galveston,  inclusive.] 


From  Europe  (westbound  totals). 

To  Europe  (eastbound  totals). 

Calendar  vear. 

First 

Second 

Third 

First 

Second 

Third 

class. 

class. 

class. 

class. 

class. 

class. 

1893 

131, 161 

428,738 

47.876 

38,558 

160,911 

1894 

99,108 

226.003 

57,  .321 

36,949 
36,421 

205,419 

1895 

59,690 

45,107 

312,943 

58,685 

148, 484' 

1896 

54,407 

51,685 

298,446 

.57,221 

41,926 

123,189 

1897       

49.056 
41 '.309 

48,763 
47,182 

222, 021 
2.54,336 

49,455 
41,423 

39,862 
35,340 

123, 222 

189S 

118,976 

1899 

58,827 

58,350 

354,988 

61.973 

4.5,511 

113.857 

1900 

71,201 

78, 174 

458,934 

i.s   ,.;-( 

57,750 

150,346 

1901 

69,137 

73,833 

507,  724 

49,857 

137,532 

1902 

71.872 

86,274 

697,  741 

54.315 

172,404 

1903 

74,082 

109,519 

806,947 

60,832 

245,527 

1904 

74,642 

106,373 

696, ~iO 

.  0,  Of '1 

64,058 

359,992 

190.5 

84,270 

123,100 

921,771 

S.5,31o 

(VS.  167 

232.43.' 

1906 

90,604 

154,440 

i,  109, 526 

S7,  2:55 

78,6.3* 

:^A'.  4i15 

1907 

100,  749 

179, 158 

1,221,658 

W.::«; 

94,41'' 

•--    ^■-1 

1908 

SS,  815 

13.3,352 

354,1S;5 

S>.  SOI 

91. 2>^ 

■■5 

1909 

95,564 

180,298 

865,925 

91.K;n 

5:5,04; 

-7.  ,45 

1910 

105,947 

205,301 

904, 183 

KXi,  i.<il 

94,2.51 

349,093 

1911 

96,399 

207,386 

607,757 

*;.  440 

98.621 

465,962 

1912 

93,  77S 

221,752 

855,727 

93.  1R4 

100,  164 

429,711 

191.T 

9S,  3:« 
81,166 

259, 058 
18S,464 

1,141,093 
532,803 

95,6^ 
77.S49 

110,756 
96,461 

406, 774 

1914 

418,412 

1915 

20,548 

58,222 

]n?..  oso 

'7.  rvA 

■'.0,  (151 

164.  9&4 

1916 

20,201 

51,192 

'!■•-.:■ 

26.711 

71,129 

1917 

9,471 

18,483 

-'' 

!:>,  JtU 

28,776 

191S 

678 

13,233 

I..  :•- 

_..:.'_ 

12.670 

15,436 

1919 

43,  i:a 

49,902 

8<J,  iyj 

411,147 

68,600 

245,900 

1920 

69, 349 

135,537 

500,527 

63.  76') 

92,764 

.303,383 

TotaL 

1,723,278 

2,879,138 

14,672, 571 

1,801,941 

1,726,527 

6,930,425 

EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION, 


395 


Statenicnt  of  tranmtlantic  passcnycr  niorcmoit — Coiiiiiuiea. 

CANADIAN   PORTS. 

[Including  Portland,  Me.,  winter  port  of  several  Canadian   linos.] 


From  Europe  (westbound  totals). 

To  Europe  (eastbound  totals). 

Calendar  year. 

First 

Second 

Third 

First 

Second 

Third 

class. 

class. 

class. 

class. 

class. 

class. 

1893                                               '        

3,751 
4,132 
4,003 

3, 330 
2,965 
3,112 

4,175 

1894                                                  

4,980 

1895 

4,411 

4,653 

15, 303 

5, 587 

18% 

4,622 

4,805 

15, 980 

5,924 

3,166 

4, 571 

1897 

4,994 

4, 852 

18, 264 

4,602 

3,120 

6,260 

1898 

5,346 

6,493 

19, 972 

4,614 

3, 652 

.5,540 

1899 

5,079 

5,948 

33, 923 

4,191 

3,096 

4,355 

1900 

5,849 

8,147 

48, 821 

5,  475 

6,306 

5, 974 

1901 

4,745 

8,597 

41, 802 

3,932 

4,298 

5,145 

1902 

5,146 

10, 941 

64, 202 

4,473 

4,521 

6,158 

1903 

6,333 

21, 387 

87, 979 

4,  513 

5,563 

8, 693 

1904 

5,817 

23,390 

74, 244 

4, 355 

6,833 

14, 271 

1905 

6,349 

26, 766 

89, 575 

5,052 

8, 829 

14, 048 

190ti  

7,914             3{-.73S 

121,620 

164, 649 
69, 765 
89, 735 

5.848 
7,400 
6,7.38 
6, 583 

11,436 
15, 532 
15, 553 
16,384 

18,903 

1907 

9, 309 
8,  465 
8,944 

.50, 153 
34, 305 
36, 139 

33, 033 

1908  

40,961 

1909 

23,638 

1910 

13,033 

58, 003 

164,078 

8,  ,8.37 

21,166 

34, 266 

1911 

13, 044 

G8, 391 

178, 186 

8, 893 

24,. 31 5 

49,  .529 

1912 

12,  .583 
12, 745 

73.100 
82, 820 

21 6,  .5,58 
272, 752 

8, 607 
8,742 

26,  22(i 
30,440 

55, 009 

1913 

73,048 

1914 

9,674 

49, 883 

99,0.59 

5,412 

24, 624 

60, 820 

1915 

302 
2 

10,326 
11,984 

16, 184 
16,  ,539 

1,.569 


12,664 
15, 242 

76,947 

51,062 

1917  

.55 
1,583 
7,313 

(i,  478 

3, 765 
3,344 
29,503 

55, 3(5 

4.143 

4:651 

39, 147 

115, 847 

43 
1,565 
2,447 
5, 0(i2 

1,273 
2,019 
35, 089 
34,971 

869 

1,129 

1919  

47,670 

58, 378 

Total 

170,195  ■        729.798 

2, 082, 978 

134, 769 

345, 725 

715, 079 

Mr.  Saxdford.  To  proceed,  perhaps,  with  the  other  questions  which 
so  deeplj'  concern  iis  all,  about  Ellis  Island.  We  may  assume  that  it 
will  be»'necessary  for  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  to  take 
cognizance  of  this  problem,  because  of  the  various  legislative  steps  in 
respect  to  the  method  of  constructing  the  rail  rates  in  the  United 
States. 

In  the  prewar  days  it  was  permitted  that  the  holder  of  a  steamship 
line  order  calling  for  rail  transportation  in  the  United  States,  would 
be  permitted  to  use  it  within  the  period  of  one  jeav.  To-day  one  of 
the  obstacles  Avhich  confronts  our  friends,  the  railroads,  is  the  in- 
stability, apparently,  of  the  probable  duration  of  existing  rates. 
They  may  be  changed  in  one  State  to-morrow,  and  in  another  State 
the  next  day,  which  may  alter  the  entire  basis  or  key  for  the  con- 
struction of  rates  interstate. 

Consequently  it  is  really  a  very  broad  question,  and  it  can  not  be 
dealt  with  hastily,  or  without  thorough  examination  of  existing 
statutes.  But  it  is  most  urgently  recommended  by  all  oconn  carriers, 
that  whatever  authority  here  in  Washington  should  undertake  the 
study  should  do  it  at  once,  because  our  emergency  tariff,  to  which  we 
referred  a  moment  ago.  is  purely  such  and  we  do  not  know  what  the 
rates  will  be  next  month :  we  are  taking  a  chance  that  when  a  passen- 
ger, who  may  be  booked  on  the  basis  of  that  tariff,  arrives  here  the  rail 
rate  to  his  destination  will  be  entirely  different  from  the  rail  rate 
that  exists  to-dav. 


396  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

And  in  respect  to  this  question  of  distribution,  especially  the  self- 
distribution,  which  interests  you.  as  it  apparently  does,  it  does  require 
careful  thought  whether  the  prewar  relief  and  understanding  in 
respect  to  this  aid  to  self-distribution  of  the  European  steerage  should 
not  now  be  recogmized.  if  necessary,  by  legislation. 

Senator  Sterling.  We  are  going  on  the  theory  that  all  immigrants 
are  steerage  passengers.  Is  that  true?  Aren't  there  a  considerable 
number  that  are  not  steerage,  that  are  either  fir.-<t  or  second  class 
passengers  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Until  within  a  comparatively  few  years  the  enact- 
ments in  regard  to  aliens  used  the  term  '*  immigrant  "  instead  of 
"  alien."  and  the  third-class  passengers  have  always  been  assumed  to 
be  the  alien  immigrants,  because  those  who  travel  in  cabins  are  not 
of  any  concern  to  us  really  in  any  sense.  They  are  of  a  different  strata 
entirely  when  they  arrive.  Of  course,  as  time  goes  on  an  alien  who 
came  originally  as  a  steerage  alien  may  cross  to  the  other  side,  and  he 
may  have  advanced  to  the  point  where  he  becomes  a  cabin  passengrer. 

Senator  Sterling.  The  question  is  whether  there  are  not  cabin 
passengers  who  may  immigrate  to  this  country  ? 

Senator  Edge.  "\Yliat  is  the  legal  definition  of  an  immigrant,  as  they 
deal  with  him  at  Ellis  Island  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  law  now  says  that  all  aliens  shall  be  inspected. 

Senator  Edge.  Well.  then,  how  is  it  confined  to  third-class  passen- 
gers? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Oh.  the  insj>ection  does  apply  to  all.  but  in  the  sense 
of  "  immigration."  the  term  "  immigrant."'  is  it  not  customarily  ap- 
plied to  the  European  steerage  type  ?  It  is  true  that  aliens  come  in  all 
classes,  but  in  that  sense  they  are  not  all  immigrants. 

Senator  Sterling.  It  has  no  such  lesral  signification,  probably,  and 
the  term  "  immigration  "  is  too  broad  to  limit  it  to  those  who  take 
steerage  passage. 

^Ir.  Sandford.  In  all  the  figures  that  we  have  filed  we  €:ive  the 
carryings  in  the  first  cabin  separate,  and  the  second  cabin  separate, 
and  in  the  third  class  separate.  But  apparently  all  our  discussions 
have  concerned  the  steerage  type. 

Senator  Sterling.  You  have  no  data,  then,  from  which  you  could 
show  how  many  passengers  other  than  steerage  passengers  were 
really  immigrants  to  this  country? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  figures  of  the  Immigration  Service  do  not  make 
that  distinction.  They  simply  deal  with  the  alien,  no  matter  how 
many  times  he  may  have  been  here. 

The  Chair^ian.  Are  the  ships  arriving  now  carrying  the  limit  of 
passenger  service  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xot  in  all  trades:  from  the  north,  no;  from  the 
south,  yes. 

The  Chairman.  Are  there  some  of  your  steamships  now  on  the 
way? 

5lr.  Sandford.  Yes:  one.  The  Belvedere  from  Trieste,  due  here 
on  the  16th.  with  about  1.400  steerage,  which  is  her  capacity. 

The  Chairman.  Are  there  any  steamships  from  other  ports? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xo  doubt. 

The  Chairman.  But  you  don't  know  the  number  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  I  don't  know  the  number. 


EMERGENCY   IMJVIIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  397 

Senator  Sterling.  Of  what  nationality  will  the  immigrants  on  this 
vessel  of  which  you  spoke  be  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  Belvedere? 

Senator  Sterling.  Yes. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Southeast  Europe  and  Italy.  The  type  of  the 
President  Grant.  You  had  the  distribution  of  the  President  Grant 
yesterday.  ^ 

There  is  still  something  else  to  be  said  about  Ellis  Island,  in  re- 
spect to  the  so-called  money  problem,  and  while  apparently  the  sta- 
tistics show  that  considerable  money  is  exhibited  by  arrivals,  it  is  a 
very  difficult  thing  for  the  alien,  especially  if  he  has  a  small  amount 
of  money,  to  keep  it  intact  on  a  long  journey,  and  by  the  Belvedere 
we  will  receive  a  list  of  those  persons  who  have  less  than  $25  or  its 
equivalent  in  foreign  money.  Our  inward-passenger  department 
immediately  communicates  that  lack  to  the  person  who  is  entered  on 
the  manifest  as  the  alien's  nearest  relative  or  friend. 

But  there  is  something  else  in  the  machinery  at  Ellis  Island  that 
should  be  given  immediate  attention.  It  was  reported  to  you  yester- 
day that  a  woman  from  the  very  same  ship,  the  President  Grant., 
had  been  detained  in  the  hospital  at  Ellis  Island,  and  that  she  had 
approximately  $6  in  cash,  but  on  account  of  the  lack  of  facilities  for 
through  booking  had  no  rail  ticket  through  to  destination,  which 
was  probably  Ohio.  On  arrival  the  information  of  the  lack  of  funds 
had  been  given  to  the  relative,  and  under  the  rule  that  seems  to  be 
universal,  the  necessary'  money  had  been  sent  to  the  treasurer  at 
Ellis  Island,  but  on  the  discharge  of  the  woman  from  the  hospital 
there  was  no  money.  It  had  been  sent  back  already  by  the  treasurer's 
office  to  the  sender. 

The  CHAnniAX.  Do  the  steamship  lines  encourage  or  incite  immi- 
gration ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xo:  and  the  law  is  definite  that  they  shall  not. 

Senator  Sterling.  Suppose  an  immigrant  arrives  at  Ellis  Island 
without  money,  but  there  is  a  friend  or  relative  there  to  receive  him; 
is  there  any  need  for  the  detention  of  that  immigrant? 

Mr.  Sandford.  There  should  l)e  none  if  it  were  possil)le  to  connect 
the  two  immediately:  which  leads  to  another  very  serious  question 
at  Ellis  Island,  a  question  which  we  listed  as  Xo.  5. 

It  became  necessary,  in  the  ojiinion  of  the  Commissioner  of  Immi- 
gration, about  the  10th  of  Xovember,  to  issue  a  notice  restricting  the 
right  of  persons  to  go  there  to  meet  relatives  and  friends,  and  it  is 
illuminating  as  showing  another  bar  in  this  barrier,  and  as  showing 
the  need  for  the  restoration  of  Ellis  Island  to  its  true  function  of  a 
■clearing  house  instead  of  continuing  it  as  a  detention  camp.  It  became 
necessary  to  try  to  solve  the  problem  which  the  issue  of  this  notice 
brought  upon  us.  And  that  ])roblem  is  not  yet  solved,  especially  in 
respect  to  the  i)ersons  who  are  to  go  to  the  interior,  the  very  same 
]->eople  who  are  held  at  Ellis  Island,  because  we  can  not  through  book 
them. 

Senator  Edge.  Xow,  in  such  a  case  you  notify  their  friends  that 
they  have  not  sufficient  money  to  reach  the  place  of  destination ;  that 
they  have  not  enough  money  to  purchase  a  ticket  What  do  you  do 
with  such  immigrants  if  the  money  is  not  forthcoming,  or  if  the 
tickets  are  not  forthcoming? 


398  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION, 

Mr.  Saxdford.  In  process  they  would  likely  be  deported  as  likely 
to  become  a  public  char<ie. 

Senator  Nugent.  I  understood  you  to  say  that  upon  the  discharge 
of  this  woman  referred  to  l)y  you  from  the  hospital  the  $G  that  she 
had  upon  her  arrival  at  Ellis  Island,  which  had  been  deposited  with 
the  Treasurer,  was  not  forthcoming  that  it  had  been  sent  to  the 
sender.     Did  I  understand  you  correctly? 

Mr.  Saxdford.  We^l.  not  quite.  Senator.  In  fact,  the  woman  had 
$6  cash,  which  meant  a  great  many  lira,  at  3i  cents  to  the  lira,  and 
the  notice  that  that  was  insufficient  money  had  been  sent  to  the  rela- 
tive at  the  time  of  the  woman's  admission  to  Ellis  Island  hospital. 
The  relative  had  sent  additional  money  to  the  Ti-easurer,  but  because 
of  the  present  conditions  at  Ellis  Island  something  slipped:  the  addi- 
tional money  was  not  delivered  to  the  woman,  but  was  sent  back  to 
the  sender. 

Senator  Harrison.  The  Chairman  asked  you  whether  or  not  the 
steamship  company  encouraged  immigration.  You  said  the  law  pre- 
vented it. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes. 

Senator  Harrison.  When  was  that  law  passed? 

Mr.  Sandford.  It  has  been  the  law  for  a  long  time. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  how  long? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Probably  since  the  act  of  1S97. 

Senator  Harrison.  Since  the  act  of  1897.  So  the  steamship  com- 
panies since  1897  have  not  encouraged  in  any  way  immigration? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xot  at  all. 

Senator  Harrison.  AYell.  that  is  since  1897.  Before  that  time  they 
did  encourage  immigration  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xot  necessarily. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  certain  steamship  companies  did  put  out 
an  encouragement '. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xot  proj^aganda.  advertising.  Senator. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  to  some  extent  they  advertised? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  investigation,  which  has  been  more  or  less  con- 
tinuous in  regard  to  that  very  important  question,  discloses  that  in 
foreign  countries,  many  of  them,  the  steamship  operator  is  kept  down 
to  the  barest  limit  of  advertisements  of  steamers,  sailings,  and  rates. 

Senator  Harrison.  But  the  law  was  passed  because  the  Congi-ess 
thought  that  the  steamship  companies  had  encouraged  immigration? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Undoubtedly. 

Senator  Hariuson.  Yes.  Xow.  since  1897.  when  the  law  was  passed 
preventing  them  from  doing  it.  immigration  to  this  country  has  in- 
creased, so  that  there  was  more  of  it  since  that  time  than  before  the 
time  the  steamship  companies  were  prevented  from  advertising  or 
really  encouraging  them  to  come? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes.  But  the  established  lines  have  more  at  stake 
than  the  gathering  of  a  few  more  passengei-s.  The  steamship  lines 
have  a  great  deal  at  stake  in  the  matter  of  maintaining  their  repu- 
tation. 

Senator  Harrison.  Oh.  yes. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  think  you  will  find.  Senator  Harrison,  if 
you  will  look  into  the  matter,  that  the  increase  in  immigration  was 
the  result  of  increased  manufacturing  in  our  country,  thereby  in- 
creasing the  demand  for  labor,  and  the  immigrants  were  able  to  get 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  399 

employment  at  remunerative  prices.  You  -know  we  doubled  our 
manufactures  after  1900,  and  that,  undoubtedly,  was  the  stimulating 
cause. 

Senator  Harrison.  Yes.  I  was  wondering  if  the  law  that  now 
prevented  the  steamship  companies  from  encouraging  them  to  come, 
should  be  repealed,  and  the  steamship  companies  could  encourage 
them  to  come,  how  many  more  would  come  ? 

Mr.  Saxdford.  The  tendency,  of  course,  of  most  of  the  European 
nations  has  been  to  minimize  emigration  from  their  countries.  The 
best  practical  evidence  I  can  give  you  is  the  Hungarian  situation, 
where,  in  order  to  curtail,  if  possible,  the  emigration  of  the  Hun- 
garians of  agricultural  training,  which  had  become  rather  marked 
hy  1901  or  1902.  the  Hungarian  Government  passed  a  law  that  pass- 
ports to  leave  the  country  would  only  be  valid  via  a  certain  gateway, 
the  celebrated  port  of  Fiume.  because  Hungary  felt  the  decrease  in 
its  farm  labor  very  seriously.  I  can  speak,  because  I  was  in  that 
country  at  the  time,  or  shortly  afterwards. 

Italy  can  be  placed  in  the  same  category  in  respect  to  the  super- 
vision. 

Senator  Harrison.  That  only  applied  to  farm  labor? 

Mr.  Sandford.  No;  it  applied  to  all  passports  for  any  citizen  of 
Hungary  who  desired  to  leave  the  country  for  overseas. 

Senator  Harrison.  Does  that  still  apply? 

Mr.  Sandford.  I  don't  know. 

Senator  Harrison.  That  was  in  1901  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes.     But  it  did  certainly  up  to  1914. 

Senator  Dillingham.  As  late  as  1909  Hungary  was  very  anxious 
for  an  internal  agreement  with  the  United  States  by  which  immigra- 
tion to  this  country  should  be  limited. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  know  how  far  other  countries  have  limited 
emigration,  in  the  line  of  restricting  it — Greece  or  Italy  or  Rumania 
or  Jugoslavia  or  Czechoslovakia. 

Mr.  Sandford.  In  respect  to  Czechoslovakia,  yes.  The  new  State 
of  Czechoslovakia  is  making  rapid  strides,  and  it  is  the  policy,  I 
know  from  first  hand,  reliable  information,  not  to  allow  their  people 
to  stampede  away.  And  in  respect  to  Greece  a  new  law  on  emigra- 
tion has  been  passed,  but  copies  of  it  have  not  yet  reached  the  United 
States. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  you  know  anything  with  respect  to  its  pro- 
visions ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  I  don't  know  yet. 

Senator  Harrison.  As  a  general  rule,  though,  these  countries  want 
to  restrict  emigration  from  their  countries  only  to  that  class  that  are 
most  desirable;  isn't  that  true? 

Mr.  Sandford.  I  can  not  admit  that,  sir.  My  experience  does  not 
agree  with  that. 

Senator  Harrison.  That  would  be  the  natural  thing  for  a  country 
to  want  to  do ;  to  want  to  keep  the  best  of  its  citizens,  and  want  to 
get  rid  of  those  that  are  not  desirable. 

]Mr.  Sandford.  It  has  not  been  my  experience  with  respect  to  the 
past  attitude  and  practice  in  Hungary  and  in  Italy.  In  fact,  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  features  of  the  accord  which  existed  between 
Italy  and  the  United  States,  and  probably  does  still  exist,  is  that  in 


400  hMERGENtV    IMMIGHATIOX    LEGISLATION. 

order  to  emigrate  a  passport  must  be  issued,  and  a  man's  political 
record  must  be  thorouirbly  satisfactory.  Tliere  was  a  surgeon  of  the 
Marine  Hospital  vService.  for  instance,  at  Naples  for  many  years. 
Dr.  Eager,  now  dead,  who  cooperated  with  the  Italians  in  respect  to 
physical  condition.  The  Italian  who  wanted  to  emigrate  came  to  the 
authority  in  his  State  or  town  to  go  through  the  first  preliminary 
examination  for  passport,  and  if  he  was  passed,  then  he  went  on  to 
the  gateway,  the  port,  and  everything,  physical  and  political — politi- 
cal in  the  full  sense — was  thoroughly  investigated. 

Senator  P^dgk.  What  do  you  mean  by  ""  thoroughly  investigated  "  ? 
So  far  as  3'our  knowledge  goes,  what  is  the  investigation  as  to  political 
activity  before  a  passpoit  is  viseed? 

Mr.  Saxdfoki).  Prior  to  the  war? 

Senator  Edge.  Now. 

^Ir.  Saxdfokd.  Well.  I  am  not  speaking  now  of  the  present  condi- 
tions, but  I  was  speaking  of  the  situation  before  the  war. 

Senator  Edge.  I  am  particularly  interested  in  what  is  being  done  at 
the  present  time,  as  Ave  all  are.  AMiat  is  the  method  now  pursued  as  far 
as  investigation  of  political  activity  is  concerned  ?    Do  you  know  ( 

Mr.  Saxdfohd.  I  know  of  no  change.  Before  the  war  anj  person  of 
criminal  tendency  Avas  certainly  restricted. 

Senator  Edge.  Well.  I  know,  but  the  war  is  back  of  us,  and  we  are 
trying  to  legislate  for  the  future.    What  are  they  now  ? 

Mr.  Saxford.  Undoubtedly  the  same;  I  think  so.  It  is  said  that 
while  we  assisted  in  the  eradication  of  trachoma  in  Italy,  we  gave  them 
in  return  tuberculosis,  which  had  ncA^er  been  found  to  exist  in  Italy 
before  the  beginning  of  the  movement  to  the  United  States  from  Italy 
in  188-i. 

Senator  Hakrison.  How  did  we  giA-e  them  tuberculosis  ?  I  did  not 
catch  that. 

]SIr.  Sandford.  Simph'  by  the  process  of  the  man  who  falls  sick  re- 
turning home  if  he  can. 

Senator  Harrison.  And  we  sent  him  back? 

Mr.  Saxdford.  He  Avent  back  himself.  Analysis  of  the  reasons  for 
leaving  the  United  States  is  a  very  interesting  subject. 

Senator  Edge.  HaA-e  you  any  of  the  forms  of  the  questions  asked,  or 
could  you  give  definite  information  as  to  the  investigation  made  as  to 
political  activity?    HaA-e  you  any  such  forms  in  your  records? 

Mr.  Saxdford.  No. 

Senator  Edge.  Does  the  present  law  go  into  detail  on  that  at  all  ? 

Senator  Dillingham.  How  is  that.  Senator? 

Senator  Edge.  The  investigation  made  by  our  consuls  and  repre- 
sentatiA^es  abroad  as  to  the  political  actiA-ity  of  an  applicant  for  a 
passport,  an  immigrant:  Is  it  clearly  defined  or  in  any  way  defined? 

Senator  Dillixgham.  I  understand  that  the  passport  system  at  the 
present  time  is  that  devised  during  the  war  and  related  to  the  political 
status  more  than  anything  else. 

Senator  Edge.  That  is  Avhat  I  am  referring  to — the  political  status. 
I  think  that  the  reason  for  a  great  deal  of  the  difficulty  is  that  appar- 
ently not  much  attention  is  paid  to  the  activity  of  the  immigrant  in 
his  iiome  toAvn  or  section  on  the  other  side — political  activity.  I  mean. 
The  Avitness  has  been  giving  us  the  general  method  OA-er  there,  and  he 
spoke  of  the  inA'estigation  of  political  activity.  I  Avas  wondering  Avhat 
constituted  that  inA'estigation? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOJf   LEGISLATION.  401 

The  Chairman.  Has  it  come  to  _vour  knoAvledfje  that  any  foreign 
government,  as  a  matter  of  polic}^,  desired  to  ship  their  undesirables 
to  the  United  States  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  I  never  heard  of  one  case. 

Senator  Harris.  Now,  you  are  familiar  with  Europe,  I  suppose, 
and  you  have  been  over  there  a  great  deal,  and  in  Italy,  where  we 
get  so  many  of  our  immigrants  from.  Do  you  consider  that  the  im- 
migrants that  we  get  from  Italy  will  average  up  with  the  average 
citizen  in  Italy? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Senator,  I  have  a  very  high  admiration,  and  always 
have  had  a  high  admiration,  for  the  Italian  as  a  worker  and  as  a  man 
who  progresses  in  this  country,  but  he  is  very  deliberate  in  making  up 
his  mincT  as  to  whether  he  shall  permanently  leave  his  home.  He  is 
probably  the  best  example  of  the  man  who  sells  his  labor  in  the  world 
markets. 

Senator  Harris.  But  that  does  not  answer  my  question.  Do  you 
think  the  immigrants  that  j^ou  bring  over  here  will  average  up  with 
the  citizens  of  those  countries? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  type  who  come  here  ? 

Senator  Harris.  Yes. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes.  I  think  that  they  are  on  the  average  the  type 
of  people  whom  they  would  have  in  Italy. 

Senator  Harris.  The  reason  I  am  asking  about  that  is  that  when 
I  was  in  Italy  a  little  more  than  a  year  ago  some  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens apologized  to  me  for  the  class  of  citizens  that  came  to  this  coun- 
try from  Italy.  They  said  that  they  were  not  representative  of  their 
gootl  class  of  workingmen.    That  is  the  reason  I  asked  tlie  question. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  would  like  to  ask  you  a  question  about  a 
matter  that  was  referred  to  the  other  day,  about  the  physical  and 
mental  characteristics  of  those  that  are  brought  over.  Has  your  at- 
tention been  brought  to  those  frontier  stations  that  are  j^ut  up  by 
Germany,  for  instance,  for  their  own  protection  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  We  secured  statistics  of  the  13  months  from 
December  31.  1907,  forward,  concerniiiir  the  number  of  those  rejected 
at  the  ports  and  the  number  of  tliose  who  were  prevented  from  enter- 
ing the  countries  in  which  tlie  j^orts  were  located  for  the  purpose  of 
embarking  to  the  United  States.  These  control  stations  were  estab- 
lished by  the  European  Governments  in  which  the  ports  were  located, 
from  which  immigrants  sailed  to  the  United  States,  because  they 
found  that  after  we  required  this  examination  at  the  port  of  embarka- 
tion they  had  a  large  number  of  defectives  left  upon  their  hands  in 
those  cities  or  ports  where  the  emigrants  embarked,  which  caused  a 
considerable  loss  to  those  places,  so  they  establislied  on  their  fron- 
tiers control  stations  in  order  to  make  examinations  of  tliose  who 
entered  their  country  from  other  countries  for  the  purpose  of  em- 
barking for  the  United  States.  Xow,  we  find  from  the  statistics  we 
secured  that  the  European  Governments  themselves  had  kept  out 
27.799  people  from  entering  the  countries  in  which  the  ports  were 
located;  that  of  those  who  were  jlermitted  to  come  in,  11.882  were 
rejected,  upon  examination,  by  the  steamship  companies:  making 
the  whole  number  of  those  Avho  were  rejected  by  the  European  control 
stations  on  their  borders  and  by  the  steamshij)  companies  at  the  port 


402  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

of  embarkation  80.681:  while  there  were  rejected  here  at  all  the  ports 
of  the  United  States  only  13.064.  In  other  w(>rds.  we  found  that  our 
law  requirintr  the  steamship  companies  to  inspect  these  immiirrants 
at  the  port  of  embarkation  had  gone  clear  beyond  in  its  effect,  bej'ond 
what  we  required,  and  that  the  (Tovernments  of  those  countries  where 
the  ports  are  located,  in  order  to  protect  themselves  against  other 
countries,  had  put  in  these  control  stations,  so  that  in  addition  to  the 
13.000.  in  round  numbers,  that  were  rejected  at  our  ports,  there  were 
rejected  at  the  foreijin  ports  of  embarkation  and  at  these  control 
stations  39,000. 

Senator  Sterlixo.  That  was  what  year? 

Senator  Dillingham.  1907. 

Senator  Sterling.  One  year? 

Senator  Dillingham.  In  the  period  of  13  months  beginning  with 
December.  1907. 

Senator  Harrison.  Do  the  steamship  companies  ever  try  to  bring 
influence  to  bear,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  on  the  officials  at  El- 
lis Island  to  take  in  certain  immigrants  that  are  brought  over  here 
wno  should  not  be  taken  in  ? 
Mr.  Sandford.  Xo. 

Senator  Harrison.  Of  course,  the  law  is  against  it.  but  I  was  won- 
dering whether  thev  would  wink  at  it. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xo. 

Senator  Harrison.  It  is.  of  course,  to  the  interests  of  the  steam- 
ship companies  not  to  take  over  those  who  would  not  be  admitted 
iiere. 

Mr.  Sandford.  If  it  would  interest  you.  let  me  sav  that  at  times 
when  there  has  been  no  disturbance  like  the  "World  War  it  was  the 
practice  of  the  steamship  companies  to  exchange  the  names  and  ad- 
dresses of  rejects  at  European  ports,  and.  in  fact,  many  of  the  lines 
sent  a  duplicate  of  that  list  to  Ellis  Island  as  of  possible  advantage 
to  the  Ellis  Island  officials  in  case  any  of  those  people  who  had  been 
rejected  miffht  slip  through  by  chance  or  by  error. 

Senator  Harrison.  That  was  very  commendable. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  want  to  inquire  of  the  witness  whether 
this  practice  is  still  kept  up.  that  I  have  mentioned,  of  maintaining 
those  control  stations  on  the  borders  of  the  European  countries? 

Tiie  Chairman.  By  the  Governments  ? 

Senator  Dillingham.  By  the  Governments. 

Ml'.  Sandford.  I  am  not  informed.  But  it  is  possible  to  testify 
as  to  one's  own  business,  and  I  might  say  that  before  a  steerage  pas- 
senger is  allowed  to  embark  he  is  examined  about  six  times.  He  is 
examined  in  the  first  instance  by  the  local  agent. 

The  Chairman.  What  do  you  mean  by  the  local  agent  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  It  is  impossible  to  handle  steerage  business  only 
from  the  port'^.  It  is  necessary,  as  in  all  businesses,  to  have  one's 
agents  in  local  districts. 

The  Chairman.  The  local  agent  of  the  steamship  company? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes.  If  the  local  agent  discovers  that  the  appli- 
cant is  plainly  inadmissible  he  is  Stopped  at  home  and  does  not  move 
any  farther. 

Senator  Sterling.  You  say  the  local  agent  in  the  district:  just 
where  is  that  local  agent  stationed  ?  You  spoke  of  a  district :  does 
that  mean  a  port  or  a  city  of  embarkation  ? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  403 

Mr.  Sandford.  In  the  interior. 

Senator  Sterling.  In  the  interior  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  In  the  interior  of  Europe, 

Senator  Sterling.  Well,  do  you  have  these  local  agents  scattered 
out  through  different  portions  of  Europe  ? 

Mr.  Sandford,  As  necessarj\  and  in  the  territory  that  is  geo- 
graphically contributory  to  the  ports  at  which  the  steamers  call.  In 
the  same  way  we  have  local  agents  throughout  the  United  States. 

Senator  King.  Does  every  individual  steamship  company  have  an 
agent,  or  does  one  agent  act  for  the  various  steamship  lines? 

Mr.  Sandford.  It  has  been  the  practice  in  the  United  States  to 
centralize  upon  a  reliable  man  in  the  locality. 

Senator  Edge.  Why  do  you  have  them  in  the  United  States? 
Doesn't  all  this  examination  take  place  before  they  arrive  at  Ellis 
Island? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Because  we  have  our  eastbound  business,  and  also 
because  from  time  immemorial  we  have  sold  tickets  in  America  for 
transportation  from  Europe. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  these  local  agents  know  of  all  intending 
immigrants,  or  isn't  it  a  fact  that  immigrants  appear  at  the  port  and 
ask  to  be  booked  for  passage,  without  ever  having  seen  any  local 
agent  ? 

Mr,  Sandford.  Oh,  yes.  But  there  is  an  initial  investigation;  in 
certainly  75  per  cent  of  the  cases  it  begins  close  to  the  home  of  the 
person  who  wishes  to  emigrate.  Then,  if  the  intending  emigrant 
passes  that  examination,  he  has  to  obtain  the  passport  of  his  own 
country:  and  then,  third,  the  vise  of  the  United  States  consul. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  know  anything  with  regard  to  his  ob- 
taining the  passport  from  his  own  country?    > 

Mr.  Sandford.  Xo.  Nor  of  the  regulations  of  the  State  Depart- 
ment concerning  vise.     They  are  confidential. 

Senator  Edge.  Can  you  tell  me  in  round  figures  how  many  immi- 
grant passports  were  viseed  in  a  year:  that  is,  immigrants  coming 
into  this  country  from  Italj'^? 

Mr.  Sandford.  No. 

•Senator  Edge,  Well,  it  was  something  around  seventy  or  eighty 
thousand,  wasn't  it.  in  one  year?  I  Avas  just  wondering,  to  go  back 
to  the  same  question  again  that  I  asked  before,  how  the  political 
activity  of  the  immigrant  would  be  investigated  in  70.000  cases  by 
three  or  four  United  States  consuls. 

Mr.  Sandford.  There  are  six  consuls  at  Naples  alone. 

Senator  Edge.  You  mean  assistant  consuls  and  men  located  in  the 
consul's  office? 

Mr.  Sandford,  No:  specially  accredited  as  vise  vice  consuls. 

Senator  Edge.  I  should  think  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  all  of 
them.  In  fact,  I  should  think  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  600 
to  investigate  properly. 

The  Chairman.  You  were  proceeding,  Mr,  Sandford.  to  state  the 
number  of  examinations. 

Mr,  Sandford.  Yes.     First,  the  initial  examination,  if  the  appli- 
cant applies  near  his  home  or  to  the  steamship  company  direct; 
second,  the  passport  of  his  own  country:  third,  the  United  States 
vise.     If  all  those  formalities,  those  three,  are  passed  satisfactorily 
26911— 21— PT  8 2 


404  EMERGENCY   IMMKiRATIOX   LEGISLATION. 

the  person  ojoes  to  the  seaport  -wliere  he  is  examined  twice  medically 
by  tlie  company.  And  a  third  time  medically  by  the  ship's  sur<reon 
before  he  embarks.  He  is  closely  examined  and  scintinized  for  each 
proviso  of  our  hnv.  And  then  when  he  arrives  at  Ellis  Island  he 
has  to  be  examined  according  to  the  re^rulations  there. 
Senator  King.  That  relates  to  steerage  passengers  only  ? 
Mr.  Sandford.  Yes.  But.  of  course,  with  respect  to  any  person 
traveling  to-day  the  passport  and  vise  are  obligatory. 

Senator  King.  But  I  mean  all  of  those  processes  that  you  have 
just  described,  they  apply  with  reference  to  steerage  passengers 
only? 

Mr.  Sandford.  Yes. 

Senator  Harrison.  It  was  suggested  by  Mr.  Wallis  that  he  thought 
it  would  be  a  very  good  plan  to  put  various  agents  in  foreign  coun- 
tries to  make  investigations  there,  instead  of  at  Ellis  Island.  Do 
you  think  the  plan  that  is  now  being  pursued  by  the  steamship  com- 
panies, together  with  the  action  of  the  United  States  consul,  is 
thorough  enough  i 

Mr.  Sandford.  Under  the  existing  law  it  is  not  clear  that  the  vise 
vice  consul  has  any  right  to  apply  an  immigration-law  function. 

Senator  Harrison.  So  you  think  his  suggestion  is  very  good  in 
that  respect  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  It  would  probably  require  a  considerable  study  to 
.see  if  the  machinery  of  the  existing  law  permits  a  consular  officer 
to  act  in  any  respect  as  an  immigrant  inspector. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well.  I  mean  to  amend  the  law  to  carry  out 
tliat  policy.  Do  you  think  it  Avould  then  be  more  thorough  than 
now.  in  practice,  as  outlined  by  you  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  subject  of  prior  United  States  medical  exam- 
ination in  Europe  is  very  fairly  well  established  by  the  concrete 
example  of  Italy.  The  subject  of  similar  prior  examination  abroad 
for  general  admissiljility  under  the  immigration  law  has  arisen  cer- 
tainly almost  yearly  for  the  last  -20  years,  but  it  never  has  been  put 
in  practice.  It  certainly  is  worthy  of  the  most  careful  considera- 
tion. And  certainly  now.  when  every  one  of  us  seems  to  feel  that 
we  all  owe  a  duty  to  any  human  being  who  is  trying  to  acquire 
something  or  accomplish  something  we  should  help  him  if  we  can. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  would  you  be  opposed  to  making  it  more 
restrictive  or  making  it  more  thorough  than  it  is  now? 

Mr.  Sandford.  In  respect  to  the  other  side  ? 

Senator  Harrison.  The  investigation  on  the  other  side,  and  the 
inspection. 

Mr.  Sandford.  Our  aim  is  to  make  it  very  strict.  We  do  not 
like  to  bring  people  over  here  who  are  not  admitted. 

Senator  Harrison.  AVell.  would  you  be  opposed  to  making  it  more 
restrictive  ? 

^Ir.  Sandford.  Personally,  no.  You  mean  more  thorough  and 
more  complete  l 

Senator  Harrison.  Yes. 

Mr.  Sandf(»rd.  Everytliing  that  could  be  done  to  sift  immigration 
at  its  source  is  only  humane. 

Senator  Harrlson.  Do  you  think  that  would  retard  immigration 
now  ? 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX,  405 

Mr.  Sandford.  No;  not  iiid<j:ing  from  the  statistics  of  deportations 
of  the  hist  six  months. 

Senator  Harrison.  And.  about  the  desire  of  immifrrants  to  come 
to  this  country,  you  think  they  woukl  come  notwithstandinji;  a  more 
thorough  and  restrictive  policy  abroad? 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  immifrrants  have  been  barometric  of  industrial 
conditions  in  tlie  United  States  in  tlie  volume  of  their  travel.  That 
will  be  shown  by  the  tables  of  the  periods  of  east  and  west  bound 
traffic  since  1H93.    It  is  a  wonderful  barometer. 

Senator  King.  Will  you  apply  tiiose  barometric  tests  wliich  you 
refer  to  now,  in  view  of  the  disordered  conditions  of  Pjurope  ? 

Mr.  Sandford.  It  is  more  difficult  without  an  analysis  of  the  actual 
figures;  but  one  wdio  has  seen,  as  I  have,  thousands  of  arriving  pas- 
sengers this  year,  is  led  to  the  conclusion  that  a  genuine  and  justifi- 
able reunion,  as  testified  yesterday,  is  going  on  to-day,  perhaps  to 
tlie  extent  of  50  per  cent  of  the  entire  inward  traffic. 

Senator  King.  Well,  there  are  many  statements  made — whether 
well  founded  or  not  I  express  no  opinion— to  the  effect  that  some 
of  the  countries  of  Europe  evince  a  desire  for  more  or  less  of  an 
exodus  of  their  superabundant  populations,  owing  to  the  distracted 
conditions  there,  wdiereas  other  statements  indicate  that  there  is  a 
desire  on  the  part  of  European  countries  to  prevent  emigration  to 
this  country  from  Europe.  Now.  are  you  advised  as  to  which  of 
those  views  is  correct? 

Mr.  Sandford.  In  respect  to  the  territories  with  which  we  feel  we 
have  direct  touch,  principally  the  south  of  Spain,  and.  if  we  may 
move  cast.  Italy.  Greece,  Jugo-Slavia.  present  Austria,  present  Hun- 
gary. Czechoslovakia,  certain  parts  of  Rumania,  and  what  was 
formerly  Transylvania,  there  is  no  evidence  that  there  is  any  desire 
to  send  out  undue  numbers  or  to  stimulate  emigration.  In  fact,  the 
traA'el  is  much  less  from  those  territories  than  it  was  before  the  war. 

Senator  Edge.  You  included  Italy,  did  you  not,  in  that  statement? 

]Mr.  Sandford.  Yes. 

Senator  Stp^rltng.  Suppose  the  immigrant  has  arrived  at)  the 
seaport,  that  his  pass])ort  has  been  duly  vised,  what  other  examina- 
tion, if  any.  than  a  medical  examination,  does  the  steamship  company 
subject  him  to?  ' 

Mr.  Sandford.  The  reading  test  first :  then  to  see  if  he  belongs  to 
any  of  the  other  excluded  classes.  Of  course  that  is  done  by  the 
carrier  through  the  veiy  wonderful  system  developed  by  the  progress 
of  your  legislation,  in  the  questions  which  an  alien  is  required  to 
answer  if  he  seeks  to  come  to  America. 

Senator  Sterling.  He  is  required  by  the  steamship  companies  to 
answer  those  questions? 

^fr.  Sandford.  Yes,  sir. 

The  (^HAnniAN.  Following  out  Senator  Kin<r"s  question,  do  you 
not  think  that  the  number  of  immigrants  who  return  has  a  bearing 
upon  the  question  of  the  disordered  state  of  Europe?  In  other 
words,  isn't  it  a  fair  assumption  that  if  the  numbers  of  immigrants 
returning,  which,  as  we  know  is  very  large,  are  to  continue,  the  in- 
ference from  that  Avould  be  that  they  would  not  go  back  to  their 
home  country  unless  they  wished  to  biiild  it  up  ? 


406  E.MKRGEXCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  Saxdford.  That  is  undoubtedly  true.  And  also  they  are  in- 
fluenoeil  hy  the  desire  for  reunion.  It  may  he  that  a  man  or  a  woman 
or  even  a  child  returns  to  the  old  country  because  that  is  where  he 
feels  he  belon<rs. 

The  Chairman.  I  notice  that  in  the  year  endin<r  the  1st  of  July. 
1920 — and  that  is  nearly  two  years  after  the  armistice — after  this 
period  of  disorder  becran.  accordinor  to  the  commissioner's  report, 
122  immiirrants  left  the  United  States  for  their  home  country — 
southern  Europe  and  eastern  Europe — for  every  100  that  came  in. 

Mr.  Sandfori).  That  is  very  true. 

The  Chairman.  And  isn't  it  also  true  that  so  far  as  the  immiorra- 
tion  from  southern  Europe  and  eastern  Europe  is  concerned,  there  is 
a  very  stron^r  tendency  for  the  aliens  who  come  over  here  to  return 
to  their  home  country,  a  very  much  stronofer  tendency  for  that  class 
of  aliens  to  return  than  is  true  of  the  aliens  who  come  from  the  north 
and  west  of  Europe?  In  other  words.  Commissioner  ^Vallis  reports 
that  while  the  ratio  of  those  who  returned  to  Europe  from  this 
country  as  compared  with  those  who  came  to  this  country  was  122  to 
100.  in  the  case  of  eastern  and  southern  Europe,  there  were  only  25  of 
the  aliens  who  returned  to  every  100  who  came  in  from  northern  and 
western  Europe,  o-oinof  to  show  that  the  home  movement  is  prreater, 
for  various  causes,  perhaps,  from  southern  and  eastern  Europe  than 
from  northern  and  western  Europe. 

I  judjsre  from  that  most  valuable  report  on  the  subject  of  immi£rra- 
tion.  the  report  of  the  committee  of  which  Senator  Dillinirham  was 
chairman — a  most  exhaustive  report :  a  study  which  involved  the  con- 
sideration of  this  question  in  all  its  bearinofs.  and  which  question  we 
have  only  touched  upon  here  durinfr  our  sittinof:  a  report  which  is 
embraced  in  42  volumes — that  as  a  generalization  it  miirht  l)e  said 
that  the  immicrrants  who  come  from  northern  and  western  Europe, 
the  Scandinavians,  etc..  come  here  to  settle  permanently,  while  the 
immisrrants  who  come  from  southern  and  eastern  Europe  are  more 
apt  to  come  for  a  temporary,  economic  purpose.  I  think  that  is  a 
fair  creneralization  from  their  investigfation. 

^Ir.  SANDFORn.  It  is  certainly  the  experience  of  every  steamship 
man. 

The  Chairman.  And  it  had  rather  seemed  to  me.  therefore,  that 
that  tendency  to  return  miofht  be  increased  from  the  fact  that  these 
so-called  subject  races  have  now.  in  many  cases,  acquired  statehood, 
and  hence  the  (Tovernment  would  be  very  anxious  to  keep  their  able- 
bodied  workers  at  home  in  order  to  build  up  the  country. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Mr.  Chairman,  on  that  question  I  think  you 
wjll  find  that  the  reason  lies  in  this:  The  old  immijrration  was  from 
northern  and  western  Europe^,  and  was  made  up  of  those  who.  in  the 
main,  broujrht  their  families  and  went  into  the  "West  and  settled,  as 
the  Scandinavians  and  the  Germans  and  the  English:  the  British 
Isles  sent  large  numbers. 

But  what  we  call  the  "  new  immigration."  that  which  has  been 
increasing  since  IsRO  so  rapidly,  in  the  main  has  been  made  up  of 
men  who.  if  not  single  men.  are  men  who  have  left  their  Avives  in 
the  old  country,  and  probably  75  per  cent  of  the  immigration  that 
has  come  here  in  the  last  few  years  has  been  made  up  of  men  who 
have  jrone  verv  largelv  to  the  scenes  of  the  basic  manufactures  of  the 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  407 

country  and  have  performed  common  labor.  And  many  of  them, 
when  they  have  acquired  a  certain  amount  of  money,  have  left  to 
rejoin  their  families  at  home,  never  to  return. 

Senator  Kixg.  I  would  like  to  ask  the  question  of  the  Avitness,  re- 
turning to  the  question  of  Senator  Colt :  If  we  may  accept  the  past 
and  the  generalization  and  the  data  contained  in  those  42  volumes 
as  expressive  of  the  true  condition  in  Europe,  and  if  we  may  deduce 
from  the  past  a  persistency  of  like  conditions,  isn't  it  a  fact  that, 
because  of  the  disordered  condition  of  Europe,  there  are  a  large  num- 
ber of  people  who  are  seeking  to  escape  from  Europe,  for  many 
reasons — to  escape  taxation,  to  escape  tlie  bad  economic  and  industrial 
conditions  of  Europe — and  that  many  who  in  the  past  would  not  have 
come  to  the  United  States  are  now,  because  they  see  Europe  in  a 
hopeless  condition  for  an  indefinite  period,  seeking  to  escape  from 
Europe  to  find  an  asylum  in  the  United  States? 

Mr.  Saxdford.  Judging  from  the  statistics  so  far,  since  the  armi- 
stice, they  wonderfully  bear  out  the  results  of  the  study  of  Senator 
Dillingham's  committee. 

Senator  Edge.  Have  you  the  figures  for  Xovember  and  December 
of  the  arrivals  and  departures.  ^Ir.  Chairman,  and  the  comparisons 
with  the  previous  years  ? 

Senator  Harrison.  I  think  that  has  been  put  in  the  record. 

The  Chairman.  It  has  been  put  in. 

Senator  Edge.  Then  I  won't  take  up  time  to  inquire  along  that  line. 

Senator  Harrison.  I  want  to  follow  up  the  question  of  Senator 
Colt.  He  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  there  were  a  good  many 
of  these  aliens  now  leaving  the  Ignited  States  and  iioing  back  to 
certain  countries,  showing  an  increase  over  the  past  proportion.  I 
believe. 

The  Chairman.  Yes. 

Senator  Harrison.  Don't  you  think  that  tliat  may  be  due  to  the 
fact  that  we  have  had  great  prosperitj'^  in  the  United  States  in  the 
past  few  years?  They  have  come  over  here  and  amassed  some  money. 
The  American  dollar  is  worth  noAv  a  good  deal  more  than  the  moneys 
of  other  countries.  Property  is  cheap  in  those  countries,  and  they 
have  gone  back  to  make  their  investments,  as  well  as  to  see  their 
folks.  Don't  you  think  that  that  is  true,  and  that  that  would  cause 
the  increase? 

ISIr.  Sandford.  I  still  think,  Senator,  that  the  reunion  motive  is 
very  strong. 

Senator  Harrison.  But  the  other  may  enter  into  it  some  ? 

Ml*  Sandford.  And,  in  respect  to  the  ordinary  working  of  the 
barometer,  it  is  beginning  to  manifest  itself  in  the  eastbound  figures; 
that  people  out  of  work,  of  the  international  labor  type,  are  com- 
mencing to  o;o  back  for  that  reason,  being  out  of  work. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  would  just  like  to  ask  one  further  question, 
Mr.  Chairman,  in  regard  to  this  matter  of  examination : 

Upon  what  other  questions  than  those  you  have  mentioned  already 
is  the  immigrant  examined  by  the  steamship  company?  Upon  any? 
You  have  referred  to  the  provisions  of  the  law,  of  course,  which 
exclude  certain  classes,  and  the  immigrant  is  examined  to  see  whether 
or  not  he  comes  within  any  of  the  classes  excluded  under  the  law 
from  admission  into  the  United  States.    You  examine  him  with  ref- 


408  EMKROEXCY   IMMIORATIOX   LEGISLATION, 

,  » 

ereiKv  to  those  particular  tln!i<rs.  do  you  ;^  Xow.  is  there  anybody 
that  appears  at  the  examination  in  Ijehalf  of  the  (Jovernnient!  or  is 
it  just  a  formal  examination  by  the  steamship  comjjany  by  means  of 
written  questions  and  answers  ( 

Mr.  vSaxdford.  It  is  by  personal  observation  also,  because  it  is 
possible  for  one  who  has  been  in  contact  every  day  with  different 
nationalities  quickly  to  determine  upon  the  desirability  of  the  ai)ijli- 
cant:  the  facility  of  such  a  one  to  determine  upon  the  desii-ability 
of  the  applicant  becomes  very  definite  and  very  accurate.  Ajrain, 
it  may  be  said  that  the  numl)er  of  dej^ortations  bears  witness  to  the 
very  <rreat  care  that  we  must  observe,  if  only  in  self-interest. 

Senator  Steulixo.  But  there  is  no  apent  or  representative  of  the 
Government  at  those  examinations^  He  is  examined  medically, 
physically,  and  he  is  examined  also  with  reference  to  the  question  as 
to  Avhether  he  belonirs  to  any  of  the  excluded  classes  or  not  by  the 
steamship  company's  airent  or  inspector? 

Mr.  Saxofoim).  The  alien  has.  from  the  time  he  made  up  his  mind 
to  leave  his  country.  i>-one  throuiih  his  f)wn  (iovernment's  examina- 
tion for  passport. 

Senator  Steri.ixg.  I  understand.    He  has  a  passport. 

Mr.  Sax'dfoijd.  Yes. 

Senator  Sterlix'g.  And  my  question  assumes  that  he  has  his  pass- 
port, and  that  he  ajjpears  at  the  seaport  before  the  steamship  com- 
pany's agent  with  his  passport. 

Mr.  Saxdford.  Yes :  and  with  his  vise. 

Senator  Sterlix(;.  Xow.  is  there  any  examination  as  to  the  means 
that  he  has.  his  financial  means,  by  the  steamship  company? 

Mr.  Saxdford.  Invariably. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Then  how  is  it  that  so  many  arrive  at  Ellis 
Island  without  any  means  at  all  i  You  must  take  them.  then,  know- 
ing that  they  could  not  have  the  means  to  su]:)port  themselves  for 
any  length  of  time  after  they  reach  here.  What  assurances  do  you 
have  that  he  Avill  not  become  a  public  charge  after  he  ari'ives  in 
America  i 

Mr.  Sax'dford.  Why,  we  get  that  by  questioning  him,  and  by  de- 
termining what  place  he  is  going  to,  his  occui)ati()n.  the  relative  or 
friend  he  has  there.  Xow.  whether  the  man  has  !2.000  lira  at  3^  cents, 
or  500,000  crowns  at  1|  cents,  is  not  the  most  important  thing.  And 
if  one  studies  the  deportations  under  the  5-year  provisions,  be- 
cause the  carrier  is  responsible  for  five  years  after  he  has  landed  an 
alien,  if  one  studies  those  warrant  case  statistics,  one  finds  that  the 
number  who  are  returned  is  very  small  in  proportion  to  th^  total 
who  arrive.  It  is  a  small  percentage.  Here  is  Mr.  AVallis's  list  from 
the  December  13  arrival  of  the  Aqulfanm  to  the  December  28  arrival 
of  the  Objnipf'c.  and  while  the  totals  of  the  primary  detentions  are 
large,  the  final  analysis  of  the  deportations  shows  an  average  of 
about  1  per  cent  deported  out  of  the  total  landed. 

Senator  Harrisox.  Are  there  many  cases  where  they  are  robbed 
coming  over? 

Mr.  Saxdford.  I'ndoubtedh". 

Senator  Harrisox'.  Of  course,  those  that  do  the  robbing  are  not 
verv  desirable  citizens. 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  409 

Mr.  Saxdford.  Oh.  do  you  mean  robbery  amono;  themselves  or  by 
the  crew  ? 

Senator  Harrisox.  Yes. 

Mr.  Saxdford.  I  don't  think  there  is  much  of  that.  We  don't  have 
many  complaints.  There  has  been  one  specific  complaint  only  dur- 
ing the  past  year. 

Senator  Harrisox.  If  you  should  take  some  of  the  citizens  who 
live  down  my  way  and  put,  say,  100  of  them  on  a  steamship  and  start 
them  off  for  Europe,  by  the  time  they  would  arrive  there  one  fellow 
would  have  all  their  mone3%  and  he  would  get  it  by  shooting  craps. 
1  wondered  whether  they  gambled. 

Mr.  Saxdford.  Xow.  there  is  a  condition  that  Ave  have  to  guard 
against  carefully.  If  a  man  is  robbed  on  board  a  ship,  almost  in- 
variably he  would  try  to  sue  the  steamship  company. 

Senator  Harrisox.  I  didn't  hear  the  statements  made  by  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  steamship  companies  yesterday,  because  I  had  to  be 
on  another  committee.  I  have  a  question  that  I  want  to  ask:  Has 
there  been  placed  in  the  record  a  statement  of  how  manj^  steamships 
are  available  now  for  bringing  passengers  over  here,  and  how  many 
there  were  before  the  war,  and  whether  or  not  there  is  an  increase 
now? 

The  Chairman.  There  was  a  statement  put  in  the  record. 

Senator  Harrisox.  Does  it  show  that  there  is  an  increase  in  the 
number  or  a  decrease  ? 

Senator  Ketes.  A  decrease  now. 

The  Chairmax.  Due  somewhat  to  the  submarine. 

Senator  Harrisox.  Yes.  Well,  I  thought  perhaps  that  was  so. 
But  are  the  different  countries  now  building  a  good  many  ships  and 
getting  ready  so  as  to  have  more  ships  available  ? 

Mr.  Saxdford.  The  passenger  program  of  all  the  established  steam- 
ship lines  does  not  disclose  even  a  replacement  of  the  losses  from 
submarine  sinking. 

The  Chairman.  We  went  into  that  yesterday  and  the  prospective 
increase  in  the  next  year  was  given. 

Do  you  want  to  ask  this  witness  any  more  questions,  Senator  Harri- 
son? 

Senator  Harrisox.  Xo,  Mr.  Chairman. 

Mr.  Saxdford.  Senator,  would  it  be  wrong  to  ask  permission  to 
round  out  the  attempt  at  a  narrative  of  the  Ellis  Island  trouble 

The  Chairmax.  Well,  do  you  mean  to  write  it  out  and  hand  it  in 
in  the  form  of  a  statement  ? 

Mr.  Saxdford.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  And  hand  it  in  to  the  committee  for  the  record, 
do  you  mean  ? 

Mr.  Saxdford.  Yes.  Would  the  committee  give  me  permission  to 
do  so  ? 

The  Chairmax.  Yes:  you  may  hand  it  in  in  the  form  of  a  nar- 
rative to  the  committee. 

Mr.  Saxdford.  Thank  a'OU, 

The  Chairmax.  We  are  very  much  obliged  to  j^ou,  Mr.  Sandford. 

We  will  now  take  a  recess  until  2.15. 

(Thereupon,  at  12  o'clock  noon  a  recess  was  taken  until  2.15  p.  m., 
Thursday,  January  13,  1921.) 


410  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

AFTER  RECESS. 

The  committee  resumed  at  2.15  o'clock  p.  m.,  pursuant  to  recess. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  please  come  to  order.  I  have 
in  my  hand  a  communication  from  the  George  Washinfrton  Society, 
in  ^vhich  that  society  passed  certain  resolutions  in  regard  to  the 
Johnson  bill.    They  may  go  into  the  record. 

(The  communication  from  the  George  AVashington  Societ}^  is  here- 
with printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

The  (Jkorck  AVashingtox  Socikty, 

Baltiniorr,  Mil.,  January  12,  1921. 
Hon.  LeBaron  B.  Colt, 

Chairman  Committee  on  Immigration. 

United  States  Senate,  Washington.  D.  C. 
Dear  Sir:  The  passage  of  the  Johnson  bill  is  favored  by  the  George  Wash- 
ington Society  of  America  as  per  resolution  unanimously  adopted  at  the  last 
meeting  to  tlie  following  effect.: 

"Be  it  resolved  by  the  George  \Vashiugton  Society  of  America  that  this 
society,  upon  full  consideration  of  the  report  and  recommendation  of  its  special 
committee  on  immigration,  request  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  to  promptly 
pass  the  Johnson  bill  now  pending  before  it.  and  under  no  circumstances  permit 
any  amendment  that  will  shorten  the  period  of  the  suspension  of  immigration; 
and  that  a  copy  of  the  resolution  and  report  of  the  committee  be  forwarded  to 
the  Senate  of  tlie  United  States." 

I  am,  therefore,  presenting  a  copy  of  the  report  through  you  to  your  com- 
mittee and  to  the  Senate,  and  respectfully  urge  that  favorable  action  be  taken 
in  accordance  with  sucli  recommendations. 
Very  truly,  yours, 

Albert  Phexis,  President. 


To  the  George  'Washington  Society: 

This  committee  was  appointed  to  report  to  this  society  at  its  meeting  held 
this  17th  day  of  December.  1920,  its  view  as  to  the  stand  the  society  sliould 
take  upon  tlie  matter  of  immigration,  and  its  view  as  to  the  way  in  wliich  the 
stand  taken  could  be  most  effectively  expressed. 

We  report  as  follows: 

1.  That  this  country  belongs  to  the  present  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and 
all  laws,  passed  by  Congress  should  have  in  view  the  preservation  of  our  Ameri- 
can Government,  with  all  the  ideals  that  from  the  birth  of  the  Nation  have 
been  understood  to  be  characteristic  and  fundamental. 

2.  That  the  population  of  this  country  when  it  achieved  its  independence  and 
established  its  form  of  government  was  something  over  three  millions.  Condi- 
tions then  existing  attracted,  and  the  country  needed,  those  hardy  and  desirable 
people  who  then  came  to  its  shores,  and  who  together  with  our  own  pioneers 
pushed  forward  its  frontiers.  They  promptly  qualified  themselves  to  become, 
and  did  become  joint  possessors,  with  ©ur  Revolutionary  stock  of  the  richest 
and  most  favored  land  the  world  has  ever  known.  It  has  ever  been  the  pi-oud 
boast  of  our  people  that  we  welcomed  to  our  shores,  as  joint  possessors  with  us, 
those  who  left  less  favored  lands,  and  less  desirable  forms  of  government  to 
cast  their  lot  with  us,  and  promptly  renounced  allegiance  to  the  lands  from 
which  they  came  and  gave  allegiance  to  our  country  and  its  laws.  So  lar.ge 
is  our  territory,  and  so  seemingly  inexhaustible  our  resources,  that  the  num- 
ber of  immigrants  who  came  here  prior  to  1820  is  a  matter  of  conjecture  be- 
cause they  came  apparently  unnoticed.  In  1820.  however,  our  population  was 
over  9,500,000.  From  1820  to  June  30,  1919,  the  number  of  immigrants  com- 
ing to  this  country  was  over  33,000.000.  Our  present  population  is  105,(X)0,000, 
of  which  15,000,000  to-day  are  aliens.  America,  as  we  understand  it.  liolongs 
to  this  90,000,000  of  American  citizens,  the  great  majority  of  whom  must  be 
imbued  with  the  spirit  of  true  Americanism,  and  therefore  firmly  patriotic, 
unalterable  in  the  belief  that  for  us  there  is  but  one  form  of  government,  but 
one  flag,  and  they  should  be  determined  to  preserve  the  blessings  we  now  enjoy 
to  us  and  to  our  posterity. 


EMERGEXCY  IMMIGEATION  LEGISLATION.  411 

That  1  person  in  every  7  now  rosidiuii  in  tliis  country  is  not  ;i  citizen  of 
America  sliows  beyond  doul)t  the  existence  of  a  condition,  at  lionie,  that 
awakens  appreliension,  and  calls  for  most  .serioiis  consideration,  and  this  situa- 
tion so  impresses  your  conmnttee  that  it  feels  constrained  here  to  announce  as 
a  self-evident  corollary  to  the  fact  stated  at  the  outset  of  this  report,  that  a 
foreigner  has  no  inherent  riiiht  either  to  live  here  or  to  become  a  citizen  of  this 
country,  and  he  can  do  neither  except  as  a  matter  of  privilege  from  us,  and 
that  we.  the  people  of  the  United  States,  have  the  right  say  whether  or  not 
he  shall  enter  our  country  at  all,  and  from  time  to  time  to  make  such  regula- 
tions regarding  his  entry,  his  residence,  and  his  adoption  as  a  citizen,  as  in  our 
opinion,  as  expressed  tlu-ough  Federal  legislation,  seem  to  us  to  be  consistent 
with  the  general  welfare  of  our  people. 

The  present  immigration  laws,  in  normal  times,  with  the  nations  of  the  world 
in  normal  conditions,  if  properly  enforced,  we  submit,  would  keep  from  our 
shores  moi^t  of  those  who  possess  characteristics  or  qualities  or  intirnnties,  or 
views  that  prohibit  their  entrance,  because  these  law^s  prohibit  the  lan<ling  here 
of  those  who  are  mentally,  morally,  or  physically  defective,  and  also  those  "  who 
are  anarchists  or  those  wlio  believe  in  or  advocate  the  overtlu'ow  by  force  or 
violence  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  or  of  all  forms  of  law,  or  who 
disbelieve  in  or  are  opposed  to  organized  government,  or  who  advocate  the 
assassination  of  public  officials,  or  who  advocate  or  teach  the  unlawful  destruc- 
tion of  property:  persons  who  are  members  of  or  affiliated  with  any  orgauiza- 
tioy  entertaining  and  teaching  dfsbelief  in  or  opposition  to  organized  govern- 
ment, or  who  advocate  or  teach  the  duty,  necessity,  or  propriety  of  the  milawful 
assaulting  or  killing  of  any  officer  or  officers,  either  of  specific  individuals  or  of 
officers  generally,  or  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States,  or  of  any  other 
organized  Government  because  of  his  or  their  official  character,  or  who  advo- 
cate or  teach  the  unlawful  destruction  of  property." 

But  these  are  not  normal  times.  It  has  been  estimated  that  the  dirt'ct  cost 
to  the  belligerents  of  the  World's  War  was  over  one  hundred  and  eighty-six 
billions  of  dollars,  and  the  indirect  cost  over  one  hundred  and  fifty-one  billions; 
the  total  cost  about  three  hundred  and  thirty-seven  billioiis.  a  little  less  than 
one-fifth  of  this  or  about  sixty  billions  being  the  share  of  this  country,  and  the 
share  of  the  rest  of  the  belligerents  about  two  hundred  and  seventy-seven  billions. 
Fully  one-half  of  the  property  values  represented  by  these  figures  was  abso- 
lutely lost  to  the  world.  Some  conception  of  what  these  figures  mean  may  be 
gathered  from  the  fact  that  our  national  wealth  is  given  for  the  year  1912  at 
about  one  hundred  and  eighty-eight  Itillions,  and  the  direct  cost  of  the  world's 
war  therefore  came  ^^•ithin  two  billions  of  costing  the  world  the  entire  value 
of  everything  we  as  a  nation  then  possessed,  which  is  the  sum  total  of  the  aggre- 
gate individual  wealth  of  this  country.  In  the  estimate  of  indirect  loss  the 
value  of  human  lives  is  taken  into  consideration,  but  the  estimate  does  not  in- 
clude tlie  value  of  universal,  individual,  and  governmental  demoralization.  But 
our  share  of  total  loss,  direct  and  indirect,  is  almost  one-third  of  all  we  possess. 
Manifestly  conditions  will  not  be  normal  with  tis  until  we  are  able  to  re-create 
in  some  form  or  other  the  loss  we  have  sustained,  and  the  nations  of  the  world 
reestablish  their  Governments  on  a  stable  basis. 

As  it  is  with  us  so  it  is  with  the  rest  of  the  world,  the  problem  being  greater 
Avith  them  liecause  their  losses  are  larger  and  their  national  resources  .smaller, 
and  their  individual  and  governmental  demoralization  pronounced. 

This  condition  necessarily  requires  reconstruction.  In  this  process  of  recon- 
struction millions  will  be  out  of  employment  and  hard.ships  and  difficulties  of 
all  kinds  jiresented.  the  like  of  which  have  never  before  been  known  to  the  world, 
and  particularly  in  Europe,  from  which  the  .tide  of  innnigration  sets  out. 
Governments  are  rocking  on  their  foundation,  some  are  being  overturned,  and 
the  anarchist  and  the  bolshevik  flourish.  And  while  we  are  working  out  our 
problem,  this,  the  most  favored  land,  has  within  its  borders  lo.OOO.tlOO  of 
l)eople,  and  then  some,  who  are  indifferent  to  our  success  or  prefer  that  we 
should  not  solve  our  difficulties,  while  abroad  it  is  estimated  that  10.000,000 
are  awaiting  transportation  facilities  to  leave  their  lands  and  come  here,  only 
to  add  to  our  economic  distress,  and  many  of  whom  are  seeking  a  new  and 
enlarged  field  for  the  propagation  of  their  vicious  doctrines,  the  o]).iect  and  aim 
of  which  is  the  destruction  of  all  Governments  in  all  the  world. 

In  view  of  this  .situation  we  recommend  the  suspension  of  innnigration  for  a 
period  of  time  suflicient  for  us  to  learn  our  own  troubles  and  to  understand 
the  real  present-day  difficulties  affecting  the  hordes  who  now  threaten  an 
apparently  peaceable  invasion  of  our  land. 


412  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION, 

TlK-  Johnsdii  hill  ivceiitly  luissi'd  li.v  tin-  llnust'  (if  Ui-pii'seiitativt-s,  a  copy  nt 
wiiicli  is  lit  ivwitli  sulnuini'd,  sih'ius  tn  meet  the  (luestlou  in  some  dejiree, 
thou;:h  we  think  the  snspension  period  is  too  short,  but  we  suggest  that  this 
society  by  api>ropriate  resolutions  exitress  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States 
its  ai)proval  of  this  measure,  and  retiuest  the  Senate  to  promptly  cousider  and 
pass  the  same,  and  uniler  no  circumstances  i>ermit  a  shortening  of  the  period 
of  the  suspension  of  inunigration. 

Respectfully  submitted. 


By  the  Committee. 


The  Chairman.  :Mr.  H.  A.  McBride. 


STATEMENT  OF  MR.  H.  A.  McBRIDE,  VISE  SECTION,  PASSPORT 
CONTROL  DIVISION,  DEPARTMENT  OF  STATE,  WASHINGTON, 
D.  C. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  ^IcBride,  5^011  are  connected  with  the  vise 
officer,  in  the  Department  of  State,  are  you  not? 

jNIr.  McBride.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  How  loner  have  yon  been  in  the  Consuhir  Service, 
or  connected  with  the  department? 

!Mr.  McBride.  Thirteen  years. 

The  Chairman.  Will  you  state  Avliat  the  law  is  Avith  regard  to 
visees? 

Mr.  McBride.  Under  the  present  regulation  every  foreigner  de- 
sirous of  coming  to  the  United  States  must  obtain  a  vise  from  the 
American  consul  in  the  district  where  he  resides  abroad. 

Senator  Dillingham.  And  upon  what  subjects  is  he  examined  ? 
Upon  what  conditions  is  the  vise  granted  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  Well,  he  must  have  a  birth  certificate,  and.  if  he  is 
married,  a  marriage  certificate.  Of  course,  he  must  have  a  passport 
from  the  Government  to  which  he  owes  allegiance.  Those  are  all 
of  the  substantiating  documents  that  he  presents. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  that  was  under  the  act  passed  during 
the  war? 

Mr.  McBride.  Under  regulations  based  upon  that  act:  yes.  sir. 

Senator  Dillingha:m.  Well,  does  that  inquiry  go  beyond  the  points 
that  you  have  mentioned? 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes:  we  endeavor  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  the 
person  is  eligible  under  the  immigration  law. 

Senator  E>illingham.  In  what  respect  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  Well,  whether  or  not  he  is  a  contract  laborer: 
whether  he  is  illiterate.  And  we  try  to  ascertain  whether  or  not 
the  person  is  mentally  deficient.  I  think  there  are  23  categories  of 
persons  not  allowed  entry  under  the  immigration  law.  We  have 
not  the  authority,  however,  to  refuse  a  vise  to  a  person  because  ho 
is  not  eligible  to  enter  the  United  States  under  the  immigration 
law. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Will  you  repeat  that? 

Mr.  ^IcBride.  A  consul  does  have  the  authority  to  refuse  a  vise 
to  a  person  Avho  is  not  eligible  for  admission  into  the  United  States 
under  the  immigration  law. 

Senator  Dillingham.  How  far  does  his  authority  go?  That  is 
just  what  I  want  to  know. 

Mr.  McBride.  Well.  Ave  grant  him  a  vise  unless  he  is  an  anarchist 
or  some  one  connected  with  societies  whose  tendencies  are  against 
orderly  government. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  413 

Senator  Dillingham.  So  the  examination  does  not  amount  to 
much  of  anything;  is  that  what  you  mean  to  be  understood  as 
raying  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  I  beg  your  pardon,  Senator? 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  thouglit  from  the  way  you  spoke  that  the 
examination  Avas  not  very  comprehensive  and  would  not  amount  to 
very  much  in  determining  the  character  and  fitness  of  the  man, 
generally  speaking. 

Mr.  jNIcBride.  The  examination  is  thorough.  l)ut  under  the  present 
laws  we  haven't  the  authority  to  refuse  a  vise  if  he  is  an  illiterate. 
That  is  a  function  Avhich  must  be  carried  out  upon  arrival  at  an 
American  port  by  officials  of  the  Immigration  Service. 

The  Chairman.  Supposing  he  is  an  anarchist  i 

Mr.  McBride.  We  refuse  a  vise  if  he  is  an  anarchist.  That  is  by  a 
special  proclamation  of  the  President,  I  think. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Supposing  he  says  he  is  not  an  anarchist; 
to  Avhat  extent  does  the  consul  go  in  making  inquiries  regarding  that 
subject? 

Mr.  McBride.  Why,  we  inquire,  when  we  can.  as  to  the  character 
of  the  man.  Sometimes  it  is  very  difficult  to  ascertain.  Sometimes 
we  have  not  the  staff  to  go  very  throughly  into  the  details  of  each 
case.     But  they  are  doing  all  that  the}'  can  abroad. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Is  there  any  organized  system  of  investiga- 
tion preceding  the  granting  of  a  vise? 

Mr.  McBride.  There  is  at  some  posts ;  yes,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  There  is  at  some  posts;  Avhat  does  that 
mean  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  That  means  at  the  posts  where  the  largest  number  of 
vises  are  being  granted,  and  where  Ave  have  a  force  large  enough  to 
do  that  sort  of  thing,  such  as  Naples,  Paris,  and  several  other  ports 
abroad. 

Senator  Dillingha3i.  Hoav  long  a  time  is  required  for  that? 

Mr.  McBride,  It  depends  upon  the  nature  of  the  case.  Sometimes 
tAvo  or  three  days,  and  sometimes  tAvo  or  three  Aveeks. 

Senator  Dillingham.  After  the  applicant  has  applied!' 

Mr.  ^IcBride.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Sterling.  SupjDosing  he  is  a  criminal.  HaA-en"t  you.  then, 
any  authority  even,  to  refuse  him  a  vise  because  of  that  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  No.  sir.  The  immigration  laAV.  as  I  understand  it, 
gives  every  alien  the  right  of  appeal  upon  his  arriA^al  at  an  American 
port. 

Senator  Dillingha:m.  Can  you  refer  us  to  the  laAv  under  Avhich 
these  examinations  are  made:  the  date  of  it.  when  it  was  passed? 

Mr.  McBride.  The  immigration  hiAV,  do  you  mean? 

Senator  Dillingham.  Xo:  the  hiAv  under  Avhich  this  Avork  is  done 
by  the  consuls? 

Mr.  McBride.  Why,  there  are  two  or  three  laws  and  tAvo  or  tliree 
proclamations.     I  can  furnish  them  if  you  Avish. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  Avill  be  glad  to  haA-e  you  do  so,  if  you 
please. 

Mr.  McBride.  I  Avill  furnish  that  information,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  Your  discretion,  then,  as  to  rejection  extends  solely 
to  the  rejection  of  a  person  Avho  is  an  anarchist? 


414  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  McBride.  Well,  because  of  the  present  state  of  war  with  Ger- 
many the  authority  extends  also  to  enemy  aliens. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  prepared  a  table  as  to  the  number  of 
rises  gi'anted  at  different  consular  points  in  Europe  ? 

Mr.  McBriue.  Yes.  sir;  a  table  has  been  prepared  based  upon  a 
questionnaire  Avhich  was  sent  to  every  consular  office  in  Europe, 
and  I  have  these  figrures  here.  They  are  for  each  quarter.  be<rinning 
with  the  quarter  ended  March  31.  1920.  and  they  (rive  the  actual 
number  of  vises  granted  at  every  consulate  in  Europe  up  to  the 
quaiter  ended  September  30.  lf)20.  and  in  addition  I  have  for  three 
quarters  more  estimates  made  by  the  consular  officers  themselves. 

The  CiiAimrAN.  And  what  coimtries  does  your  memorandum  cover? 

^Ir.  McBiuDE.  Every  European  country. 

Senator  Sterling.  Are  German  passports  being  vised  now? 

Mr.  McBride.  Xot  to  any  great  extent. 

Senator  Sterling.  Are  there  special  circumstances  governing  in 
those  cases  where  they  are  vised  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes.  sir:  commercial  men  and  men  who  under  ex- 
tenuating circumstances  are  granted  vises. 

The  Chairman.  What  is  the  aggregate  of  the  number  of  vises 
granted  during  the  first  quarter  of  1920? 

Mr.  McBride.  One  hundred  and  six  thousand  three  hundred  and 
thirty-five. 

The  Chairman.  During  the  second  quarter  of  1920  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  One  hundred  and  sixty-three  thousand  nine  hundred 
and  five. 

The  Chairman.  During  the  third  quarter  of  1920? 

]Mr.  McBride.  One  hundred  and  seventy-four  thousand  three  hun- 
dred and  ninety-four. 

The  Chairman.  Is  that  figure  for  the  third  quarter  an  estimate  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  Xo.  sir:  that  is  the  actual  number  of  vises  granted. 

The  Chairman.  Would  that  come  down  to  the  1st  of  October? 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes.  sir. 

The  Chairman.  As  to  the  fourth  quarter  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  This  is  an  estimate  prepared  by  consular  officers, 
each  consular  officer  in  his  own  district,  and  this  estimate  for  the 
December  quarter  has  been  borne  out  by  the  exact  figures  that  we 
have  since  the  end  of  the  quarter. 

The  Chairman.  What  is  it  ( 

Mr.  McBride.  Two  hundred  and  three  thousand  two  hundred  and 
twenty-three. 

The  Chairman.  That  covers  the  four  quarters? 

Mr.  McBride.  Or  1920.  yes. 

The  Chairman.  What  percentage  of  those  vises  would  be  for  the 
class  which  we  term  nonimmigrant  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  About  20  per  cent,  or  slightly  less  than  that. 

The  Chairman.  So  to  get  at  the  actual  number  of  immigrant  vises 
you  would  deduct  20  per  cent  from  those  totals? 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes.  sir. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  any  knowledge  how  soon  an  immigrant 
who  obtained  a  vise  could  probably  obtain  passage  upon  a  steamer? 

Mr.  McBride.  That  varies  in  different  countries.  The  consul  at 
Naples — I  think  it  was  the  last  week  in  October — made  an  examina- 
tion of  immigrants*  passports  as  they  boarded  a  vessel  at  Naples,  and 


ejNiergexcy  immigratiox  legislation.  415 

found  to  his  surprise  that  very  few  of  those  vises  were  dated  within 
the  past  four  or  five  months,  which  would  indicate  that  in  Italy 
to-day  there  are  enough  people  who  have  already  obtained  vises  to 
fill  the  present  shipping  capacity  for  four  or  five  or  perhaps  even  six 
months. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  then,  if  that  is  the  case,  on  the  delay  in 
obtaining  actual  passage,  how  soon  could  the  number  that  are  men- 
tioned in  the  last  quarter  of  1920  probably  obtain  passage  on  a 
steamer  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  Well,  the  number  for  the  last  quarter  includes  all 
of  Europe. 

The  Chairman.  If  they  are  three  or  four  months  behind,  they 
could  not  obtain  passage  before  May  or  June  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  From  Italy? 

The  Chairman.  From  Italy. 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes,  that  is  true. 

The  Chairman.  How  is  that  in  other  countries? 

Mr.  McBride.  In  Poland  it  is  almost  as  bad  as  in  Italy.  There 
are  always  several  thousand — between  one  and  five  thousand  peo- 
ple— waiting,  as  a  rule,  at  the  principal  embarkation  points :  that  is, 
Havre,  Antwerp,  and  Rotterdam.  They  have  large  concentration 
camps  there,  and  the  concentration  camps  are  usually  full  now. 

The  Chairman.  Supposing  we  should  pass  a  bill  temporarily  sus- 
pending immigration — the  Johnson  bill — what  effect  would  that  have 
upon  the  actual  number  of  arrivals? 

Mr.  McBride.  I  understand  that  the  people  to  be  permitted  entry 
under  that  bill  are  dependent^  and  domestic  servants.  I  think  if 
that  bill  were  in  operation  there  are  enough  persons  of  that  class — 
the  class  included  in  the  bill  to  be  allowed  entry — to  fill  the  ships  to 
their  capacity. 

The  Chairman.  In  other  words,  with  the  passage  of  the  bill,  ac- 
cording to  your  opinion,  there  Avould  be  the  same  so-called  congestion 
at  Ellis  Island  as  there  is  to-day,  would  there  ? 

]Mr.  McBride.  I  think  so ;  yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  What  suggestions,  if  any,  have  you  to  make  of 
how  immigration  could  be  regulated  and  made  selective  through 
the  vise  system  ? 

]Mr.  McBride.  Well.  I  think  the  present  system  of  vises  abroad  is 
a  Avonderful  means  of  controlling  immigration  at  its  source. 

That  is  the  only  way  we  may  hoi)e  to  have  our  own  officers  come  in 
contact  with  the  immigrants  before  they  leave  their  homes.  If  we 
had  a  commission  of  some  kind  who  would  decide  what  type  of  immi- 
grant was  wanted  in  the  United  States,  was  needed  he're — the  com- 
rnission  inigh  tsay,  for  example,  that  we  needed  20.000  farmers  in 
Kansas— the  De])artment  of  State  could  instruct  its  officers  abroad  to 
vise,  in  two  or  three  districts  where  the  best  farmers  might  be  ob- 
tained, 20,000  passports  of  people  who  could  prove  to  the  consul  that 
they  Avere  experienced  farmers. 

The  passi)()rt  might  then  be  vised,  not  for  the  United  States,  but 
for  the  State  of  Kansas,  in  the  United  States  of  America,  so  that 
the  people  at  the  port  of  entry  at  Ellis  Island,  for  instance,  when 
such  an  immigrant  arrived,  Avould  look  at  his  passport  and  see  that 
he  was  a  farmer  destined  to  Kansas,  and  the  immiaration  officials. 


416  KMERGKNCY    IM.MICKATION    LECISLATIOX. 

by  <roinp:  just  a  little  hit  further  than  they  do  at  the  present  time — 
by  puttin<r  him  on  the  train —  ould  assure  themselves  that  the  maa 
Avould  arrive  in  the  State  of  Kansas,  or  even  in  a  specific  county  in. 
the  State  of  Kansas. 

Senator  Sterling.  AVithout  some  change  in  the  law,  however,  the- 
vise  system  in  itself  would  not  be  very  much  of  a  restriction  on  immi- 
gration, because  it  would  only  apply  in  those  particular  countries 
that  you  have  mentioned. 

Mr.  3IcBrh)E.  Yes.  In  order  to  apply  it  as  a  distributive  measure- 
there  would  have  to  be  machinery  formed  for  grivinor  orders  as  to  what 
types  of  persons  are  needed  in  the  United  States  in  our  national 
interest. 

The  CHAiRiiAX.  Could  those  conditions  of  the  entry  of  the  immi- 
grant be  attached  to  the  A'ise  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes.  sir :  the  vise  could  be  made  to  read  that  ''  This 

vise  is  granted  to  the  bearer  of  the  passport,  whose  name  is . 

The  man's  profession  is  wheat  farmer.  His  destination  is  Kansas 
City."  or  a  county  or  a  State  in  the  United  States. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  you  have  an  idea  then  that  this  troublesome- 
question  of  selection  and  distribution  of  immigrants  could  be  solved 
through  the  vise  machinery,  have  you  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  The  selection  could  be  solved  very  efficiently  through 
the  vise  work  and  the  first  half  of  the  distribution  scheme.  But  it 
would  be  necessary  for  the  immigration  people  to  deliver  the  man 
to  the  county  of  his  destination,  and  we  would  also  have  to  have  some 
sort  of  machinery  to  keep  him  there.  We  might  deliver  a  man  ta 
Chicago,  and  he  might  go  back  to  New  York  the  next  day. 

The  Chairman.  Now  you  are  getting  into  the  field  of  registration^ 
aren't  you  ?    We  are  not  dealing  with  that. 

Do  you  see  the  necessity  at  the  present  time,  in  view  of  the  diffi- 
culties'connected  with  the  vise  and  other  obstacles  to  be  overcome,  for 
the  temporary  suspension  of  immigration,  pending  the  time  when 
the  committee  might  take  up  the  question  of  constructive  legislation  ? 

Mr.  ]\IcBride.  Why.  my  answer  to  that  would  depend  on  whether 
or  irot  that  constructive  legislation  would  be  taken  up  this  year  or 
several  years  later. 

The  Chairman.  Within  a  year. 

Mr.  McBride.  Within  a  year;  no,  sir:  I  see  no  reason  for  a  tem- 
porary measure  if  permanent  legislation  could  be  taken  up  within  a 
year. 

The  Chairman.  You  have  already  answered  it  in  part,  because  you 
said  that  if  the  Johnson  bill  were  enacted  into  law  there  would  still 
be  the  same  congestion  of  dependents  at  Ellis  Island. 

Mr.  McBrtde.  And  also  the  steamship  carriage  can  not  be  gi-eatly 
increased  within  the  year. 

The  CHAHorAN.  Will  you  luejiare  in  detail  a  table  showing  the 
number  if  vises  issued  and  the  estimates  of  fiiture  applications  at 
the  difl'oront  consular  ])oints  in  the  several  countries? 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  And  will  you  send  that  in  to  the  commitee  so  that 
we  may  have  those  figures  i 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  want  to  ask  one  question.  I  see  by  this 
statement.  Mr.  ]McBride.  from  which  you  have  been  testifying,  that 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  41 7 

all  it  contains  subsequent  to  the  quarter  ending  September  30.  1920, 
is  purely  an  estimate. 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes.  sir;  but  the  estimate  for  the  quarter  ending  De- 
cember has  been  borne  out  by  the  actual  results  we  obtained  in  the 
field,  and  the  estimates  I  think  are  very  close  estimates,  because  they 
are  made  by  individual  consuls  for  their  own  districts,  with  which 
they  are  familiar.  They  know  just  about  what  movement  will  take 
l)lace. 

Senator  Sterling.  How  frequently  do  you  get  these  estimates? 

Mr.  McBride.  This  is  the  first  time  we  have  had  them  prepared. 
I  had  them  prej^ared  when  I  was  made  chief  of  the  vise  office  here. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  see  from  this  statement  here  that  the  vises 
from  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  increased  from  16.339  for  the  quar- 
ter ending  March  31,  1920,  to  27.228  for  the  quarter  ending  Septem- 
ber 30.  1920. 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Then  under  your  estimates  it  runs  up  to 
30.962  for  the  quarter  ending  June  30.  1921. 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Is  that  rather  an  unusual  increase  in  the  im- 
migration from  Great  Britain? 

^Ir.  McBride.  No,  sir;  most  of  these  increases  are  limited  by  the 
carrying  capacity  of  the  steamships. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  it  has  not  been  so  in  the  past,  as  far  as 
(Treat  Britain  is  concerned.     Why  is  it  so  now? 

Mr.  McBride.  It  is  becoming  more  easy,  I  sui^pose.  for  the  immi- 
grants to  rret  passage. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  was  Avondering  if  there  was  an  increased 
desire  on  the  part  of  the  people  in  those  countries  to  come  to  America  ; 
whether  there  Avas  a  growing  inclination  among  the  people  from 
western  Europe  to  come  to  America. 

Mv.  McBride.  From  western  Europe.  Senator,  or  from  Great 
Britain? 

Senator  Dillingha:m.  Well.  Great  Britain  is  a  ])art  of  it. 

;Mi-.  McBride.  Yes.  the  inclination  is  more  marked  in  other  coun- 
tries, although  there  is  a  slight  inclination  in  Great  Britain. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  know,  but  what  other  country  in  western 
Europe  shows  a  larger  inclination  than  Great  Britain? 

Mr.  McBride.  Spain  and  Portugal ;  that  is,  with  relation  to  the 
population. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Yes.  Well,  we  have  known  that  that  has 
been  increased,  but  it  has  been  testified  to  by  shipping  officers  here 
that  it  is  now  falling  oif  very  rapidly. 

^fr.  ]McBride.  In  Spain  the  falling  off  is  due  to  reports.  I  think, 
from  Spanish  authorities  in  this  country  AAhich  are  I'niblished  in  the 
S])nnish  ])ress.  saying  that  it  was  im)")ossil)le  for  the  Spanish  la- 
borers to  get  work  here.  I  got  that  while  I  was  in  Spain  just  about 
six  weeks  acfo. 

Senator  Dii.i.inghatsi.  That  illustrates  that  news  about  the  United 
States  travels  fast  when  conditions  are  not  good. 

Mv.  ]\IcBride.  Yes. 

The  Chair^fan.  Have  you  in  those  estimates  for  future  quarters 
taken  into  consideration  the  condition  of  unemployment  here,  the 


418  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

news  of  which  has  reached  forei<zn  stations,  that  will  hold  up  im- 
mififration  ? 

^Ir.  McBkide.  Xo.  sir:  these  estimates  were  made  Ijefore  that  con- 
dition became  critical  in  the  United  States. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  that  is  very  important,  because  we  have 
the  practical  illustration  that  immi«rration  from  Spain  is  fallino: 
otf  rapidly,  accordinfr  to  one  of  the  incominfr  steamships,  owino:  to 
the  condition  of  unemployment  in  this  countr\\  How  can  the  com- 
mittee then  attach  any  importance  to  estimates  that  are  made  of 
what  will  occur  in  the  future? 

Mr.  McBpaoE.  I  think  we  could  fret  cable  reports,  if  the  committee 
desired  them,  from  a  lar^e  number  of  consuls,  which  would  show  that 
up  to  the  present  time  there  has  been  an  increase  rather  than  a  de- 
crease over  these  estimates:  perhaps  not  in  Spain,  althoujrh  I  think 
even  in  some  districts  in  Spain  we  could  <ret  the  same  fisfures. 

The  Chairman.  If  you  were  a  consular  aofent  how  could  you  form 
an  estimate  of  the  number  of  passports  of  immigrants  that  you 
would  be  called  upon  to  vise  from  the  1st  of  next  April  to  the  1st 
of  next  Jidy.  when  world  conditions  are  continually  changing  as  to 
conditions  of  unemployment,  etc. 

^Ir.  ^IcBRinE.  Well.  I  would  have  several  quarters  of  past  ex- 
perience of  the  rate  of  increase.  That  would  be  one  factor.  I  would 
know  the  steamship  facilities  and  the  transportation  facilities  of  my 
district.    That  would  be  another  factor. 

The  Chairman.  Xow.  transportation  facilities  have  nothing  to  do 
with  your  estimate.  The  transportation  facilities  are  what  retard 
their  coming. 

Mr.  McBrtde.  Yes.  sir :  and  therefore  my  estimate  would  be  lower 
than  it  might  otherwise  be.  Say  that  I  was  stationed  at  Vigo.  Spain, 
and  that  there  was  onlr  one  ship  leaving  from  Vigo  to  this  country 
every  month,  and  that  the  capacity  of  that  ship  would  be  about 
2.000.  Well.  I  might  1-cnow  that  in  my  district  there  were  10.000 
people  who  wanted  to  come  to  this  country,  but  I  would  also  know 
that  they  could  not  come,  and  they  would  know  that  they  could  not 
come,  because  they  could  not  get  steamship  tickets. 

And  then,  practically  all  the  immigrants,  before  they  actually 
come  to  a  consulate  for  vises,  write  in  for  information,  so  we  have 
thousands  and  thousands  of  requests  for  information,  and  most  of 
them  say  that  '*  we  desire,  to  come  to  the  United  States,  and  we  want 
information,  and  we  have  our  passport."  And  from  those  letters 
a  consul  can  judge  prettj"  well  as  to  whether  the  movement  is  decreas- 
ing or  increasinir 

Senator  Sterling.  What  proportion  of  those  cominsr  to  this  coun- 
try whose  passports  you  vise  are  immigrants.  ]Mr.  McBride  ?  Of 
course  you  vise  other  passports  than  the  passports  of  those  whom  we 
understand  to  be  immigrants. 

Mr.  ^McBride.  In  some  countries  the  percentasre  of  immiffrants 
is  95.  and  in  other  countries  it  is  much  less  than  that.  I  should  say 
that  we  might  figure  that,  just  as  I  have  said  l)efore.  20  per  cent  of 
the  vises  granted  are  granted  to  nonimmiirrants. 

Senator  Steretno.  Take  those  coming  from  Great  Britain,  for  ex- 
amjile.  would  a  large  proportion  of  these  be  other  than  immigrants  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  A  larger  ]iro]iortion  than 'from  nearly  every  other 
European  country:  yes.  sir.     There  would  be  a  larger  number  of 


EMERGEXCY   I^EMIGRATIDX   LEGfSLATIOX, 


419 


comniercuil    men.   tourists,   and    British   subjects    on    their   wtiy    to 
Canada. 

The  Chairman.  ^Ir.  INIcBride.  do  you  understand  that  the  pas.<- 
port  reguhitions.  under  tlie  President's  war  prochimation,  were  ex- 
tended and  are  in  force  until  March  4.  under  the  war  powers  of 
the  President  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  Well,  until  peace  is  concluded.  I  think. 

The  Chairman.  Do  these  regulations  apply  to  all  countries,  or 
only  to  those  countries  we  were  at  war  with? 

Mr.  McBride.  To  all  countries. 

The  Chairman.  Under  these  regulations,  couldn't  the  State  De- 
partment suspend  immigration,  under  any  conditions? 

Mr.  ^SIcBride.  1  don't  think  so:  no.  sir. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  all. 

Senator  Sterling.  Just  one  question.  Can  you  say  from  v,hat 
part  of  (xreat  Britain  the  larger  number  of  immigrants  are  coming 
now? 

Mr.  MqBride.  That  will  be  given  in  these  detailed  staticstics  of 
each  ccmsular  district  in  England. 

Senator  Sterling.  You  will  furnish  those.  Aviii  you  ? 

Mr.  McBride.  Yes.  sir.  That  will  be  the  number  of  Arises  granted 
in  every  city  of  importance  in  Great  Britain.  I  should  say  that  most 
of  the  immigrants  coming  now  are  from  tlie  southern  part  of  Eng- 
land, and  from  the  south  of  Ireland,  servant  girls. 

The  Chairman.  Thank  you. 

(Statement  of  vises  granted  by  each  consulate  in  Europe,  and  esti 
mate  of  vise  apj^lications  at  each  consulate,  presented  by  ]SIr.  Mc 
Bride,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows :) 


Alien  vises  granted. 

Estimate  of  vise  applications. 

• 

Quarter 

ended 

Mar.  31, 

1920. 

Quarter 

ended 

June  30, 

1920. 

Quarter 

ended 

Sept.  30, 

1920. 

Quarter 

ended 

Dec.  31, 

1920. 

Quarter 

ended 

Mar.  31, 

1921. 

Quarter 

ended 

June  30, 

1921. 

EUROPE. 

Austria:J\"ienna 

39 

286 

490 

5,000 

7,000 

8,000 

Beldum: 

Antwerp 

Brussels 

100 

1, 136 

389 

12 

300 

40:3 

1,214 

55 

529 
422 

1,097 
53 

650 

600 

1,100 

75 

800 

600 

1,200 

100 

900 

700 

1,200 

150 

Ghent 

Liege 

1.637 

1,972 

2,101 

2, 425 

2,700 

2,9.50 

Bulgaria:  Sofia 

C7e(  hoslovakia:  Prague 

Dan'.ig 

8 
902 

22 
3. 161 

10 
1,330 

24 
9.689 
1,812 
2,138 

300 

15,000 

600 

2,400 

300 

20,000 

400 

2,500 

1.0*10 
25,000 

Denmark:  Copenhagen 

1,334 

2,900 

France: 

Bordeaux 

300 
65 
103 

410 

80 

67 

4 

410 

12 

126 

155 

371 

242 

78 

36 

1,995 

3.30 
10C> 
58 

3W 

21 

144 

191 

387 

379 

74 

61 

2,756 

325 

90 

100 

5 

310 

10 

115 

150 

600 

300 

60 

50 

3,500 

450 

SO 

100 

5 

320 

10 

115 

200 

600 

200 

liO 

50 

3.000 

500 
90 
ICO 

Brest 

Calais 

Dunkirk 

Havie 

304 
12 

350 

LaRochelle '.... 

10 

Lille 

190 

Lvnn 

142 
140 
71 
67 
40 
1,704 

250 

Marseille 

Nancv 

'290 

Nante.s 

60 

Nice 

50 

Paris 

3,500 

26«J11— 21— PT  ^- 


420 


KMERGEXCV   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


EVROPE — continued. 


France— Continued  • 

Rouen 

St.  Etienne 

Limoges 


Finland:  Helsingfors 
Germany:  Berlin... 


Great  Britain  and  Ireland: 

Belfast 

Birmincham 

Bradford 

Bristol 

Cardiff 

Dublin 

Dimdee 

Dmif  ennline 

Edinburgh 

Glasgow 

Hull 

Leeds 

Liverpool 

London 

Manchester 

Newcastle-on-Tyne — 

Nottingham 

Plymouth 

Qiieen.'Jtovm 

Sheffield 

Southampton 

Stoke-on-Trent 

Swansea 


Alien  \-is^s  granted. 


Estimate  of  \ts^  applications 


Quarter 

ended 

Mar.  31, 

1920. 


2,981 


177 
10 


Quarter 

ended 

June  30, 

1020. 


Quarter 

ended 

Sept.  30, 

1920. 


Quarter 

ended 

Dec.  31, 

1920. 


30 


30 


Quarter 

ended 

Mar.  31, 

1921. 


4,036 


4,898 


5,250 


305 
518 


671 
1,130 


1.000 
4,-500 


1.500 
5,000 


Quarter 
ended 

June  30, 
1921. 


854 

444 

354 

248 

285 

,024 

586 

96 

■225 

,  5.35 

94 

202 

,197 

,229 

,128 

366 

278 

456 

,666 

115 

331 

52 

74 


1,749  ; 
656  I 
465 
249 
411 

3,149 
993  > 
179 
730  ! 

2,543  , 
107  j 
203  I 

1,589  1 

5,131  ! 

1.617  I 
615 
314  ! 
989  I 

2,110  ' 
281  , 
569  j 
97  I 
161 


2,347 
670 
594 
280 
422 

3,349 
830 
148 
516 

2,382 

95 

3S7 

1,912 

6,447 

1,88.5 
593 
402 
955 

2,054 
224 
466 
104 
166 


3,000 
700  ; 
400  : 

250  : 

400  I 
3,000  1 
660  : 
200  i 
400 
2,  .300  I 
100  ' 
252 
1,800 
6,500 
1,625  \ 
556 
300  1 
900  : 
1,500  I 
250 

325 : 

150 
200 


3,000 

750 

500 

300 

400 

3,000 

1,000 

200 

350 

2,500 

100 

405 

1,800 

7,000 

1,625 

.500 

325 

750 

2,000 

250 

350 

200 

200 


16,  s39 


24,907 


Athens  3,957  5,198  [        5,489 

Patras  903  2,625  I        1,585 

Saloniki 323  560  '  591 


5,000 
2,000 
1,200 


6,000 
2,100 
1,400 


5,1S5 


8,323 


7,665 


S,200 


9.500 


Italv: 

'Catania 5,616  11.374  i  4,580 

Florence 383             940  722 

Genoa 558          1,2W  1,295 

Leghorn '  1,199          2,069  1,517 

Naples          28,114  25,019  26,521 

PJLfermo 7,714  17,311  9,538 

Rome 9,007  13,619  10,182 

Trieste 112             376  1,159 

Tunis 14               29  34 

Turin   907           1,289  2,592 

Verice   1,  524          3, 173  ,  2, 920 

Milan 946          2, 110  |  1,S19 

Jugo=lavia:  Zagreb 

Malta 

Netherlands:  i 

Amsterdam 740          1,312  1,421 

Rotterdam 1,803          1,865  2,091 


4,000 

750 

1,600 

1,800 

15,000 
9,500 

10,700 
3,600 
50 
3,500 
3,500 
2,200 


4.000 
.3,000 
2,500 


900 
2,400 


1,500 
2,700 


Norway: 

Bcfg?n 

Chnstiania.. 
Stavanger — 
Trondhjem.. 

Poland:  Warsaw 


60 
'46 


2.550 
6,000 


3,000 

850 

700 

350 

400 

4,500 

900 

200 

900 

3,500 

100 

537 

1,800 

7,500 

2,000 

400 

350 

1,000 

2,500 

250 

575 

250 

200 


27,226    25,768    27,503    32,762 


7,500 
3,000 
1,800 


12,300 


10,000 

9,000 

600 

1,000 

2,000 

2,000 

2,000 

2,000 

3.5,000 

30,000 

12,000 

15,000 

4,500 

5,500 

50 

50 

4,000 
3,000 
3,000 


56,154 

78,603 

62,  879 

56,200 

75,650 

74,550 

.  1,638 
814 

4,500 
300  1 

4,800 
300  1 

7,00 
500 

1,230 

1,620  1 

2,200 
3,000 


2,6a3 

3,177 

3,512 

3,300 

4,200 

5,200 

140 
^79 
332 
l.V) 

228 

1,048 

466 

274 

302 

1,323 

48S 

323 

200 

1,500 

360 

350 

200 

1.700 

600 

250 

250 

2,000 

700 

350 

1,501 

2,016 

2.436 

2,410 

2,7.50 

3,300 

995 

8,252 

14,860  : 

.= 

30,000 

50,000 

60,000 



EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


421 


Alien  vis6s  granted. 

Estimate 

of  vis6  applications . 

Quarter 

ended 

Mar.  31, 

1920. 

Quarter 
ended 

June  30, 
1920. 

Quarter 

ended 

Sept.  30, 

1920. 

Quarter 
ended 

Dec.  31, 
1920. 

Quarter 

ended 

Mar.  31, 

19S1. 

I  Quarter 
ended 
June  30, 
1      1921. 

E  UROPE— continued. 

Portugal: 

Lishon                          .       .              

1,260 
2,307 

980 
2,952 

1.359 
2, 734 

1,.300 
2,500 

1,500 
3,000 

1 

1,600 

Oporto 

3,000 

3.567 

3,932 

4  093 

3,800 

4,500 

1          4,600 

Rumania:  Bucharest 

355 

5 

1,181 

1.717 

87 

2.500 

4,099 

351 

3,344 

5,000 
1.600 
3,000 

7,000 
1,600 
3,000 

1        10, 000 

Russi'a:  Rica  .                         

2,296 

Serbia :  Belgrade 

5.000 

Spain: 

Barcelona                   

295 
846 
229 
902 

44 
322 
443 
762 

80 

1,567 

297 

408 

555 

430 

1,222 

36 

283 

1,134 

1,048 

306 

3,. 391 

1,376 

472 
467 
349 

l,a36 
196 
673 
725 

1.094 
737 

2,408 

1,798 

.5.50 
900 
100 
900 

600 
1,600 

1,50 
1,200 

i              600 

Bilbao 

'          1.200 

Cadiz. . 

1              200 

rorunna 

'•          1,500 

Gibraltar    . 

Madrid 

1,000 
800 

1,200 
450 

2,000 

4,000 

1,000 
1,.500 
1.400 
300 
3,000 
3,000 

i,66 

.Malaga 

1,200 

.*^antander...                                .   .   . 

1.600 

Seville 

600 

\'alencia 

3,000 

Vigo 

1          4,000 

5, 787 

10, 189 

9,9.55 

11,900 

13,750 

1        14,900 

Sweden: 

(loteborg .     . 

642 
303 

658 

1,137 
497 

874 

1.877 

512 

1,001 

2,800 

500 

1,200 

1.100 

500 

1,200 

2,000 

Malmo 

600 

Stockholm 

1  350 

1.603 

2.  .508 

3,420 

206 
.505 
268 
149 
371 
890 

4,500 

2,800 

3,950 

Switzerland: 

Basel 

94 
444 
117 
101 
244 
436 

173 
429 
166 
109 
234 
718 

150 
450 
275 
125 
400 
1,200 

200 
550 
300 
1.50 
450 
1,000 

250 

500 

400 

Lucerne 

200 

St .  Gallen 

.500 

Zurich 

1  500 

1,436 

1,829 

2,389 

2,600 

2,650 

:5,350 

Turkey:  Constantinople 

796 
12 

2,581 

24 

t 

2,745 
13 

2,500 
20 

2,500 
25 

2,  .500 

AFKVA. 

25 

SUMMARY  OF  FOREGOING  BY  COUNTRIES. 


-Vn^i  ria 39 

Belgium 1, 637 

Bulgaria i  8 

Czechoslovakia i  902 

Panzig i 

Ueuniark 1, 334 

Fin  land ,  177 

France I  2, 981 

Germany '  10 

( ircat  Britain  and  IreUuid i  10,  .839 

Greece 5, 183 

Italy .56, 1.54 

Jugb-Slavia 1, 181 

Malta 1 , 2.30 

Netherlands 2, 6a3 

Norway 1,  .)01 

Poland 995 

Portugal j  3, 567 

Rumania I  .3.55 

Russia 5 

Spain 5, 787 

Sweden 1 ,  603 

Switzf  rlaJid 1  436 

Turkey 796 

.\lgeria 12 

Total 106,  .335 


286 

1,972 

22 

3,161 

10 

1,3:?0 

.305 

4,ft36 

.518 

24,907 

8,323 

78. 603 

2,500 

1,620 

3,177 

2,016 

8,2.52 

3,932 

1,717 

87 

1 ),  189 

•>,.508 

1,829 

2,  .581 

24 


490 

2,101 

24 

9, 689 

1,812 

2, 1.38 

671 

4,  .808 

1,1.30 

27,228 

7, 665 

62.879 

4,982 

814 

3,  .512 

2, 436 

14,860 

4,093 

4,099 

351 

9,955 

3,420 

2,  .389 

2, 745 

13 


5,000 

2,425 

.300 

1.5,000 
600 
2,400 
1,000 
5, 670 
4.. 500 

25. 768 
8,200 

.56,200 

7,  .500 

300 

3,300 

2,410 

.30,000 
3,800 
.5,000 
1,600 

11,900 
4,500 

2jm 

2,  .500 
20 


7,000 

2,700 

300 

20,000 
400 
2,  ,500 
1,.500 
5,250 
5,000 

27,503 
9,  .500 

75, 650 

7,800 

300 

4,200 

?,  7.50 

51,000 
4,. 500 
7,000 
1,600 

13,750 
2,800 
2,  650 
2, 500 


8,  OfK) 
2, 0.50 

i;ooo 

2.5.000 

400 

2,900 

2,  .500 

6, 495 

6.000 

32, 762 

12,300 

74,.55K 

12,000 

.500 

5,iOO 

3,30a 

•:0,(i00 

4,taa 

10, 003 
2,296 

11,900 
3,950 
3,3.50 
2.  .500 
25 


163,905 


174,394  I     202,493       257,178  I      217,484 


422  HMKIKiKXlY    LMMIGRATIOX    LKCISLATIOX. 

Tlio  Ciiair:man.  Miss  Kellor. 

Miss  Kellor.  will  you  state  your  (|ualiH<-ations.  A\'e  kiunv  them, 
but  so  that  they  may  l>e  in  the  lecord.  How  lon^^  lia\e  you  heeii 
en«ra<re(l  in  this  work? 

STATEMENT  OF  MISS  FRANCES  KELLOR. 

^liss  Kellor.  I  have  l)een  en^a<jfecl  in  the  inmii<rration  work  since 
1907,  At  that  time  I  was  ai)i)ointe(l  a  spec-ial  a<rent.  or  <riven  a  special 
coninii.ssion  l)y  President  Koosevelt.  to  make  an  investijration  with 
Commissioner  Xiell.  which  laid  the  foundation  for  the  Federal 
Inmiiirration  Commission. 

In  1!>1()  I  was  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Industries  and  Immigration 
of  the  State  of  Xew  York.  havin<^  practical  sui)ervisi()n  of  all  the 
immiirration  work  of  th.e  State. 

In  1916  I  was  appointed  by  President  Wilson  to  make  an  examina- 
tion of  the  operations  of  the  diiferent  Federal  departments  for  the 
purpose  of  brinoinof  about  a  coordination.  I  was  ofiven  a  letter  l^y 
him  to  the  different  Cabinet  officers  in  order  to  secure  that  infor- 
mation. 

Durinir  the  war  I  Avas  in  char<re  of  the  war-work  extension  of  the 
Department  of  the  Interior,  of  the  work  of  Americanization  of  aliens, 
and  also  made  an  investigation  for  the  committee  on  pnl^lic  informa- 
tion of  the  different  foreign-hmguage  groups  and  organizations  in 
the  country. 

During  the  past  year  I  have  been  abroad  for  several  weeks  trying 
to  tie  up  the  opinion  of  America  with  that  of  Europe.  So  that  my 
experience  lias  been  lariiely  in  conne-tion  wiili  Government  offices, 
and  that  is  the  source  of  my  information. 

The  Chair:max.  May  I  ask  you.  Miss  Kellor.  Does  such  an  emer- 
gency exist  as  in  your  opinion  requires  the  immediate  suspension  of 
immigration  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  My  answer  would  be.  Senator  Colt,  that  it  does  not. 
and  my  reasons  for  that  answer  will  follow. 

Xow,  I  have  summarized  the  information  which  I  have  as  supple- 
menting the  information  which  has  already  been  given  here  and  not 
duplicating  the  information,  and  so  the  data  I  am  giving  you  is 
rather  supplemental  than  duplicatory. 

The  first  thing  on  which  T  base  that  conclusion  is  this:  That  when 
I  was  abroad  I  saw  these  waiting  lines  of  people,  and  I  myself  and 
some  of  my  assistants  analyzed  these  different  lines  of  people  in 
order  to  see  what  they  were  composed  of. 

The  Chairman.  When  were  you  abroad  ?  | 

Miss  Kellor.  I  came  back  in  August.  I  was  abroad  from  June 
until  the  last  part  of  August.  And  this  is  what  we  found  in  the 
waiting  lines  of  jieople: 

First.  That  they  were  made  up  of  people  who  had  returned  during 
the  war  or  during  the  armistice  to  settle  their  affairs  or  get  their 
families. 

Second.  They  were  made  up  of  people  delayed  by  the  war  who 
either  had  tiieir  tickets  or  were  planning  to  come.  For  the  five  years 
preceding  the  war  we  were  averaging  OOd.OOO  immigrants  a  year. 
During  the  war  we  were  averajjinfr  1<>0.(»(»0  immiurants  durinir  tlie 


EMERGEXCY    IMMIGEATIOX    LEGISLATION.  423 

3'ear.  That  meant  a  loss,  if  that  average  had  continued,  of  practi- 
cally three  and  one-half  million  people  who  would  have  come  to  this 
country  if  they  had  had  a  chance.  And  many  of  those  people  who 
were  lield  up  b}'  the  war  were  now  waiting  in  line  to  come  over  here. 

Senator  Sterling.  What  ports  did  you  visit  while  you  were  over 
tliere.  Miss  Kellor?    What  ports  of  embarkation^ 

Miss  Kellor.  One  representative  Avas  at  Danzig,  another  was  at 
Rotterdam,  and  I  was  at  Southampton  and  Cherl)ourg. 

Third.  The  line  was  also  made  up  of  people  whose  economic  posi- 
tion and  resources  were  changed  by  personal  losses  during  the  war, 
as  for  example,  the  loss  of  male  or  supporting  relatives. 

Fourth.  It  was  also  made  up  of  people  who  did  not  or  could  not 
receive  their  supplies  or  remittances  from  America.  There  were 
great  difficulties  in  connection  with  the  transmission  of  moneys  and 
the  transmission  of  supplies,  and  a  good  many  of  the  immigrants 
found  it  was  better  to  try  and  bring  over  their  families  and  support 
tliem  here  than  to  try  to  get  supplies  sent  them  over  there. 

Fifth.  AVe  also  analyzed  those  waiting  lines  from  the  point  of 
view  of  time,  and  we  found  that  they  did  not  represent  a  daj^  or  a 
Aveek's  aggi'egation ;  that  hardly  any  one  of  them  got  away  in  less 
than  a  week;  that  the  average  time  was  from  a  month  to  six  weeks. 
We  found  one  family  that  had  been  in  line  for  102  days. 

Those  people  would  come  back  day  after  day  and  stand  in  line 
Avaiting  for  their  turn :  so  that  in  estimating  the  numbers,  it  must  be 
l)orne  in  mind  that  any  one  who  saAv  those  lines  did  not  see  a  fresh 
line  cA-ery  day.  but  saw  an  accumulation  of  Aveeks  in  one  line. 

Sixth.  The  lines  of  people  represented  a  Avide  area.  AVe  analyzed 
tlie  Danzig  camp  for  the  purpose  of  finding  out  Avhat  percentage  that 
Avas  of  the  population.  There  were  10,000  people  in  that  camp.  AA"e 
found  that  that  camp  represented  a  territorA"  of  750,000  square  miles, 
Avith  a  population  of  87,000,000;  in  other  Avords.  that  the  10,000 
people  at  Danzig,  in  that  one  camp,  represented  a  population  of 
87,000,000.  That  was  the  proportion  of  tliose  assembled  there  to  the 
popula/tion  of  the  countries  from  Avhich  they  came. 

Seventh.  AA"e  also  found  certain  members  of  minority  races  who 
were  discouraged  by  racial  differences  and  the  sIoav  adjustments,  Avho 
Avere  trying  to  get  aAvay  from  each  other ;  for  instance,  the  differences 
between  tlie  Slovaks  and  the  Czechs.  There  were  some  differences  be- 
tAveen  the  Poles  and  the  Jews.  AA^e  found  that  that  Avas  a  reason 
for  some  of  them  trying  to  emigrate. 

In  other  Avords,  Senator  Colt,  my  conclusion  from  the  first  part  of 
my  investigations  is  that  these  Avere  normal  lines  of  immigration,  and 
not  abnormal  lines;  that  they  Averc  due  to  normal  causes,  and  that 
they  Avere  not  due  to  abnormal  causes. 

The  second  part  of  our  investigation  Avas  Avhy  those  lines  of  Avait- 
ing  people  are  misleading.  That  is,  Avhy  our  judgment  of  tliem 
might  be  misleading  unless  Ave  make  a  careful  investigatioiL  The 
first  thing  Ave  found  Avas  that  these  concentration  jioints  are  ncAV. 
The  reason  there  Avero  no  lines  of  Avaiting  people  before  tlie  war  Avas 
because  there  Avere  no  concentration  points.  And  also  that  now  A'ises 
are  required,  whereas  they  Avere  not  before  the  Avar;  that  affidavits 
are  noAv  rccpiired  for  dependents,  and  they  Avere  not  refjuired  before 
the  war;  that  monev  is-A-erv  often  lost  or  stolen.  Avhich  lias  delaved 


424  EMERGENCY    IM.N[1(;1;AT(()X    r.KdISLATIOX. 

the  people  at  these  points ;  that  is.  for  instance,  if  their  money  is  lost 
or  stolen,  they  may  have  to  wait  until  they  again  get  money  from 
America,  another  remittance.  Therefore  these  people  added  to  the 
lines. 

We  found  that  some  people  -who  could  not  obtain  passports  in  their 
own  Provinces  had  come  to  a  place  like  Warsaw  and  had  encountered 
all  sorts  of  difficulties  in  their  home  Provinces  before  they  could  get 
to  Warsaw.     Communication  was  difficult. 

In  other  words,  my  second  conclusion  is  that  these  lines  are  abnor- 
mal, because  noinial  methods  of  traffic  have  been  disturbed  or  sus- 
pended. 

I  have  taken  some  of  these  questions  which  you  have  been  asking 
and  have  tried  to  supplement  the  answers  that  have  been  given  to  you 
from  the  evidence  that  I  have. 

The  third  question  was  Avhy  so  many  of  these  people  have  so  little 
money  on  arrival.  I  found  from  examination  of  a  number  of  the 
people  that  practically  all  of  them  started  with  from  three  to  six 
times  as  much  money  as  they  did  before  the  war.  In  other  words, 
they  tried  to  take  care  of  the  contingencies.  But  what  happened  was 
this:  In  going  through  the  dili'erent  countries  money  now  has  to  be 
exchanged.  Ordinarily  a  man  could  go  through  without  exchanging 
his  money.  Every  time  the  money  is  exchanged  the  man  loses  a  cer- 
tain percentage  of  it.  and  there  was  a  considerable  loss  due  to  that 
fact.  For  instance,  if  an  immigrant  traveled  through  four  countries 
and  had  to  exchange  his  money  four  times,  he  had  considerably  less 
money  when  he  arrived  at  the  port  of  embarkation  than  he  had  when 
he  started  out :  he  would  have  lost  a  considerable  part  of  his  money. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  You  mean  that  there  was  dishonesty  in  the 
exchange  of  his  money? 

Miss  Kellor.  Yes ;  there  was  dishonesty  in  exchanging  the  money. 

The  second  point  is  that  there  were  delays  in  leaving,  and  there- 
fore the  cost  of  board  and  lodging  which  these  people  have  not 
counted  on.  which  would  necessarily  reduce  the  amount  of  monej' 
they  had. 

A  good  many  of  them  who  were  delayed,  in  the  hope  of  getting 
away  were  paying  large  fees  for  getting  vises.  They  thought  that 
by  giving  this  official  some  money  and  by  giving  some  other  official 
some  money  they  would  get  through  in  quicker  time.  Some  of  them 
did.  but  that  reduced  their  supply  of  money. 

The  Chairman.  Was  that  done  by  speculators  or  dishonest 
officials '. 

^li-s  Keli.or.  Di.-honest  officials.  They  would  sometimes  pay  over 
money  to  officials,  or  otfer  them  money,  in  order  to  put  them  through 
quickly. 

Then  there  was  lack  of  protection  while  waiting.  In  these  concen- 
tration camps  it  is  impossilde  to  give  these  people  sufficient  protec- 
tion, and  people  make  all  kinds  of  promises  to  these  immigrants  in 
order  to  get  their  money.  We  found,  for  instance,  that  at  Danzig 
the  lodging  house  was  under  the  administration  of  German  (jovern- 
ment  officials,  and  their  net  profit  on  the  lodging  house  is  from 
70,000  to  80.000  marks  a  day,  and  it  was  to  their  interest  to  detain 
the  immigrants,  keeping  them  there  as  long  as  possible. 

These  are  some  of  the  elements  that  explain  why  an  immigrant 
comintr  to  this  countrv  has  so  little  monev  when  he  gets  here.     He 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  425 

starts  with  enough,  but  when  he  arrives  there  have  been  so  many 
unusual  expenses  that  his  money  has  been  considerably  reduced.  He 
is  getting  none  from  his  friends  at  home,  and  he  is  not  in  touch  with 
his  friends  at  the  other  end  of  the  line,  and  therefore  he  arrives  with 
so  little  money. 

Now,  in  regard  to  the  question  as  to  whether  any  of  this  immigra- 
tion that  we  saw  waiting  in  these  lines  was  stimulated,  my  answer  is 
that  it  is  stimulated  through  the  usual,  normal  lines  by  which  it  has 
ahvays  been  stimulated,  and  these,  generally  speaking,  for  the 
United  States,  are  by  the  report  of  prosperity  in  America,  by  the 
number  of  prepaid  tickets  that  are  sent  over — practically  80  per  cent 
of  the  people  in  line  had  prepaid  tickets.  In  other  words,  American 
money  was  paying  for  about  80  per  cent  of  the  tickets  of  the  immi- 
grants coming  over  here. 

Senator  Sterling.  Those  tickets  would  be  through  tickets  to  the 
destination  ? 

Miss  Kellor  Steampship  tickets  only,  to  Ellis  Island,  with  the 
understanding  that  their  friends  or  relatives  would  call  for  them 
or  be  connected  with  them  upon  arrival. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  did  you  ascertain  from  what  sources 
those  tickets  came? 

Miss  Kellor.  Usually  from  their  families,  or  some  relatives.  In 
some  cases  we  found  that  they  came  through  relief  societies,  like  the 
Hoover  relief  organizations. 

Another  point :  This  immigration  is  stimulated  b}'  the  desire  of 
the  dilferent  nationals  in  this  country  to  take  care  of  their  own 
people  here,  and  by  the  failure  of  supplies  to  reach  them. 

Then,  we  discovered  also  that  a  number  of  corporations  had  been 
formed  in  the  United  States  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  over  people 
to  this  country.  I  have  prepared  for  you  a  list  of  the  names  of  a 
half  a  dozen  or  a  dozen  of  those  corporations  that  have  been  organized 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  over  immigrants.  If  you  want  any 
further  information  on  that  I  Avill  be  glad  to  give  it  to  you. 

We  found  that  the  stimulus  in  Europe  was  generally  under  these 
different  heads :  Due  to  the  race  feuds  and  bitterness  which  had  de- 
veloped since  the  war,  although  a  great  deal  of  it  had  existed  before 
the  war:  unemployment;  shortage  of  food:  high  prices;  lack  of  raw 
material ;  the  failure  of  some  of  the  popular  loans  for  which  they 
had  need;  not  getting  money  they  expected  for  reconstruction:  fail- 
ure of  the  government  to  give  the  people  what  they  had  expected,  as, 
for  instance,  the  distribution  of  land,  and  better  working  conditions. 

These  diifered  in  degree  in  different  countries.  Of  course,  in  order 
to  make  an  accurate  analysis  we  have  to  take  each  country  by  itself. 
But  the  point  was  we  found  no  unusual  economic  conditions,  other 
than  those  that  would  fall  under  these  different  categories,  which 
were  stimulating  emigration. 

The  next  question  which  I  ha\e  taken  up  is:  Are  the  people  free 
to  leave  in  numliers  to  constitute  an  emergency  in  the  United  States? 

Here  is  a  very  interesting  situation  abroad,  which  is  not  new,  but 
Avhich  is  very  much  accentuated  l)y  the  war:  The  peoj^le  and  the 
Governments  are  not  necessarily  in  harmony  on  this  subject.  I  have 
shown  here  the  movement  of  the  peoj^le:  that  is,  the  things  that 
influenced  the  people  in  their  movement. 


426  emergi:n'(V  im-michatiox  i.kcislation. 

Xow,  I  want  to  take  iij).  on  the  other  hand,  the  checks  that  are 
phiced  by  the  Government  upon  immi<^ration,  because  the  Govern- 
ment has  one  idea  and  one  method  and  one  purpose  in  that  regard^ 
and  the  people  have  another.  And  when  we  jjet  to  constructive  legjis- 
lation  this  is  imi)ortant.  because  I  believe  in  the  future  that  the 
United  States  Government  must  deal  with  the  Governments  of 
Europe  and  not  with  the  immif^rants  of  Euroi)e.  1  think  that  is 
one  of  the  revelations  of  the  war,  and  that  is  the  I'eason  1  am  sub- 
mittinof  it  to  you  at  this  time. 

We  found  in  the  individual  (iovernments  that  these  were  the  five 
conditions  existin*^ : 

First.  That  in  such  countries  there  was  definite  Government  regu- 
lation for  the  purpose  of  checkin":  immiofration. 

Second.  In  such  countries  there  was  a  definite  tendency,  and  in. 
some  places  ffoinfr  to  the  extent  of  action,  to  divert  immigration:  in 
other  words,  for  the  Government  to  send  it  to  the  countries  or  to 
the  places  where  it  would  be  economically  j^rofitable.  And  rio^ht 
there  I  wish  to  raise  the  second  point  whi'-h  should  be  considered  in 
constructive  leirislation :  That  I  did  not  find  that  America  was  re- 
•larded  any  lonfrer  as  an  asylum  for  people  seeking  political  freedom, 
for  ]3eople  seekinfj:  political  ri^rhts  and  opportunities,  but  that  the 
immiofration  of  the  future  is  an  economic  proposition  to  be  carried 
out  alon<r  economic  lines,  and  to  be  very  highly  commercialized,  in 
the  sense  of  commercial  oro^anizations.  which  creates  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent situation  from  the  situation  we  have  had  in  the  past,  an  en- 
tirely new  situation. 

The  CHAiR:\rAX.  Well,  supposino:  the  Government  acted  along  that 
line:  wouldn't  it  direct  the  immigrant  to  Brazil  or  Chile  or  Argen- 
tina, where  certain  bonuses  are  granted,  rather  than  to  the  United 
States  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  It  would  depend.  Senator  Colt,  upon  what  object 
the  Government  had  in  view.  If  the  Government  had  in  vieAv  lo- 
cating upon  the  land,  investment,  the  development  of  markets,  yes. 
If  it  has  in  Aiew  the  necessity  of  getting  ready  money  back  for  the 
purpose  of  fiscal  policies,  then  it  would  be  a  question  of  placing 
common  labor,  and  this  is  being  considered  by  these  Governments  in 
a  very  intelligent  manner. 

Third.  Another  thing  we  found  was  the  imposition  of  Government 
obstacles:  that  certain  countries  had  not  gone  so  far  as  to  regulate^ 
but  they  made  it  very  difficult  for  these  prospective  emigrants  to  get 
out  of  the  country. 

Fourth.  That  the  Governments  are  developing  very  definitely  in- 
centives for  their  own  people  to  remain  at  home. 

Senator  Sterling.  Won't  you  be  a  little  more  specific  and  tell  us 
what  Governments. put  obstacles  in  the  way? 

Miss  Kellor.  I  have  got  a  number  of  illustrations  which  I  will  read 
to  you.  following  riirht  after  this  summar3%  Senator  Sterling,  and  if 
you  will  permit  I  will  come  to  that  point  in  a  little  while. 

Senator  Sterling.  Yes. 

Miss  Kellor.  Fifth.  We  found  the  Governments  working  out 
plans  for  the  placement  of  their  immigrants  as  economic  assets:  in 
other  words,  the  exchange  of  men  for  markets,  for  goods,  for  mate- 
rials, for  investments,  and  for  the  development  of  savings. 


EMERGENCY    IMMICRATIUX    LECTSLATIOX.  427 

Xow.  this  is  an  illustration  of  an  obstacle:  Armenia  had  made  net 
regulation,  but  it  had  notified  the  Armenian  people  that  they  must 
use  Armenia's  passports ;  that  they  must  use  their  own  passports ;  that 
they  could  not  get  out  of  the  country  and  use  the  passports  of  other 
governments.  That  was  an  obstacle.  That  made  it  difficult  for  people 
to  get  out  of  the  country. 

In  Czechoslovakia  we  found  that  not  only  did  they  have  an  urgent 
bill  under  consideration,  but  they  had  regulations  curtailing  the 
activities  of  agents  Avho  seek  to  cause  a  mass  emigation :  that  is. 
where  any  considerable  number  are  going  out  they  make  an  inquiry 
as  to  how  and  why  they  are  going  out,  and  who  had  stimulated  them. 
And  then  there  are  the  military  regulations  prohibiting  men  of 
military  age  from  leaving  the  country.  Those  regulations  have,  of 
course,  previously  been  in  effect,  and  are  still  in  existence,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  there  is  the  constant  fear  that  they  will  need  their  men 
for  war  ])urposes. 

And.  for  instance,  in  Finland  we  found  that  in  order  to  hold  the 
would-be  emigrant  at  home  the  (lovernment  is  to  establish  settlement 
areas  in  state  forests  along  the  highways  and  rivers:  and  occupation 
and  reduction  of  the  land  Avill  constitute  ownership  of  that  land.  So 
the  method  adopted  in  Finland  is  the  distribution  of  land. 

I  might  say.  Senator  Colt,  that  my  information  not  being  any  later 
than  August.  I  have  gone  to  the  precaution  of  checking  this  informa- 
tion at  the  different  consulates  in  Xew  York  City :  in  other  words.  I 
have  taken  my  data  and  gone  to  the  consulate  offices  to  see  if  it  was 
still  holding  good. 

The  Chairman.  We  will  have  to  suspend  here  for  a  few  moments. 

(Thereupon  a  recess  for  15  minutes  was  taken.) 

AFTER  RECESS. 

Miss  Kellor.  We  had  gotten,  I  think,  as  far  as  Armenia  in  the 
illustrations.  I  mentioned  that  Armenia  had  notified  its  people  that 
they  must  use  their  own  passports,  and  not  get  out  of  the  country  and 
use  those  of  other  Governments.  In  regard  to  the  Finns,  a  number  of 
measures  were  being  taken  in  Finland  to  prevent  the  emigration  of 
the  Finns,  particularly  in  the  distribution  of  lands,  the  improvement 
of  working  conditions,  and  in  the  delays  in  granting  passports.  I 
mentioned  the  fact  of  the  military  law  in  Czechoslovakia,  and  the 
proposed  regulations  concerning  the  activities  of  agents. 

France,  we  found,  had  entered  into  special  agreements  with  the 
Governments  of  Poland,  Italy,  and  Spain  to  divert  and  control  emi- 
gration from  those  countries  into  France.  There  is  a  very  interesting 
development  there,  which  I  will  come  to  a  little  bit  later  on.  in  regard 
to  the  intermigration  between  the  European  countries,  which  is,  of 
course,  a  great  check  on  the  movement  towards  the  United  States  by 
the  emigration  countries. 

In  Germany  I  found  from  the  imperial  immigration  bureau  that, 
while  they  have  a  number  of  emigrants  that  they  would  like  to  get 
out  of  Germany,  they  are  holding  their  emigration  with  the  idea 
that  Russia  is  going  to  be  the  big  immigration  country  of  the  future, 
and  also  they  are  negotiating  with  South  America  to  divert  a  large 
]iart  of  the  (irerman  emigration  to  South  America:  and  but  very 
little  German  emigration,  of  course,  is  going  on. 


428  H.MKItCKXCV    I.M.MIflRATIOX    LKdlSLATTOX. 

Senator  DIM,IX(;HA^r.  AA'lmt  do  you  mean  bv  sayin<r  that  Ri:s.si:i 
is  <roini!:  to  be  tlie  irft^at  iininiirration  nation — <!oin«r  to  liussia  or  tVoni 
Russia  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  Going  to  Russia.  For  instance,  Czechoslovakia 
also  regards  Russia  as  a  probable  outlet  for  a  number  of  her  emi- 
grants as  soon  as  tilings  become  more  stabilized  or  they  are  m<»re 
certain  of  their  conditions. 

In  Great  Britain  I  found  a  committee  had  been  at  work  on  (he 
subject  of  emigration  for  some  time,  had  been  making  a  survey  of  the 
resources  of  the  different  countries  with  a  view  to  placing  emiorra- 
lion,  and  they  are  noAv  adopting  the  policy  of  having  practically  as 
much  as  possible  of  British  emigration  go  to  British  colonial  pos- 
sessions; in  other  words,  they  are  going  to  prevent  it  from  going  to 
any  other  countries  except  the  British  possessions.  It  is  a  very 
definite  policy. 

In  Greece  the  Government  will  only  permit  the  emigration  of 
those  who  have  fulfilled  their  military  obliutitions.  and  they  reserve 
the  right  to  prohibit  or  limit  all  emigration  at  any  time  without 
notice. 

In  Hungary  Ave  found  tliat  a  number  of  emigrants  are  planning 
to  come  to  the  United  States :  that  some  of  the  same  regulations  exist 
there;  but  that  Japan.  Brazil,  Chile,  and  other  countries  had  agents 
very  acti^-ely  at  work  in  that  country  who  were  advertisinir  exten- 
sively with  a  view  of  getting  emigration  to  go  to  their  countries. 

If  I  am  going  into  this  too  much  in  detail.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  can 
skip  a  good  deal  of  it.  but  this  is  the  situation  in  the  various  cou.n- 
tries  as  I  found  it. 

We  found  that  there  was  a  considerable  emigration  which  the 
Italian  Government  desired  to  have  leave  Italy,  but  we  did  not  find 
that  the  United  States  was  the  only  countiy  which  Italy  was  con- 
sidering in  relation  to  immigration.  Italy,  perhaps  more  than  any 
other  country,  at  the  present  time  is  Avorlring  out  a  very  intelligent 
emigration  problem,  which  has  in  view  negotiations  with  different 
countries  for  the  purpose  of  placing  its  emigrants  at  economic  out- 
posts in  those  countries,  and  having  in  mind  the  development  of  mar- 
kets, the  location  of  capital  for  investments,  which.  I  believe,  is 
going  to  be  more  or  less  the  nature  of  immigration  relationship  in 
the  future,  which  I  w411  develop  a  little  bit  later  on,  if  I  may. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  What  classes  is  she  encouraging  to  leave 
Italy? 

Miss  Kellor.  There  are  waiting  in  Italy  probably  something  in 
the  neighborhood  of  70.000  emigrants  who  Avould  like  to  get  out. 
Many  of  them  are  going  to  their  families.  Their  movement  has  been 
interrupted,  of  course,  during  this  war.  and  they  have  not  been  able 
to  come  over  here.  But  primarily  it  is.  I  should  say.  the  working- 
man,  the  day  laborer. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  From  southern  Italy  i 

Miss  Kellor.  Well,  not  necessarily  from  southern  Italy,  but  from 
Italy.    I  mean,  they  want  to  leave  from  different  parts  of  Italy. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  I  think  that  most  of  the  working  class  that 
have  come  from  Italy  have  come  from  southern  Italy. 

^liss  Kellor.  Yes;  a  majority,  unquestionably. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Is  it  a  (|uesti(m.  in  Italy.  Miss  Kellor.  or  in 
some  parts  of  Italy,  of  subsistence  there,  to  some  extent? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  429 

Miss  Kellor.  I  should  say  it  is  a  lack  of  employment  in  some 
sections.  The  Italian  situation  is  a  very  interestintr  one.  For  in- 
stance, in  some  sections  of  Italy  they  need  people  to  o;o  on  the  land, 
because  certain  sections  of  Italy  have  been  depopulated  by  reason 
of  the  number  of  Italians  who  have  come  to  America.  In  other  sec- 
tions of  Italy  there  is  an  overpopulation.  There  might  be  an  ad- 
vantageous redistribution  through  Italy  itself,  of  its  own  popula- 
tion. But  it  is  very  difficult  to  speak  for  the  country  as  a  whole. 
Some  parts  of  it  need  immigration.  Of  course,  as  you  know,  a  great 
many  Italians  are  going  into  other  countries  under  contract:  into 
France  and  into  Czechoslovakia  and  into  othvr  countries;  the}'  are 
going  to  these  countries  under  contract,  to  work. 

Senator  Sterling.  There  being  no  restriction  there  so  far  as  that 
is  concerned  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  AVell.  tliere  are  the  restrictions  of  contract.  Xo 
workingmen  migrate  freely  fi'om  one  country  to  another  in  Europe. 
They  all  go  under  contract.  And  I  liave  brought  for  you  here  a 
copy  of  the  French-Italian  labor  and  immigration  treaty,  which 
regulates  that,  and  Avhich  I  think  you  Avould  be  interested  in. 
Senator  Dilltxgiiam.  We  should  like  to  have  that. 
The  Chair^iax.  Under  the  contract  system  does  an  alien  return 
to  his  native  country?    Is  it  a  temporary  sojourn? 

!Miss  Kellor.  It  is  supposed  to  be  a  temporary  sojourn. 
We  found  that  Poland  was  discouraging  emigration,  and  we  found 
a  very  interesting  angle  to  that.  We  found  that  its  discouragement 
Avas  so  successful  in  many  instances,  notwithstanding  the  disor- 
ganized conditions  there,  that  passport  factories  had  been  set  up 
in  both  Paris  and  Berlin  in  order  to  facilitate  the  emigration  of  the 
Poles.  One  of  them  at  least  was  suppressed  while  I  was  in  France. 
But  as  I  say,  these  passport  factories  had  been  set  up  for  the  pur- 
pose of  facilitating  the  outgoing  immigration :  to  circumvent,  in 
other  words,  the  objections  by  the  Government. 
Senator  Johnson.  When  were  you  over  there  ? 
Miss  Kellor.  I  was  there  in  July.  And  I  was  explaining.  Sena- 
tor Johnson,  that  what  I  have  tried  to  do  within  the  last  two  or  three 
weeks,  since  I  have  known  that  you  wanted  this  information,  was  to 
check  my  information  at  the  consular  office  in  XeAV  York,  to  see 
whether  there  had  been  any  changes,  or  whether  most  of  my  facts 
were  still  true.  Certain  of  them  I  have  eliminated,  because  condi- 
tions have  changed. 

For  instance,  the  percentage  of  Jews  coming  out  of  Poland  when 
I  was  over  there,  compared  to  the  total  number  of  immigrants,  was 
as  60  to  40.  or  perhaps  05  to  35.  I  find,  however,  that  the  number  of 
Jews  who  are  coming  out  now  is  less  than  that.  It  is  about  50-50 
now.  I  find  that  conditions  are  changing  so  rapidly  that  unless  you 
have  the  current  information  you  can  not  give  the  accurate  situation. 
In  regard  to  Portugal,  we  found  that  while  a  considerable  number 
of  emigrants  were  coming  to  America,  the  officials  there  were  not 
very  much  concerned  if  we  shut  out  immigrants,  because  they  would 
prefer  to  have  them  go  to  the  South  American  countries  where  the 
language  is  the  same,  and  where  the  conditions  are  more  or  less  himio- 
geneons.  and  it  would  help  them  to  divert  their  emigrants  to  those 
countries  where  they  want  them  to  go.  rather  than  to  come  to  the 
United  States. 


4^0  K.MKIUJKNCV    I.M.MKir.ATlOX    I.KdlSLATIOX. 

Senator  Stkrling.  What  did  you  find  tho  tendency  to  be.  may  I 
ask.  in  Portn^al.  so  far  as  emi<rration  from  Portn<ial  is  concerned!! 

Miss  Keli.oij.  The  ori<rinal  statement  which  I  made.  Senator  Ster- 
lina-.  liohls  frood.  tliat  tlie  movement  of  the  peojilc  generally  is  in  one 
direction,  and  the  movement  of  the  Government  is  in  an  opposite 
directit)n.  That  is,  they  are  trying  to  follow  an  economic  impulse, 
trying  to  get  to  their  families,  to  reestablish  their  home  ties. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  (iovernments.  as  fast  as  they  can  become 
stabilized,  are  trying  to  check  emigration.  For  instance,  as  an  illus- 
tration, we  found  one  town  just  outside  of  Lisbon,  where  a  number 
of  emigi'ants  had  suddenly  cleparted,  and  the  chief  industry  in  that 
town  W!is  a  large  salt  works,  and  after  the  exodus  had  started,  the 
(Tovernment  saw  that  the  salt  works  woidd  have  to  shut  down,  and 
as  it  was  an  important  industry  to  Portugal  they  immediately  placed 
a  ban  on  emigration  from  that  particular  community.  That,  per- 
haps, illustrates  better  than  anything  else  the  two  tendencies. 

In  Rumania  we  found  practicalh*  the  same  tendencies.  We  also 
found  that  the  Government  there  had  sent  word  to  the  emigi-ants. 
through  its  police  department,  that  every  emigrant  wovdd  forfeit 
his  citizenship  automatically  unless  he  agreed  to  state  that  he  in- 
tended to  return  to  Runumia,  and  that  was  automatically  operating 
as  a  suspension  upon  outgoing  emigration. 

We  found  in  Spain  that  while  there  was  a  considerable  emigration 
from  Spain  there  was  a  movement  generally  throughout  Spain  to 
counteract  it.  For  instance,  letters  from  America  were  appearing 
in  the  newspapers  telling  how  the  Spaniards  were  not  treated  well 
here,  and  that  the  economic  conditions  were  not  good.  There  "was 
that  kind  of  a  counteraction,  that  kind  of  an  educational  campaign 
to  prevent  emigrants  going  out.  I  was  unable  to  ascertain  whether 
that  had  the  backing  of  the  Government  or  not.  I  only  know  the 
situation  I  have  described  existed. 

In  Sweden  there  has  recently  been  organized  a  very  influential  anti- 
migration  league,  which  is  noAv  trying  to  prevent  the  Swedes  from 
coming  to  the  United  States,  and  also  it  has  the  purpose  of  trying  to 
get  the  Swedes  to  return  home,  primarily  for  the  purpose  of  develop- 
ing the  land. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  That  is  against  any  emigration  at  all.  rather 
than  against  emigration  to  the  United  States  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  Oh.  yes:  I  am  speaking  now  of  the  general  condi- 
tions, the  movement  against  all  emigration. 

I  shall  come  a  little  bit  later,  if  I  may.  to  the  competition  with  the 
United  States,  which  is  another  thing.  But  I  am  dealing  now  with 
the  general  emigration  from  all  these  different  countries. 

In  Syria — showing  how  rapidly  conditions  change — in  July  the 
British  (iovernment  was  facilitating  the  emigration  of  Syrians  to 
Canada  and  the  United  States,  in  order  to  relieve  a  very  difficult 
economic  situation.  I  find,  upon  checking  this  within  the  last  three 
or  four  weeks,  that  the  French  (TOvernment  has  stopped  issuing  pass- 
ports to  Syrians  desirous  of  emigrating,  due  to  the  fact  that  so  many 
have  atternpted  to  leave  that  the  country  is  being  left  without  suffi- 
cient man  power  to  till  the  soil  and  furnish  other  labor. 

I  am  giving  you  these  facts  because  1  ho])e.  if  I  may  be  of  any 
service  at  all.  it  will  be  to  give  you  an  idea  of  the  complicated  ques- 


EMKRGEXCY    IMMIGRATIOX    LEGTSLATIOX.  431 

tion  with  which  we  are  dealing,  and  to  show  that  the  utmost  care 
must  bo  taken  in  enacting  any  legishation  on  this  subject. 

We  found  that  a  contract  had  been  arranged  in  1919,  I  believe  it 
was — or  perhaps  it  Avas  in  1918,  although  I  think  it  was  in  1919 — 
calling  for  100,000  Poles  to  be  sent  into  France  to  work  at  the  same 
wages  and  under  the  same  conditions  as  French  workingmen,  and 
under  that  contract  they  were  only  able  to  secure  15,000  men.  In 
other  words,  the  men  were  needed  at  home  because  of  economic  con- 
ditions, and  therefore  they  were  not  able  to  fill  that  contract. 

Senator  Steijling.  If  you  will  allow  me  to  return  to  the  case  of 
Portugal  again,  I  am  interested  in  the  procedure  by  which  they  pre- 
vented the  omigi'ation  from  a  particular  district  there.  Do  you  know 
what  that  was?  Was  it  by  refusing  passports  to  the  people  from 
that  district  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  It  was  a  notice  to  the  community  that  no  more  people 
would  be  allowed  to  emigrate  from  that  community. 

In  regard  to  the  Jugo-ShiAs,  the  emigration  has  been  practically 
stopiDed  by  the  distribution  of  land,  except  those  coming  to  join  their 
families.  Of  course,  the  military  law  also  is  in  operation  there. 
Certain  appeals  are  being  made  to  the  people,  in  addition  to  these 
rules  and  regulations:  That  they  now  have  a  new  country — especially 
in  the  new  States — and  they  have  a  certain  pride  in  helping  to  build 
it  up;  that  they  have  new  opportunities;  all  class  lines  are  abolished, 
and  therefore  they  can  occupy  positions  of  power;  that  the  industry 
Avill  develop  under  a  new  regime :  that  they  will  have  the  opportunity 
of  using  their  own  language — that  is,  they  won't  have  to  learn  an- 
other language — and  there  won't  be  a  suppression  of  the  use  of  their 
own  language. 

There  is  another  interesting  thing  taking  place  in  Europe,  and  for 
want  of  a  better  word  I  call  it ''  cooperative  action  "  among  the  Euro- 
pean States.  P^or  instance,  we  found,  as  I  have  already  indicated, 
that  labor  treaties  were  being  negotiated  between  the  different  coun- 
tries, and  this  one  which  I  am  leaving  with  you,  being  the  Franco- 
Italian  labor  and  immigration  treaty,  is  ty])ical.  It  deals  with  the 
Iwages  and  working  and  living  conditions;  it  deals  with  the  stabiliza- 
tion of  labor  markets;  it  deals  with  social  insurance,  with  the  con- 
ditions under  which  they  may  accpiire  land,  with  the  charitable  aid 
to  be  extended  to  innnigrants  under  certain  (^)n(litions.  and  with  pro- 
tection, with  the  use  of  arbitration  boards  and  with  labor  laws, 
with  the  protection  of  children  and  adult  workers,  with  whether  spe- 
cial taxes  shall  be  imposed  upon  temporary  aliens,  and  then  with  the 
condition  of  seamen  and  fishermen,  with  Avhich  Ave  Avould  not  be 
interested. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  BetAveen  Avhat  nations  is  that  treaty,  did 
you  say? 

Miss  Keixou.  This  particular  treaty  is  betAveen  France  and  Italy. 
But  such  treaties  exist  betAveen  a  number  of  other  countries,  as.  for 
instance,  betAveen  Italy  and  Belgium,  and.  I  think,  other  countries. 

Senator  Sterling.  Are  these  agreements  recent  ? 

Miss  Keli-or.  Some  of  them  are ;  yes. 

Senator  Joiixsox.  This  one  Avas  made  in  1919. 

Miss  Kei.lcr.  1919;  they  are  all  practically  since  the  Avar. 

Senator  Joiixsox.  The  si<>'nin<r  of  this  treatv  Avas  on  September  80, 
1919. 


432  EMKRGEXfV    IMMIGRATION    LKGISLATION. 

The  CiiAiii.MAX.  Does  the  committee  think  that  ou^rht  to  jro  into 
the  record  ( 

Senator  Johnson.  I  shoiihl  like  to  have  it  inserted  in  the  record. 
^Ir.  C'liairnian.  jilease. 

Tlie  C'haik'man.  It  may  l)e  inserted  in  the  record. 

(The  new  Franco-Italian  labor  and  immi<rration  treaty,  presented 
Ity  Miss  Kellor.  is  here  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

Rome.  Xovember  16,  1919. 

Thk  New  Franco-Italian  Labor  and  Immigration  Treaty. 

The  ftillowing  is  from  the  Bollettino  (leU'Ufficio  del  Lavoro : 
The  netrotiations  for  the  conclusion  of  a  new  labor  treaty  between  France  and 
Italy  resulted  in  the  sighing  on  September  30,  1919,  of  a  compact  which  will  be 
sutiniifted  for  ratitication  to  the  Parliaments  of  the  respective  countries.  The 
treaty  provides  that  the  workers  of  either  country  when  employed  in  the  other 
.'ihall  be  on  tlie  s<ime  footing  as  nationals  with  respect  to  labor  conditions  and 
shall  enjoy  the  same  benefits  with  reference  to  relief  and  social  insurance.  The 
full  text  of  the  treaty  (with  the  exception  of  its  preamble)  is  translated: 

TEXT  OF  THE  TREATY. 

Article  1.  The  two  Governments  agi'ee  to  grant  all  administrative  facilities  to 
citizens  of  either  of  the  two  countries  who  intend  to  go  to  the  other  country  for 
the  purpose  of  working  there.  * 

With  the  reservation  of  temporary  abrogations  provided  for  in  article  4  and 
the  harmonizing  of  its  own  laws  and  regulations  with  the  facilities  which  it  has 
oliligated  itself  to  grant  in  the  preceding  paragraph,  the  country  of  origin  shall 
not  retjuire  any  special  authorization  for  the  emigration  of  workers  and  their 
families,  be  it  either  individual  or  voluntary  or  for  the  purpose  of  collective 
hiring. 

These  workers  and  their  families  shall  be  at  liberty  to  enter  the  country  of 
their  destination,  which  shall  not  require  any  special  authorization  for  this  pur- 
pose, with  the  reservation  of  temporary  abrogations  provided  for  in  article  4,  and 
the  harmonizing  of  its  own  laws  and  regulations  with  the  facilities  which  it  has 
obligatetl  itself  to  grant  in  paragraph  1  of  the  present  article. 

WAGES   AND    WORKING    AND    LI^'ING    CONDITIONS. 

Art.  2.  The  wages  of  immigrant  workers  shaU  not  be  lower  than  those  received 
in  the  same  undertaking  and  for  equal  work  by  native  workers  of  the  same  occu- 
pational gi'oup.  or.  if  native  workers  of  tliis  group  are  not  employed  in  the  same 
tmdertaking.  they  shall  not  be  lower  than  the  normal  wages  current  in  the  dis-i 
trict  for  workers  of  the  same  group. 

The  Government  of  the  country  of  immigration  obligates  itself  to  see  to  it  that 
within  its  territory  the  equality  of  wages  of  immigrant  and  native  labor  is 
observed.  •" 

Atjt.  3.  Immigrant  workers  shall  enjoy  the  same  protection  of  the  legislation 
and  usages  of  the  country  as  native  workers  with  respect  to  working  and  living 
conditions. 

All  complaints  of  immigrant  workers  concerning  the  working  and  living  condi- 
tions provided  for  them  by  employers  or  any  other  complaint  requiring  inter- 
vention of  the  public  authorities  shall  be  addresse<l  or  transmitted  to  the  proper 
local  authorities  either  directly  or  through  the  diplomatic  or  consular  authorities. 
The  pi-ojier  local  authorities  shall  make  the  necessary  investigations  and  shall 
alone  be  competent  to  intervene. 

Each  of  the  two  Governments  may  attach  to  its  embassy  in  the  other  country 
a  technical  specialist  charged  with  taking  care  of  all  labor  matters  and  with 
maintaining  relations  with  the  proper  central  administrative  authorities  of  the 
countries  in  whicli  workers  of  the  other  country  are  being  employed. 

The  two  Governments  shall  facilitate  the  exercise  of  the  functions  of  these 
attaches. 

stabilization  of  labor  market. 

Akt.  4.  If  at  certain  times,  in  certain  districts  and  in  certain  occupations, 
the  <oiulition  of  the  labor  market  should  make  it  impossilile  to  find  employment 
f<ir  eiiiigiants  who  individually  and   voluntarily  come  in   quest  of  worJv,  the 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  433 

interestt^d  rioverninent  shall,  through  diplomatic  channels,  immediately  advise 
the  Oowniiiient  of  the  otUer  country  thereof  so  that  the  latter  may  take  the 
required  measures. 

The  two  Governments  may  by  joint  agreement  examine  correlative  measures 
which,  with  the  same  object  in  view,  could  be  adopted  by  each  of  the  two 
countries. 

Art.  5.  The  Governments  of  the  two  countries  shall  jointly  see  to  it  that  the 
number  of  workers  hired  liy  means  of  a  collective  contract  shall  not  injuri- 
Kusly  affect  the  economic  development  of  one  of  the  two  countries  or  the  work- 
ers of  the  other  country. 

Foi-  this  purpose  they  shall  establish  a  commission  which,  as  a  rule,  shall 
meet  twice  a  year  at  Paris. 

Tlie  respective  reiiresentatives  on  this  commission  shall,  in  particular,  be 
charged  with  (1)  estimating  approximately  the  number  of  workers  that  could 
l)ossibly  be  hireii  and  what  number  of  workers  it  seems  desirable  to  hire  up  to 
the  next  session  of  the  commission;  (2)  indicating  the  districts  to  which  the 
inunigrant  workers  slijould  preferably  be  directed,  and  those  to  which,  owing  to 
the  prevailing  condition  of  the  lal»or  market,  immigrant  workers  should  not  be 
directed.  With  this  object  in  view,  each  of  the  two  States  reserves  to  itself 
the  right  to  consult  the  interested  employers'  and  workers'  organizations  within 
ils  territory. 

In  order  to  assure  the  regular  functioning  of  these  administrative  authorities 
which,  in  application  of  the  internal  laws  of  each  of  the  two  countries  are 
charged  with  facilitating  to  emigrants  passage  of  the  border,  the  proper  ad- 
ministrative authorities  shall  jointly  determine  those  measures  which  are  made 
necessary  by  existing  conditions,  and  harmonize  tbem  as  much  as  possible  with 
the  application  of  the  i-espective  laws  and  regulations. 

SOCIAL  INSURANCE, 

Art,  7,  The  pension  system  for  industrial  and  agricultural  workers  (inclu- 
sive of  the  special  pension  funds  for  miners)  in  force  in  each  of  the  two  coun- 
tries shall  be  applied  to  citizens  of  the  other  country  without  any  exclusion  or 
reduction  of  the  rights  granted  to  nationals,  but  with  reservation  of  the  pro- 
visions made  below  concerning  the  computation  and  payment  of  the  comple- 
mentary pension  and  the  State  subsidy. 

The  advantages  provided  for  In  the  present  article  shall  be  granted  to  in- 
sured persons  who  shall  claim  and  obtain  their  pensions  subsequent  to  the  date 
of  the  coming  into  force  of  the  present  treaty.  The  same  advantages  shall  be 
granted  to  widows  and  orphans  whose  claims  shall  arise  subsequent  to  that 
date. 

The  following  rules  shall  be  applicable  to  complementary  and  State  grants: 

(n)  The  contributory  periods  and  those  considered  as  contributory  periods 
which  in  accordance  with  the  law  are  being  computed  either  in  Italy  or  in 
France,  shall  be  added  for  the  purpose  of  determining  the  right  to  a  pension. 

tb)  Each  of  the  two  States  shall  compute  the  amount  of  the  pension  to 
which  the  insured  person  would  be  entitled  according  to  its  rates,  its  law,  and 
the  conditions  required  by  the  latter,  for  the  entire  time  reckoned  according  to 
the  provisions  of  the  preceding  paragraph.  Each  State  shall  then  determine 
tlie  part  of  the  pension  to  be  borne  by  it,  reducing  the  total  amount  previously 
determined  in  proportion  to  the  period  of  time  which  concerns  it. 

The  total  of  the  quotas  to  be  borne  by  each  of  the  two  States  represents  the 
amount  of  the  pension  to  which  the  insured  person  is  entitle<l. 

In  case,  however,  that  the  pension  computed  in  this  numner  should  amount 
to  less  than  the  pension  which  would  be  due  from  one  of  the  two  countries  iu 
accordance  with  its  own  law  nnd  by  reason  of  the  contributory  periods,  or 
periods  considered  as  contributory  periods,  elapsed  within  its  territory,  the 
part  of  the  pension  to  be  borne  by  that  State  shall  be  increased  by  the  dif- 
ference. 

Tlie  prece<ling  rules  are  applicable  to  the  quota  of  invalidity  -pensions  to  be 
borne  by  each  State. 

Death  benefits  in  case  of  death  of  the  insured  person  shall  be  payable  to  his 
survivors  provided  that  the.se  have  submitted  a  claim  within  six  months  of  his 
death.  The  two  States  shall  shsire  in  the  payment  of  these  benetits  in  accord- 
ance with  the  rules  laid  down  for  pensions  and  State  grants. 

The  agreements  provided  for  in  article  124  shall  prescribe  how  the  principles 
relating  to  rates  of  pensions  and  State  grants  shall  be  applied. 


484  i;.\iKr.(;KX<'V  i.M.Micr.A'iiox  lkcwslatiox. 

The  relations  liotwcrn  tlic  Ilaliiin  ami  I'lviich  insiiranco  carriors,  tlif  In- 
fornialion  wliicli  these  imisl-  furnish  to  each  (»ther  tu  make  possihle  tlie  keeping 
of  Individual  accounts  foi-  insured  nationals  of  the  other  country  durinji;  the 
niaturinji-  and  at  the  time  of  tlie  liquichition  of  their  pensions,  and  the  necessary 
measures  for  facilitation,  in  accordance  with  the  Fi'anco-Italian  agreement  of 
April  ."),  1904,  of  the  i)ayment  in  I''ranc(>  (hroujrli  the  French  funds  or  the 
post  otHce  de]tartnient  of  the  iiensions  (hie  from  Italian  insurance  carriers, 
and  vice  versa,  shall  he  (h^erniined  hy  the  ajireements  provided  for  in  article  24. 

Ar.T.  S.  The  iiiinciples  of  recii)rocity  ali'eady  realized  in  the  matter  of  com- 
pensation for  industrial  acci(U'nts  is  confirmed  hy  the  present  treaty  and  sliall 
be  applicahle  to  any  possible  development  of  the  respective  legislation. 

The  same  principles  shall,  under  conditions  to  be  laid  down  in  special  agree- 
ments, be  extendecl  to  all  social  insurance  laws,  covering  various  risks,  such  as 
sickness,  invalidity,  and  unemployment,  which  may  be  enacted  in  the  future. 

ACQUISITION   OF   LAND. 

Art.  9.  In  all  matters  i-elating  to  the  acquisition,  possession,  and  transfer 
of  small  rural  and  urban  holdings  the  citizens  of  each  of  the  two  States  shall 
in  the  territory  of  the  other  State  enjoy  the  same  rights  and  privileges  granted 
to  nationals,  with  the  exception,  however,  of  privileges  granted  for  war  service 
and  with  reservation  of  provisions  which  iti  the  interest  of  national  security 
were  enacted  for  specified  zones  or  localities  in  the  laws  on  the  right  of  resi- 
dence and  settlement  of  aliens. 

CHAIJITABLE    AID. 

Art.  10.  Italian  workers  and  entrepreneurs  who  have  become  memliers  of  a 
French  mutual  aid  society  may  become  members  of  the  administrative  board 
with  the  reservation  that  the  number  of  alien  members  of  the  board  shall  not 
excee<l  one-half  less  one  of  the  total  membership  of  the  board. 

Italians  residing  in  France  who  have  become  members  of  a  mutual  aid 
society  approved  or  recognized  as  a  public  welfare  society  shall  enjoy  the 
benefits  of  the  State  subsidies  to  the  pensions  accruing  from  contributions  as 
evidenced  by  individual  pass  books  and  shall  have  a  right  to  pensions  accruing 
from  the  conunon  funds. 

Art.  11.  Subsidies  to  mutual  unemployment  benefit  funds  as  -well  as  subsidies 
furnished  1iy  puldic  unemployment  funds  and  aid  given  by  public  institutions 
through  furnishiu'^  of  work  must  be  granted  in  each  of  the  two  States  to  the 
nationals  of  the  other  State. 

Art.  12.  Citizens  of  each  of  the  two  States  who,  owing  to  physical  or. mental 
sickness,  pregnancy,  or  confinement,  or  for  any  other  reason  require  aid.  medical 
treatment,  or  any  other  -assistance  shall  within  the  territory  of  the  other 
signatory  State,  in  the  application  of  the  laws  on  social  aid,  receive  the  same 
treatment  as  nationals  with  respect  to  aid  at  their  home  or  in  a  medical  insti- 
tution. 

Citizens  of  each  of  the  two  States  shall  be  t-ntitled  in  the  other  State  to  sub- 
sidies for  the  maintenance  of  their  families,  which  shall  have  the  character  of 
simple  relief,  if  their  families  live  with  them. 

Art.  13.  Expendtures  for  aid  incurred  by  the  State  of  residence  shall  not 
involve  a  claim  to  any  refund  on  the  part  of  the  State,  department.  Province, 
commune,  or  public  institution  of  the  country  of  which  the  person  aided  is  a 
citizen,  provided  that  such  aid  has  become  necessary  owing  to  an  acute  disease 
pronounced  as  such  by  the  attending  physician. 

In  other  cases,  inclusive  of  relapses,  claims  to  refund  for  the  period  of  aid 
subsequent  to  the  first  45  days  shall  be  admissible. 

Art.  14.  The  State  of  residence  shall  also  continue  to  bear  the  burden  of  relief 
without  refund — 

1.  In  the  case  of  maintenance  either  at  their  homes  oi'  in  bosjiitals  of  aged, 
infirm,  and  incurable  persons  who  have  continuously  resided  for  at  least  l."  years 
in  the  country  in  which  th(>y  were  admitted  to  the  benetirs  of  a  pension,  aid.  or 
free  admission  to  a  home  for  the  aged.  This  jx'riod  shall  be  reduced  ])y  five 
years  in  cases  of  invalidity  caused  by  one  of  the  industrial  diseases  enumerare'l 
in  a  list  ccjutained  in  one  of  the  agreements  jirovided  for  in  article  24. 

2.  In  the  case  of  all  sick,  insane,  and  all  other  jtersons  aided  who  have  i-ontinn- 
ou.sly  resided  in  the  said  country  for  five  years.  In  case  of  curative  treatment 
for  a  disease,  a  worker  who  during  said  jteriod  has  resided  in  the  counti-y  at 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  435 

least  five  consecutive  months  during  each  year  shall  be  considered  as  having 
resided  there  continuously. 

With  respect  to  children  under  IG  years  of  age,  it  shall  be  sufficient  if  their 
father,  mother,  guardian,  or  the  person  in  whose  custody  tlie-y  are  fulfill  the 
above  conditions. 

Art.  15.  After  tlie  lapse  of  4o  days,  persons  who  have  received  relief  and  do 
not  fulfill  the  requirements  as  to  residence  laid  down  in  the  preceding  article 
shall,  accoFding  to  the  choice  of  tlie  State  in  which  they  claim  citizenship  and 
after  notification  by  the  State  in  wliich  they  reside,  be  either  repatriated  if  they 
are  in  a  condition  to  be  transported  or  the  costs  of  their  medical  care  must  be 
refunded  by  their  State  to  the  State  in  wliich  they  are  residing.  Repatriation 
shall  not  be  enforced  in  the  case  of  special  relief  of  families  with  numerous 
children  or  of  women  in  confinement. 

Ai!T.  10.  The  two  Governments  shall  by  means  of  agreements  provided  for  in 
article  24  jointly  regulate  the  details  of  the  administrative  measures  relating  (1) 
to  the  procedure,  conditions,  and  form  of  tlie  repatriation,  and  (2)  the  method 
of  establishing  and  computing  the  duration  of  continuous  residence. 

The  notices  by  the  State  of  residence  provided  for  in  article  15  must  reach  the 
authorities  of  the  State  of  domicile  designated  in  the  said  agreement  during  the 
first  10  days  of  the  period  of  45  days ;  otherwise  this  period  shall  be  extended  by 
the  entire  duration  of  the  deL-.y. 

The  two  Governments  obligate  themselves  to  see  to  it  that  in  localities  where 
large  numbers  of  workers  of  the  other  nationality  are  gathered  accommodations 
for  hospital  treatment  for  sick  or  injured  workers  and  their  families  shall  not 
be  (lacking. 

Contributions  which  for  this  purpose  may  be  inipo.sed  up<m  or  voluntarily  borne 
by  employers  shall  not  have  the  character  of  such  special  taxes  on  the  employ- 
ment of  foreign  labor  as  are  prohibited  below  in  article  21. 

If  the  workers  are  assured  of  medical  care  at  their  homes,  in  hospitals,  and 
Infirmaries  by  their  employer,  and  at  the  latter's  expense,  they  shall  have  a  right 
to  such  treatment  without  refund  of  the  costs. 

Refunds  claimable  from  the  State  of  domicile  in  pursuance  "of  the  preceding 
article  15  shall  not  be  demanded  if  the  aforesaid  expenditures  are  borne  volun- 
tarily by  the  employer  or  by  reason  of  a  clause  in  the  labor  contract. 

This  provision  shall  also  be  applicable  if  the  costs  are  paid  by  a  benevolent 
society  or  in  any  other  way. 

Art.  17.  Benevolent,  relief,  and  aid  societies  of  Italian  citizens  in  France  and 
of  French  citizens  in  Italy,  and  societies  in  both  countries  having  members  of 
liotli  nationalities  which  are  organized  and  administered  in  accordance  with  the 
laws  of  the  country,  shall  enjoy  the  same  rights  and  privileges  that  are  granted 
to  French  and  Italian  societies  of  the  same  character. 

ARBITRATION'   BOARDS   AXD  LABOR   LAWS. 

Art.  18.  Workei's  and  employers  of  the  two  countries  may  be  come  members 
of  the  boards  of  conciliation  and  arbitration  for  the  settlement  of  collective 
di.spntes  between  employers  and  employees  in  which  they  are  interested. 

If  Italian  workers  of  ii  mining  establishment  have  chosen  from  anions  their 
fellow  workers  in  the  same  establishment  a  delegate  who  shall  submit  their 
demands  with  respect  to  labor  conditions  either  to  the  employees  or  to  miners' 
delegates,  or  to  the  authorities  charged  with  the  supervision  of  labor,  the  said 
French  authorities  shall  exteml  fiicilities  to  the  delegate  for  the  exercise  of 
the  functions  intrusted  to  him  by  his  fellow  workers;  the  same  shall  reciprocall.v 
apply  to  French  miners  in  Italy. 

Art.  in.  Citizens  of  each  of  the  two  contracting  parties  shall  in  the  territory 
of  the  other  party  enjoy  equal  treatment  with  nationals  in  all  matters  relating 
to  the  application  of  laws  regulating  labor  conditions  and  assuring  the  hygiene 
and  safety  of  workers. 

This  principle  of  equal  treatment  shall  also  be  extended  to  any  regulations  of 
such  matters  promugated  in  the  two  countries  in  the  future. 

pkotectiox  of  children  AND  adult  workers. 

Art.  20.  The  commission  composed  of  French  and  Italian  citizens  provided  for 
in  the  Franco-Italian  convention  of  June  15.  1910.  f<n'  the  protection  of  children 
and  eventually  of  adult   workers  shall,   in   those  districts  iu   which   workers 

20911— 21— PT  S— 4 


436  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

of  the  other  cunmry  iire  einiiloyf'd  in  a  siitticieiirly  hirfre  mnulter.  extend  its  pro- 
tective jKtivities  to  workers  of  all  asies.  he  they  Italian  workers  in  France  or 
Fivnch  workers  in  Italy.  From  now  on  they  shall  he  comiwsed  as  follows: 
(1»  The  prefect  or  snhprefect,  or  a  comicilor  of  the  prefecture:  (2»  the  mayor 
of  the  comnmne  or  a  conuiinnal  counfih)r:  (3)  the  factory  insi)tM:tor  or  one  of 
his  assistants:  (4)  the  consul  or  his  representative:  (.jI  the  president  of  a 
mutual  aid.  e(lu<ationaI.  or  relief  society  of  the  other  nation,  or  if  such  a 
si>ciety  does  not  exist,  a  citizen  of  the  other  country  residing  in  the  di.strict : 
(Ot  one  rei»resentative  each  of  the  emjiloyers"  and  workers'  organizations  of 
the  tlistricl  :  (7)  one  worker  of  each  of  the  two  nationalities. 

TAXKS. 

Art.  21.  Neither  of  the  two  signatory  States  shall  imiwse  special  taxe.s  on  citi- 
zens of  the  other  State  hy  reason  of  their  working  in  its  territory. 

This  provision  shall  not  i>reju(lice  the  provisions  <if  laws  and  regulations 
relating  to  general  taxes  imi»osed  on  aliens  and  in  particular  the  taxes  on 
the  issuance  of  permits  of  residence.  The  same  provision  shall  not  he  construe*] 
as  exempting  citizens  of  one  of  the  >ignatf»ry  States  who  reside  in  the  territory 
of  the  other  State  frou)  any  other  tax.  present  and  future,  applicable  to  nationals 
of  the  country  of  residence. 

Art.  22.  The  principle  of  equality  of  treatment  of  citizens  of  the  two  coun- 
tries, with  re.spect  to  admission  to  the  public  priman-  schools  and  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  private  schools,  liaviug  been  sufficiently  established  in  principle 
in  each  of  the  two  countries  by  the  respective  school  laws,  the  two  Governments 
reserve  to  tliemselves  tlie  negotiation  of  a  general  convention  relating  to  educa- 
tion and  to  include  therein  the  measures  required  for  tlie  facilitation  of  ele- 
mentary and  vocational  education  ^if  immigrant  workers  and  their  families. 

.SEAMEN     AND    FISHERMEN. 

Art.  23.  One  or  more  special  conventions  shall  regulate  in  the  .spirit  of  the 
present  treaty  the  situation  of  seamen,  fishermen,  and.  in  general,  of  the  wage- 
working  personnel  of  the  fishing  industry  and  of  the  merchant  marine.  Nego- 
tiations with  this  end  in  view  shall  begin,  at  the  latest,  during  the  year  follow- 
ing the  ratification  of  the  present  treaty. 

It  shall,  however,  be  considered  as  agreed  upon  for  the  present  that  a  system 
of  pension:*,  in  the  spirit  of  the  conditions  laid  do^^"n  in  article  7.  shall  form  the 
subject  of  one  of  the  agreements  to  be  concluded  in  pursuance  of  the  provisions 
of  article  24. 

Art.  24.  The  proper  administrative  authorities  of  the  two  countries  shall 
jointly  determine  measures  concerning  the  details  and  the  sersices  required  for 
the  carrying  out  of  those  provisions  contained  in  the  present  treaty  which 
require  the  cooperation  of  the  respective  administrative  authorities.  They  shall 
also  determine  the  instances  and  conditions  under  which  they  shall  carrj-  on 
direct  correspondence  between  themselves. 

Art.  2.5.  As  the  present  treaty  is  not  fully  applicable  to  colonies,  po.ssessions, 
and  protectorates,  the  two  Governments  obligate  themselves  to  enter  into  nego- 
tiations, possibly  during  the  year  following  the  ratification  of  the  present 
treaty,  for  the  purpo.se  of  concluding  one  or  more  special  conventions  relating 
to  their  respective  coUmies,  pos.sessions,  and  protec-torates  which  Avill  regulate 
the  matters  dealt  with  by  the  present  treaty  in  conformity  with  the  principle.s 
and  spirit  of  the  latter. 

Art.  26.  The  present  treaty  shall  be  ratified  and  ratifications  .shall  he  ex- 
changed at  Paris  at  the  earliest  possible  time. 

It  shall  become  effective  on  the  exchange  of  ratifications. 

It  shall  be  in  force  for  one  year  and  its  renewal  from  year  to  year  shall  be 
implied  unless  notice  denouncing  it  is  given. 

All  disputes  relating  to  the  application  of  the  present  treaty  shall  be  settled 
through  diplomatic  channels. 

If  a  settlement  can  not  be  arrived  at  in  this  way  the  said  disputes  .shall,  on 
demand  of  only  one  of  the  parties,  be  submitted  to  the  decision  of  one  or  more 
arbitrators  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  settle  the  dispute  in  conformity  with  the 
fundamental  principles  and  the  spirit  of  the  ])resent  treaty. 

A  si)ecial  agreement  shall  regidate  the  constitution  and  the  functions  of  the 
arbitration  board.     Each  of  the  two  j>arties  may,  in  the  way  of  testimony,  sub- 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  437 

mil    ;iii  opinion  rendered  by  international  offices  or  organs   couipettMit  in   tlif 
matter. 

Siicli  an  opinion  may,  for  the  same  purpose,  be  jointly  requested  by  the  arbi- 
trators. 

^liss  KELLt)R.  Then  I  should  like  to  submit  for  the  record  a  state- 
ment of  the  conditions  in  Europe  which  either  favor  or  retard  emi- 
ofration  to  the  United  States.  This  statement  is  made  by  countries. 
This,  of  course,  is  simph'  a  sunnnarv.  and  is  as  accurate  as  it  is  pos- 
sible to  ^et  information  at  the  present  time. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  be  received. 

(The  statement  of  '"  Conditions  in  P^urope  Avhich  either  favor  or 
retard  emigration  to  the  United  States,"  presented  by  Miss  Kellor,  is 
printed  hereAvith  in  full,  as  follows:) 

CoNDiTioN.s  i.\  Europe  Which  Either  Favor  qr  Retai;i)   Km  KiKAiioN   to  the 

United  States. 

Under  the  name  of  each  country  from  which  the  I'nited  States  lias  l)eeu 
receiving  immigrants  are  noted  the  factors  which  stimulate  or  retard  innnigra- 
tion  to-day,  s^s  these  have  been  reported  in  the  press  of  both  Europe  and 
America  or  have  been  communicated  by  otficials  and  other  representatives  of 
the  various  racial  groups.  It  is  implied  that  influences  which  retard  emigra- 
tion to  America  mav  also  act  to  attract  nationals  in  the  United  States  to  return. 


SfuiniJft ti II fi.— The  budget  for  1920-21  shows  an  increase  of  16,281.000,000 
kronen  in  expenditure  and  an  increase  in  revenue  of  14. 3H1. 000,000  kronen, 
which  \Vill  make  a  definite  increase  for  last  year  to  be  1,960,000,000  ki-onen. 

Rctordinff. — The  workmen's  production  department  of  Vienna  shows  a  de- 
crease in  unemployment.  In  the  spring  of  1919  there  were  133.921  unem- 
ployed; in  January.  1920,  the  unemployed  was  reduced  to  .")6.."i.")6 :  in  October, 
1920,  it  was  only  i4,4S3. 

BELGIUM. 

Rciardinri. — The  minister  of  economic  affairs  has  expressed  the  wish  that  ail 
emigrated  Belgians  would  now  return  to  build  up  the  country. 

The  Belgian  Chamber  of  Commerce  Bulletin  says  that  the  all-important  over- 
riding fact  in  Belgium  is  that  Belgium  is  working.  There  is  no  evidence  of 
public  lassitude  or  indifference.  The  doctrine  of  work  as  the  solvent  ol  all 
trouble  is  expected  not  only  on  the  land  but  in  the  factories  and  workshops. 

BULGARIA. 

SHmitlating.— The  Government  has  introduced  a  budget  for  the  ttrst  time 
since  the  Balkan  War.  The  estimated  deficit  for  the  current  year  is  500.000.000 
leva  which  the  finance  minister  he  hopetl  to  cover.  A  bill  will  surely  be  in- 
troduced to  create  salt  and  sugar  monopolies. 

Retarding.— The  minister  of  finance  says  that  the  harvest  of  this  year  is  one 
of  the  best  since  the  independence  of  the  country.  Not  only  will  the  country  be 
able  to  supply  its  own  needs  but  will  have  a  surplus  of  rye,  barley,  maize,  oats, 
etc.,  for  export. 

C7,ECHOSI.O\AK1A. 

St i III iiUiti int.— The  Bohemian  beet-sugar  harvest  is  a  disappointment  this 
year.     The  vield  will  be  20  to  25  i)er  cent  less  than  anticipated. 

AN  ^n7///K/.— According  to  the  Czechoslovakia  consulate  of  New  ^  ork  Cily. 
uiiemplovment  conditions  are  improving  in  the  country  and  the  (Jovernment 
does  not"  look  with  favor  on  the  dei)arture  of  nationals  for  America,  because  it 
wishes  to  have  all  men  rehabilitate  the  industries  of  the  country.  It  now  costs 
about  40  cents  a  day  in  American  currency  merely  to  provide  employment  m 
Czechoslovakia. 


438  i:.Mi:i;(;i;xcv  immkiratiox  li:(;islatu)X. 

r)eputy  Ilruskovsky  and  otliers  have  inlroduced  an  urgent  interpolation  to  the 
niinistei-iuni  of  Interna!  affairs  to  nialce  impossible  the  activities  of  agents  who 
seek  fo  cause  a  mass  of  emiffration. 

A  law  has  just  been  enacted  prohibiting  the  passage  of  men  22  years  of  age 
over  the  botmdaries.     No  passports  will  be  issued  to  those  born  1898-1900. 

The  minister  of  finance  has  announced  that  Czechoslovaks  resident  in  America 
have  signified  their  willingness  to  lend  their  mother  country  ii;200,000,(XKj  at  G 
l)er  cent. 

Tlie  budget  for  1021  provides  for  14,104  ndllion  kronen  expenditure  and  14.108 
million  kronen  revenue. 

FINLAND. 

l^timiihitiiif/. — According  to  the  Svensk-Handels-Tidning.  the  financial  situa- 
tion in  Finland  is  extremely  critical.  The  position  of  the  Bank  of  Finland 
grows  steadily  worse.  All  banks  are  being  warned  against  granting  super- 
fluous credits. 

Retarding. — In  order  to  hold  would-be  emigrants  at  home  the  Government  is 
to  establish  settlement  areas  in  State  forests  along  the  highways  and  rivers.  Oc- 
cupation and  reduction  of  the  land  to  constitute  ownership.  The  Government 
will  bear  the  expense  of  drainage  and  bear  the  cost  of  tools. 

(,i;i;.MANV.  , 

SfiniuUitiii!/. — I'nen!ploynie:it  is  still  increasing  in  the  industrial  centers.  In 
Plauen.  the  center  of  the  lace  industry,  120  per  thousand  inhabitants  are  unem- 
ployetl :  in  P^irter  (glass  indujstry),  G'2,  l/er  thousand:  Pirmasens  (boots  and 
shoes),  41  per  th(m.'<and,  etc.  The  cose  of  uiiemployment  was  greatest  in  city 
of  ITanvburg,  whei-e  T.Gi'O  mark><  were  paid  per  thousand  inhabitants. 

The  German  ministry  of  l;il)or  has  issued  an  order  regulating  unemployu)ent 
relief  from  XovenilH'r  1.  The  counnunes  are  empowered  to  increase  relief  until 
]\[arch,  1021,  above  rhe  order  of  May.  1920.  i 

Rctftiflhifi. — The  government  of  Hanover  ha^  been  authorized  to  sell  at 
extremely  nvoderate  price  workmen's  colonies.  Large  areas  will  be  placed  at 
the  disposal  of  towns  and  communes  for  the  supply  of  peat  to  the  poorer  classes. 
Negotiations  are  going  on  to  settle  and  colonize  the  Fcht  moorlands. 

It  was  repotted  early  in  1021  tliat  business  men  leaving  Germany  are  now 
required  to  agree  lo  return  within  a  specffied  time. 


Reffiitlhif/. — (ireece  has  closed  the  doors  on  its  nationals  of  military  age.  No 
man  between  21  i.nd  •"><)  is  allowed  to  leave  the  country  without  paying  a  cer- 
tain sum  as  a  guaranty  that  he  will  return  for  his  military  service. 

The  (Jreek  Chanvber  has  passeil  the  agricMltii!':il  act  maki'\g  many  economic 
reforms  on  the  land  possible. 

jioi.r..\Nn. 

Itctaidiiif,: — According  to  the  general  consulate  in  New  York  City  Dutch 
labor  is  needed  in  tlie  home  country,  and  workers  from  Holland  are  not  com- 
ing to  any  great  extent  to  this  country.  The  Dutch  Association  of  I^mployers 
recently  passed  a  resolution  ;;i!ning  on  the  u'radual  redm-tion  of  working  hours 
under  the  labor  act.  During  the  lirst  two  vicars  woi-k  shall  consist  o(  ."il  hours 
a  week,  4S  hours  during  the  third  and  fourth  vears. 

HINOAKY. 

Sfhimhiiinf/. — The  cost  of  living  in  Hungary  is  still  abnormally  high,  as  the 
followinir  prices  indicate:  Sugar,  per  kg.,  kr.  108:  tish.  kr.  160:  meat.  130  kr. ; 
milk,  kr.  14  per  lit.  A  dress  costs  kr.  lO.CMlO:  a  child's  dress,  kr.  12,000.  Sal- 
aries are  not  in  proportion,  as  a  Government  official  of  20  years'  standing  only 
receives  20,000  kronen  a  month. 

Hungary  to-day  possesses  113  factories,  capable  of  employing  70.(X>0,  but  no 
work  is  foiuul.  owing  to  lack  of  raw*  material,  the  districts  having  supplied 
them,  having  passed  into  the  possession  of  other  States. 

A  recent  editorial  in  a  leading  Htmgarian  newspaper  in  this  country  says 
that  every  other  citizen  in  Hmigary  is  trying  to  emigrate  and  that  they  have 
good  reasons  for  doing  so. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  439 

ITAT.Y. 

Stiiiiiilatiitg. — rneinploynieiit  dnriii;;-  1921  is  expected  t»>  Vie  nnicli  more  seritm.s 
than  it  was  during  tlie  last  winter.  The  central  hoard  of  inieniploynient  in- 
surance has  passed  a  resolution  retiuesting  the  Government  to  continue  its 
subsidies  to  those  unemployed,  even  though  unemployment  insurance  goes  into 
effect  January  21. 

TlJe  supply  and  consumption  department  has  issued  an  edict  prohibiting 
t'l-oni  the  1st  of  November  the  sale  of  meat  for  )tnl)lic  ronsumi'tion  from  3 
o'clock  on  Monday  to  Saturday  of  each  week. 

The  food  minister  has  submitted  to  the  chamber  a  bill  increasing  the  price 
of  bread  to  L.  1.40.  The  price 'of  macaroni  is  to  be  increased  to  over  L.  2  per 
kg.  The  Government  intends  to  double  the  tax  on  the  sale  of  jewelry,  per- 
fumes, and  bottled  wines.     The  tax  on  capital  is  to  remaiti. 

A  report  reached  New  York  two  months  ago  that  a  syndicate,  with  a  capital 
of  3.500,000  lire,  had  been  organized  to  promote  emigration  and  a.ssist  Italian 
emigrants  in  their  enterprises  in  which  they  may  engage  in  other  countries. 

A  recent  decree  rai.ses  the  rates  on  State  railroads  for  the  hrst  50  km.  of 
the  journey  on  a  single  or  return  weekly  or  daily  excursion  ticket  100  to 
2.50  per  cent  increase.  There  has  also  been  from  180  to  .300  per  cent  increase  on 
baggage  duties  fixed  by  the  tariffs,  and  transport  regulations  have  been  doubled. 


Stunuhitiiij/. — A  new  organization,  known  as  the  "  ^lussulman-Christiau 
Union  of  Palestine,"  has  been  formed  at  Jerusalem.  Among  its  principal  ob- 
jects is  a  demand  for  the  innnediate  creation  of  a  parliament  in  Palestine  and 
suppression  of  further  Jewish  innnigration. 

Nearly  all  countries  in  Europe  to-day  are  experiencing  extensive  anti-Semitic 
movements.  The  Jews  have  been  expelled  from  Adabasar,  in  Asia  Minor. 
The  German  labor  organizations  have  agreed  not  to  admit  any  more  east  Euro- 
l>ean  Jew.s'  into  AVestphalia.  The  Hungarian  minister  of  education  states  that 
the  new  policy  of  the  Hungarian  Government  will  be  aggressivelj-  anti-Semitic. 
Polish  deputies  are  expressing  the  strongest  opposition  to  granting  Jewish 
minority  rights.  The  anti-Semitic  party  in  Austria  has  asked  for  the  expul- 
sion of  all  eastern  .Jews.  Hundreds  of  Jewish  refugees  from  Ukrainia  to 
Kumania  are  either  shot  or  drowned  liy  the  frontier  guards.  The  American 
consul  at  Prague  recently  permitted  the  American  flag  to  be  raised  over  the 
building  of  the  Jewish  connnunity  to  protect  them  from  Bohemian  anti-Semitic 
crowds.  An  American  passport  is  not  worth  the  paper  it  is  written  on  in 
Kumania  if  the  American  citizen  happens  to  be  a  Jew. 

h'ctarfJinr/. — Foreign  Governments  are  not  making  it  easier  for  unwelcome 
minority  races  to  leave  the  country.  It  is  said  that  Poland  even  is  placing  a 
great  obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  Jews  desirous  of  migrating.  The  same  is  true 
in  Hungary- 

.JUGOSLAVIA. 

RctunliiKj. — During  191!)-2()  the  Government  divided  329,000  acres  of  land 
between  farmers  and  laborers,  and,  according  to  a  recent  report,  the  Government 
is  now  discussing  a  bill  providing  for  the  compulsory  partition  of  land.  Large 
estates  exceeding  a  certain  area  are  to  l»e  expropriated,  the  owner  being  allowed 
the  right  of  free  selection  of  halt  the  property  still  left  for  him. 

A  group  of  Belgian  and  French  capitalists  is  organizing  a  large  su&ir  mill  at 
Dubrarica,  with  a  capital  of  30,000,00t»  dina. 

Italian  capital  is  greatly  interested  in  Jugoslav  industries  and  large  sums 
have  been  invested  in  railroads,  wat«u-  [lower,  iron  W(U-ks,  and  carbid  works, 
according  to  a  recent  report. 

The  AmoMican  c(-nsulate  at  Belgrade  reports  that  three  French  engineers 
reiiresenting  important  Frencli  industrial  ct»ncerns  have  submitted  to  the  Jugo- 
slav Government  a  scheme  for  erecting  railway  worksiiojjs  and  to  produce  loco- 
motives, freight  trucks,  and  otliei-  rolling  stock.  The  output  will  be  used  not 
only  for  Jugoslavia  but  for  French  railways  in  the  Near  East.  Asia  Minor,  and 
Syria. 

No  men  between  21  and  28,  if  flt  for  military  service,  are  allowed  to  leave  the 
country. 

A  new  law  lu-ovides  that  anyone  wh<i  stoi><  work  or  who  is  trying  to  stop 
w<irk  by  others  will  be  prosecuted  with  three  months  in  jail  or  deportation,  but 
that  the  Government  will  protect  everyone  who  is  willing  to  work. 


440  EMKRGENCV   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

A  lU'W  l>:iiuili('-A<lriiitic  line  is  Ix'iiiix  iMiiistnicted  l)et\veeii  IJel^'ratle  ami  (."at- 
taro  and  will  pass  tiirough  a  tunnel  10  kilometers  long. 

The  Jupi-Slav  niiiiistcr  of  finance  lias  niaile  a  statement  in  which  he  says  that, 
thanlcs  to  particularly  j,'oo(l  harvests,  a  large  stock  of  pigs,  ami  a  surplus  after 
export  of  wheat  and  maize.  .lugoslavia  pos.sesses  the  essential  elements  for  a 
definite  rehabilitation  of  the  Dina  on  the  European  market. 

The  prices  of  food  and  other  goods  on  the  I'.elgrade  market  have  fallen  from 
:^8  to  ."0  per  cent.  Industrial  activity  is  great.  New  companies  are  being 
formed  and  new  factories  set  np  at  Karlehatz.  The  price  of  electric  current  is  so 
low  that  17  new  factories  are  being  installed.  Banks  are  everywhere  increasing 
their  capital.  Industrial  conditions  are  raiiidly  iniin-oving  and  the  construc- 
tion of  new  railway  lines  begun. 

LriHrANIA. 

lictdnliii!/. — According  lo  a  recent  report  business  is  reviving  in  this  coun- 
try. A  innnber  of  business  firms  have  been  estaldished  by  Americans,  Dutch, 
and  Danes,  and  the  import  of  goods  from  the  countries  of  these  different  houses 
is  particularly  Iirisk.  I-^nglish  and  French  activities  have  also  developed  con- 
siderably. 

LATVIA. 

Retanliiifi. — The  termination  of  child-feeding  work  by  the  American  relief 
administration  in  Latvia  was  announced  at  Herbert  Hoover's  office  in  this  city. 
A  message  of  the  appi-eciation  of  the  work  was  sent  by  Lettish  Prime  Minister 
nimanin,  who  declared  that  American  aid  twice  had  saved  the  new  Baltic 
Republic.  American  help  for  Latvia  has  incresed  for  two  reasons,  said  the 
relief  administration  statement:  "First,  becau.se  that  country  now  has  suffi- 
cient food  to  meet  its  nee^ls,  and  second,  because  the  Lettish  Government  has 
built  up  under  American  direction  an  efficient  child-welfare  system  which  will 
go  on  with  whatever  food  assistance  is  essential."  Witli  the  closing  of  the 
American  relief  administration's  program  in  Latvia,  the  relief  intervention  of 
America  in  Fiidand  and  the  provisional  Baltic  States  is  practically  ended. 


Retarding. — Labor  unions  in  Mexico  have  had  tremendous  growth  within  the 
last  year  or  two,  and  other  organizations  have  been  instrumental  in  raising 
wages  and  bettering  the  conditions  of  labor  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  espe- 
cially among  railroad  men  and  miners.  Within  the  last  two  months  a  general 
increase  of  pay  of  2rt  per  cent  has  been  secured  by  all  railroad  workers.  They 
work  an  eight-hour  day  and  are  paid  double  time  for  overtime. 


t^tiniuhtiinf/. — Before  the  war  the  Polish  railways  possessed  4,808  locomo- 
tives', ll.'Jll  p.issenger  coaches,  and  120.110  trucks.  In  .lune.  1910.  there  were 
only  2.017  locomotives,  .■'),781  pas.senger  coaches,  and  ."10.107  trucks.  Thus  42 
per  cent  of  the  locomotives.  .■')2  per  cent  of  the  passenger  coaches,  and  o8  per 
(•ent  of  the  trucks  had  been  lost.  Since  then  conditions  have  grown  considerably 
worse,  so  that  the  Polish  railway  system  can  be  described  as  completely  bank- 
rupt. 

High  prices  still  constitute  one  of  the  grievances  in  Poland.  There  is  a  spe- 
cial shortage  of  wheat  both  in  Poland  and  Oalicia.  the  harvest  being  spoiled 
by  military  operations.  The  improvement  of  the  position  of  Polish  industry  is 
siow  and  there  is  still  a  gieat  lack  of  good  coal. 

In  order  not  to  in<-rease  distress  and  its  accompanying  political  dangers  the 
Oovernment  is  endeavoring  to  check  the  return  of  Poles  from  Rhennish  West- 
phalia. 

The  Polish  budget  shows  a  deficit  of  .50,000.000  marks,  and  attempts  to  obtain 
further  credits  have  failed.  The  Polish  loan  in  America,  estimated  to  bring 
in  S.'iO.OOO.OOO,  reached  $17,000,000.  The  internal  loan  has  been  a  complete 
failure,  thouirh  millions  have  been  spent  on  advertising. 

/?e/f/>v7iHr/.— Provision  has  b.M-n  made  by  the  Polish  Parliament  for  a  general 
distribution  of  the  nation's  farm  lands  anion-  the  i.easants.  so  that  practically 
everv  farmer  may  becouic  a  proprietoi-. 


EMERGEXCY   IMiyGRATlOX   LEGTSLATIOX,  441 

Tlie  rolish  piiiiie  minister  stat^-s  tiiat  rlie  economic  conditions  of  the  country 
liave  ^rreafly  improved.    Tlie  Polis^li  market  has  risen  steadily. 

Accordiufr  to  tlie  I'olish  consuhite  in  New  York  City,  political  condition.s  are 
improving.'  every  day.  The  relationship  between  Jews  and  Poles  i.s  also  much 
better.  It  is  reported  that  Jews  are  leavinj:  America  for  Poland.  The  Polish 
(Jovernment,  p('n<liiijr  the  settlement  of  restrictive  legislation  in  America,  has 
entirely  stopped  the  requirement  of  dependency  altidavits  of  people  desirous  to 
hrins  relatives  from  Poland.  It  informs  on  applications  that  they  should  wait 
until  such  legislation  is  decided. 

According  to  the  New  York  City  consulate,  the  Polish  Government  does  not 
favor  the  enugration  of  their  subjects  as  hmg  as  labor  conditions  in  Poland  are 
imi)roving  and  unemployment  becomes  less. 

StimiilatitH/. — The  Government  has  issued  a  loan  in  the  form  of  State  bonds, 
repayable  in  oO  years,  with  the  object  of  paying  for  locomotives  ordered  in 
America. 

In  addition  to  repairing  her  railways,  Rumania  must  import  large  quantities 
of  agricultural  machinery,  implements,  tools,  etc..  in  order  that  the  farmers 
may  cultivate  the  soil. 

Social  conditions  in  the  country,  according  to  reports,  are  bad.  One  editor 
in  Rumania  says  that  the  anarchy,  lack  of  ability,  and  robbery  are  giving  the 
death  blow  to  our  railroad  system.  One  firm  reports  l.otK)  thefts  in  one  year. 
as  against  50  or  CO  in  normal  times.  Merchants  have  simply  stopped  exporting 
their  goods.  Sabotage  is  everywhere,  and  the  Government  refuses  to  improve 
the  conditions  of  thi>se  who  run  the  trains. 

The  cost  of  living  shows  no  improvement.  Firewood,  even  in  fore.st  areas,  is 
said  to  be  entirely  missing.  Private  linns  offering  it  at  unheard-of  prices. 
Vegetables  are  way  beyond  the  reach  of  ordinary  men  and  women.  Only  black 
bread  can  be  obtained.  The  official  distribution  centers  of  sugar  have  been 
short  for  some  time.  Kerosene  is  now  3..'i0  lei  per  liter:  its  old  price  used  to 
be  0.06.  There  is  no  gasoline  or  tobacco,  though  speculators  are  offering  the 
latter  at  staggering  prices.  Salt  can  only  be  .secured  with  a  special  permit. 
The  people  are  living  huddled  together  because  (tf  lack  of  housing;  schools  have 
been  closed  for  lack  of  fuel.    Wohes  are  prowling  in  the  suburbs. 

Rrtanliiiff. — The  minister  of  interior  has  issued  a  circular  to  all  local  au- 
thorities regarding  emigraricm.  The  circular  emphasizes  that  nationals  may 
enugrate,  but  in  so  doing  they  renounce  their  citizenship  and  may  not  return 
to  their  native  land. 

At  the  consulate  in  New  York  f'ity  it  was  state<l  that  emigration  from 
Rumania  will  be  small,  as  they  need  every  man  to  build  the  country,  which  has 
been  devastated  bv  the  war. 


Retard hif/. — The  royal  order  for  the  creation  of  labor  exchanges  providing 
emi)loyment  has  just  been  made.  The  chief  objects  of  the  order  are  the  regis- 
tration of  the  supply  and  demand  for  labor,  recording  of  unemitloyment.  and  the 
coordination  of  various  organizations  engaged  in  finding  employment.  The 
.governing  board  is  composed  equally  of  representatives  .if  employers  and  work- 
men and  is  advised  by  experts  on  social  questions. 


stiiinilatiiKj. — Shutdowns,  unemployment,  and  reduction  in  hours  are  common 
in  Sweden,  especially  among  the  skilled  metal  workers,  toolniakers,  and  textile 
workers.  The  Reo  rubber  factory  is  only  operating  with  half  its  force  and 
several  paper  mills  in  the  neighborhood  of  Goteborg  are  operating  at  a  reduced 
scale. 

Retard infi. — On  account  of  the  decreasing  number  of  prisons,  the  Swetlish 
pr'son  administration  ])Iaiis  a  closing  of  more  than  10  prisons  in  the  country 
through  a  lack  of  a  crime  wave. 

The  Swedish  Government  has  recently  acknowledged  the  right  of  workers 
em])loyed  by  the  State  to  be  represented  before  the  various  State  deiiartments 
and  bureaus  through  their  legally  constituted  unions,  and  the  principle  of  col- 
lective agreements  with  organized  lab'ir  is  recoirnized  in  all  departments  of  the 
State. 

^liss  Kellor.  Speakinjr  now  aouin  of  cooperative  artion  between 
the  conntries.  there  are  three  definite  elements  in  the  phin  to  control 
emiirration. 


442  KAIKllCKXCV    I.M.MI(;KAJ!()X    LKC;ISLATI()X. 

P'irst.  To  retain  it  at  liome  wliere  it  is  needed. 

Second.  To  divert  it  where  tliey  want  it  to  go. 

Third.  To  interchan<ie  it  anion<r  their  own  countries. 

In  connection  with  the  ]K)<sible  carryinjLr  out  of  that  plan  I  will 
say  this:  It  is  difficult  for  any  (Tovernment  to  have  its  people  go 
just  where  it  wants  them  to  go.  But  I  found  that  the  passport  com- 
mission, which  is  at  Avork  to  obtain  uniform  passports  for  all  of 
Europe,  has  in  mind  this  particular  thing,  among  others: 

For  instance,  under  the  old  conditions,  if  an  emigrant  could  not 
get  out  of  his  own  country  through  a  port  in  his  own  country,  he 
could  go  to  another  country  and  go  out  that  door.  Now.  if  this  plan 
of  uniform  passports  is  adopted,  he  can  not  get  out  of  his  own 
country  at  all.  because  if  he  goes  across  the  border  and  does  not  have 
a  passport  from  his  own  country  he  will  be  sent  back.  I  am  speaking 
of  that  because  sometimes  that  kind  of  control  may  be  effective. 

I  found  this  interesting  thing:  That  a  numl)er  of  the  countries, 
notwithstanding  the  expense  and  the  difficulties  of-the  war.  had  made 
some  very  excellent  economic  surveys  of  the  conditions  of  their  na- 
tionals throughout  the  world.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  an  eco- 
nomic survey  of  the  United  States,  and  I  couldn't  but  wish  that  the 
United  vStates  knew  as  much  about  that  particular  race  or  this  par- 
ticular race  in  our  own  country  as  that  country  knew  about  them. 
In  other  words,  they  knew  how  many  laborers  there  were  in  a  given 
community ;  they  knew  how  many  shopkeepers  there  were  in  that 
community:  they  knew  what  the  capitalization  was:  in  other  words, 
they  knew  what  their  economic  resources  were  in  the  other  countries. 
That  is  the  kind  of  information  they  are  going  to  base  their  future 
emigration  policies  on.  they  informed  me. 

Senator  Johx'sox.  Where  was  it  that  you  found  this  particular 
survey  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  Well,  I  found  two  of  them  in  two  different  countries. 
I  should  rather  not  mention  the  countries:  but  they  were  made  diplo- 
matically. It  Avould  be  possible  to  get  copies  of  those  surveys 
through  the  embassies,  if  you  would  like  to  have  them.  They  are 
very  interesting,  covering  all  of  South  America,  the  United  States. 
Canda.  and  certain  other  countries.  I  assure  you  they  were  models 
of  information. 

The  Chairman.  Foreign  countries  then  are  keeping  track  of  their 
nationals? 

Miss  Kelix)R.  Very  much  so.  There  are  also  some  very  interesting 
developments  along  the  line  of  labor  organizations  which  I  can  give 
if  this  committee  or  any  other  committee  makes  an  incpiiry  along  that 
line.  For  instance,  at  the  conference  of  the  International  Union  of 
Needle  Workers  they  had  under  contemplation  the  establishment  of 
a  series  of  international  labor  bureaus,  for  the  purpose  of  securing 
information  in  regard  to  all  of  the  workers  in  that  industry,  for  the 
purpose  of  controlling  the  emigration  from  point  to  ])oint.  and  de- 
barring it  from  communities  in  which  there  were  strikes  and  other 
disorders.  I  simply  mention  this  to  show  how  the  workingman  is 
to-day  thinking  on  international  lines. 

And  a  further  lecommendation  was  made  by  the  International 
Trades-Union  Congres>  that  social  attaches  be  attached  to  the  dif- 
ferent consular  offices  for  the  ]iurpose  of  furnishing  employment  and 
labor  information  about  the  different  countries. 


KMER(iENC"Y    I.MMIfiRATION    LEGISLATION.  443 

Of  course,  my  point  in  submitting  this  informiition  is  that  this 
^lionld  he  a  matter  of  official  information  between  Governments,  and 
not  broutrht  to<iether  and  presented  by  any  special  jrroup. 

In  closing  this  part  of  the  presentation.  I  would  like  to  make  clear 
that  much  of  what  I  have  said  is  not  in  full  operation,  owing  to  the 
disorganized  conditions  of  the  different  countries,  but  what  I  have 
said  is  unmistakabh^  the  trend  of  European  governmental  thought — 
that  is,  the  control,  the  direction,  and  the  interchange  of  its  emigra- 
tion along  economic  lines. 

I  have  brought  for  your  information,  which  I  thought  you  might 
like  to  have,  the  sunmiary  of  the  opportunities  and  the  activities  of 
the  immigration  countries  that  are  competing  with  the  I'nited  States, 
countries  like  Australia,  Argentina,  and  Canada,  and  without  going 
into  that  I  would  like  to  leave  that  with  you  as  simply  an  indication 
that  if  immigration  to  the  United  States  is  suspended,  it  will  be 
favoi'ing  the  lines  of  development  of  these  other  countries,  and  that 
we  should  take  into  consideration  this  competition  in  the  long  run, 
rather  than  play  into  their  hands  through  any  ill-considered,  tem- 
porary measure. 

Senator  Sterlix(;.  I  think  that  would  be  valuable  for  tlie  record, 
]Mr.  Chairman. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  go  into  the  record. 

(The  statement  of  "Immigration  countries  that  compete  with  the 
United  States  for  immigrants,''  presented  by  Miss  Kellor,  is  here- 
with printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

TM>riGKATI()N  COXTNTRIES  THAT  rO>)PKTK  WITH  THK  T-.\ITKD  STATES  FOR  IMMIGRANTS. 

Aiixtralid. — According  to  an  oftk-ial  statement,  there  is  opportunity  in 
Australia  and  New  Zealand  for  farmers,  farm  laborers,  mecluinics,  general 
laborers,  and  domestic  servants.  British  Army  pensioners-  receive  a  six  and 
nine  months'  advance  of  pension  to  enable  them  to  emigrate  to  Australia  or 
New  Zealand  '"  if  tliey  have  a  fair  prospect  of  bettering  themselves  and  their 
families''  on  arrival.  Free  grants  of  land  of  IGO  acres  ai'e  to  be  had  in 
Western  Australia,  and  it  sells  from  .">0  cents  to  .$1  an  acre  in  other  parts. 
Conti'acr  laborers  are  admitted  to  Australia  if  the  contract  is  in  writing  and 
its  terms  approved  by  the  minister  of  external  aftairs.  Approval  is  not  given 
if  "(1)  the  contract  affects  an  industrial  dispute,  or  (2)  if  the  remuneration 
and  othei-  terms  and  conditions  of  emjiloyment  are  not  as  advantageous  to  the 
contract  inunigrant  as  those  current  for  workers  of  the  same  class  at  the  place 
where  the  contract  has  to  be  performed."  C(mtracts  with  other  than  British 
subjects  are  not  approved  unless  the  employer  can  "  prove  that  there  is  difli- 
culty  in  obtaining  within  the  Connnonwealth  a  worker  of  at  least  equal  skill 
and  ability." 

New  South  Wales,  Victoria,  and  <»ther  States  permit  assisted  and  nominated 
passages  whereby  friends  and  relatives  in  the  State  nominate  relatives  abroad 
for  an  assi.sted  passage,  and  the  director  of  the  immigrant  and  toiirist  bureau 
takes  charge  of  theii-  migration.  When  innuigrants  land  a  (Government  labor 
bureau  assists  them  in  directing  to  employment,  a  register  being  kept  of  hII 
persons  needing  labor  and  of  all  seeking  work.  Queensland  gives  free  passage 
t«t  domestic  .servants  and  to  contract  agiicultural  laborers.  Nominated  immi- 
grants are  forwardeil  to  their  destination  by  railway  frt»e.  All  persons  plan- 
ning to  go  to  New  Zealand  can  write  to  one  or  two  bundi'ed  (Government  labor 
bureaus  on  the  islands  and  .secure  eniiiloymenl  befni-(>  arrival. 

The  f<ireign  born  who  now  go  to  thesr  Connnonwealths  are  chiefly  British, 
who  form  DO  per  cent  and  more  of  the  foreign-born  poitulation.  There  arc 
4."i.(MM)  .Tews  in  Australasia.  The  other  races  are  diietly  (it'rmans,  ("iiinesr, 
and  other  Asiatics. 

The  olHcial  secretary  of  the  connnissioner  for  the  ('ommonwealth  of  .\nstralia 
in  New  York  informs  us  that:  "Before  the  war  each  of  the  six  Australiiiu 
States  granted  assistance  to  certain  clas-ses  of  selected  innnigrauts.     The  regu- 


444  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

latioiis  provi(liii;r  for  this  wen'  disfoiiiimuMl  (luring  llie  war.  Imt  re<piitly  juTion 
aloiif:  this  line  is  being  talcen.  The  Federal  (Jovernnienf s  (ifti<-ers  select  the 
ininiitrrants  and  arrange  their  trans]i<irtati<in  to  Au>tralia.  and  on  arrival  in 
Au.«tralia  the  innni^ration  otlicers  of  each  of  the  State  {rovernnients  meet  the 
ininiisrrants  on  arrival.  arran;:e  for  their  requirements,  and  see  that  they  are 
either  placed  in  positions  or  on  the  laud." 

An/cntinn. — iMn-iuL'  the  last  (Mi  years  Argentina  has  received  about  5,000,000 
imnii^Tants  hy  sea:  of  these  two  and  a  half  millions  were  Italians,  one  and  a 
half  millions  were  Spaniards,  a  quarter  of  a  milliou  French,  about  a  hundreil 
aud  fifty  thitusjuul  Itussians.  and  the  same  number  of  Turks  and  Syrians; 
(Germans.  British.  Swiss,  (ireeks.  Portuguese.  Danes,  and  Imtch,  all  have  large 
colonies  in  the  Uepublic.  All  children  of  foreign  parents  are  considered  as 
Argentines. 

Argentina  has  244,632,09(1  acres  open  for  homestead  purposes,  and  free  grants 
of  from  nO  t<»  4r>4  acres  are  made  to  foreigners  who  will  become  Argentine  citi- 
zens. The  land  of  homestea tiers  can  not  be  mortgaged  in  payment  of  debts  and 
crops  can  only  be  attache<l  t"  the  extent  of  half  their  value. 

Recently  large  numbers  of  (iermans  have  been  arriving  to  colonize  in  the 
territ«»ry  of  the  mi.ssions  iu  the  northeastern  jiart  of  the  Republic.  Many  of  the 
families  arrivini:  are  reported  to  have  enough  capital  to  start  on.  Groups  are 
also  arriving  from  Austria,  Italy,  and  the  Balkan  States.  One  ves.sel  recently 
brought  8(Hi  Italians,  of  whom  2oO  had  enough  money  to  buy  land.  A  Russian 
paper  published  in  Finland  recently  stated  that  the  Argentine  Government  was 
offering  land  in  the  provinces  of  Misiories.  Chaco,  Chubut,  and  Santa  Cruz,  and 
that  a  welcome  would  be  extende<l  to  Russian  refugees.  Special  arrangements 
are  being  made  to  induce  Austrians  to  reduce  the  population  of  the  present 
Republic  of  Austria  by  emigration  to  Argentina.  Like  other  countries  during 
the  war,  Argentina  has  suffered  an  exodus  which  has  excee<led  its  arrivals, 
but  it  has  been  chiefly  the  unskilled  and  those  without  families  that  have  de- 
parted. There  is  propaganda  going  on  in  both  Germany  and  Great  Britain  to 
turn  would-be  emigrants  away  from  South  America  so  serious  has  the  move- 
ment  become. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  new  homestead  law  illustrate  a  few  of  the 
country's  policies : 

■■  Akt.  S.  Every  Argentina  citizen  who  is  a  father  of  a  family,  or  every 
foreigner  in  the  same  condition,  who  may  pledge  himself  to  become  a  citizen 
within  a  space  of  time  that  the  regidations  of  this  law  shall  determine,  and 
every  single  woman  or  widow  more  than  22  years  of  age,  shall  have  the  right 
to  apply  for  vacant  state  lands,  conditionally  upon  proof  of  good  anteceilents, 
to  the  extent  of  from  20  to  2<X)  hectares,  provided  that  they  are  not  owners  of 
other  grants  at  the  time  of  their  petition  and  their  settlement.  In  case  of  rhe 
death  of  the  father  of  the  family,  this  latter  shall  continue  in  po.ssession  of  all 
of  his  rights.  In  arriving  at  age,  the  married  children,  as  well  as  eveiy  other 
citizen,  can  apply  f'>r  a  new  homestead  in  fiscal  territf)ries  of  that  or  another 
district.  Failure  to  compl.v  with  the  j»romise  of  becoming  naturalized  shall 
effec-t  forfeiture  of  the  homestead. 

"Akt.  4.  So  long  as  there  are  in  the  famil.v  minors  or  single  women,  they 
shall  have  the  right  to  the  homestead.  When  all  arrive  at  full  age,  the  home- 
stead shall  be  divided  conformably  to  the  cimimon  law. 

"Art.  8.  Each  <-olon.v  shall  lie  providetl  with  a  .school  and  with  all  the  necessjtry 
public  services." 

Single  individuals  with  small  capitals  would  in  all  probability  make  a  'ois- 
take  in  undertaking  to  settle  in  such  out-of-the-way  places  as  those  in  which 
the  public  lands  are  located.  The  Goverinnent  makes  special  grants  to  colonies, 
and  this  is  the  usual  way  in  which  these  lands  are  taken  up.  As  a  practical 
proposition,  however,  the  way  to  start  farming  in  Argentina  is  to  go  to  a  .settled 
part  of  the  country  and  there  l)uy  land  from  private  individual.s.  just  as  one 
would  in  the  United  States  of  America.  The  Government  maintains  an  immigra- 
tion office  in  Buenos  Aires,  and  prospective  .settlers  on  landing  are  tnken  care 
of  and  advi.se<l.  In  cases  where  the.v  can  show  the  jiroper  credentials  the 
Government  will  make  advances,  but  this  is  only  done  where  the  immigrant 
is  on  the  grouinl  and  the  officials  have  an  oiijuvrtunity  to  size  him  up.  Article 
20  of  the  constitution  of  the  .Vrgentine  Repub!i<-  reads  as  follows: 

"Aliens  shall  enjoy  in  the  territory  of  the  nation  the  same  civil  rights  as  are 
veste<l  in  the  citizen  :  they  shall  be  allowed  to  engage  in  industrial,  connnercial. 
and  professional  '>ccuiiati<»iis :  to  own.  hold,  and  se'l  real  estate:  to  n-ivigate  the 
rivers  and  to  travel  along  the  c<msts;  to  pr^ictice  freely  their  religion:  to 
disix>se  of  their  projiertj-  by  will :  and  to  cvmtract  marriage  according  to  the 


EMEEGEXCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  445 

l:i\vs.  Tlun-  ;uv  not  Ixmnd  to  beconif  citizens  or  to  pay  forf-ed  extraoi-<liiuiry 
taxe^.  Tliey  may  obtain  naturalization  Ity  residinir  two  ronsecntive  years  in 
the  Uepublif,  but  this  period  of  time  can  Ite  slioi-tened  upon  application  and 
proof  tliat  the  applicant  has  rendered  services  to  the  liepublic." 

Boliria. — Tlie  innnigrants  nun)ber  less  than  1U,<M)U.  and  one-tifth  of  tlieni  are 
Peruvians.  The  total  population  of  the  country  is  about  3,U()(),( X)0.  Land  is 
offered  at  a  very  low  price — 10  cents  for  2^  acres— four  times  the  price  liein^; 
required  if  the  land  has  rubber  trees.  Free  transitortation  is  tiiveu  over  railroads 
to  imniijirants.  Each  inniiifirant  can  purchase  as  nuicli  as  120  acres  at  alxtut  7 
cents. an  acre  and  can  pay  on  a  live-year  installment  system.  It  does  not  main- 
tain an  i  nun  i, lira  I  ion  ajient  in  the  I'nited  States,  but  does  in  European  countries. 

Brazil.— I Hirhiix  the  last  80  years  3.000,000  inunigrants  have  jione  to  Urazil. 
nearly  one-fourth  beinj^  Portuguese,  one-sixth  Spaniards,  a  million  and  a 
quarter  Italians,  a  hundred  thousand  Russian  Poles,  60,(X»0  Syrians,  75.000 
from  old  Austi'ia-Hungary,  over  60.000  (Germans,  and  about  12,000  French. 
In  1918  over  20,0t)0  innnigrants  laiuled ;  in  1915  over  30,000  arrived;  and  in 
1914  many  more  came. 

A  department  of  colonization  issues  literature  in  various  languages  and  has 
head(iuarters  at  Bahia.  The  cost  of  land  is  very  low  and  in  some  parts  free. 
Fniformed  interpreters  speaking  most  of  the  languages  of  Europe  visit  the 
steamers  and  offer  the  healthy  and  good-api>earing  innnigrants  in  the  name  of 
the  (Government  free  board  and  lodging  in  the  inunigrant  home  for  from  three 
to  eight  days.  The  bui-eau  of  inmiigration  gives  free  passages  to  innnigrants  and 
their  families  by  rail  to  their  land.  Inniugrants  who  can  not  support  themselves 
are  given  i*oad-construction  work  for  the  first  six  months  and  t<)ols.  Innnigrants 
that  arrive  without  families  nuist  pay  cash  for  land ;  others  on  a  seven-year 
installment  system.  The  Germans,  Russian  Poles,  and  the  Italians  have  large 
prosperous  colonies  in  the  southern  States,  and  the  Japanese  have  a  large  and 
growing  colony  in  the  coffee  lands  of  the  State  of  Sao  Paulo.  ()n  the  coffee 
jilantations  the  immigrant  has  a  detinite  contract  with  his  employer,  and  his 
wages  or  share  of  profit  is  the  first  chai'ge  on  the  estate.  He  finds  a  house  built 
and  a  lot  for  his  own  use  already  cleared.  Many  of  the  Italians  earn  enough 
to  be  able  to  return  home  for  three  or  fcnir  months  (tf  every  year.  The  coloniza- 
tion department  furnishes  the  laborers  under  a  stamped  contract  to  approved 
planters. 

A  recent  press  announcement  stated  That  a  credit  of  .$.")00,t)00  has  been  openeil 
In  P>razil  to  transport  and  care  for  immigrants  who  wish  to  settle  there.  A 
great  shortage  of  lalior  exists  on  the  coffee  plantations  and  the  special  eff'orts 
are  largely  on  account  of  this.  It  has  offered  to  pay  the  passage  of  BOCK) 
German  farm  hands,  the  payment  to  be  reimbursed  to  the  Government  later. 
Early  in  Au,gust.  1920,  the  first  group  left  Hamburg,  428.  other  leaving  in 
September  and  October,  traveling  with  experts  who  have  them  instruction  in 
colonization  methods.  Special  propaganda  bureaus  have  been*  established  in 
Italy,  Belgium,  and  France  to  stinuilate  emigration  to  Brazil,  and  considerable 
funds  are  at  the  disposal  of  the  agents.  Reports  from  Italy  indicate  some  re- 
sentment at  the  propaganda  and  "a  free  passage"  is  criticized  as  an  unworthy 
offer  to  make  Italians.  Mention  is  also  made  by  the  Italians  of  the  necessity  of 
some  treaty  understanding  with  Brazil  securing  "  inviolability  of  domicile,  es- 
tablishment of  schools,  and  assurance  of  legal  protectit»n." 

Canada. — Canada  is  a  land  of  immigration  which  has  received  proportionatel.v 
a  larger  percentage  of  innnigrants  than  has  the  I'nited  State.s.  more  than  one- 
fourth  of  its  population  being  foreign  born  ;  at  the  end  of  the  fiscal  year  ending 
INIarch  31,  1919,  the  following  races  were  the  chief  in  Canada:  British,  about 
850,000:  rnited  States,  500.000:  Austria-Hungary,  125,W0 :  Jews,  100.(M)O:  Ger- 
mans, 40.000:  French,  20.000:  Italians,  .35.000;  Scandinavians.  .50.(X)0 ;  Russians, 
about  100.000.  Numerous  other  races  have  large  colonies  there,  as  for  example, 
Bulgarians,  Bukcnvinians,  Ruthenians.  Hungarians,  and  Greeks. 

Can:ula  is  even  an  immigration  country  to  the  United  States  as  the  above 
figures  indicate,  the  number  of  Americans  going  to  Canada  being  second  only  to 
the  British.  The  following  figures  show  the  extent  of  this  migratiou  from  the 
I'nited  States  for  recent  years. 

1914 107,  530 

1915 59.  779 

1916 36,  937 

1917 61.  389 

1918 71,  314 

1919 40,  715 


1908 58,  313 

1009 59, 832 

1910 103, 798 

1911 121, 451 

1912 133, 710 

1913 139. 009 


44G  K.MKlKiEXCV    I.M.M1(;J!AT1()N    LE(;iSLATl()X. 

Wliat  will  prohaltly  lie  tlic  iinrnial  fiiniiv  airaiii  soon  i-an  I)t^  .in»ly;«'(l  finin  ihc 
t«.tals  of  lin(^-llil4. 

The  Canatlian  (lovfriiment  MpiiropriaU's  :!iiii'iall.v  a  siiui  to  '-over  the  i'Xi>ciis(«< 
of  Itureaiis  and  afinits  who  sriimilate  oniij-'nitioji  to  <'aiia(bi.  TlK-st"  luiivaus 
exist  in  the  rnited  States  as  well  as  in  the  jirincipal  eoimtries  of  northwestern 
Europe.  A  bonus  is  also  paiil  to  ticket  a.iients  in  Euiope  on  all  tickets  they 
sell  for  jtassafie  to  Canada.  Tlie  Canadian  Pacific  Kailway  advertises  widely 
iPi  the  American  Kn).'lish-lan,iruujre  and  liueiim-lani'ua^v  press,  offerinir  prairie 
land  from  )?.iO  an  acre  and  up.  and  hirjie  pictorial  pamphlets  are  circulated 
re;fardin,ir  the  opportunities.  Durinj:  tlie  warm  months  f>f  1920  an  invasion  of 
]0,<»uo  Americans  monthly  t<iok  i»lace.  most  of  whom  jilanned  to  become  jier- 
manent  st'ttlers.  The  iiublicity  department  of  the  Canadian  Tacitic  Kailway 
states  that  "every  steamer  sailing  from  European  ports  for  the  Dominion 
is  crowded  to  capacity." 

JIany  of  the  Russian  refugees  are  lookiriu:  to  Canada,  and  it  is  stated  that 
.">0.(MX>  are  now  in  Eufrbind  waiting:  for  arrangements  to  colonize  there.  Canada 
has  a  very  comjilete  supervision  system,  which  cares  for  all  immigrant.s  on 
arrival. 

Western  Canada  is  about  lo  launch  an  intensive  campaign  to  get  settlers  for 
L'l >,0( M >,0( HI  acres  of  jirnirie  bind.  Canada's  war  effort  left  her  fa<-ing  a  war 
debt  of  alHiut  .$"J.()iin.(MM».<t(K).  and  her  ambition  is  to  develop  her  vast  natural 
resources  so  that  the  debt  may  be  jtaid.  The  campaign  for  settlers  which 
was  started  in  Xovembei'.  ]920,  is  not  a  land-selling  enteiTirise,  nor  i.s  if  to 
be  conducted  in  the  interest  of  any  particular  company.  Behind  it  are  the 
Dominion  Government,  the  provincial  governments  of  Manitoba,  Alberta,  and 
Saskatchewan,  and  more  than  1(10  of  the  most  influential  financiers  and  mer- 
chants. The  provincial  govern.ment  of  British  Columbia  may  alf=o  join  the 
juovoment. 

The  organization  which  will  conduct  the  campaign  is  the  AVestern  Canada 
Colojiization  .\ssoeiation.  It  has  already  raised  $1.<X)0,000  for  the  work  and 
lilans  to  increase  this  lignre  to  $1,500,000.  The  immetliate  purpose,  as  an- 
nounced, is  to  attract  70.000  families  to  settle  20,01M),000  acres  now  lying  idle 
in  western  Canada.  Estimating  five  persons  to  a  family  this  would  mean  an 
ad<lition  of  3o0,000  to  the  Dominion's  population.  Among  the  financial  bar-kers 
of  the  project  are  T.ord  Shaucrhnessy,  cliairman  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 
way:  Sir  Vincent  Meredith,  president  of  the  Bank  of  Montreal  and  the  Boyal 
Trust  Co.:  W.  (irant  Morden,  vice  president  of  the  Canada  Securities  Ccr- 
r.oratiou ;  Sir  H.  Montagu  Allan,  president  of  the  ^Merchants"  Bank  of  Canada : 
Sir  John  Eaton,  president  of  T.  Eaton  Co. ;  Sir  Joseph  W.  Flavelle,  president 
of  \\illiam  Davies  <'o.  and  the  National  Trust  Co. ;  Sir  Edmund  Osier,  presideiu 
of  the  Dominion  Bank  and  the  Ontario  &  Quebec  Railway  :  Sir  Herl>ert  Holt, 
president  of  seven  big  <  'anadiau  enterprises,  including  the  Royal  Bank  of  Canada 
and  the  Montreal  Trust  Co. :  James  A.  Cai'ruthers;  Charles  R.  Hosmer,  president 
of  the  Ogilvie  Flour  Mills  ("o. ;  Sir  Charles  Gordon,  president  of  the  Dominion 
Textile  Co. ;  Huntley  R.  Drunnnon,  president  of  the  Canada  Sugar  Refininsr  Co. : 
Richard  B.  Angus,  director  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  and  many  other  corpora- 
tions; Patrick  Burns,  president  of  P.  Burns  &  Co.;  James  Ramsey,  of  .lames^ 
Ramsey  (Ltd.)  ;  James  H.  Ashdown.  president  of  the  Canadian  Fire  Insura.nce 
Co. ;  sir  Augustus  Xaiiton.  chairman  of  the  Canadian  committee  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Co.;  George  Lane,  Alberta  cattleman  and  randier;  and  James  F.  Cairns, 
merchant  and  capitalist,  of  Saskatoon.  Each  of  these  men  has  contributed  from 
$.5,000  to  $25,000  to  the  project. 

Canada  make!*  a  free  grant  of  100  to  200  acres  of  forest  land  to  any  settler 
over  18  years  of  age  in  some  Provinces,  and  of  160  acres  in  the  western  Prov- 
inces. Manuals  of  information  for  intending  imnngrants  are  is.sued  free  by  the 
British  Government,  covering  for  Canada  such  information  hints  and  cautions 
to  emigrants,  climate,  religion,  education,  societies,  money,  passages,  food,  lug- 
gage, voyage,  regulations  of  emigrant  ships,  railway  tickets  and  costs,  arrange- 
ments on  landing,  hostels  anil  homes,  best  time  to  arrive,  prohibited  immigrants, 
demand  for  labor  (details'  of  kinds  of  labor  wanted),  women  and  girls,  houses 
of  labor,  cost  of  living,  free  land  grants,  etc.  Similar  handbooks  are  issued  for 
South  Africa.  New  Zealand,  United  States,  and  Australia. 

The  immigration  act  has  recently  been  amended  to  meet  the  unemployment 
situation  as  follows : 

Whereas  information  has  been  received  showing  that  in  various  parts  of 
Canada  a  considerable  amount  of  unemployment  now  exi.sts.  and  that  certain 
classes  of  workers,  jiarticularly  mechanics,  artisans,  and  laborers,  find  difficulty 
in  obtaining  steady  employment;  and 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATIOX    LECilSLATIOX,  447 

Wliei'oas  the  pmspects  for  euiployin.-nr  are  nut  likely  to  improve  diirinfr  the 
next  few  months ; 

Therefore  his  excellency  the  governor  jreneral  in  council,  on  the  reconimen<la- 
tion  of  the  minister  of  immigration  and  colonization,  is  ])lease(l  tn  order.  :ind  it 
is  hereby  ordered,  that  the  provisions  and  requirements  of  ijara.^raphs  1  to  'A. 
inclusive,  of  the  order  in  council  of  May  9,  1910  (P.  (\  924),  for  inmiiirrants  of 
the  mechanic,  artisan,  and  lal)orer  classes,  whether  skilled  or  unskilled,  be  tem- 
porarily suspended,  and  the  following  be  substituted  therefor : 

1.  No  innnigrant  of  the  mechanic,  artisan,  or  laborer  classes,  whether  skilled 
or  unskilled,  shall  be  allowed  to  land  in  Ciinada  unless  he  iwssesses  in  his  own 
riuht  money  to  the  amount  of  $250.  and  in  addition  transportation  to  his  desti- 
nation in  Tanada. 

2.  If  an  immigrant  of  the  mechanic,  artisan,  or  laborer  classes,  whether  skilled 
oi'  unskilled,  is  accompanied  by  his  family  or  any  member  thereof,  the  foregfjin? 
regulations  shall  not  ai^ply  to  such  family  or  members  thereof,  if  the  head  of 
the  family  posse.ss  in  his  own  right,  in  addition  to  transportation  for  his  family 
to  destination  in  Canada,  a  further  sum  of  money  equivalent  to  .$12.")  for  every 
member  of  the  family  of  the  age  of  IS  years  or  upward,  and  !?r>0  for  each  child 
of  the  age  of  5  years  and  under  tlie  age  of  18  years. 

3.  The  provisions  of  the  two  preceding  paragraphs  shall  be  applicable  as  Troni 
tlie  15th  day  of  December.  1920.  to  innuigrants  of  the  classes  herein  spefitied, 
who  land  in  Canada  from  foreign  contiguous  territory,  and  to  other  immigrants 
of  the  classes  specified  v.iio  land  in  Canada  from  other  countries  on  or  after 
the  1st  day  of  .January,  1921. 

Unless  otlierwise  ordered,  these  regulations  shall  remain  in  effect  until  tlie 
31st  day  of  March,  1921.  and  on  the  expiration  of  these  regulations  the  pro- 
visions and  requirements  of  paragraphs  1  to  3,  inclusive,  of  the  order  in  council 
of  :May  9.  1910  (P.  C.  924),  shall  again  become  operative  to  immigrants  of  the 
mechanic,  arti.san,  and  laborer  classes. 

r7///r.— The  sreat  inajorit.v  of  tlie  poimlation  of  Chile  is  of  European  origin, 
though  the  actual  number  of  foreign  born  there  to-day  is  small.  In  1917  a 
census  showed  10.734  Germans,  for  example,  but  in  1^.50  a  Gei-nian  colony  was 
established  at  Valdivia,  which  sti'l  i-etains  the  German  language  and  customs, 
and  <Jernian  influence  in  the  liPjiublic  i-^  strong.  Nearly  half  of  the  foreign  born 
are  Bolivians  and  Peruvians.  Chile  recently  took  part  in  a  conference  v.'ith 
Argentina.  Brazil.  T'ruguay,  and  Paraguay  for  the  purpose  of  settling  tlie 
terms  of  an  international  convention  for  the  control  of  imnngration  and  the 
exclusion  of  undesirable  aliens. 

Cuba. — Cuba  has  a  foreign-born  population  of  growing  proportions.  On 
.Time  30,  1918.  .'Spanish  innuigrants  numbered  20.S.52,  while  there  were  small 
groups  of  Americans.  Mexicans.  I'^nglish,  French.  Italians,  South  Americans, 
and  .\rabians,  with  a  few  of  other. 

Mc.rico. — The  foreign  nopulation  of  ^Mexico  was  as  follows  in  1910:  Spanish. 
29.541:  Americans.  28,e)3'9 :  (Uuitenialians,  21.334:  l-^rench.  4.(>04 :  .lews.  lo.oOO: 
British,  .5.264:  Cubans,  ,3,478;  Germans.  3.827:  Italians,  2,595:  Chinese,  13.203: 
Japanese,  2.270:  Aral)S.  1.5-K5.  Altogether  about  1  jier  cent  of  the  population  is 
foreign  born.  A  recent  announcement  (Nov.  24,  1920)  says  that  arrangeuients 
have  been  completed  for  the  settlement  of  10,0(K)  llussian  IMennonites  in  Mexico 
before  1921.  The  colonies  are  to  have  their  own  schools  and  teach  their  own 
language.  A  movement  to  settle  I-'rench  peasants  in  ^Mexico  has  been  st:'.i-ted  in 
France  this  year. 

The  Department  of  the  Interior  has  recently  established  an  emigration  service 
at  the  various  ports  of  entry  and  the  (Jovernmenr  is  now  taking  ste])s  to  protect 
Jlexican  emigrants  who  leave  Mexico  under  labor  contracts.  During  the  year 
1917,  122.405  immigrants  were  admitted  into  Mexico  and  the  number  of  emi- 
grants for  the  same  i)eriod  was  31.7(K>.  Agencies  to  protect  the  rights  of  Mexi- 
can laborers  temporarily  in  the  United  States  will  be  organized  this  year  in 
every  large  town  on  the  border  of  the  United  States  and  Mexico.  Plans  for  the 
establishment  of  such  agencies  have  been  forwarded  to  the  El  Paso  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  lo  similar  organi:<ations  in  cities  in  which  the  agencies  or 
bureaus  will  he  located.  The  IVFexican  Embassy  in  establishing  these  agencies 
exi>ects  to  see  to  it  that  contracts  between  Afexican  laborers  and  American  em- 
ployers are  fulHUeil,  and  to  obtain  the  return  of  the  laborers  to  Mexico  with 
exjiediency  after  the  contracts  have  been  lived  up  to. 

Pdiafiuaif. — Paraguay  is  an  immigration  country  for  several  races.  Tn  1910 
there  were  30,00<1  Argentines,  15.000  Italians,  1,400  Brazilians.  7.000  Spanish. 
o,(,XK)  Germans,  1.000  French,  1,(XX»  Uruguayians,  and  4(X>  English:  there  is  a 


448  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Ttiml  of  alinur  Ktii.iMM)  foreign  luini  in  tlu'  country.  Tlie  Iturt^an  oT  l;imls  a:iil 
colonies  reiinii'es  <if  scrtlcr^  ilic  jilantinfr  of  sit  innst  ten  (•imiil'-c  trees  iunniaily 
Iter  hectare  of  lanti.  In  11»17.  I'-i;^  deeds  coverinii  lands  l)elonjrin;r  to  coloni.-Jts 
were  issued. 

Pent. — This  South  Anu'rican  Keimlilic  has  a  very  small  foreij?n-l)orn  popula- 
tion, hut  it  has  this  yejir  made  bids  for  colonists.  The  first  contiufrent  of 
Knirlish  settlers  landed  in  October,  their  passage  havinjr  lieen  paid  f<u-  by  the 
Peruvian  Government,  which  is  makinj:  attractive  land  offers  to  Kui-ojiean 
innniffrants. 

The  ofliclal  announcement  by  the  conunissioner  of  innnitrration  for  I'eru  to 
juMSdUs  intendiiifi  to  inuniirrate  to  IV'ru  is  as  follows: 

••  Tli(>  conmiissioner  of  ininiiirration  will  supply  to  the  iier.son  or  families 
desirous  of  inuniiiratiuir  into  I'ei-u  ihe  forms  of  the  appli<-ati<»n  to  be  tilled  out  by 
the  immijn'ant.  The  details  of  the  infoi-mation  retpiired  in  these  apiilications 
are  as  follows : 

"Full  name  of  the  applicant,  date  of  liirlli.  idace  of  birth.  occui)ation, 
nationality,  number  and  date  of  passport,  by  whom  issued,  latest  addre.ss, 
destination  in  Peru  (Callao  is  the  only  port  of  debarkation),  what  occu]iation 
it  is  intended  to  follow  in  Peru,  len.sth  of  time  to  remain  in  Peru,  relijrion, 
formal  promise  to  respect  and  obey  the  laws  of  Peru,  it  Iteins  imderstood  that 
the  Peruvian  Government  will  immediately  proceed  to  the  deportation  uf  the 
immisrrant  in  case  of  lack  of  loyalty  to  this  jiromise.  solenni  oath  that  the  above 
declaration  is  honest  and  true  and  that  every  intention  of  the  applicant,  in 
seeking  the  opportunity  of  goinii  to  Pern  as  an  immigrant,  is  to  work  con- 
scientiously as  a  peaceful  laborer.  This  application  nnist  be  filled  out  in 
triplicate. 

"  Immigrati«m  to  Peru  is  prohibited  to:  Idiots,  epileptics,  ahoholics,  indigents,, 
loiterers  or  vagabonds,  consumptives,  syphilitics.  anarchists,  nnupiereaux, 
exiled,  illiterates,  children  under  12  years  of  age  or  adults  over  .">  years  of  age, 
nnless  they  prove  that  they  are  accomitanied  by  their  parents  or  relatives. 

••  Immigrants  having  the  following  occupations  are  accepted,  and  it  is  these 
who  would  have  liest  opportunities  there:  Farmers  in  general,  artisans,  mascms, 
electricians,  mechanics,  stonecutters,  painters,  carvers  in  wood,  shoemakers^ 
.servants  in  general,  families  in  general,  labgrers  conversant  with  the  construc- 
tion of  roads,  railroads,  irrigation  works,  etc.  It  is  the  de.sir?  of  the  Peruvian 
Government  to  encourage  and  foster  the  introduction  of  small  industries,  (»f 
which  there  are  a  scarcity  but  for  which  there  is  an  exceedingly  great  demantl. 

••  Salaries  at  present  paid  in  Peru  are  an  inducement  to  the  immigrant?  from 
European  countries,  where  the  conditions  of  living  have  grown  more  and  more 
diflicult  every  day  as  an  aftermath  of  the  war. 

••  Persons  desiring  to  innnigrate  into  Peru,  who  have  .some  capital  of  their 
own  are  especially  desired,  as  the  Government  offers  them  a  great  number  of 
advantages.  They  can  obtain  concessions  of  land  at  the  very  low  rate  of  .iO 
cents  (United  States  gold)  per  hectare.  The  Government  will  give  them  the 
opportunity  and  choice  of  bjiying  lands  very  well  located,  or  to  undertake  tlie 
ex-ploration  of  mines  or  any  kind  of  industry  whatsoever. 

"  Employees,  draftsmen,  telegraph  operators,  clerks,  and  persons  desirous 
of  obtaining  similar  positions  are  advised  not  to  innnigrate  into  Peru  unless 
they  have  a  formal  engagement.  Professionals  are  also  not  advised  to  im- 
migrate. There  ai^e  always  many  opportunities  for  higlily  trained  men,  but 
at  the  present  time  thei-e  are  plenty  of  these  professionals  in  Peru. 

"  Immigrants  are  permitted  to  bring  with  them  their  tools  and  instruments 
of  work,  but  attention  is  called  to  the  weight,  volume,  and  the  distances  of 
transportation.  Immigrants  are  not  advised  to  bring  with  them  their  furniture 
or  other  articles  of  heavy  weight.  It  is  sugge.sted  that  they  sell  their  furniture, 
nnle.ss  by  some  special  reason  the  articles  deserve  to  be  kept.  Beds  and  clothes 
are  the  most  necessary  things  for  the  innnigrants." 

Pern  pays  fre<^  third-cla.ss  transportation  to  people  desirous  of  immigrating, 
j.rovided  they  can  supply  requisites  stated  by  the  law.  Also  pays  expenses— 
lodLMUL's — for  six  lirst  <iays  of  arrival  and  transportation  to  residence.  The 
immigrants'  personal  belongings,  furniture,  tools,  etc..  free  from  customhouse 
duties.     At  present  the  only  port  where  they  are  allowed  to  land  is  Callao. 

Gonnuissioner  of  Immigration  in  New  York,  Oscar  Freyre,  42  Broadway  (at 
consulate  of  Peru),  ('(mimissioner  for  San  Francisco.  Calif..  Atilio  Tassara. 
There  are  commissioners  in  Europe  at  London.  Liverpool,  Bremen,  Hamburg, 
Genoa.  Barcelona. 


EMERGEXCY   I.M.MIGRATIOX    LEGISLATION.  449 

t<OHth  Africa. — The  I'liion  of  South  Africa  states  that  there  is  a  ilemand  al- 
ways for  farmers  and  farm  laborers,  general  laborers,  anil  domestic  servants. 
Crown  lands  are  leaseil  or  sold  by  public  auction.  A  literacy  test  and  restric- 
tions concerninjr  pauperism  and  insanity  are  in  force  at  the  ports  of  entry. 
Native  or  African  labor  is  usually  employed  on  farms,  hence  there  is  not  much  de- 
mand for  unskilled  workers.  In  Kill  the  colored  population  was  4.ftl9,(K)6 
Bantu,  l.o2.3U9  Asiatics,  and  o25,S3T  colored  races.  The  Dutch  Boers  are  usually 
reckoned  at  4(X).0O0. 

Ai-rivals  by  sea  in  1918  were  16,579  and  departures  were  8.474.  Of  the  ar- 
I'ivals  3, .53.5  were  old  residents  returninfi  after  an  absence.  No  statistics  on  the 
foreifrn  born  have  yet  been  obtainable,  Init  some  judgment  may  be  formed  fron*! 
the  followin.i:  data  :  Of  religious  groups  there  are  40,919  .Tews.  ■204.702  in  Dutch 
chui-ches,  .59.103  Lutherans,  37,242  Hindus,  1.783  Buddhists  and  Confucians,  and 
45,842  Mohammedans,  which  suggest  the  presence  of  .Tews.  Chinese,  Germans, 
Scandinavians.  Hindus,  and  others.  The  foreign  born  in  South  Africa  are 
classitied  there  chietly  as  Asiatics,  natives,  and  Europeans.  A  (Joveriuuent  labor 
bureau  is  maintained  in  Cape  Town,  where  immigrants  can  secure  work. 
I>utch  and  English  are  the  official  languages. 

rvufiuay. — According  to  the  census  of  1917.  there  were  nearly  200,000  foreign 
boin  in  this  Republic,  of  whom  62..S57  were  Italians.  .54,885  were  Spanish.  27,780 
were  Brazilians,  18,600  were  Argentineans.  8.341  were  French,  1,324  were  Eng- 
lish. 1,112  were  Germans,  l.KXi  were  Austro-Hungarians.  In  a  given  year 
(1918)  the  following  immigrants  arrivetl :  8,779  Spanish,  5.4.56  Italians,  5,023 
Brazilians,  1.411  French,  1.143  Germans,  and  3,421  English. 

Miss  Kellor.  Just  a  word  about  the  outtroinfr  emioration  from  the 
United  States.  In  a  period  of  2s  years,  accordino'  to  the  steamship 
figures  of  the  tliird-cdass  traffic.  49  per  cent  returned.  In  other  words, 
out  of  somethincr  like  14.000.000,  6.900.000  went  back. 

That  is  important  for  tAvo  or  three  reascms.  And  incidentally,  this 
did  not  include  the  emigrants  that  went  out  by  way  of  Canada  to 
escape  paying  income  tax.  or  for  otlier  reasons,  nor  did  it  include  the 
number  of  immigrants  who  come  back  as  nonimmigrants.  We  have 
a  good  many  immigrants  who  come  into  this  countiy  third  class, 
who  go  back  first  class,  and  they  do  not  come  l:)ack  as  immigrants. 
They  are  not  included. 

The  indications  are  that  the  outgoing  emigration  will  be  heavier 
in  the  future  than  the  one-half  that  has  prevailed  in  the  past,  for 
these,  among  other,  reasons : 

For  instance.  Canada  conducted  a  veiy  aggressive  campaign  in  the 
Northwest  last  year,  which  netted  them  49.000  immigrants,  and  they 
took  about  $16,500,000  into  Canada.  Incidentally,  the  Canadian  cam- 
paign which  is  now  being  operated  through  the  XorthAvest  is  very 
well  worth  lookinor  .^t;  because  it  is  a  very,  very  Avell  conducted  and 
considered  campaign.  It  is  carried  on  by  means  of  personal  con- 
tact, and  is  a  very  effective  campaign. 

Senator  Dillixgiiam.  From  what  source  did  they  get  that  immi- 
gration ? 

!Miss  Kellor.  From  the  Xorthwe.st ;  almost  entirely  farmers  from 
our  country,  from  the  Xorthwest. 

Furthermore,  a  very  aggressive  advertising  campaign  is  being  car- 
ried on  in  the  foreign  language  press  in  order  to  get  the  immigrants 
to  return  to  the  other  side.  I  can  submit,  if  you  like,  later,  a  sum- 
mary or  li.st  of  those  advertisements,  but  I  l)rought  one  with  me  just 
as  a  matter  of  interest,  as  an  illustration.    Here  is  one  of  them. 

Any  one  who  has  not  got  land  in  .Tugo-Slavia,  can  get  it,  if  he  is  willing  to 
Work.  ^larried  man  gets  four  acres  ol  land  ;  single  man  between  1(>-21  years 
gets  two  acres :  and  single  man  over  21  years  three  acres  of  land.  They  get 
free  of  charge  railroad  or  steamboat  transportation  to  the  place  where  they  are 


450  K.MKncKXCV    I.MMIGKATIOX    LKGISLATION, 

going  to  li!«v«'  tlit'ir  lionit'.  Tlioy  jire  exciiipt  for  tliriH'  years  ivmu  (JctvpniinHut 
taxes.  Only  the  citizens  of  .Iiitro-Sla\  la  are  enlirled  t<»  Jiave  free  land.  They 
are  not  allowed  to  sell  the  land  in  any  way,  otiierwise  it  will  he  taken  away 
by  the  Government. 

This  advertisement  iil)pearcd  in  tlie  Xuiodni  List  Cioatian  of  Xew 
York  C^ity.  on  ()ctol)er  ii8.  1020. 

The  Chairman.  Yon  nniy  snpplement  that  by  any  other  (hita  that 
3'^oii  have. 

(The  li.st  of  organizations,  fnrnished  l)y  ^Sliss  KeHor.  is  here 
printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

ORGANIZ.\'IIONS     THAT     .\I)\  KIJTlSi;     THAT    THKV     (AN     HUrXG     TMMKiUANTS"     FAMILIES 

TO    AXtKRICA. 

The  following  organizations  and  individnals  are  active  in  bringing  relatives 
of  immigrants  to  this  conntry.  and  prar-tically  all  advertise  widely  in  the 
Amerir-an  foreign-language  press : 

The  r)verseas  Dispatch,  191  Greenwich  Street,  New  Yorlc  City. 

Immigrant  Transportation  Bureau  (Inc.),  910  Tribune  Building.  New  York 
City. 

All  Nations  Exchange  Corporation.  67  First  Avenue  and  30.j  Broadwav,  New 
York  City. 

Kilgikian  Co.   (Inc.),  131  East  Twenty-seventh  Street.  New  York  City. 

Emil  Kiss.  1H3  Second  Avenue.  New  York  City. 

Anton  Zbosnik.  102  Bakewell  Building.  Pittsl^urgh.  Pa. 

The  Stern  Big  Store,  903  North  Chicago  Street,  Joliet,  111. 

Matija  Skender.  5227  Brittle  Street,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

Henry  C.  Zaro,  39  Cooper  Square.  New  York  Citv. 

F.  A.  Bogadek,  103  Bakewell  Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 
Leo  Zakrajsek.  70  Ninth  Avenue,  New  York  City. 

Henry  .T.  Schnitzer,  141  Washington  Street,  New  York  City. 
Mato  Kucer.  193  Tenth  Avenue,  New  York  City. 
.John  Nemeth,  jr.,  431  West  Girard  Avenue.  Philadelphia.  Pa. 
Rista  Prokich,  408  Bakewell  Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

The  Passengers'  Voivodina  Agency,  466  West  Twenty-third  Street,  New  Yorlc 
City. 

Kosto  Unkovich.  116  Bakewell  Building,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 
Jadran  Agency,  66  Cortlandt  Street,  New  York  City  CM.  ^Marosovic). 
Milan  Markovich,  ,3-5  South  Fifth  Avenue,  West  Duluth.  Minn. 
John  A.  La.ievich  &  Co.,  1137  West  Eighteenth  Street,  Chicago,  111. 
Gawansky  Lepsa  Co..  315  South  La  Salle  Street,  Chicago,  111. 
Malesh  &  Aranza,  2941  Wentworth  Avenue,  Chicago,  111. 

G.  v.  Hamory,  19  South  Phelps  Street,  Youngstown,  Ohio. 
Agency  Espanola.  203  North  Spring  Street,  Los  Angeles,  Calif. 

Miss  Kki.lok.  If  yon  viould  want  to  have  it.  I  woidd  be  orhtd  to 
send  you  a  copy  of  the  different  advertisements  that  are  appearing. 

The  reeallino:  of  nationals  to  their  own  countries,  wliich  are  in 
need  of  men  and  money,  is  a  third  jrreat  cause  of  remio:ration.  It 
is  not  so  much  for  the  purpose  of  havinir  nationals  return  to  remain 
permanently  as  it  is  to  have  them  cr;me  ])ack  and  see  what  is  hap- 
])enin<r  in  their  own  home  countries:  in  other  words,  to  kee[)  their 
natiorial  spirit  operatin<r  in  relation  to  their  nationals.  That  is  the 
reason  why  so  many  arc  L''oin<r  back,  and  more  will  go  back  in  the 
future. 

As  an  indication — and  it  is  only  an  indication,  because  it  is  very 
difficult  to  fret  the  facts — for  instance,  at  the  Polish  consulate  I  was 
told  that  they  had  issued  50,0()()  passports  last  vear  for  out^roinir 
emiirrants.  only  4.400  of  them  beinfr  to  women,  ^iirhty  per  cent  of 
that  outifoinir  emi<rration  was  cfjumion  labor.  Tiiat  <iives  you  some 
idea  of  the  kind  of  !nimi<Mation  that  is  ffoinjr  l)ack:  and  that  was  at 


EMERGEXCY    IMAllGEATlOX    LEGiSLATKJX.  451 

the  XeAA-  York  coiisiilute  alone.  It  is  estimated  that  the  Polish  emi- 
o:ration  from  America  in  the  next  five  years  will  be  at  the  rate  of 
100.000  a  year,  or  500,000  in  the  iK'riod  of  five  years.  Of  course,  there 
may  be  conditions  arisinc;  which  will  interfere  with  that  estimate, 
but  that  is  the  estimate  that  is  made  now. 

At  the  Czechoslovakia  consulate — this  being  some  of  the  races  in 
which  we  are  paiticularly  interested — we  found  that  the  number  of 
Bohemians,  for  instance,  that  would  go  back  is  comparatively  small, 
because  they  have  gone  mostly  to  the  land,  and  having  a  land  stake 
in  America,  a  home  stake,  it  is  much  harder  to  pull  them  up  and  lor 
them  to  go  back  tJian  it  is  for  those  wdio  do  not  have  a  stake  in  this 
countrj-. 

But,  for  instance,  in  the  Pennsylvania  region  wdiere  they  are  en- 
gaged in  the  mines  and  steel  mills,  it  is  estimated  that  50  per  cent  of 
the  Czecho-Slovaks  will  return  within  the  next  year  or  two  years. 

I  desire  to  call  attention  in  this  connection  to  something  which  we 
have  not  j^et  considered  in  our  immigration  policy,  and  tliat  is, 
namely,  the  cost  of  immigration  turnover.  We  have  considered  in 
the  past  the  cost  of  labor  turnoA'er.  We  know  that  it  averages  some- 
thing like  $40  or  $50  per  man.  But  we  are  just  on  the  threshold  of 
■what  it  is  going  to  cost  the  United  States,  for  instance,  to  bring  in 
and  train,  we  will  say,  7,000,000  men  who  go  back;  that  is.  to  turn 
them  into  skilled  workmen.  We  are  just  beginning  to  take  into  ac- 
count the  costs  of  that,  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  furnish  figures 
on  that  subject,  but  I  asked  the  Hyatt  Eoller  Bearing  Co.  if  they 
would  keep  a  set  of  figures  for  me,  and  this  is  what  they  found,  this 
being  the  cost  per  unit,  not  cost  per  country.  They  found  that  the 
average  turnover,  on  the  basis  of  the  native  born,  per  man,  Avas  66.8 
per  cent.  They  found  that  Avith  the  foreign  born  it  was  104  per  cent. 
That  meant  practically  two  men  for  one.  They  found  that  wnth  the 
naturalized  men  the  rate  of  turnoA^er,  so  far  as  they  could  subdiAdde 
their  figures,  Avas  82  per  cent,  and  the  rate  of  turnoA'er  for  aliens  was 
110  per  cent. 

But  the  interesting  thing  was  on  the  cost.  They  found  that  the 
aA^erage  cost  per  man  for  turnoA'er  in  that  particular  plant  Avas  $163 
for  natiA'C  born,  $194.17  for  naturalized,  and  $523.-36  for  unnatu- 
ralized. 

XoAv,  if  that  gives  us  any  kind  of  a  lead  Ave  can  get  some  idea  as  to 
what  it  is  going  to  cost  the  industry  of  the  country  if  we  constantly 
take  in  raw  material,  perfect  it,  and  haA-e  it  go  back  to  Europe.  We 
are  considering  this  noAv  quite  separately  from  the  point  of  markets, 
Avhat  effect  it  might  have  on  markets,  but  simply  in  connection  Avith 
production. 

I  know  that  is  extraneous.  Senator  Colt,  but  it  may  be  of  service 
in  future  iuA-estigations. 

Coming  to  the  second  part,  as  to  what  effect  the  Johnson  bill  would 
haA^e,  first,  on  the  amount  of  immigration. 

The  following  consulates,  the  Czecho-SloA^ak,  the  Jugo-Slav,  the 
Polish,  the  Spanish,  the  Rumanian,  the  Finnish,  and  the  Swedish, 
reported  that  it  would  practically  make  no  difference,  and  they  were 
very  little  concerned  whether  iit  passed  or  not,  for  the  following 
reasons . 

20nil— 21— I'T  8 .". 


452  i:-mi:i;(;k.\cv  i.M.MUiitATiox  leuislation. 

First.  That  the  exemptions  were  ample  enouojh  to  admit  all  those 
who  can  come. 

Second.  That  the  reguhitions  would  he  much  more  easily  evaded 
than  are  the  passport  regulations. 

Third.  That  their  conditions  at  home  are  impraving. 

Fourth.  That  if  they  have  not  already  suspended  emigration,  it 
would  help  the  (xovernment  very  nnich  in  some  cases  if  it  were  done 
for  them. 

I  went  to  one  of  my  immigrant  friends,  who  was  an  expert  in 
e\'ading  immigrant  laws,  and  a^ked  him  how  lie  thoiigiit  the  Johnson 
bill  would  be  evaded,  knowing  that  he  probably  would  be  one  of  the 
people  to  give  an  expert  service.  I  am  going  to  file  Avith  you  his 
statement  showing.  "  How  can  immigrants  come  over  to  this  country 
by  evading  the  provisions  of  the  Johnson  bill?"  That  is.  by  manu- 
factui'ing  records  for  evasif)n.  I  think  this  would  be  of  interest  to 
the  committee. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  be  received  in  the  record. 

(The  statement.  "  How  can  immigrants  come  oAcr  to  this  country 
by  evading  the  provisions  of  the  Johnson  bill  T'  furnished  by  Miss 
Kellor.  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

HOW  CAN   IJIMIGRAXTS  COMK  OVEU  TO  THIS  COUNTUY  BY  EVADING  THE  PROVISIONS   OF 

THE    JOHNSON    BILL? 

The  answer  is  simple.  Make  a  relative  out  of  a  uonrelative.  How  can  this 
be  accomplished?  In  many  ways.  It  has  been  done  before  uuder  the  old  law. 
One  has  only  to  take  the  former  Greek  padrone  !<ystem  as  an  example.  In 
former  years  when  a  Greek  padrone  wanted  to  jret  child  lalior  for  his  shoe- 
shining  establishments  he  communicateil  with  certain  peo])le  in  (Jrecce.  There 
boys  were  gathered  toirether  from  various  villages.  l)irtii  certiticates  secured 
(in  (ireece  and  Turkey  such  a  certificate  can  be  secured  for  a  nominal  sum), 
and  then  the  boys  were  shipped  to  a  father  <>r  uncle  in  the  United  States. 
Latei-  on,  when  this  was  made  difficult  by  the  immigration  inspectors'  exaniiua- 
nations.  children  under  16,  and  sometimes  over  16.  years  of  age  were  furnished 
with  parents  selected  from  Greeks  traveling  on  the  same  steamer.  I  have 
often  held  in  my  hands  certificates  of  birth  issued  to  children  under  16  years 
of  age  whose  ages,  according  to  tlieii-  certificates,  were  18  and  over.  As  an 
illustration,  the  frauds  committed  in  presenting  documentary  evidence  in  the" 
form  of  affidavits  r.nd  certificates  in  securnig  working  jiapers  are  well  known. 

In  former  years  (before  the  war)  it  was  the  general  impression  in  (ireece 
that  any  person  coming  to  the  United  States  must  have  an  addres.s.  As  a  result 
of  this  addresses  were  sold  to  Greek  immigrants,  and  these  were  usually  coffee 
houses  and  restaurants  in  this  country. 

If  the  Johnson  bill  becomes  law  certain  firms  and  <ii-ganizali(ins  will  spring 
uji  to  teach  the  people  how  to  evade  the  law.  as,  for  exami)le,  the  income  tax  law. 
There  are  numerous  offices  on  the  lower  East  Side  and  el.sewhere  that  teach 
pe^iple  how  to  evade  the  income  tax  law  for  a  consideration. 

Let  us  assume  that  a  man  in  (Jreece  would  want  to  come  to  this  country.  He 
would  get  in  touch  either  with  an  agent  on  the  other  side  or  one  of  his  country- 
men in  America.  Correspondence  will  be  exchanged  and  the  per.son  in  America 
will  apply  through  regular  channels  for  a  pei'init  to  admit  his  brother  to  the 
Unitecl  States.  This  permit  will  be  sent  abroad.  In  the  meantime  the  man  in 
Greece  will  apply  to  certain  offices  there  and  secure  a  birth  certificate,  and.  if 
nece.ssary.  a  passport  under  a  name  corresponding  to  the  one  of  his  allege<l 
brother  in  America.  On  his  arrival  here  he  may  be  cross-examined  by  the  immi- 
gration r)fficer  and  then  admitted.  It  would  take  a  clever  inspector,  at  a  lo.ss 
of  a  great  amount  of  time,  to  discover  the  fraud.  New  methods  of  defrauding 
the  Government  and  evading  the  law  will  .spring  up  when  the  old  methods  are 
discovered.  It  will  take  a  force  of  men  of  many  thou.sands.  both  here  and  abroad, 
to  see  that  the  law  is  properly  enforced. 

If  a  person  in  the  United  States  desires  to  bring  over  his  relatives  under 
the  present  regulations,  in  addition  to  the  necessary  funds,  he  must  send  an 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  453 

affidavit  of  eleijemUMicy  which  is  signed  and  sworn  to  before  a  notary  public 
and  certified  as  to  the  notary's  sitrnatnre  by  the  county  clerk's  oHice.  The  co>t 
for  such  an  ailidavil  ranjies  Ironi  $]  to  !f2.i,  accordini;  to  the  condit.(!iis  and 
ignorance  of  the  applicimt.  The  affdavit  is  simple  (as  per  copy  attached).  In 
many  instances  people  are  told  to  sentl  the  affidavit  to  the  resiH'ctive  fon-igu 
consul  in  the  I'uited  States  for  the  legalization  of  the  county  clerk's  signature. 
In  my  estimation  this  is  not  necessary,  as  the  document  or  alHdavit  of  de- 
pendency is  to  be  used  in  a  United  States  Government  office  alu-oad.  Foreign 
consul:^  charge  from  $1  to  $5  to  put  a  stamp  on  an  American  document  to  be 
used  in  an  American  office  in  the  foreign  country. 

After  this  atlidavit  is  sent  abroad  and  the  party  in  Europe,  after  securing  a 
passport  from  the  local  government  there,  he  nmst  apply  to  the  American  and 
other  consulai-  officers  for  vises.  The  following  case  of  a  Polish  immigrant  girl 
who  arrived  to-day  from  (Jalicia,  wiil  illustrate  the  time  consumed  and  the 
trouble  an  immigrant  has  to  undergo  before  he  or  siie  can  come  to  America  : 

Mary  Brill,  aged  IS,  received  funds  from  her  sister  in  this  country,  together 
with  the  necessary  affidavits  of  dependency.  Her  home  town  was  Taruoff, 
Galicia,  Poland.  She  applied  to  her  town  government  for  a  passport,  which 
was  granted  her  aftei-  seven  weeks  had  jiassed  and  24  marks  paid.  She  had 
an  order  for  a  steamship  ticket  on  tlie  Holland-American  Line,  and  in  order  to 
go  aboard  the  vessel  had  to  travel  to  Rotterdam,  the  port  of  embarkation.  To 
secure  the  vises  of  her  passiiort  she  was  compelled  to  travel  to  Warsaw.  It 
takes  14  hours  to  travel  by  i-ailroad  fi-om  Tarnofl:  to  Warsaw  and  the  cost  of 
a  one-way  ticket  400  marks.  In  Warsaw  she  learned  that  she  must  have  her 
passport  viseed  by  the  American,  French,  German,  and  Dutch  ct)nsulates  and 
l)y  the  Polish  departn)eut  of  interi(»r.  American  vise  was  necessary  to  be  per- 
mitted to  enter  the  United  States  and  the  other  consuls  had  to  place  their  f;enls 
so  she  could  travel  through  tlieir  respective  countries  in  order  to  reach  the 
poit  of  embarkation.  The  girl  had  to  remain  10  days  in  Warsaw,  standing  in 
line  from  early  morning  to  late  at  night  before  each  of  the  cousuhites  imril  she 
had  what  she  was  after.  It  cost  her  GOO  marks  for  10  day.s'  lodgiiig.  o.OliO  marks 
for  the  American  consular  vise  fee,  800  marks  to  the  German,  3."iO  marks  to 
the  Dutch,  and  2."i0  marks  to  the  French  consulates.  The  Polish  Government 
received  20  marks.  Some  people  who  stopped  at  the  same  boiu-ding  house  liad 
it  easier,  while  others  had  it  more  difficult,  according  to  tlie  amouiit  of  money 
they  were  able  to  pay  to  certain  individuals  who  called  at  the  boardinsr  house 
to  '••  fix  "  mattei-s.  Some  people  paid  as  high  as  10,0tH)  marks.  People  who 
paid  large  sums  had  to  wait  only  a  few  days,  while  those  who  could  not  afford 
such  luxuries  had  to  wait  for  weeks. 

After  her  luissport  and  vises  were  in  onler  she  returned  to  her  "native  town, 
Tarnoff.  The  same  day  she  took  the  train  for  Rotterdam.  It  was  necessary  to 
travel  7  days  and  7  nights  to  reach  the  port  of  embarkation.  There  were  no 
sleeping  accommodations  and  she  had  to  sit  up  all  this  time.  The  fare  was 
8,000  marks.  In  Rotterdam  the  steamer  was  not  there,  and  she  had  to  wait 
12  days  more,  paying  $1  for  her  lodging.  She  and  the  other  passengers  were 
required  to  bathe  once ;  $2  was  charged  for  this  by  the  employee  of  the  steam- 
ship company.  The  girl  had  a  prepaid  ticket,  purchased  in  New  York  by  her 
sister. 

It  took  the  gii-1  13  weeks  to  secure  a  passport,  have  it  viseed  by  the  various 
ccmsuls.  and  travel  to  New  York.  The  cost  in  addition  to  the  price  of  the 
steamship  ticket,  .$140,  was  lo.OOO  m.n-ks.  She  landed  in  New  Yoi'k  with  less 
than  $1. 

She  says  that  tliere  are  many  people  who  want  to  emigrate  from  Pol.md  to 
the  United  States,  but  they  can  not  secure  passports  nor  have  they  the  neces- 
sary funds  to  p:iy  for  their  passage.  .\t  Warsaw  there  are  thousands  of  people 
waiting  for  their  vises,  and  niany  of  them  have  been  there  for  weeks.  The 
same  is  true  at  the  port  of  embarkation. 

Miss  Keixor.  I^krania  and  Greece  thought  it  wonkl  make  a  <lif- 
ference.  Ukrania  because  the  stabilization  is  sh)-\v  and  many  j^eople 
in  the  United  States  are  helpin<z  them  to  come  over  here:  Greece 
because  so  htrire  a  percentaire  of  its  emifri'atiou  is  male,  and  there 
are  so  very,  very  few  females  in  the  Ignited  States,  and  therefore  the 
matter  of  relatives  would  affect  them  verv  nnich. 


454  EMERGENCY    IM.MK;KAT10^'    LEGISLATION. 

The  Netherlands  were  also  opposed,  to  some  extent,  because  they 
have  a  number  of  people  who  have  money  who  want  to  come  over  here 
and  j)urchase  farms. 

On  the  question  of  the  effect  upon  the  quality  of  imrainrration  there 
seems  to  be  a  rather  unanimous  opinion  that  it  would  affect  the 
quality  very  much :  that  is.  that  we  would  *ret  a  larger  per  cent  of 
dependents  and  a  larger  percentage  of  consumers,  rather  than  pro- 
ducers, under  the  Johnson  bill. 

Senator  Johnson.  Why  i 

Miss  Kellor.  Because  there  are  not  as  many  male  relatives  as 
there  are  female  relatives.  For  instance,  a  man  l)ringing  over  his 
familv  would  bring  over  his  wife  and  two  or  three  children,  and, 
for  instance,  males  over  the  age  of  "21  being  excluded,  you  get  quite 
a  different  class  of  immigration.  You  get  as  much,  because  there  is 
enough  waiting  immigration  to  probably  take  all  of  the  available 
steamship  space.  There  would  be  very  little  reduction  in  volume, 
but  we  would  not  get  as  much  immigration  of  the  productive  kind. 

I  should  like,  if  I  may.  to  take  a  moment  to  indicate  what  some  of 
the  probable  economic  effects  of  the  passa<re  of  this  bill  might  Ije. 

First  of  all.  it  would  favor  the  competitor  immigration  countries, 
•which  would  during  this  time  receive  the  bulk  of  productive  labor 
in  return  for  commercial  concessions,  while  we  were  excluding  it. 

Second,  it  is  contrary  to  the  economic  trend.  Take,  for  instance, 
the  countries  which  have  working  agreements  on  immigration.  If 
the  question  of  markets,  for  instance,  or  trade  advantages  is  under 
advisement  in  a  given  country  and  they  have  a  working  agreement 
on  the  matter  of  immigration  with  one  country,  other  things  being 
equal,  that  country  would  be  favored  in  trade  matters.  For  instance, 
■we  have. an  immense  amount  of  exports  ready  for  shipment.  We 
have  a  good  many  contracts  hanging  in  the  balance  in  foreign  coun- 
tries. We  have  a  good  many  concessions,  and  a  good  many  desire  to 
locate  capital  in  foreign  countries.  We  have  captured  a  good  many 
markets  which  we  are  very  desirous  of  holding,  and  if  immigration 
is  to  be  used  as  an  element  in  trade  relations  it  would  operate  in 
favor  of  the  country  with  which  there  were  friendly  immigration 
relations  and  against  a  country  with  which  there  were  not. 

It  would  also  facilitate  or  increase  the  amount  of  savings  being 
sent  out  of  America  by  immigrants.  At  a  time  when  we  are  over- 
stocked we  need  more  purchasing  power,  more  use  of  American 
goods.  In  other  words,  when  we  want  as  much  consumption  in 
America  as  possible,  it  would  increase  the  transmissions  of  money 
to  people  who  might  be  prevented  from  coming  over  under  the  bill 
ancl  would  be  used  as  an  argument  to  stimulate  the  transmission  of 
savings  from  America. 

We  have  said  a  good  deal  about  the  labor  supply:  and  there  is 
just  one  point  I  should  like  to  bring  out  there.  AVe  have  been  deal- 
ing almost  entirely  with  the  current  labor  supply.  Now.  the  matter, 
as  I  see  it.  in  Europe  Avas  not  a  question  of  whether  it  was  1(H).(M)0 
laborei"s  this  year  or  500.(»0(>  this  year,  but  it  was  a  question  of  what 
the  effect  would  be  eventually  upon  the  source  of  supjdy.  I  am 
sjjeaking  now  of  the  way  Europe  looks  at  the  matter  of  handling 
immigration.  They  look  at  it  very  much  in  some  of  the  countries 
the  wav  vou  look  at  a  reserve:  for  instance,  you  get  an  option  on 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  455 

-an  oil  supply;  you  take  care  to  see  that  you  can  <ret  a  supply  of 
-certain  chemicals  that  you  need  in  a  certain  manufacture,  because 
you  need  them  10  years  from  now.  not  to-day.  And  AYe  ouf^ht  not  to 
destroy  our  claim  on  the  source  of  supply.  It  may  be  that  Ave  do 
not  need  to  use  that  source  of  supply,  but  we  ouirht  not  to  ])ass  lejris- 
lation  Avhich  will  destroy  the  possibility  of  makin<T  use  of  that  source 
of  supply. 

Senator  Johxsox.  Yes:  but  do  you  think  that  follows? 

Miss  Kelloij.  I  think  it  precedes. 

Senator  Johnsox.  Xo;  but  Avould  it  be  a  natural  consequence  of 
ti  limitation  of  immi<;ration  for  a  space — for  a  number  of  years — 
that  we  would  be  denied  the  source  of  supply  ultimately? 

Miss  Kellor.  No  ;  but  I  think  that  now  is  the  time — since  the  vmr — 
that  we  should  take  up  with  the  different  countries  a  constructiYe 
way  of  dealino:  Avith  the  whole  problem,  and  that  Ave  ouo;ht  not  to 
prejudice  our  country,  let  me  say,  any  further  by  a  measure  that  aaIII 
not  do  us  any  <ro()d,  but  Avill  perhaps  make  it  a  little  more  difficult 
for  us  to  do  the  other  thing ;  that  is  all. 

I  should  like  to  speak  also  for  a  moment  on  the  effect  of  the  John- 
son bill  on  exploitation.  It  has  alAA'ays  been  the  case  that  AvhereA'er 
a  neAA-  piece  of  letjislation  AA-as  passed  immediately  there  Avas  a  trail 
•of  exploitation.  For  instance.  wheneA'er  a  certificate  was  required, 
^xe  immediately  find  the  immiofrants  beino;  char<red  anywhere  from 
$20,  $25  to  $30  or  up  to  $4:5  as  the  cost  of  it.  For  instance,  Avhen 
families  were  to  be  broufjht  oA'er  from  the  other  side  we  saw  that 
corporations  AA'ere  or<i:anized  AAdiich  Avere  charjring  the  AYorkino;men 
$200  to  $300  to  $500  for  bringinji;  in  those  families.  Xoay,  the  same 
thino-  AA'ould  be  true  in  the  passaije  of  this  bill.  Without  certain  cre- 
dentials beintr  required,  there  AA'ould  immediately  be  exploitation. 

Aside  from  tlie  cost  of  it,  I  think,  in  the  formulation  of  our  immi- 
gration laws  AA-e  ought,  if  possible,  to  take  into  consideration  not 
only  the  cost  to  the  immigrant  but  the  Avays  by  AA'hich  his  confidence 
is  destroyed  by  reason  of  the  manipulation,  and.  AYhile  we  are  not 
responsible  for  that.  neA'ertheless  the  effect  is  there  on  the  immigrant 

By  Avay  of  further  illustration :  "When  it  was  necessary  to  export 
food  for  relief  purposes  Ave  found  so  many  exploiting  companies 
that  Mr.  Hoover  and  some  of  the  rest  of  us  finally  had  to  ado])t  a 
warehouse  draft  plan  in  order  to  prcAent  this  enormous  exploitation 
among  the  immigrants. 

The  CHATR^rAN.  Miss  Kellor.  I  receiA'ed  a  statement — I  think  made 
by  yourself — that  nearly  one-third  of  our  population  are  aliens  or 
are  descendants  of  aliens — some  30.000,000 — is  that  true? 

Miss  Kellor.  That  is  correct. 

The  Chairman.  And  AA-e  are  seeking  to  Americanize  them,  are  Ave 
not? 

Miss  Kellor.  Yes. 

The  CHAIR:^rAX.  What  effect,  if  any.  do  you  think  that  a  suspension 
of  immigration  called  for  by  the  Johnson  bill  would  have  uj^on  the 
vast  body  of  aliens  residing  in  this  country-!' 

iSIiss  Kellor.  I  should  think  it  Avould  interfere  A^ery  much  Avith 
the  present  Americanization  plans.  In  the  first  place,  to  some  extent 
it  Avould  certainly  increase  the  separation  among  the  families.  Avhich, 
of  course,  Avould  lead  to  hardship  and  resentment.     In  tlie  second 


436  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION, 

l)lace.  tliov  woukl  rejjrard  it — and  they  couldn't  help  but  lejrard  it — 
as  rather  an  unfriendly  act — I  mean  without  considerin^r  their  inter- 
ests— and  I  tliink  it  would  lead  to  a  «rreat  deal  of  suspicion  on  their 
part.  I  should  say  it  would  he  decidedly  a  handicap  to  Americani- 
zation. 

The  Chairman.  What  effect,  if  any,  would  it  have  upon  the  na- 
tions from  which  the  immigrants  come?  We  are  extending  our 
foreijrn  trade  relations.  Would  it  have  any  effect,  in  your  opinion, 
upon  the  attitude  of  the  emigration  toward  the  Ignited  States? 

Miss  Kellor.  I  should  say  that,  first,  a  good  many  of  the  nations 
would  favor  it  as  helping  them  to  hold  their  emigration.  That  would 
be  the  faAorable  side. 

The  unfavorable  side  would  be  that  if  they  needed  an  outlet,  or 
even  if  they  did  not.  if  there  was  an  opportunity  for  emigration  they 
would  certainly  negotiate  for  the  sending  of  their  emigrants  to  other 
countries,  and,  in  my  opinion,  in  the  development  of  markets  and 
other  commercial  concessions  in  doing  that  it  would  be  to  our  disad- 
vantage. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  know  any  civilized  nation  that  has  sus- 
pended emigration  entirely  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  I  believe  that  at  one  time  Italy  suspended  emigra- 
tion to  Brazil,  because  the  immigrants  were  not  properly  protected 
in  Brazil.  That  is  the  only  instance  that  T  know  of.  and  that  was 
a  himianitarian  reason. 

The  Chairman.  That  was  a  suspension  of  emigration  toward  a 
particular  country  where  the  nationals  were  not  treated  properly, 
or  something  of  that  sort  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  That  is  correct. 

Senator  Johnson.  Let  me  ask  you  this,  and  without  controverting 
at  all  your  answers  to  Senator  Colt's  questions :  It  would  seem  from 
those  answers,  would  it  not.  that  you  could  not  enact  any  immigration 
bill  without  consultation,  then,  with  those  whom  you  descril)e  as 
aliens,  or  the  descendants  of  aliens,  or  without  consult iiiL^  Avith  the 
countries  abroad? 

Miss  Kellor.  Tliat  would  be  the  ideal.  Senator  John.son.  I  think 
if  there  is  an  opportunity  I  should  like  to  discuss  it  a  little  further. 
I  think  the  method  of  handling  immigration  in  the  future  is  going 
to  be  by  means  of  immigration  treaties  with  the  different  countries. 

Senator  Johnson.  I  am  not  questioning  that  part  of  it.  but  your 
answers  to  Senator  Colt's  questions  indicate  that  because  offense 
might  be  given  to  those  who  are  here,  restrii-tive  immigration  laws 
ouirht  not  to  be  passed.    Am  I  correct  in  that  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  Xot  quite.  I  believe  that  with  the  number  of  natu- 
ralized citizens — and  I  am  not  speaking  of  aliens  now;  I  am  only 
>peaking  of  citizens — that  we  have  in  this  country,  in  the  passage  of 
any  law  which  affects  their  international  relations — and  they  can  not 
heij)  but  have  them  when  their  families  are  divided — before  the  en- 
actment of  any  such  law  the  leaders  ought  to  be  called  in  for  the 
purpose  of  finding  out  how  that  law  is  going  to  operate  and  what 
the  hardships  would  be. 

Senator  Johnson.  You  speak  of  the  naturalized  citizens  only. 
The  question  of  Senator  Colt,  as  I  understand,  embraced  all  aliens 
who  were  in  this  country,  and  the  descendants  of  aliens,  the  propor- 
tion of  whom  was  stated  to  be  about  a  third  of  the  population. 


EMERGENCY    IM.MIGRATtOX    LEGISLATIOX.  457 

Miss  Kellor.  Of  that  number  I  believe  15.000,000  are  foreign 
born  and  about  18.000.000  are  descendants  of  foreign  born. 

Senator  Johxson'.  I  am  willing  to  go  with  you  on  many  of  your 
statements,  but  I  am  not  willing  to  concede  that  we  can  not  pass  an 
immigration  law  without  consulting  the  aliens  who  are  in  our  coun- 
try, or  their  descendants.  Of  course,  those  who  are  citizens,  of  neces- 
sity are  consulted  when  action  is  taken,  by  their  chosen  representa- 
tives:  that  goes  without  saying.  But  to  say  that  we  are  dependent 
for  affirmative  action  that  we  might  take  of  any  sort  upon  their  con- 
sent, or  upon  their  permission,  puts  us  somewhat  at  a  disadvantage, 
don't  you  think,  in  legislating  on  a  subject  within  our  rights? 

Miss  Kellor.  I  don't  think  I  have,  perhaps,  made  clear  what  I 
have  in  mind.  The  United  States  can  take  final  action  without  con- 
sulting anybody :  I  agree  with  that. 

Senator  Johxsox.  I  am  not  speaking  of  the  c^uestion  of  power:  I 
am  speaking  of  the  question  of  propriety. 

Miss  Kellor.  Yes.  I  think  it  is  very  doubtful  if  we  could  frame 
an  immigration  law  which  would  be  just  and  fair  without  consulting 
the  foreign-born  residents,  because  the  subject  is  international. 

Senator  Johxsox.  Well,  suppose  you  consulted  them  and  they  did 
not  agree  with  you  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  "Well,  you  would  have  to  go  ahead  and  do  it  your 
own  way.  no  question  about  that.  But  what  you  want  is  the  benefit 
of  their  advice,  etc. 

Senator  Johxsox.  I  will  agree  with  you  that  everybody's  advice 
should  be  heard. 

Miss  Kellor.  But  particularly  that  of  foreign-born  people  on  ac- 
count of  their  international  experience  and  connections. 

The  Chair:max.  I  would  say.  Senator  Johnson,  that  I  merely  asked 
the  question  in  view  of  the  fact  that  possibly  they  might  have  some 
little  bearing  on  the  subject  that  Ave  have  to  deal  Avith.  AA"e  are  try- 
ing to  weight  the  objections  to  the  bill,  and  also  to  weigh  the  things 
that  are  in  faA'or  of  the  bill. 

Miss  Kellor.  Did  I  answer  your  question.  Senator?  Did  I  make 
myself  clear? 

Senator  Johxsox.  Yes:  you  did.  It  is  a  very  interesting  proposi- 
tion you  suggest. 

]\Iiss  Kellor.  I  may  say,  Senator  Johnson,  that  we  tried,  during 
the  war,  and  I  think  for  the  first  time  in  the  country  in  dealing  with 
the  war  problems,  the  proposition  of  having  a  conference  committee 
made  up  not  only  of  native  Americans,  but  Avith  one  or  tAvo  repre- 
sentatives froip  each  one  of  the  racial  groups,  and  we  aA'oided  a  good 
many  serious  mistakes  by  havdng  them  in  conference. 

Senator  Johxsox.  Do  you  believe  that  you  can  ever  get  too  many 
racial  groups  in  the  coimtry  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  I  think  we  haA-e  got  too  many  noAv.     I  mean  solidari- 
ties.    I  should  like,  if  I  may  have  the  opportunity,  to  go  into  that 
question  of  racial  solidarities.     That  is  our  real  problem. 
Senator  Johxsox.  That  is  a  big  i)i-oblem. 
Miss  Kellor.  That  is  the  real  prol)lem  to-day. 
Senator  Colt,  in  respect  to  the  question  of  the  law,  I  only  Avant  to 
point  out  one  thing  with  regard  to  the  Johnson  bill,  and  that  is  the 
way  in  which  it  mixes  up  the  relations  and  duties  of  the  two  depart- 


458  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LE:GISLATI0N. 

ments  of  Labor  and  of  State,  and  I  am  simply  filing  this  memo- 
randum as  an  illustration  showinfr  how  impossible  it  is  to  operate  as 
it  is  drawn  at  the  present  time. 

The  Chairman.  The  statement  may  be  tiled,  and  placed  in  the 
record. 

(The  memorandum  on  administrative  difficulties  under  the  John- 
son bill,  presented  by  Miss  Kellor,  is  printed  herewith  in  full,  as  fol- 
lows:) 

MKMORANDUM    ON    ADMINISTRATIVE    DIFFICULTIES    LENDER    THE    JOHNSON    BILL    ( H.    B. 

144G1). 

Althou.sh  the  Secretary  of  Lab«)r  under  the  .Tolinson  l>ill  retains  final  juris- 
diction over  the  admissibility  of  the  classes  of  aliens  which  will  still  be  per- 
mittHl  to  enter.  oriiL'inal  permission  to  sail  for  the  United  States  is  divided  be- 
tween the  Secretary  of  Labor  and  the  Secretary  of  State.  Citizens  and  de- 
clarants in  the  United  States  must  first  secure  a  permit  from  the  Secret<iry  of 
Labor  to  permit  their  alien  relatives  abroad  to  b<iard  a  vessel  sailing:  for  the 
United  States :  they  will  not  have  to  secure  a  vise  of  their  pas.sports  by  Ameri- 
can consular  representatives  abroad.  On  the  other  hand,  the  classes  of  aliens 
that  are  permitted  to  enter  the  United  States  for  temporary  periods  of  time 
must  secure  the  vise  of  their  passports  by  the  Secretary  of  State's  consular  or 
diplomatic  representatives  abroad.  Upon  arrival  at  our  ports  of  entry  both 
groups  of  aliens  are  subject  to  the  provisions  of  existing  immigration  laws.  In 
other  words,  the  immigrant  inspector  at  a  port  of  entry  will  first  have  to 
classify  all  aliens  applying  for  admission  according  to  those  coming  for  tem- 
porary puri)Oses  and  those  coming  to  citizens  and  declarants  in  the  United 
States :  for  the  first  group  he  will  have  to  lo<tk  for  the  viseed  passports,  for  the 
second  for  the  permit  from  the  Secretary  of  Labor.  Because  the  documentary 
recpiirements  are  not  uniform,  this  is  likely  to  create  considerable  confusion  and 
difficulty  in  administration. 

It  should  also  be  noted  that  thousands  of  aliens  now  in  the  United  States 
who  may  wish  to  bring  over  their  wives  and  children  will  undoubtedly  file 
declarations  of  intention  to  qualify  for  permits,  thus  making  the  motive  for 
citizenship  personal  and  not  national.  , 

Miss  Kellor.  As  I  say.  that  is  presented  as  an  illustration  of  how 
impossible  it  is  to  operate,  because  of  the  inevitable  conflict  between 
the  two  departments. 

I  don't  know.  Senator  Colt,  to  what  extent  you  Avould  like  to  have 
me  go  into  the  existing  conditions  in  the  United  States.  In  my  judg- 
ment, an  emergency  exists,  but  it  is  an  emergency  for  facts  and  not 
an  emergency  for  legislation:  and  if  there  is  the  opportunity.  I 
should  like  to  present  to  you  about  l."J  questions  from  lioth  the  na- 
tional and  the  international  side,  which  I  think  Avill  take  up  particu- 
larly what  Senator  Johnson  has  in  mind,  which  to  me  is  the  real 
jjroblem.     That  is  the  emergency. 

Senator  Johnson.  It  is  a  very  important  subject,  into  which  the 
witness  desires  to  go  at  length,  and  I  should  desire  to  have  it  gone 
into  by  this  witness. 

The  Chairman.  Can  you  be  in  attendance  to-morrow  morning? 

Miss  Kellor.  Yes.  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  Very  well.  We  will  now  suspend  until  to-morrow 
morning  at  half  past  10. 

(Thereupon,  at  4.45  p.  m.  Thursday.  January  i:^.  19:21.  an  adjourn- 
ment was  taken  until  10.30  o'clock  a.  m.  Friday,  January  14,  1921.) 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 


HEARINGS 


BEFORE  THE 

COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 

UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGKESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 

H.  R.  14461 

AlBILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZENS 

OF  THE  UNITED   STATES  BY  THE   TEMPORARY 

SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 

FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 


FRIDAY,  JANUARY  14,  1921 


PABT  9 

Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
26911  1921 


COMMITTEE  OX  IMMIGRATION. 
LeBAROX  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island,  Chairman. 


WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,  Vermont 
BOIES  PENROSE,  Pennsylvania. 
THOMAS  STERLING,  South  Dakota. 
HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  CaUfornia. 
HENRY  W.  KETES,  New  Hampshire. 
WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey. 


THOMAS  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 
JOHN  F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 
WILLIAM  H.  KING,  Utah. 
WILLIAM  J.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 
PAT  HARRISON,  Mississippi. 
JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 


Henbx  M.  Babbt,  Clerk. 


EMEKGENCY  IMMIGEATION  LEGISLATION 


FRIDAY,  JANUARY  14,  1921. 

United  States  Senate, 
Committee  on  Immigration, 

Washington^  D.  O. 
The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjourmnent,  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m., 
in  room  235,   Senate   Office   Building,   Senator  LeBaron   B.    Colt 
presiding. 

Present:  Senators  Colt  (chairman),  Dillingham,  Keyes,  and  Har- 
rison. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  come  to  order. 

STATEMENT  OF  MISS  FRANCES  KELLOR— Resumed. 

The  Chairman.  Miss  Kellor,  you  -were  speaking  yesterday  about 
the  checks  upon  immigration,  x  ou  also  referred  to  the  number  of 
aliens,  or  nationals,  who  were  returning  to  their  native  countr}'^,  the 
country  of  their  birth.  I  have  the  figures  from  the  Department  of 
Labor  for  the  month  of  July,  and  as  bearing  out  what  you  said,  I 
want  to  call  your  attention  to  the  figures  with  respect  to  certain 
inationals,  the  number  of  immigrants,  and  the  number  who  went 
home. 

This  is  for  the  month  of  July,  1920: 

The  number  of  Bulgarians,  Serbians  and  Montenegrins  who  ar- 
rived was  333.    The  number  who  departed  was  3,158. 

The  number  of  Croatians  and  Slovenes  who  arrived,  was  218.  The 
number  who  went  back  was  493. 

The  number  of  Dalmatians,  Bosnians,  and  Herzegovinians  who  ar- 
rived was  36.    The  number  who  returned  was  175. 

The  number  of  Greeks  who  arrived  was  1,736.  The  number  whO' 
went  home  was  1,499. 

The  number  of  Lithuanians  who  arrived  was  41.  The  number  who 
went  home  was  310. 

The  number  of  Magyars-Hungarians  who  arrived  was  128.  The 
number  who  went  home  was  2,531. 

The  number  of  Poles  who  arrived  was  663.  The  number  who  went 
back  to  Poland  was  3,259. 

The  number  of  Rumanians  who  arrived  was  193.  The  number 
who  returned  was  1,250. 

The  number  of  Slovaks  who  arrived  was  1,874.  The  number  who 
returned  was  1,481. 

The  number  of  northern  Italians  who  arrived  was  2,715.  The  num- 
ber who  went  back  was  1,041. 

459 


460  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

From  southern  Italy  the  number  who  arrived  was  13.181.  The 
number  who  returned  was  5.84G. 

So  that  from  among  all  the  countries  in  southern  and  eastern 
Europe  we  find  that  there  were  many  more  who  departed  than  the 
number  of  arrivals. 

This  is  the  report  from  the  Department  of  Labor,  the  inquiry  hav- 
ing been  made  by  Senator  Dillingham  first  to  classify  the  immi- 
grants, both  as  to  those  who  arrived  and  those  who  departed. 

Xow  we  are  unable  to  get  the  classification — which  I  consider  very 
important — beyond  the  month  of  August,  the  department  being  sev- 
eral months  behind.  We  can  get  the  summary,  but  we  can  not  get  the 
classification.  AVe  want  to  know  the  number  of  women  and  the  num- 
ber of  men.  We  want  to  know  the  countries  from  which  they  come, 
and  we  want  to  know  as  to  the  immigrants  who  go  home.  We  also 
want  all  these  classified.  And  that  information  we  have  been  unable 
to  get  in  detail. 

I  don't  recall.  Miss  Kellor.  what  point  you  were  on  when  you 
stopped  last  evening.  I  think  Senator  Johnson  was  asking  you  a 
question.  Senator  Dillingham  suggests  that  there  will  be  ncr  ques- 
tion but  what  you  will  know. 

Miss  Kellor.  If  I  may  have  just  a  moment.  In  the  testimony 
of  yesterday  I  tried  to  show  the  trend  of  European  thought  and 
action  on  emigration  from  those  countries:  also  their  attitude  toward 
restrictive  measures  that  might  be  taken  by  the  United  States:  and 
in  the  third  place  the  interests  and  activities  of  competitor  countries 
for  immigration:  also,  why  I  believe  that  the  Johnson  bill  will  not 
affect  the  volume  of  immigration.  And  I  gave  my  sources  of  infor- 
mation for  the  facts  which  I  gave  you. 

This  morning  I  want  to  take  up  the  conditions  in  America  and 
show  how  these  same  international  interests  and  activities  operate  in 
the  United  States — the  same  influence  I  was  discussing  yesterday 
for  Europe. 

That  is  the  first  proposition. 

Second,  why  Americanization  has  made  so  little  progress  among 
the  adult  foreign-born  people. 

Third,  why  we  have  so  many  racial  solidarities  in  this  country,  and 
why  they  are  constantly  growing  stronger,  which  is  all  bearing  upon 
the' question  of  why  the  Johnson  bill  or  the  Sterling  bill  or  any  other 
bill  that  I  have  seen  at  this  time  will  not  meet  the  present  emerfirency. 

Now  I  believe  that  an  emergency  exists,  but  it  is  not  an  emergency 
for  legislation.  It  is  an  emergency  for  information,  that  is.  it  is  an 
emergency  under  which  we  ought  to  assemble  the  information  in 
order  to  understand  the  many  phases  of  the  subject.  It  is  an  emer- 
gency in  which  we  need  to  simplify  and  coordinate  the  many  regula- 
tions and  powers  of  the  different  Federal  departments,  so  that  we 
can  get  an  enforcement  of  the  law  that  we  now  have. 

Wnen  I  made  an  investigation  of  the  different  departments  I 
found  that  there  were  IT  different  Federal  bureaus  in  one  form  or 
another  dealing  with  the  immigration  or  the  alien  problem.  During 
the  war  the  number  of  those  bureaus  was  increased  to  about  42. 
Some  of  these  are  still  holding  on  in  a  semiofficial  capacity,  with 
certain  functions,  but  again,  many  of  them  have,  of  coui-se.  been 
discontinued.    But  that  is  simply  an  illustration  of  our  conflict  of 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEG1SLATI0:N\  461 

powers  which  interferes  so  much  with. our  getting  an  administration 
of  the  present  laws  that  we  liave. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Have  you  a  list  of  those  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  I  can  furnish  you  with  an  analysis  of  them.  Do 
you  want  the  war  bureaus  or  the  regular  bureaus,  or  both  ? 

Senator  Dillingham.  Both. 

Miss  Kellor.  I  have  a  table  of  them  showing  the  activities  of 
each  one. 

An  emergency  exists  at  the  present  time  for  the  purpose  of  apply- 
ing to  the  many  phases  of  this  problem  statesmanship  rather  than 
haste,  because  it  is  so  complicated.  ^ 

The  information  that  I  am  about  to  sul)mit  to  you  on  the  do- 
mestic situation  is  based  upon  quite  a  different  experience  than  the 
information  I  gave  you  yesterday.  When  I  left  the  Department  of 
the  Interior,  in  February  of  1918.  I  was  convinced  that  we  had  not 
found  the  reasons  in  this  country  why  we  were  not  getting  an  as- 
similation of  our  foreign-born  people.  That  these  obstacles  could 
not  be  overcome  by  civic  or  social  or  welfare  or  educational  measures, 
but  that  they  were  Avholly  economic  in  their  character.  I  thought 
at  that  time  that  in  order  to  get  the  facts  I  needed  to  be  in  charge 
of  some  economic  unit  that  was  operating  in  the  racial  economic 
system  of  America  in  order  to  unravel  the  international  economic 
threads  which  run  through  our  American  life;  and  in  order  to 
secure  such  a  unit  I  asked  some  of  the  people  who  are  interested  in 
Americanization  with  me  to  purchase  the  American  Association  of 
Foreign  Language  Newspapers,  which  is  an  advertising  agency,  and 
that  agency  was  purchased  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  me  to  obtain 
certain  information,  and  carry  out  certain  experiments  through 
this  racial  economic  system.  There  were  two  provisos  made  when 
that  was  done :  First,  that  there  was  to  be  no  interference  whatever 
with  the  experiments  or  the  gathering  of  information,  even  though 
it  might  impair  the  value  of  the  investment,  and  second,  that  it  was 
to  be  a  strictly  business  enterprise,  because  you  can  not  get  the  facts 
in  an  economic  system  unless  you  had  them  in  a  competent  way  as  a 
part  of  that  system.  It  is  a  very  difficult  thing  for  a  native  American 
to  get  into  that  system  at  all. 

The  result  is  that  the  information  this  morning  is  based  upon  the 
operation  of  an  economic  unit  as  part  of  the  racial  economic  system 
of  America  for  the  last  two  years. 

Xow.  in  general,  my  experience  shows  this — and  I  am  going  to 
be  just  as  brief  as  I  possibly  can  because  I  want  you  to  have  only 
what  is  pertinent  to  this  bill;  some  other  time  you  may  wish  to  go 
into  the  economic  factors — first,  that  for  each  racial  condition  in 
the  United  States  there  is  a  root  in  Europe. 

Second,  that  for  each  racial  activity  in  America  there  is  a  main- 
spring in  Europe. 

Third,  that  in  each  racial  problem  that  we  undertake  to  deal  with 
we  encounter  a  European  angle. 

And  I  found,  further,  that  these  activities  are  not  intended  to 
be  either  ant i- American  or  un-American.  That  each  American  has 
been  left  to  himself  when  he  comes  into  America :  he  has  joined 
his  own  group,  and  each  group  living  to  itself  has  found  it  easier 
to  make  a  living  and  to  secure  recognition  from  racial  leaders 
rather  than  from  native  American  leaders. 


462  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION, 

I  discussed  the  situation  which  I  found  in  America  to  a  consid- 
erable extent  with  Government  officials  in  Europe  this  summer,  and 
I  found  this  in  my  talks  with  the  officials,  that  the  Governments 
of  Europe  Avould  vasth^  prefer  to  deal  with  their  own  nationals  in 
America  through  American  officials  and  American  business  agents 
than  through  the  racial  groups  here,  with  their  many  divisions  and 
jealousies,  but  we  do  not  make  it  possible  at  this  time,  because  we 
are  not  in  control  of  our  own  racial  situations. 

I  would  like  to  give  you.  if  I  may,  three  or  four  illustrations 
before  I  go  into  the  details,  showing  what  are  the  questions  involved 
in  the  domestic  situation  here. 

First,  I  believe  that  the  Bank  of  Xaples.  for  instance,  would  rather 
deal  in  the  transmitting  of  the  savings  of  the  immigrants  to  Italy, 
through  the  American  bankings  system,  than  through  the  general  or 
private  bankers  which  so  exploit  the  immigrants,  and  through  which 
such  great  losses  occur. 

I  found  in  talking  to  some  of  the  Greeks  that  they  disparage  very 
much  the  fact  that  the  two  Greek  factions  in  America  were  haA-ing 
such  a  fight,  one  faction  in  order  to  help  reelect  Venizelos.  and  the 
other  faction  in  order  to  return  King  Constantine  to  the  throne.  They 
felt  it  would  be  a  great  deal  better  if  their  nationals  were  not  conduct- 
ing mass  meetings,  and  were  not  attacking  each  other  here.  That  it 
would  be  a  great  deal  better  if  they  were  not  conducting  a  letter- 
writing  campaign  in  Greece  from  the  United  States. 

I  found  that  one  of  the  Hungarian  dailies  was  constantly  being 
suppressed  in  Hungary  on  account  of  the  attacks  made  on  the  Gov- 
ernment, and  they  would  infinitely  prefer  that  that  not  be  done, 
rather  than  to  have  to  confiscate  all  the  editions  that  were  circulated 
there. 

I  found,  for  instance,  that  they  would  prefer  that  America  should 
tell  them  how  much  man  power  we  really  wanted  for  this  country, 
and  how  we  would  employ  it.  than  to  deal  through  the  padrones  or 
employment  agencies  underneath,  who  are  constantly  stimulating 
emigration  from  underneath  when  the  Americans  at  the  top  said  they 
didn't  want  it. 

I  found  that  in  the  matter  of  markets  and  commodities  that  they 
would  prefer  to  deal  through  chambers  of  commerce  and  export  and 
import  companies  run  by  combinations  of  Americans  and  foreign- 
born  people,  rather  than  through  different  factions  that  were  organ- 
izing trade  relations  without  any  real  responsibility  back  of  them. 

Those  are  just  illustrations  of  the  kind  of  thing  which  could  be 
brought  about  in  an  organized  way  if  we  were  in  control  of  our  racial 
situation. 

The  Chairman.  Miss  Kellor.  let  me  understand  you.  You  find  in 
the  United  States  what  you  term  solidarities — groups  of  aliens.  You 
find  that  they  have  their  economic  sj^stem. 

Miss  Kellor.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  You  find  also,  perhaps,  that  they  have,  in  a  way. 
their  separate  political  systems. 

Miss  Kellor.  That  is  developing.  They  haven't  got  it  yet.  They 
have  the  beginning  of  it. 

The  Chair:han.  So  far  as  the  economic  system  of  these  different 
groups  is  concerned,  do  I  understand  you  to  say  that  if  we  dealt  with 


EMERGEISTCY  IMMIGRATION^  LEGISLATION.  463 

the  countries,  if  we  made  this  more  of  an  international  question 
we  could  Americanize,  so  to  speak,  these  alien  groups  through  diplo- 
matic relations  with  the  other  countries  ?  You  were  saying  that  the 
Bank  of  Naples,  for  example,  would  rather  trade  with  the  American 
bankers  than  through  these  separate  economic  groups.  Is  that  your 
line  of  thought  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  It  is  rather  the  reverse  process,  Senator.  We  could 
not  possibly  deal  with  the  Bank  of  Naples  or  with  the  Italian  Gov- 
ernment unless  we  first  have  supervision  and  regulation  of  our  own 
banks.  In  other  words,  we  have  to  begin  at  the  other  end,  and  get 
control  of  the  different  activities  of  the  different  racial  groups  in  this 
country  before  we  are  in  a  position  to  deal  internationally.  That  is 
our  difficulty.     Does  that  make  it  clear? 

The  same  thing  would  be  true,  for  instance,  of  the  foreign-language 
press.  We  know  less  of  what  the  foreign-language  press  is  doing  and 
how  it  is  organized  than  they  know  in  Europe,  and  until  we  do  know 
that  and  are  in  touch  with  it  and  are  dealing  with  it  intelligently,  we 
can  not,  of  course,  take  the  question  up  internationally.  We  have  to 
begin  at  the  other  end. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  have  we  pursued  too  much  the  policv  of 
"let  alone"? 

Miss  Kellor.  Absolutely. 

The  Chairman.  And  we  owe  it  to  ourselves  to  come  in  closer 
contact  and  cooperation  with  these  international  groups? 

Miss  Kellor,  That  is  the  secret  of  the  solution  of  the  present 
situation. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  regard  the  foreign  press  situation  as 
inimical  to  Americanization? 

Miss  Kellor.  Not  as  inimical,  but  unless  we  can  be  in  the  position 
of  using  the  foreign  language  press  for  Americanization,  and  more 
fully  for  American  interests,  it  will  be  a  disadvantage  rather  than  an 
advantage.  We  have  never  tried  to  use  that  press,  therefore  we 
don't  know  whether  it  can  be  made  an  advantage  or  a  disadvantage. 

For  instance,  there  is  no  American  news  service  to  the  foreign 
language  press  generall5\  A  few  of  the  big  dailies  have  the  Asso- 
ciated Press  news.  The  editors  have  told  me  over  and  over  again 
that  there  is  no  organized  way  by  which  they  can  get  American 
news. 

Now,  if  there  could  be  supplied  to  that  press  an  American  news 
service  which  gives  them  the  information  at  a  cost  which  they  could 
afford,  we  would  then  have  a  test — if  they  used  it  or  didn't  use  it — 
of  whether  they  wanted  to  print  American  news.  No  such  test  has 
ever  been  made. 

The  Chairman.  I  understand  you  that  these  groups  which  you 
term  solidarities — some  30  of  them — have  their  own  economic  system, 
in  other  words,  they  send  their  money  abroad  to  help  their  mother 
country,  if  3^011  please ;  they  have  their  foreign  press ;  they  also,  in  a 
political  sense,  have  a  different  idea  from  what  America  has.  Their 
idea  is  nationalism  of  one  particular  race.  Our  idea  is  the  union 
of  different  nationalities,  the  combination  of  different  nationalities. 
You  have  made  a  very  careful  study  of  this  problem,  but  I  was 
wondering  whether  you  overestimated  what  you  term  the  solidarity 
of  these  alien  races  having  an  alien  press  which  publishes  papers  in 


464  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

their  lan^uag^.  having  a  different  economic  system  in  the  sense 
that  they  use  what  they  accumulate  not  to  promote  America,  but  to 
promote  the  economic  well-beinsr  of  their  own  country:  and  do  you 
feel  that  they  are  intensely  devoted  to  their  own  nationalistic  idea, 
rather  than  to  the  American  idea,  which  is  a  combination  of  differ- 
ent nationalities? 

Miss  KxLLOR.  I  tliink.  Senator  Colt.  I  do  not  overestimate  as  to  the 
extent  to  which  it  exists  at  the  present  time.  It  would  be  an  over- 
estimation  if  we  were  to  say  that  it  could  not  \:>e  changed  quite  readily. 

The  Chatrmax.  Well,  isn't  your  fimdamental  idea  that  we  have 
let  the  immigrants  alone,  and  that  the  business  men  have  let  them 
alone,  and  that  the  time  has  come  now  for  cooperation?  Isn't  that 
the  fimdamental  idea  ? 

3Iiss  Kellor.  Decidedly. 

The  Chairmax.  And  that  will  tend  to  break  down  these  differ- 
ences. Of  course  you  could  not  expect  that  they  could  be  broken 
down  at  once.     It  must  be  veiy  gradual. 

Miss  KzLLCtR.  It  is  a  long  process. 

Senator  Harkiscix.  Of  course  the  more  you  have  in  here  the  harder 
the  breaking  down  task  will  l^e. 

^liss  KzLLCtR.  I  have  not  found.  Senator,  it  is  so  much  a  question 
of  quantity  as  a  question  of  quality.  For  instance.  I  have  in  mind 
at  the  present  time  now.  one  organization  with  a  very  able  leader, 
whose  nationality  I  would  prefer  not  to  mention,  ^ho  is  now  con- 
ducting a  campaign  for  changing  the  consular  representatives  to 
foreign  Governments,  to  people  of  that  nationality,  of  American 
citizenship,  which  is  a  very  fundamental  change,  and  it  is  done 
for  the  purpose  of  throwing  business  into  the  hands  of  that  parti- 
cular faction  of  that  particular  national  group.  Xow  there  quantity 
does  not  count,  it  is  the  quality  of  the  leadership. 

And  I  think  that,  for  instance,  it  is  not  the  fact  that  there  are 
1.124  foreign-language  newspapers  that  makes  the  difference.  It  is 
the  fact  that  in  that  group  of  1.124  foreign-language  new5pap)ers 
there  are  about  1<»  of  very  capable  leadership,  and  they  dominate 
the  rest.  I  shouldn't  think  that  quantity  had  a  sreat  deal  to  do  with 
it.  I  should  think  that  an  intelligent  handling  of  the  situation 
would  be  quite  independent,  perhaps,  of  T^^hether  it  was  100  or  500 
or  1.000. 

The  Chairmax.  Is  the  foreign  press  connected  with  the  Ameri- 
can news  agencies  ? 

Miss  KFTjrtR.  There  are  a  few  of  the  large  daily  papers  that  have 
the  Associated  Press  service,  but  only  a  few  of  them :  there  are  not 
more  than  perhaps  a  half  a  dozen  or  a  dozen.  Otherwise,  they  have 
no  American  news  service. 

The  Chairmax.  Well,  perhaps  the  American  press,  the  American 
news  agencies,  could  be  helpful  in  that  matter. 

Miss  Kjxlor.  That  is  one  of  the  things  I  am  doing  now.  trying 
to  get  the  Associated  Press  and  the  American  Newspaper  Publishers 
Association  to  bring  the  foreign-language  papers  into  their  associ- 
ations and  Americanize  them.    That  is  the  only  way  it  can  be  done. 

And  the  same  thing  is  true  with  respect  to  the  banking  system: 
the  need  to  get  them  to  come  into  the  American  Bankers*  Associa- 
tion. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  465 

The  Chairman.  You  are  dealing  this  morning  rather  with  tiie 
larger  problem  of  Americanization,  are  you  not  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  Well,  I  am  trying  not  to. 

The  Chairman.  How  does  that  bear  upon  the  question  of  suspen- 
sion of  immigration  at  the  present  time  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  In  this  way.  The  tendency  of  the  American  public 
is  to  deal  with  this  question  through  emergencies,  and  the  moment 
that  the  emergency  is  dealt  with  they  usually  go  off  and  do  some- 
thing else,  and  pay  no  more  attention  to  that  particular  prol^lem 
until  we  get  another  emergency. 

Now  if  this  bill  were  passed  and  no  provision  is  made  for  the 
land  of  an  inquiry  which  I  believe  should  be  made  at  this  time, 
then  I  am  afraid  it  will  mean  that  this  situation  will  go  on  mount- 
ing up,  and  that  we  will  not  deal  with  it  until  we  have  another 
angle  of  the  emer^ncy.  For  instance,  with  the  passage  of  the  liter- 
acy test,  Senator  Dillingham,  a  great  many  people  said,  "  Well,  the 
literacy  problem  is  already  taken  care  of,  and  we  don't  have  to 
do  anything  more  in  the  way  of  education  and  Americanization." 

And  I  think  that  is  due  to  not  having  a  constructive  program. 

Senator  Dillingham.  That  was  very  much  misunderstood  in  the 
country.  The  great  majority  of  the  people,  I  think,  looked  upon 
that  as  a  quality  test  rather  than  a  purely  restrictive  measure,  as  it 
was  intended  to  be  by  those  who  proposed  it. 

Miss  Kellor.  It  is  also  true,  Senator  Dillingham,  though,  in  re- 
gard to  the  contract-labor  clause,  when  that  was  passed,  that  Ameri- 
can labor  immediately  said,  "  AVell,  now,  we  are  protected,  and  we 
need  not  pay  any  more  attention  to  the  labor  problem."  Of  course 
the  result  was  that  the  contract-labor  clause  did  not  protect.  It 
was  not  enforced. 

The  Chairman.  What  effect,  if  any,  would  the  passage  of  an  ab- 
solute suspension  bill  have  upon  this  movement  toward  Americani- 
zation, or  what  effect,  if  any,  would  it  have  upon  further  solidifying 
these  solidarities,  as  you  say,  of  alien  groups? 

Miss  Kellor.  The  immediate  effect  of  the  passage  of  that  bill 
would  be  further  to  increase  the  different  racial  divisions  and  an- 
tagonisms and  bitternesses.  The  feeling  of  the  injustice  of  it,  and 
the  hardships  that  would  result  to  some  of  the  families,  the  feeling 
that  the  foreign-born  people  have  toward  repression  when  they  have 
come  to  America  as  a  country  of  expression,  as  a  country  of  develop- 
ment, as  a  country  of  opportunity — anything  that  tends  to  conflict 
with  that  ideal,  which  has  brought  many  of  them  to  America,  in- 
creases their  resentment. 

What  was  the  latter  half  of  your  question? 

The  Chairman.  If  any.  what  effect  would  it  have  upon  further 
solidifs'ing  these  solidarities? 

Miss  Kellor.  I  think  it  would  have  a  tendency  to  increase  the 
cohesion  among  them,  not  to  decrease  it.  They  would  feel  that  they 
might  have  to  get  together,  more  or  less,  to  protect  themselves,  even 
more  than  they  do  now. 

The  Chairman.  Does  the  immigrant,  when  he  arrives  here,  hope 
to  be  treated  like  a  man? 

Miss  Kellor.  That  is  one  of  the  chief  reasons  why  he  comes  here. 
He  believes  that  that  is  the  thing  that  he  will  have  in  America. 


466  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

The  Chairman.  Wouldn't  you  say  that  absolute  equality  of  treat- 
ment tended  very  stronfjly  to  Americanize? 

Miss  Kellok.  I  should  say  unhesitatingly  that  it  is  the  greatest 
Americanization  factor  there  is. 

The  Chairman.  And  that  inequality  of  treatment  tends  to 
solidify?^ 

Miss  Kellok.  Correct. 

The  Chaiilman.  Isn't  that  true  historically,  so  far  as  one  nation 
taking  in  a  group  of  aliens  is  concerned,  that  these  aliens  have  be- 
come the  nationals  of  the  adopted  country  through  the  principle  of 
equality  rather  tlian  through  the  exercise  of  force  or  inequality^ 

Miss  Kellok.  Yes,  and  history  has  also  shown.  Senator,  that  where 
suppression  and  inequality  have  prevailed,  there  have  inevitably 
developed  in  the  countries  themselves  very  powerful  minorities  trying 
to  act  independently  of  the  General  Government. 

The  Chairman.  We  find  in  the  Balkans  intense  racial  antagonisms. 
We  will  take  Hungary,  for  instance — the  ^Magyars  and  the  Slavs. 
Isn't  it  true  that  that  principle  of  inequality,  or  holding  the  race  in 
some  form  of  servitude,  has  intensified  racial  antagonism  ? 

Miss  Kellok.  Very  much,  and  especially  the  suppression  of  the 
use  of  language,  and  the  discriminations  in  regard  to  property. 

The  Chairman.  And  isn't  it  true  that  so  far  as  the  United  States 
is  concerned,  the  principle  of  liberty  and  general  equality  and  oppor- 
tunity which  has  prevailed  here,  has  produced  this  remarkable  result 
that  when  we  reached  a  crisis  during  the  war,  generally  speaking,  all 
the  alien  races  rose  in  defense  of  America  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  That  was  one  element  in  it ;  yes. 

Senator  Harrison.  Do  you  think  that  any  of  these  groups  in  the 
United  States,  who  have  been  permitted  by  the  laws  of  the  United 
States  to  come  in.  in  case  there  should  be  a  controversy  between  the 
United  States  and  their  mother  country,  should  ever  be  allowed,  by 
virtue  of  having  come  from  that  mother  country,  to  'be  influenced 
against  their  adopted  country  and  in  favor  of  the  mother  country  ? 

Miss  Kellok.  We  have  a  very  interesting  angle  developed  along 
that  line.  We  find,  for  instance,  that  the  nationals  in  America  have 
become  such  powerful  organized  groups,  economically  and  socially, 
that  the  tendency  now  is  not  to  influence  the  nationals  here  so  much 
in  favor  of  their  old  country,  as  to  use  the  influence  of  the  nationals 
here  to  settle  the  affairs  of  the  old  country.  That  is  the  new  de- 
velopment since  the  war. 

For  instance,  when  I  was  in  Germany  I  found  in  one  of  the  publi- 
cations there  a  proposal  which  will  interest  you — it  is  typical  of  the 
tendency,  though  by  no  means  general,  for  this  movement  is  just 
beginning.  It  is  proposed  that  citizens  of  Germany  residing  in  for- 
eign lands  have  a  vote  in  the  affairs  of  the  fatherland.  The  Society 
of  German  Emigrants  (Das  Deutsche  Ausland  Institute,  Neues 
Schloss,  Stuttgart,  Germany)  has  opened  a  prize  contest  for  sugges- 
tions as  to  how  to  achieve  this  vote.  Then  follow  the  names  of  the 
judges. 

There  is  a  similar  discussion  going  on  in  regard  to  Rumanian  citi- 
zens who  live  in  other  countries;  as  to  whether  the  Rumanians  in 
this  country,  for  example,  shall  not  have  a  vote,  or  at  least  send  dele- 
gates to  their  mother  country  to  discuss  some  of  the  affairs  of  Ru- 
mania. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  467 

Senator  Harrison.  In  other  words,  when  they  come  here  they  are 
trying  to  reform  two  countries. 

Miss  Kellor.  And  being  a  very  powerful  factor  in  the  situation, 
of  course  that  influence  is  sought  by  the  home  country. 

But  here  is  another  very  interesting  angle  to  that.  The  foreign- 
born  people  are  denied — without  any  real  intention  on  our  part,  and 
it  is  only  through  our  neglect — participation  in  our  principles.  There 
are  three  elements  in  the  situation  which  are  vital : 

First.  Recognition. 

Second.  Eecij^rocity. 

Third.  Participation. 

Those  are  the  fundamental  principles.  Now.  if  any  one  of  those 
is  denied  to  any  group,  they  immediately  seek  it  somewhere  else,  and 
if  we  could  find  a  way  by  which  the  full  expression  of  these  nationals 
could  be  brought  into  American  affairs,  it  would  automatically  keep 
them  from  participation  anywhere  else,  because  they  would  be  satis- 
fied.    Does  that  answer  vour  question? 

Senator  Harrison,  les;  I  think  you  and  I  agree  on  the  propo- 
sition. 

The  Chairman.  Pursuing  Senator  Harrison's  inquiry  for  a  mo- 
ment— we  declared  war  against  Austria-Hungary.  From  the  report 
of  the  Immigration  Commission,  of  which  Senator  Dillingham  was 
chairman,  I  read  that  there  were  12  different  nationalities  in  Austria- 
Hungary.  Now,  you  know  the  number  of  different  nationalities 
that  lived  in  Austria-Hungary,  and  you  know  that  we  received 
immigrants  in  this  country  representing  all  those  different  nationali- 
ties. 

I  would  like  to  test  this  proposition.  I  would  like  to  take  the 
members  of  those  different  nationalities  who  were  in  the  United 
States  at  the  time  we  declared  war  against  Austria-Hungary,  and 
see  what  their  conduct  was  with  regard  to  our  declaration  of  war. 
There  were  in  this  country  414,000  aliens  who  waived  their  exemp- 
tion from  the  draft  and  voluntarily  enlisted  in  the  defense  of  the 
United  States.  I  don't  know  how  many  people  there  are  of  German 
descent  here,  but  I  know  thei-e  are  a  million.  Was  there  on  the  whole 
a  hostile  attitude  shown  by  the  people  representing  these  different 
nationalities  of  Austria-Hungary  in  this  country  and  by  the  Germans 
in  this  country? 

Miss  Kellor.  I  should  say.  Senator  Colt,  that  there  was  no  hostility 
shown  by  the  great  mass  of  Germans,  but  of  course,  the  Attorney 
General,  in  his  activities,  has  shown  that  there  was  a  good  deal  of 
anti-American  activity  by  certain  parts,  but  not  by  the  general  mass. 
I  should  say,  as  to  the  general  mass  of  them,  no. 

The  Chairman.  Yes;  I  was  speaking  of  masses,  and  not  particu- 
lar groups. 

Miss  Kellor.  Of  course,  there  is  one  thing  that  we  should  remem- 
ber in  connection  with  the  nationals  in  this  country,  in  connection 
with  that  war,  in  fairness  to  them,  and  in  fairness  to  ourselves,  with- 
out attempting  to  disparage  the  part  they  played  in  it,  and  that  is 
that  the  war  of  the  Allies  was  also  the  war  of  the  countries  of  the 
majority  of  the  people  in  this  country,  as  well  as  our  own. 

Senator  Harrison.  Do  you  think — pursuing  the  question  of  Sena- 
tor Colt — that  when  the  controversy  arose  between  Germany  and 


468  EMERGENCY    IMMIGLATIOX    LEGISLATION. 

the  United  States,  there  was  an  appreciable  part  of  the  German 
population  in  the  I'nited  States  that  sympathized  more  with  the 
contention  of  the  German  Government  than  with  that  of  the  Gov- 
ernment of  the  United  States? 

Miss  Kellor.  Do  you  mean  at  the  time  that  America  went  into 
the  war,  or  before  ? 

Senator  Harrison.  Before.  When  the  ccmtroversy  first  arose. 

Miss  Kellor.  I  should  say  yes. 

Senator  Harrison.  There  was? 

Miss  Kellor.  Yes. 

Senator  Harrison.  Do  you  think  that  it  is  a  healthy  condition  in 
the  United  States  that  there  is  an  appreciable  part  of  the  aliens  here 
who  show  more  sympathy  for  the  country  from  which  they  came 
than  they  do  for  their  adopted  country,  in  a  controversy^  between 
the  old  country  and  the  new  country  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  Xo;  I  should  think  it  were  a  very  serious  condi- 
tion, especially  if  we  were  at  war  with  all  of  Europe. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  thounrht  you  confined  your  query  to  the 
period  previous  to  our  entry  into  the  war. 

Miss  Kellor.  I  asked  Senator  Harrison  if  that  was  what  he  meant. 

Senator  Harrison.  In  the  controversy  that  led  up  to  the  war. 

Miss  Kellor.  In  the  controversy  that  led  up  to  the  war  i 

Senator  Harrison,  lies.  I  was  not  askincr  about  the  period  after 
we  got  into  the  war. 

Miss  Kellor.  That  is  quite  a  different  proposition. 

Senator.  I  don't  know  that  you  want  me  to  take  up  any  more  time 
on  this. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  should  like  to  hear  you  on  the  subject  you 
started  in  on  before  you  were  interrupted. 

Miss  Kellor.  If  I  may  just  run  throu<rh  this.  I  have  arrano;ed 
here  the  relation  between  the  immigration  situation  in  America  and 
the  international  situation  under  the  two  headings  of  "  Domestic 
affairs"'  and  "Foreign  relations."'  and  I  will,  with  your  permission, 
read  the  form  in  which  the  questions  are  put.  There  is  no  answer  to 
any  of  those  questions.  V^'e  have  to  find  the  answer.  And  if  you  will 
read  those  questions  together — that  is.  the  one  under  the  heading 
"  Domestic  affairs ""  first  and  then  the  one  corresponding  to  it  under 
the  heading  of  •"  Foreign  relations "' — you  will  see  that  they  are  ex- 
actly the  same,  one  being  the  American  side  and  the  other  being  the 
international  side.  You  will  notice  that  the  first  question  under  the 
heading  of  "Domestic  affairs"  is: 

1.  How  many  inimiprants  are  planning  to  come  to  America,  and  what  is  the 
capacity  of  this  country  for  their  -assimilation:  (a)  on  farms;  (b)  in  indus- 
try;   (c)   in  couimerco ;    (</;   miscellaneous? 

Xow,  on  the  other  side,  under  "  Foreign  relations."  we  have  the 
question : 

1.  Will  not  iunni.iiration  to  the  United  Stales  decrease  with  ecoJiomic  stabili- 
zation in  Europe,  and  will  any  estinrate  liold  pood  beyond  the  immediate 
present? 

Now.  the  second  question  under  "Domestic  affairs"  is: 

2.  What  is  the  attitude  of  the  new  immigrant  toward  work,  civic  obligations, 
education,  government  and  social  institutions  in  America,  and  wherein  do«>;  his 
preseut  attitude  differ  from  those  of  the  prewar  period? 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  469 

Now,  on  the  other  side,  we  have  to  ask  this  question,  which  is  a 
vital  question : 

2.  Are  foreign  Governments  which  have  undergone  vast  changes,  like  Russia 
and  Hungary  and  the  new  States,  not  changing  the  point  of  view  and  ambitions 
of  their  immigi-ants  in  so  far  as  tiiey  relate  to  the  United  States? 

And  the  third  question  is : 

Is  the  temporary  suspension  of  immigration  the  logical  solution  of  post- 
war problems,  and  does  it  embody  a  comprehensive  safeguard  for  American  in- 
terests which  will  not  liave  unforeseen  commercial  reactions? 

"We  have  to  follow  that  trail  into  Europe  and  ask  this  question : 

3.  Will  competitlve-immigi-ation  nations  profit  unduly  by  suspension  of  immi- 
gration to  the  United  States  by  securing  man  power  and  markets,  and  by  mak- 
ing profitable  commercial  negotiations,  and  will  emigration  nations  not  retaliate 
by  diverting  immigration  to  other  countries? 

And  the  fourth  question : 

4.  Is  the  United  States  a  necessary  asylum  for  oppressed  people,  and  if  not, 
why  are  immigrants  coming? 

We  can  only  find  out  whether  we  are  considered  as  an  asA'lum  for 
oppressed  peoples  by  getting^  the  answer  in  Europe  to  this  question: 

4.  What  are  the  conditions  in  Europe  since  the  war  as  to  political  and  re- 
ligious freedom,  and  what  are  the  causes  of  emigration? 

Now,  the  fifth  question  is : 

5.  What  classes  of  immigrants  can  best  be  assimilated,  and  do  our  present 
laws  insure  their  assimilation? 

And  running  right  parallel  with  that  is  the  European  question: 

5.  Is  Europe  planning  to  send  to  the  United  States  radicals  and  criminals, 
or  is  it  placing  its  emigrants  as  economic  assets  to  earn  money,  sell  goods, 
locate  capital,  and  obtain  credits  for  its  best  interests? 

And  may  I  say  on  that  point  that  not  one  of  the  officials  that  I 
talked  with  abroad  had  any  s^'mpathy  whatever  with  the  idea  that 
we  thought  tliey  were  sending  us  criminals  and  radicals  purely  on 
economic  grounds.  They  said,  "It  is  the  poorest  possible  investment 
we  can  make,  to  send  you  people  who  would  not  make  good  in  your 
country,  who  would  not  be  a  credit  to  us,  who  would  not  be  a  success, 
and  therefore  the  thing  we  do  not  want  to  do  is  to  send  you  that 
kind  of  people." 

Senator  Harrison.  "When  were  jou.  abroad? 

!Miss  Kellor.  In  June,  July,  and  August, 

Senator  Harrison.  May  I  ask  you  in  that  connection  a  question 
that  was  asked  of  some  witness  yesterday:  Do  you  think  that  those 
who  leave  Italy,  say,  or  any  of  those  countries,  are  as  desirable  as 
those  who  remain  in  those  countries? 

Miss  Kellor,  Oh,  I  shouldn't  think  that  was  a  question  that 
could  be  answered,  because  there  is  no  selective  process. 

Senator  Harrison.  Just  a  matter  of  opinion? 

Miss  Kellor.  I  should  say  that  they  were  exactly  the  same  class. 

Senator  Harrison,  About  the  same? 

Miss  Kellor.  Exactly  the  same. 

Senator  Harrison,  They  may  be  poorer? 

Miss  Kellor.  They  could  not  be  any  poorer  than  some  of  those 
who  stay. 


470  EMERGENC"Y    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Senator  IIarrisdx.  They  could  not  be  any  poorer  tlian  some  who 
do  stay  ( 

Miss  Kellok.  No.  I  should  say  that  tho.-e  who  come  are  the  same 
as  those  who  stay;  that  there  was  no  discrimination  and  no  selec- 
tion— that  is,  at  the  present  time.  I  can  not  speak,  of  course,  of  be- 
fore the  war. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Isn't  it  true  that  the  most  enterprising  of 
each  class  are  those  that  seek  to  get  away  to  try  new  conditions? 

Miss  Kellor.  Xot  necessarily.  It  may  be  that  those  Avho  come  over 
here  are  such  as  have  friends  and  relatives  over  here,  and  that  must 
be  so,  seeing  that  80  per  cent  of  those  who  come  have  received  their 
steamship  tickets  from  this  side. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Isn't  it  the  rule  that  it  is  the  most  enter- 
prising class  that  saves  in  order  to  emigrate  to  a  new  country  where 
there  are  greater  possibilities?  Doesn't  it  take  a  considerable  amount 
of  initiative  to  undertake  such  a  trip,  and  wouldn't  you  say  that 
such  people  Avould  be  the  most  enterprising? 

Miss  Kellor.  I  shouldn't  say  that  that  is  necessarily  so.  Senator. 
It  is  purely  economic.  I  should  think  that  if  a  man  is  told  that  his 
friends  will  help  him  to  get  work  over  here,  and  that  they  will  take 
care  of  him  and  see  that  he  does  not  have  such  a  hard  time  as  he  has 
at  home,  and  send  him  money  for  the  passage  and  so  on,  that  it  does 
not  require  so  much  initiative  to  start. 

Senator  Dhjjngham.  All  right,  say  that  that  is  true.  Xow  we  will 
say  that  there  are  six  men  over  there :  Three  of  them  come  and  three 
stay.  Aren't  the  three  that  come  the  most  enterprising?  That  is 
the  point  I  want  to  get  at. 

Miss  Kelix>r.  I  would  not  want  to  say  that  that  is  true  without 
knowing  some  of  those  people,  and  following  it  down. 

Senator  Dillingha^i.  AYell.  I  am  assuming  that  those  six  men 
have  all  received  the  same  information  from  their  friends  over  here 
as  to  their  ability  to  secure  work  and  as  to  the  conditions  and  so  on, 
and  three  of  them  buckle  up  their  loins  and  come,  and  the  other 
three  stav  at  home. 

Miss  Kellor.  But  somebody  in  Italy  might  say.  "We  will  give  you 
a  piece  of  land  if  you  stav.  Don't  go  to  America.  We  will  give 
you  opportunities  here."    Now  there  are  so  many  elements.  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  wouldn't  you  say  that  the  Italian  who  con- 
templated coming  3.000  miles  across  the  sea  to  a  new  land,  with  the 
difficulties  that  surrounded  him  of  getting  a  passport,  etc..  is  of 
a  more  enterprising  and  energetic  class  than  the  fellow  who  does 
not  want  to  go  to  all  the  trouble  that  is  involved  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  Why,  yes.  sir.  Senator;  if  you  divide  them  into  those 
two  categories.  I  should  say  so ;  yes.  but  I  don't  think  they  are  divisi- 
ble into  those  categories. 

The  Chairman.  The  commission  headed  by  Senator  Dillingham, 
that  spent  years  in  the  investigation  and  study  of  this  probelm, 
reached  that  conclusion. 

Miss  Kellor.  Yes.  Senator ;  but  the  conditions  have  changed  since 
1910.  I  mean  the  immigration  has  now  become  an  economic  matter. 
It  is  not  now  so  much  a  matter  of  men  starting  out  for  themselves, 
seeking  opportunities  and  making  their  own  way. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  let  us  deal  with  individual  units.  I  will 
take  two  Italians.     One  is  lazy  and  rather  good-for-nothing,  and 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  471 

another  is  ambitious  and  enterprising.  Now,  wouldn't  you  say  that 
it  was  the  ambitious  and  enterprising  chiss  of  person  who  would 
undertake  this  voyage  of  3,000  miles  to  a  new  country,  rather  than 
the  lazy  and  good-for-nothing  person? 

Miss  Keixor.  Yes,  sir;  I  should  say  yes,  between  those  two  classi- 
fications, without  any  doubt. 

The  Chair:man.  AVe  are  not  dealing  with  the  question  of  what 
other  influences  were  at  work,  but  we  are  just  simply  dealing  with  it 
from  that  single  aspect. 

Now  please  continue  3^our  statement,  Miss  Kellor. 

Miss  Kellor.  The  sixth  question  is: 

6.  Is  America  in  favor  of  the  assimilation  of  all  immigi*ants,  or  does  it  favor 
the  admission  of  immigrant  workmen  as  transients? 

And  the  corresponding  question  in  Europe  is : 

6.  Is  Europe  following  a  plan  of  race  separation  and  of  not  only  holding 
the  interests  of  its  nationals  abroad,  but  of  calling  them  home,  at  least  tempo- 
rarily? 

The  seventh  question : 

7.  Is  the  present  plan  of  imiform  admission  from  all  countries  the  best,  or  is 
an  immigration  treaty  with  individual  countries  feasible? 

And  the  answer  to  that : 

7.  Are  not  some  European  countres  already  negotiating  labor  treaties  and 
directing  immigration  according  to  specific  agreement? 

And  the  next  question  is : 

8.  Is  there  adequate  Federal  Gvernment  provision  for  the  reception  and 
distribution  of  immigrants  on  arrival? 

And  a  very  important  question  over  on  the  other  side : 

8.  To  what  extent  is  the  protection  and  distribution  of  immigrants  under- 
taken by  racial  societies  with  the  support  of  foreign  Governments? 

At  the  present  time  our  system  of  distribution  is  practically  in 
the  hands  of  the  racial  organizations.    It  is  a  racial  distribution. 
The  next  question  is : 

9.  Is  the  immigrant  fully  protected  from  exploitation  by  American  laws  and 
institutions? 

And  on  the  other  hand : 

9.  What  agencies  are  foreign  (Tovei  nnl"nt^;  e  ;ti;b'i:-.lii:i,:    'i    /: 
to  protect  and  distribute  their  emigrants? 

I  might  say  there  that  generally  speaking,  in  a  large  generaliza- 
tion, in  the  last  analysis  the  protection  of  the  immigrants  is  still 
in  the  hands  of  the  racial  organization  rather  than  in  the  hands  of 
the  American  Government.  I  mean,  if  a  complaint  is  made,  for 
instance,  of  exploitation  it  is  usually  made  to  racial  headquarters. 

The  next  question  is : 

10.  Is  American  citizenship  being  offered  in  the  best  way  to  the  immigrant, 
and  what  is  his  reaction  toward  it? 

And  on  the  other  side: 

10.  What  is  the  attitude  of  foreign  countries  toward  American  citizenship, 
and  what  standing  has  the  naturalized  American  in  his  native  country? 


472 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGKATION    LEGISLATION. 


The  next  question  is : 

11.  Are  tho  adoption  of  compulsory  legal  methods  and  of  economic  dis- 
crimination to  induce  the  immigrant  to  learn  the  English  language  and  be- 
come a  citizen  for  the  best  interests  of  the  United  States? 

And  on  the  other  side  is : 

11.  Is  a  reaction  against  America  taking  place  in  European  countries  in 
favor  of  other  countries  and  their  institutions  as  destinations  for  future  im- 
migration? 

The  next  is : 

12.  Is  the  tendency  to  resort  to  deportation  rather  than  to  establish  laws 
and  courts  to  deal  with  violations  of  laws  by  aliens  a  wise  principle  to  adopt? 

And  then  over  on  the  other  side  is  the  question : 

12.  Are  foreign  countries  planning  to  take  up  deportations  in  international 
conference  with  a  view  of  reaching  agreement  on  deportable  offenses?" 

I  think.  Senator  Colt,  that  these  questions  are  pretty  clear  and  I 
can  simply  submit  them  as  part  of  the  record,  without  going  through 
them  all.  unless  there  is  some  question  on  any  one  of  them. 

The  Chairman.  If  it  is  the  sense  of  the  committee,  I  think  it 
would  be  well  to  have  this  memorandum  go  into  the  record. 

Senator  Harrison.  Yes;  I  think  it  ought  to  go  into  the  record, 
Mr.  Chairman. 

The  Chairman.  Very  well,  it  may  go  into  the  record. 

(The  •'  Memorandum  for  Inquiry  on  Immigration  Subjects." 
presented  by  Miss  Kellor,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

Memorandum   for  inquiry  on  immigration   subjects. 


DOMESTIC    ATFAIBS. 

1.  How  many   immigrants   are  plan- 

ning to  come  to  America,  and 
what  is  tlie  capacity  of  this 
country  for  their  assimilation : 
(a)  on  farms;  (b)  in  industry; 
(c)  in  commerce;  (d)  miscellan- 
eous? 

2.  What  is  the  attitude  of  the  new 

immigrant  toward  work,  civic 
obligations,  education,  govern- 
ment, and  social  institutions  in 
America,  and  wherein  does  his 
present  attitude  differ  from  those 
of  the  prewar  price? 

3.  Is  the  temporary  suspension  of  im- 

migration the  logical  solution  of 
postwar  problems,  and  does  it 
embody  a  comprehensive  safe- 
guard for  American  interests 
which  will  not  have  unforeseen 
commercial  reactions? 


4.  Is  the  United   States  a  necessary 

asylum  for  oppressed  people,  and 
if  not,  why  are  immigrants  com- 
ing? 

5.  What   classes    of   immigrants    can 

best  be  assimilated,  and  do  our 


FOMUGX  BELATIOXS. 

Will  not  immigration  to  the  United 
States  decrease  with  economic 
stabilization  in  Europe,  and  will 
any  estimate  hold  good  beyond 
the  immediate  present? 


Are  foreign  governments,  which 
have  undergone  vast  changes, 
like  Russia  and  Hungary,  and 
the  new  .*!tates.  not  changing  the 
point  of  view  and  ambitions  of 
their  immigrants  in  so  far  as 
they  relate  to  the  United  States? 

Will  competitive  immigration  na- 
tions profit  unduly  by  suspen- 
sion of  immigration  to  the  United 
States  by  securing  manpower 
and  markets,  and  by  making 
profitable  commercial  negotia- 
tions, and  will  emigration  na- 
tions not  retaliate  by  diverting 
immigration  to  other  countries? 

What  are  the  conditions  in  Europe 
since  the  war  as  to  political  and 
religious  freedom,  and  what  are 
the  causes  of  emigration? 

Is  Europe  planning  to  send  to  the 
United  States^  radicals  and  crim- 


EMERGElsrCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


473 


DOMESTIC  AFFAIRS — contiuued. 

present  laws  insure  their  assimi- 
lation ? 


6.  Is   America    in    favor   of    tlie    as- 

similation of  all  immigrants,  or 
does  it  favor  the  admission  of 
immigrant  workmen  as  tran- 
sients? 

7.  Is  the  present  plan  of  uniform  ad- 

mission from  all  countries  the 
best,  or  is  an  immigration  treaty 
with  individual  countries  feas- 
ible? 

8.  Is  there  adequate  Federal  Govern- 

ment provision  for  the  reception 
and  distribution  of  immigrants  on 
arrival? 

9.  Is   the   immigrant   fully   protected 

from  exploitation  by  American 
laws   and   institutions? 

10.  Is  American  citizenship  being  of- 

fered in  the  best  way  to  the  im- 
migrant, and  what  is  his  reaction 
toward  it? 

11.  Are  the   adoption    of    compulsory 

legal  methods  and  of  economic 
discrimination  to  induce  the  im- 
jnigrant  to  learn  the  English 
language  and  become  a  citizen, 
for  the  best  interests  of  the 
United  States? 

12.  Is  the  tendency  to  resort  to  deport- 

ation rather  than  to  establish 
laws  and  courts  to  deal  with 
violations  of  laws  by  aliens  a 
wise  principle  to  adopt? 

13.  Is  the  movement  in  favor  of  the 

registration  and  surveillance  of 
immigrants  operable  in  the  ab- 
sence of  a  Federal  police  system 
.  and,  if  it  results  in  a  travesty 
of  the  law,  will  it  do  more  harm 
than  good? 

14.  Are  racial  solidarities  maintained 

•  by  immigrants  after  arrival? 


15.  To  what  extent,  and  in  what  ways, 

do  immigrants  depend  upon  their 
home  countries  for  assistance, 
protection,  and  guidance? 

16.  Is  there  a  distinct  racial  economic 

system  in  America  made  up  of 
employment  agencies,  banks,  in- 
surance .societies,  press,  and 
trade  bodies? 

26911— 21— PT  9 2 


FOREIGN  RELATIONS — Continued. 

inals,  or  is  it  placing  its  emi- 
grants as  economic  assets  to 
earn  money,  sell  goods,  locate 
capital  and  obtain  credits  for  its 
interests? 

6.  Is  Europe  following  a  plan  of  race 

separation  and  of  not  only  hold- 
ing the  interests  ol  its  nationals 
abroad,  but  of  calling  them  h«me, 
at  least  temporarily? 

7.  Are  not  some  European  countries 

already  negotiating  labor  treaties 
and  directing  immigration  ac- 
cording to  specific  agi'eement? 

8.  To  what  extent  is  the  protection 

and  distribution  of  immigrants 
undertaken  by  racial  societies 
with  the  support  of  foreign  gov- 
ernments? 

9.  What  agencies  are  foreign  govern- 

ments establishing  in  the  United 
States  to  protect  and  distribute 
their  emigrants? 

10.  What   is   the    attitude   of   foreign 

countries  toward  American  citi- 
zenship, and  what  standing  has 
the  naturalized  American  in  his 
native  country? 

11.  Is  a  reaction  against  America  tak- 

ing place  in  European  countries 
in  favor  of  other  countries  and 
their  institutions  as  destina- 
tions for  future  immigration? 


12.  Are  foreign  countries  planning  to 

take  up  depqrtation  in  interna- 
tional conference  with  a  view  to 
reaching  agreement  on  deportable 
offenses  ? 

13.  Will    adoption    of   registration    in 

the  United  States  strengthen 
the  influence  of  foreign  govern- 
ments over  their  own  emigrants, 
if  such  a  law  is  passed  and  fails 
of  enforcement? 

14.  Are  immigrant   colonies,   and   for- 

eign languages  and  usages  in 
the  United  States  encouraged  or 
perpetuated  by  foreign  govern- 
ments? 

15.  For   what   purpose,    and    in   what 

ways,  do  foreign  governments 
hold  the  interest  and  support  of 
their  nationals  in  inmiigration 
countries? 

16.  How  far  are  foreign  finance,  trade, 

and  production  dependent  upon 
the  success  of  the  foreign  coun- 
try's emigrants  abroad? 


474 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


DOMESTIC  AFFAIRS — coiitinued. 

It.  Is  there  a  distiuct  racial,  social, 
aud  fraternal  life  among  races 
in  America  in  wbicli  racial  cus- 
toms, habits,  traditions,  etc.,  are 
perpetuated  and  the  native  lan- 
guages fostered? 

IS.  Are  racial  political  activities,  de- 
veloping in  the  United  States 
since  the  war,  concerned  with 
adjusting  political  disputes  and 
winning  elections  in  the  native 
counti'ies? 

19.  Does  the  foreign  language  press  in 
this  country  maintain  a  separate 
racial  opinion  on  American  af- 
fairs, and  does  it  influence  opin- 
ion here  on  foreign  affairs? 
Are  immigrant  workingmen  inter- 
ested primarily  in  maintaining 
the  American  standard  of  liv- 
ing? 

21.  Do  immigrant  dealers  and  consum- 

ers  fully    promote    tlie    use    of 
American  products? 

22.  Are    immigrant    savings    spent   as 

fully  in  the  United  States  as  this 
country's  best  interests  require? 


FOREIGN  RELATIONS — Continued. 

17.  How  are  racial  societies  in  immi- 
gration countries  encouraged 
and  supported  by  foreign  aud 
semi-governmental  agencies? 


20, 


18.  Are  racial  groups  in  the  United 
States  being  encouraged  to  help 
adjust  native  country  affairs,  and 
is  their  influence  being  sought 
for  this  purpose? 

19.  What  is  the  influence  of  the  Ameri- 
can foreign  language  press 
abroad,  and  what  are  its  foreign 
connections? 

20.  To  what  extent  do  foreign  born 
workmen  intend  to  return  to 
their  native  countries? 

21.  What  are  the  activities  of  foreign 
trade  bodies  in  America,  and 
what  use  is  made  of  foreign  lan- 
guage groups  to  sell  exports? 

22.  For  what  purpose,  and  in  what 
ways,  are  immigrants  to  the 
United  States  encouraged  to 
send  money  to  their  native  coun- 
tries ? 

23.  How  do  foreign  governments  re- 
gard Americanization  in  so  far 
as  it  relates  to  the  opinion  and 
action    of    their    representatives 

abroad  ? 

The  Chairman.  Miss  Kellor,  there  were  some  statements  that 
you  were  to  furnish  for  the  record.    Have  you  filed  them? 

Miss  Kellor.  I  have  placed  a  number  of  statements  in  the  record, 
but  there  are  two  that  I  would  like  to  file  with  the  committee. 

The  Chairman.  If  you  have  them  with  you  now.  you  may  do  so. 

Miss  Kellor.  I  referred  in  my  former  testimony  to  the  question 
of  social  attaches  at  the  consuls'  offices.  I  have  here  a  statement  on 
that  subject  which  I  will  hand  to  the  committee. 

I  have  also  a  statement  on  European  migrations  to  other  coufi- 
tries  in  Europe  and  to  immi^ation  countries  other  than  the  United 
States,  which  I  will  leave  with  the  committee. 

The  Chairman.  They  may  be  placed  in  the  record. 

(The  two  statements  furnished  by  Miss  Kellor,  one  on  "  Social 
attaches  at  the  consuls'  offices  "  and  the  other  •'  European  migrations 
to  other  countries  in  Kurope  and  to  immigration  countries  other 
than  the  United  States,"  are  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 


23.  What  progress  is  Americanization 
making,  and  what  is  the  attitude 
toward  it  of  the  immigi-ant,  his 
press,  and  his  leaders? 


SOCIAL    ATTACHICS    AT    THE    CONsri.><      OFFICE.*;. 

The  International  Trades-Union  Congress,  which  met  last  year  in  Amster- 
dam, adojjted  a  resolution  according  to  the  terms  of  which  (.iovernmcnts  are 
called  upon  to  appoint  "  social  attaches  "  t<)  their  I'lnbassies  in  the  countries 
mainly  concerned.  In  the  appointment  of  social  attaches  the  ti*ades-unions  are 
to  have  the  right  to  make  suggestions.  The  Governments  of  Germany,  Norway, 
aud  Sweden  have  in  certain  instances  already  acted  upon  the  Amsterdam  reso- 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOlSr   LEGISLATIOX.  475 

lution:  it  must,  however,  be  pointed  out  tliat  Italy  adopted  a  similar  arrange- 
ment some  years  afro.  The  "  adetti  a!  eniisi'azione,"  who  are  active  in  several 
countries,  are,  broadly  speakin.u-.  called  upon  to  exercise  the  functions  of 
social  attaches.  Foi-  "the  time  beini;,  the  duties  of  a  social  attach^  can  be 
indicate<i  only  in  a  .mMieral  way;  ("xperienrv  must  teach  th.e  rest.  The  social 
attache  nmst  be  sufficiently  ac(|uainted  with  the  conditions  of  lal)or  and  the 
social  legislation  of  his  own  country  to  be  able  to  give  expert  information  to 
the  Government,  members  of  parliament,  the  press,  and  also  the  employers' 
and  workmen's  oriranizations  of  the  country  to  which  he  is  accretlited.  With 
regards  to  lefrislation,  he  must,  of  coiu'se,  not  only  know  what  is  in  force  now. 
but  also  what  it  is  proposer!  to  enact  in  the  near  future.  To  this  end  he 
must  carefully  follow  the  press  of  his  native  country,  and  collect  material 
bearing  on  the  sul>.1ect.  The  (Jovernment  nuist  always  keep  him  informed 
with  rejrard  to  all  its  social-political  plans.  On  the  other  hand,  he  mu.st  study 
and  watch  the  conditions  of  lal)or  and  of  social  legislation  of  the  counti-y  in 
which  he  is  employed,  in  order  to  l)e  in  a  position  to  •^\xe  information  at  any 
time  to  the  authorities,  the  members  of  parliament,  the  press,  and  the  organi- 
zations of  his  own  country,  apart  from  the  regular  reports  which  he  has  to 
furnish  to  his  Government.  The  social  attache  must  carefully  watch  the  labor 
market  in  both  countries,  in  order  that  he  may  be  al)le  to  give  expert  advice 
on  questions  relating  to  immigrati<m  and  emigration.  He  must  know  the 
particular  class  of  workmen  called  for  in  one  or  the  other  country  and  the 
districts  where  they  are  needed.  It  is  desirable  so  to  organize  immigration 
and  emigration,  with,  the  assistance  of  tlie  social  attache,  that  each  workman 
may  know  exactly  whore  he  can  hnd  work,  thereby  obviating  unnecessary  trav- 
eling to  and  from  and  annoyance.  Such  an  arrangement,  which  nuist  extend 
to  the  conditions  of  employment,  to  the  personal  protection  of  the  workman, 
and  to  the  enforcement  of  acrpiirHl  rights,  can,  generally  speaking,  be  arrived 
at  only  by  agreement  between  the  Governments  concerned,  with  the  cooperation 
of  employers'  and  workmen's  organizations.  To  suggest  and  prepare  the  way 
for  such  agreements  is  also  part  of  the  duties  of  the  social  attache.  The  social 
attach^  shall  also,  in  so  far  as  the  case  lies  outside  general  office  routine, 
represent  the  interests  of  the  individual  workmen  and  employees  of  his 
nation  in  a  foreign  country.  For  this  purpose  it  is  necessary  that  he  should 
be  on  a  good  footing  with  the  authorities  as  well  as  the  employers'  and  work- 
men's organizations  of  the  country  in  which  he  is  working.  In  political 
matters  lie  must,  of  course,  observe  strict  neutrality.  The  social  attach^  must 
also  interest  himself  in  questions,  and  collect  material  in  connection  there- 
with, which  only  indirectly  affect  the  workingmen,  such  as  cooperatives,  work- 
men's educational  societies,  housing,  etc.  In  order  to  carry  out  these  duties 
the  social  attache  must  have  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  language  of  the 
countr.v  in  which  he  is  woi-king:  he  must  also  be  acquainted  with  its  economic 
and  political  conditions  and  have  a  knowledge  of  its  history  and  literature. 
Should  he  happen  to  have  personal  connections  in  the  eomitry,  it  would  be 
rather  \in  advantage.      ("  L".  S.  Monthly  Labor  Review."     September,  1920.) 

January  12.  1921. 

european    migrations    to   othkr    countries    in    europe   and   to    immkiration 
countries  other  than  the  united  states. 

Armenia. — Armenians  have  large  colonies  in  Russia,  and  Roumania  and 
throughout  the  cities  of  the  Levant.  There  are  IW.OOO  in  Persia,  lo,OCH)  in 
Hungary,  and  a  few  thousand  in  India  and  Africa.  In  addition  to  those  who 
come  to  the  United  States,  a  few  go  to  Canada  each  year  also.  Al)out  15  per 
cent  of  those  that  come  to  the  United  States  return. 

Belgium. — Belgium  has  not  been  a  country  for  other  emigrants  than  those 
that  come  over  from  France,  Holland,  and  Germany,  until  the  days  of  the  Great 
War,  when  reconstruction  has  called  in  many  from  other  countri»'s,  especially 
Italians.  The  fact  that  French,  Flemish,  and  German  are  all  spoken  in  Belgium 
make  it  a  desirable  as  well  as  a  convenient  immigration  ccmntry  for  these 
peoples,  when  conditions  in  their  own  countries  encourage  migration.  The 
Belgians  emigrate  to  Canada,  to  France  where  there  are  nearly  300.000,  and  to 
South  America. 

Bulgaria. — In  Bulgaria  there  are  large  colonies  of  Turks,  Roumanians.  Greeks, 
Germans,  and  Russians.  The  non-Bulgarian  population  in  1910  was  20  per  cent 
of  the  whole.     Russia,  Greece,  and  Turkey  have  large  colonies  of  Bulgarians, 


476  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

jiikI  migrations  jro  in  Ixith  of  these  direc-tions,  also  to  Jufioslavia  and  Koumanla 
sinf-e  the  war. 

('zrchoxlornLia. — This  newly  created  Republic  has  alre-ady  become  an  asylum 
for  mid-European  inijrrants.  Many  residents  of  foreign  orifrin  are  now  include*] 
in  the  boundaries  of  the  Republic  and  will  form  the  nucleus  for  colonies  of 
mijrrants  from  the  homelands  in  the  futui-e.  A  census  in  Slovakia  held  in 
N<^tv»niber.  1013.  showed  that  CGoXMXJ  Hunpai-ians  and  140.822  Germans  resided 
there,  and  similar  larpe  jrroups  of  these  races  are  in  Bohemia.  Both  have 
representatives  in  the  < 'zec-ho-slovak  Senate  and  Chamber  of  Deputies.  When 
tile  Czechs  liiiirratt^  to  other  places  than  to  the  United  States,  they  go  to  colonies 
they  have  in  Saxony.  Germany,  to  Paris  and  Lfmdon.  and  to  .lugoslavia.  There 
is  a  growing  iHipulation  al.so  in  Canada:  individual  Czechs  can  be  found  in  all 
parts  of  the  world. 

Detimnrl;. — The  ikipulatioii  of  Denmark  Is  more  than  96  per  cent  native,  and 
most  of  the  foreign  born  are  from  the  other  Scandinavian  countries.  Danes 
emigrate  to  Germany  and  Canada  as  well  as  to  tln>  United  Siate.s. 

England. — England's  loreign-born  population  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the 
world  in  the  matter  of  variety  of  wice,  but  is  small  in  the  size  of  its  racial 
representations  and  colonies.  Before  the  war  the  emigration  of  aliens  was 
over  KMi.OXi  a  year.  England  has  for  a  long  time  been  on  the  route  of  many 
European  innnigrants  planning  to  go  to  the  Unite*l  States,  and  sometimes  they 
make  the  island  their  destination  after  arrival.  This  is  true  especially  of 
Jewish  i>eople  from  Russia.  Roumania.  and  other  countries.  There  are  2."><1,000 
Jews  in  England.  Italians.  Lithuanians,  Scandinavians,  and  other  North  Sea 
people  come  over  frequently  to  work  in  the  mines  and  industries  of  eastern 
England.  AH  seeking  employment  in  England  have  to  secure  a  permit  from 
the  ministry  of  labor.  The  British  Government  has  recently  established  a 
migration  department  with  highly  traiuetl  officials  to  comprehensively  survey 
the  problem  of  imperial  migrarions.  It  is  expec-ted  that  this  will  do  much  to 
determine  the  migrations  of  the  British  for  many  years  to  come.  Emigration 
from  England  has  been  chiefly  to  the  United  States,  Canada.  Australia.  South 
Africa,  and  India,  and  before  the  war  reached  more  than  half  a  million  annu- 
ally. The  English  are  found  in  all  countries;  France  has  over  40,000:  Germany, 
South  America.  Egypt,  the  Orient,  and  the  Indies  have  large  groups.  There 
are  3,000  in  Japan. 

France. — In  1911.  the  nationalties  most  numerous  in  France  were  as  follows: 
English.  40.37S:  Belgians.  287,126:  Germans,  102,271:  Austrians.  14,681:  Swiss, 
73,422:  Italians.  419.234:  Spaniards,  10-5.760:  Rus.sians,  35.016:  nearly  3  per 
cent  of  the  population  is  foreign  bom.  It  is  stated  that  only  a  few  naturalize 
and  that  France  insists  on  no  standard  of  living  for  alien  workers,  making 
simply  an  economic  contract  with  them.  When  350  Italians  recently  went  on 
strike  at  Hussigny,  two-thirds  of  them  were  promptly  dep<:)rted  and  their  places 
filled  by  newly  imported  workers.  Spanish  skilleil  workers  have  recently 
migrated  to  France  in  large  numbers.  In  1918  nearly  -KW.OOO  Spanish  work- 
men were  in  France.  In  1915  they  came  in  at  the  rate  of  28,000  a  yearl  to-day 
it  is  at  the  rate  of  107,000  per  annum.  Italian  miners  have  also  gone  there 
during  the  last  year  in  large  numbers,  to  work  coal  and  phosphates,  and  b.v 
arrangement  with  Italy  so  many  tons  of  coal  have  been  supplied  to  Italy  for 
every  laborer  sent.  An  Italian  officer  of  emigration  recently  stateil  that 
Italians  would  be  urged  to  go  to  France  rather  than  to  the  United  States,  as 
there  '*  work  and  wages  were  much  higher."  The  French  population  of  the 
world  is  well  scattered,  and  the  largest  groups  are  in  Belgium  (3.000.000), 
Argentina  (2.50.0CHJ),  Brazil  (12,(KXH.  Germany  (200,(n10),  Switzerland  ( 730.000  >. 
and  in  western  Italy  (80,000).  More  than  4.r>00.000  in  French  Canada  are  of 
French  descent,  with  20,000  French  of  French  birth,  and  a  movement  has  just 
been  staite<l  among  French  peasants  to  start  emigration  to  Mexico,  where  there 
are  about  5,000  to-day.  There  is  a  steady  back  and  forth  movement  to  North 
Africa,  and  in  Morocco  there  are  to-day  nearly  .50.fKX)  French. 

Finland. — There  are  few  foreign  born  in  Finalnd :  but  from  the  fact  that  out 
of  308  newspar>ers  and  magazines,  108  are  in  Swedish.  11  Swedish  and  Fin- 
nish, 2  in  Russian,  1  in  English  and  1  in  French,  it  appears  that  a  few  foreign 
countries  have  colonized  there.  The  Finns  who  do  not  go  ta  the  United  States 
go  to  Russia,  Swe<len,  Norway,  Denmark,  Esthonia.  England,  and  Canada. 
From  two  to  three  tliousand  leave  yearly  for  Canada.  Rec-ently.  in  order  to 
hold  would-be  emigrants  in  the  homeland,  Finland  has  starte<l  to  establish  cer- 
tain settlement  areas  in  State  forests  along  the  rivers  and  highways  and  has 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  477 

'  arrauged  that  occupation  and  cultivation  will  constitute  ownership.  The  Gov- 
ernment will  bear  the  expense  of  drainings  and  will  supply  the  tools  for  culiva- 
tion. 

Germany. — During   the  years   1900-1907,   the   foreign    l)orn   of   Germany    in- 
creased about  79,000  annually.     During  the  2')  years  18S0-190O,  Ihree-foiirths 
of   all    immigrants'   came   from    Aus-tria-Hungary,    Italy,    and    Russia.     To-day 
about  half  a  million  residents  are  in  Germany  from  these  countries.     There 
is  a  large  floating  inmiigrant  labor  supply  of  Poles,  Italians,  and  other  races 
which  provides  a  movement  often  in  excess  of  100.000  annually.     For  example, 
in  1890  there  were  57,0(X)  foreign-speaking  miners  in  western  German v  out  of  a 
total  of  198,000,  nearly  all  of  whom  were  Poles,  and   100,000  of  the  3.50,000 
miners  in  the  Ruhr  district  are  Poles.     Nothing  more  than  an  economic  gain 
from    aliens    is   contemplated.     They    have   not    become   German    citizens    and 
rarely  intermarry.     They  are  used  as  strike-breakers  and  have  the  enmity  of 
the  German   workers.     They  are  deported  if  they   strike  or  leave  their  jobs 
illegally.     In  Germany  94  per  cent  of  the  population  is  German  in  race.     Danes, 
I>ithuanians,  and  Wends-  have  about  100,000  each  in  the  country,  the  Poles  have 
nearly  4,00f»,000  there.     The  point  of  view  from  which  Germany  has  regarded 
^her  inunigraiUs  is  illustrated  by  the  sys^tem  of  legitimation  cards    (Legitima- 
tions-Karten)    which   a   number  of   States   introduced   .some   years   before   the 
war.     In  the  immediate  interest  of  employei's  this  service  e.^'tablishe*!   a  sort 
of  conttrol  over  immigrants  which  could  not  be  exercised  over  national  workers. 
Its  assumption,  correct  for  practical   purposes,   was  that   the  immigrant   has 
only  a  pecuniary  interest  in  coming  and  nnist  accept  his  employers'  terms  or 
stay  away.     In  the  agricultural  East,  immigrants  had  often  broken  their  con- 
tracts to  work,  and  sought  hire  elsewhere.     The  employers,  deeming  this  pro- 
cedure abusive,  organized  privately  a  Fehlarbeiterzentralstelle,  which  Prussia, 
late  in  1907,  made  the  agent  of  a  public  policy.     All  agricidtural  immigrants 
were  temporarily  to  yield  \m  their  passports    (written  in  various  languages) 
and  to  receive  cards  in  return  bearing  their  own  and  their  employers'  names. 
Any  discovered  .seeking  work  without  a  due  discharge  inscribed  on  their  cards 
were  to  be  expelled  from  the  country.     After  the  system  had  I)een  in  operation 
for  one  year,  it  was  extended   (December.  1908)   to  cover  all  industry  and  all 
immigrant    workers,    and    its    name    made    simply    Deut.sche    Arbeiterzentrale. 
Each    nationality    had    a    card    of   a    special    color,    the    Italian   being   green. 
Gradually  sevei-al   States  followed   the  lead  of   Prussia.     Since  the   Sonthern 
States  continue  to  hold  aloof,  it  remained  possible  for  contract  breakers  to 
move   into   them.     German   writers,    except    the   lal>or   press,    appear    to   have 
approved  the   institution,   while   Italian   ofRcals   and   writers   have   vigorously 
condemned  it.     Italian  workmen,  of  whom  47,000  came  under  it  in  the  year 
1910-11,  have  generally  resented  paying  the  fee  of  2  maarks  for  the  useless 
green  card,  but  otherwise  have  not  been  bothered  by  the  system,  which  was 
not,  as  we  have  seen,  directed  primarily  against  them.     German  immigration 
to  the  United  States  was  heaviest  between  1854  and  1882.     It  has  sunk  from 
•250,000  a  year,  to  about  20,000  in  the  years  before  the  war.     Other  countries 
that  receive  Germans  outside  of  Europe  and  Brazil  (about  2.50  a  .vear)  where 
there  are  .50,000  to-day;  Australia   (about  300  a  year),  Canada  (about  5,000  a 
year),  where  there  are  now  (IMar.  31,  1919,  40,000).    Before  the  war  there  were 
over  100,000  Germans  in  France.    A  new  movement  to  South  America  has  started 
this  year,  and  it  is  expected  to  exceed  1.000  families  a  year.     There  is  a  large 
German  colony  in  Chile.     Many  of  the  Germans  entering  of  recent  years  are 
from  Austria  and  Russia,  and  the  number  from  these  countries  has  often  ex- 
cee<1ed  the  nmber  from  Germany  itself.     There  are  many  domiciled  Germans 
in  Austria,  Bulgaaria.  Russia,  and  other  countries,  Czechoslovakia  and  Switzer- 
land, where  200  and  500  reside. 

f!rrcrc. — There  are  stated  to  be  twice  as  many  Greeks  outside  of  Greece  as 
within  the  country,  4,000,000  of  them  being  in  Asia  Minor.  Most  of  the  Greeks 
that  have  come  to  the  United  States  have  come  from  countries  outside  of 
Greece.  Apart  from  the  Unittxl  States  the  Greeks  have  emigrated  in  large 
numbers  to  Canada.  South  America,  Roumania,  Bulgaria,  Russia,  England,  and 
Italy.  It  is  difficult  to  determine  for  how  many  races  Greece  provides  a 
nucleus  and  is  thereby  a  potential  immigration  country.  Several  Slavic  groups 
have  large  colonies  there,  as  also  have  the  Roumanians,  Bulgarians,  and  Al- 
banians. 

Hunganj. — Hungarians  go  to  Canada  at  the  rate  of  nearly  1,000  a  year,  other- 
wise except  for  individuals  in  all  the  large  European  cities,  and  665,000  In 


478  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Czechoslovakia  and  a  colony  in  Roumania  and  Switzerland,  the  race  is  confined 
to  Hungary.  There  are  ahout  400,000  in  the  United  States,  an  Armenian  col- 
ony of  15,000,  and  Kroui>s  of  near-hy  races.  In  Hunjjary  there  are  about  000,000 
Jews. 

It  (till. — The  geographical  boundaries  of  the  Italian  race  are  wider  than  those 
of  Italy.  They  are  in  France,  Germany,  Jugoslavia,  Switzerland.  Canada, 
where  there  are  35,000,  South  America,  espe<;ially  Argentina,  Chile,  Paraguay, 
and  Brazil,  and  in  most  of  these  lands  by  the  hundreds  of  thousands,  and  the 
United  States.  There  are  2.500,000  in  Argentina,  1,125,000  in  Brazil.  The 
annual  average  of  emigrants  from  Itlay  to  all  countries  is  nearly  700,000, 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  them  going  to  European  countries.  For  31 
years  previous  to  and  including  1914,  about  14,000,0000  thus  left  the  country. 
The  principal  countries  of  Europe  receiving  them  have  been  Austria-Hungary, 
(over  40,000  per  annum),  France  (70,000  per  annum),  where  there  are  nearly 
500,000;  Switzerland  (over  85,000  per  annum),  Germany  (75,000  per  annum). 
By  hundreds  and  sometimes  by  thousands  they  have  also  gone  to  Belgium, 
Russia,  Spain,  Portugal,  Holland  and  the  Scandinavian  countires.  For  many 
years  3,000  to  4,000  have  gone  to  England  and  some  hundreds  to  Ireland.  Italy 
itself  is  nearly  all  Italian ;  there  are  some  80,000  French  in  the  northwestern 
districts,  about  30,(XK)  Slavs  in  the  northwestern  districts  and  in  the  south 
30,000  Greeks,  90,000  Albanians,  10,000  Germans  and  about  10,000  Spanish  Cat- 
alonians.  Italy  keeps  a  close  contact  with  all  its  nationals  abroad,  and  re- 
cently an  international  syndicate  has  been  formed  to  supply  such  labor  to  any 
country. 

Ireland. — The  Irish  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  largest  numbers  be- 
tween 1840  and  1880,  but  large  numbers  also  go  to  Canada  where  it  is  estimatetl 
that  22  per  cent  of  the  population  is  Irish.  Before  the  war  9  Irish  arrived 
in  Canada  to  every  5,000  of  the  Canadian  population,  where  less  than  2  came 
to  the  United  States  under  the  same  proportion.  There  are  about  2,000,000 
Iiish  in  England  and  Scotland. 

Jeics. — The  Jews  of  the  world  have  emigrated  to  many  countries  as  well  as 
possessing  domicile  in  most  European  countries.  Outside  of  the  United  States 
they  are  found  as  follows : 


Argentina 45,  000 

Mexico 10,  000 

Cuba 4,  000 

Egvpt 70,000 


Abyssinia 6,  500 

Algiers 127,500 

Morocco 110,000 

Asia 514,  000 


Australia 18,  000 

British  Isles 2.50,000 

Canada 100,000 

South  Africa 50,  000 


And  in  the  various  countries  of  Europe,  9,500,000. 


Lithuaniu. — When  Lithuanians  emigrate  they  go  to  the  following  countries 
as  well  as  to  the  United  States:  Germany,  England,  Canada,  and  Russia.  In 
Lithuania  itself  can  be  found  large  colonies  of  Jews,  Poles,  White  Russians, 
Russians,  Letts,  and  Germans. 

Morocco. — Morocco  is  a  small  immigration  country,  and  the  following  races 
are  chiefly  represented  there :  French,  40,190 ;  Spanish,  13.517 ;  Italian,  8,940 ; 
Polish,  1,005.  There  are  also  large  domiciled  colonies  of  Jews,  of  whom  there 
are  110,0(X).  Arabs  and  Negroes.  The  total  number  of  Europeans  in  Morocco 
exclusive  of  French  and  Spanish  is  probably  about  87,000. 
.  Netherlands. — The  emigration  of  the  Dutch  has  been  i)rincipally  to  Canada 
and  part  from  the  United  States,  and  about  1,500  annually  have  arrived  there. 
Their  largest  emigration  to  the  United  States  was  in  1SS2,  to-day  it  is  only 
aliout  10  per  cent  of  what  it  was  then.  There  are  about  75.000  Dutch  in  the 
East  and  West  Indies  and  about  400,000  Dutch  Boers  in  South  Africa.  Except 
for  about  14,000  .Tews  who  have  long  resided  there,  the  people  of  Holland 
are  71  per  cent  Dutch,  14  per  cent  Friesians,  13  per  cent  Flemish,  and  2  per 
cent  other  Low  Germans.    Italian  laborers  go  there  in  hundreds  every  year. 

Norway. — Of  the  population  of  Norway  in  1910.  36,647  were  born  in  Sweden, 
1,832  in  Finland,  and  2,986  in  Germany.  Norwegian  emigration  is  chiefly  to 
Canada.  Germany,  England,  from  the  United  States  and  other  Scandinavian 
countries. 

Rumania. — In  Rumania  there  are  large  colonies  of  HungaVians  and  German 
Saxons,  also  a  few  Serbs,  Bulgarians.  Ruthenians,  Russians,  and  Turks. 
There  is  an  Armenian  colony  of  about  15,000.  The  Rumanians  themselves  re- 
sided outside  of  Rumania  in  the  following  numbers  in  1900 :  Hungary.  2.800.000 
(this  figure  is  less  to-day  due  to  new  boundaries)  :  Austria.  230.0()0;  Russia. 
1,180,000;  Serbia,  90.000 ;' Turkey  and  Greece.  125.000.  All  of  these  places,  in- 
cluding Bulgaria,  are  centers  to  which  Rumanians  may  emigrate. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  479 

Russia. — No  data  is  on  file  as  to  foreign  born  in  Soviet  Russia,  tliougli 
numerous  dispatclies  of  recent  date  state  that  Swedes.  Germans,  and  a  few 
other  adjacent  peoples,  as  Armenians,  have  emigrated  to  Russia  in  small  groups, 
or  have  long  been  domiciled  there.  The  Russians  themselves  are  represented 
by  emigrant  groups  in  Canada,  Argentina,  France,  where  there  are  nearly  50,000 ; 
Finland,  Switzerland.  Bulgaria.  Germany,  and  Lithuania.  As  many  as  25,000 
a  year  have  gone  to  Canada,  where  there  are  now  over  100,000. 

Spain. — The  Spanish  have  long  bt-en  an  emigrating  people.  Of  recent  years, 
until  1920,  less  than  100,000  left  the  country  annually,  but  this  year  the  exodus 
to  France,  where  there  are  over  100,000;  Germany,  Argentine,  Belgium,  Cuba, 
Brazil,  Uruguay,  and  Mexico,  as  well  as  to  the  United  States,  has  been  un- 
usually large.  There  are  1,500,000  Spaniards  in  Argentine,  500,000  in  Brazil, 
and  to  Portugal  and  Morocco  there  is  always  a  movement. 

Stceden. — In  1910,  there  were  21,708  foreigners  in  Sweden,  including  subjects 
of  Finland  (5,538),  Noi-way  (4,537),  Germany  (3,400),  Denmark  (2,900),  Russia 
(2,900),  United  States  (866),  Great  Britain  (288).  Domiciled  in  the  country 
are  25,290  Finns  and  7,138  Lapps.  The  Swedes  have  emigrated  to  Canada, 
other  Scandinavian  countries,  including  Finland  and  Iceland,  about  100,000  are 
scattered  in  other  countries.  Swedish  emigration  to  the  United  States  has 
dwindled  since  1S82. 

PoUnd. — Polish  emigration  has  been  chiefly  to  Germany,  where  there  were 
4,000,000  before  the  war;  Canada,  France,  and  other  mid-European  countries, 
apart  from  the  large  immigi-ation  to  this  country  and  100,000  to  Brazil. 

Portugal.— AitSiVt  from  the  United  States,  Portuguese  emigration  has  been 
chiefly  to  Brazil,  to  which  place  during  the  last  50  years  over  .500,000  have  gone, 
three  times  as  many  as  have  come  to  the  United  States.  Many  of  the  United 
States  arrivals  are  Bravas  from  the  Cape  Verde  Islands  and  not  pure  Portu- 
guese at  all.     Portugal  itself  chiefly  receives  Spanish  and  Italians. 

Sicitzerland. — Switzerland  has  18  per  cent  of  its  population  foreign  born,  or 
5  per  cent  more  than  the  United  States.  The  number  resident  there  in  1910 
was  552,011,  of  whom  219,520  were  Germans,  63,695  were  French,  202,809  were 
Italians,  4,118  were  English.  37,641  were  Austrians,  2,363  were  Hungarians,  and 
8,457  were  Russians.  In  addition  it  should  be  remembered  that  this  Republic 
has  a  native  population  whose  languages  serve  to  attract  immigration.  In  1910, 
there  were  2,594,298  who  spoke  German,  793,264  who  spoke  French,  and  312,578 
who  spoke  Italian.  Emigration  from  Switzerland  is  apt  to  be  to  these  three 
countries,  but  is  small,  only  about  2,000  a  year.  In  France  there  are  73,000 
Swiss. 

Yuyoslavia. — The  census  of  1920  shows  that  Jews,  Gennans,  Hungarians,  and 
Rumanians  are  to  be  found  in  large  colunies  in  this  new  Republic.  Yugoslavs 
have  emigrated  to  Canada,  but  to  few  other  places  outside  of  the  United  States, 
but  they  are  found  in  small  groups  in  many  of  the  Balkan  and  mid-European 
countries,  including  Italy. 

Miss  Kellor.  Unless  there  are  some  questions  that  you  want  to 
ask  me,  Senator,  on  remedies,  I  have  practically  finished. 
The  Chairman.  Thank  you  very  much. 
We  will  next  hear  from  Prof.  Jenks. 

STATEMENT  OF  PROF.  JEREMIAH  JENKS. 

Prof.  Jenks.  Gentlemen,  I  will  speak  very  briefly  this  morning 
on  the  subject  that  I  have  to  cover. 

The  Chairman.  Will  you  kindly  state  for  the  record  what  we  call 
your  qualifications,  so  they  may  be  in  the  record  ? 

Prof.  Jenks.  I  suppose  perhaps  the  qualification  that  I  should 
mention  first,  and  perhaps  the  sole  one,  is  that  I  was  a  member  of 
the  Immigration  Commission  to  which  you  have  referred  so  fre- 
quently, and  that  since  that  time  I  have  endeavored,  in  a  general 
way,  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  immigration  situation,  as  I  had  before 
that,  somewhat.  I  perhaps  ma}'  say  also  that  I  did  not  know  until 
after  I  reached  Washington  j^esterday,  that  I  was  expected  to  ap- 


480  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

pear  before  the  committee,  so  that  I  liave  made  no  special  prepara- 
tion. 

It  has  seemed  to  me  that  you  have  already  liad  a  larj^e  amount  of 
statistical  evidence  and  detailed  facts  placed  Ijefore  you,  and  I  had 
thoujxht  that  I  should  like  to  emphasize  particularly  one  or  two  of 
the  <reneral  principles  that  I  think  should  be  kept  in  mind  continu- 
ally in  connection  with  legislation  of  this  type. 

I  have  not  heard  brought  out  here  in  the  testimony  yesterday  or 
this  morning  as  fully  as  I  should  like  to  have  seen  it  brought  out, 
just  what  the  principles  should  be  on  which  legislation,  either  tem- 
porary or  permanent,  should  be  based.  And  if  I  may  refer  again 
to  this  Immigration  Commission  report,  it  seems  to  me  that  in  that 
report  we  have  stated  in  two  or  three  sentences  the  principles  that 
should  be  followed,  perhaps  more  completely  and  compactly  than  I 
have  seen  them  anywhere  else. 

It  was  stated  by  Miss  Kellor  yesterday  that  in  her  judgment  we 
need  not  dwell  so  particularly'  any  longer  upon  the  other  principles, 
but  should  base  our  judgment  for  the  future  primarily  upon  the  eco- 
nomic principles  involved.  I  may  say  that  that  was  the  conclusion 
that  was  reached  10  years  ago  by  the  Immigration  Commission; 
that  so  far  as  questions  of  health,  of  crime,  of  general  political  views 
were  concerned,  our  present  laws  covered  the  situation  at  that  time 
fairly  well,  provided  those  laws  Avere  thoroughly  enforced. 

The  question  as  regards  loyalty  to  the  country  or  political  views 
was,  of  course,  changed  somewhat  by  the  situation  that  was  brought 
about  by  the  war,  so  that  there  has  been  legislation  since  that  aflfected 
very  materially  that  point.  But  I  think  we  may  still  say,  as  the 
Immigration  Commission  itself  said,  that  the  main  factor  that  we 
need  to  consider  now  and  shall  have  to  consider  permanently  in  the 
future  is  the  economic  factor. 

It  should  be  put  then  practically  in  this  way :  All  legislation  should 
be  decided  upon  with  reference  to  the  effect  that  it  is  likely  to  have 
upon  the  economic  conditions  in  this  country.  Xow,  in  attempting 
to  determine  just  what  was  meant  by  the  economic  conditions  and 
what  the  general  principles  covering  that  should  be,  these  statements 
were  made — if  I  may  just  read  two  or  three  sentences  from  the  re- 
port. What  do  we  main  primarily  by  the  healthy  development  of  a 
country  from  the  economic  viewpoint?  And  the  statement  was  made 
in  this  way : 

The  measure  oi  the  rational,  healthy  development  of  a  country  is  not  the  ex- 
tent of  its  investment  of  capital,  its  output  of  products,  or  its  exports  and  im- 
ports unless  there  is  a  corresponding  economic  opportunity  afforded  to  the  citi- 
zen dependent  upon  employment  for  his  material,  mental,  and  moral  development. 

Another  waj^  of  stating  that,  of  course,  would  be  this,  that  what 
we  need  to  keep  in  mind  primarily  is  the  economic  welfare  of  the 
great  wage-earning  classes;  that  is,  the  general  mass  of  the  com- 
munity rather  than  any  individual  classes.  I  think  it  is  very  im- 
portant that  we  keep  that  in  mind  as  the  basis  of  all  legislation. 
Then  a  second  sentence  that  emphasizes  this  somewhat  is  as  follows : 

The  development  of  business  may  be  brought  about  by  means  which  lower 
the  standard  of  living  of  the  wage  earners. 

That  was  felt  to  be  undesirable. 

A  slow  expansion  of  industry  which  would  permit  the  adaptation  and  assimi- 
lation of  the  incoming  labor  supply  is  preferable  to  a  very  rapid  industrial 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  481 

expansion  which  results  in  the  ininii^iration  of  laborers  of  low  standard  and 
efficiency,  who  imperil  the  American  standard  of  wages  and  conditions  of 
employment. 

Those  are  the  principles  that  we  should  keep  in  mind.  The  "wel- 
fare of  the  ^reat  wage-earning  classes  should  be  kept  in  mind  in 
any  legislation. 

I  will  summarize  the  facts  that  were  brought  out  at  that  time, 
and  then  I  will,  if  I  may,  comment  on  the  question  of  whether  those 
conditions  have  materially  changed. 

I  will  read  a  further  sentence  from  this  report : 

The  investigations  of  the  commission  show — 

showed  in  1910,  at  that  date  even — 

an  oversupply  of  unskilled  labor  in  basic  industries,  to  an  extent  which  in- 
dicates an  oversupply  of  unskilled  labor  in  the  industries  of  the  country  as 
a  whole,  a  condition  which  demands  legislation  restricting  the  further  admis- 
sion of  such  unskilled  labor. 

It  is  desiral)le  in  making  restrictions  that — 

(a)  A  sufficient  number  be  debarred  to  produce  a  marked  effect  upon  the 
present  supply  of  unskilled  labor. 

The  Chairman.  Will  you  kindly  state  the  volume  and  page? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes.    It  is  volume  1,  pages  45  and  47. 

The  Chairman.  It  is  from  those  pages  which  you  are  reading 
those  extracts? 

Prof.  Je^ks.  Yes;  I  am  reading  these  extracts  from  pages  45  and 
47,  and  I  have  only  two  more  sentences  to  read  in  this  connection. 

The  result  of  the  investigation  of  the  commission  showed  that  a 
very  considerable  percentage  of  the  unskilled  laborers  who  were 
coming  here  were  coming  with  no  intentions  whatever  of  becoming 
American  citizens  or  of  making  this  their  permanent  home,  but 
were  coming  with  the  intention  of  saving  enough  money,  by  the 
adoption,  if  necessary,  of  low  standards  of  living — and  very  many 
of  them  did  adopt  low  standards  of  living — to  enable  them  to  return 
later  permanently  to  their  home  country  and  be  well-off  citizens  there. 
Such  persons  usually  came  unaccompanied  by  their  wives  or  their 
children. 

So  it  was  thought  that  it  would  be  desirable,  in  excluding,  to  ex- 
clude persons  of  that  class  rather  than  those  who  were  likely  to 
come  here  and  remain  permanently  and  make  this  their  home,  and 
who,  therefore,  would  be  much  more  interested  in  maintaining  our 
standards  of  living. 

It  seems  to  me  that  in  the  present  emergency — and  almost  everyone 
recognizes  that  there  is  an  emergency  of  some  type — that  it  is  a 
very  fit  time  to  change  our  general  policy  on  the  subject  of  immigra- 
tion. Heretofore  I  think  most  Americans  have  been  disposed  to 
look  upon  this  country  as  a  haven  of  refuge,  not  merely  for  those 
who  were  directly  oppressed  politically  or  religiousl3%  if  there  were 
such  in  Europe,  or  elsewhere,  but  also  as  a  refuge  for  those  who  had 
a  very  low  standard  of  living  in  other  countries.  They  were  to  come 
here  to  improve  their  conditions,  and  it  was  felt  that  our  doors 
should  be  open  to  all  who  wanted  to  come,  with  the  exception  of  the 
criminal  classes,  that  I  have  spoken  of,  or  those  who  would  be  physi- 
cally disqualified  from  making  a  living,  or  those  who  were  mentally 
disqualified. 


482  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Is  it  not  time  now  that  Ave  should  adopt,  rather,  the  policy  that  is, 
so  far  as  I  am  aware,  followed  by  practically  all  countries  of  the 
world,  that  we  should  perhaps  take  the  initiative,  somewhat,  in  bring- 
in<j^  in  those  whom  we  need  and  those  whom  we  want  to  have  here, 
and  that  we  should  not  let  others  come  in?  The  emphasis  should  be 
placed  not  on  lettinfj  those  come  who  wish  to  and  excluding  a  few, 
but  excluding  all  excepting  those  whom  we  think  it  wise  to  have  come 
in  for  our  own  sake. 

I  am  inclined  to  believe  also  if  we  place  emphasis  upon  the  eco- 
nomic aspect  of  the  question,  that  that  is  the  better  policy  for  Europe 
also.  It  was  the  undoubted  fact  that  so  many — speaking  from  the 
point  of  vieAv  merely  of  numbers — were  coming  in  and  coming  into 
our  industries,  as  those  industries  were  organized  at  that  time,  that 
they  were  holding  down  our  standards  of  living,  and  if  they  came  in 
in  very  much  larger  numbers  they  would  be  directly  depressing  our 
standards  of  living.  Xow.  it  is  not  to  the  advantage  of  Europe — and 
that  Avould  be  particularly  true  at  the  present  time — to  have  so  many 
of  their  people  coming  in  here  that  our  standards  would  be  directly 
lowered  if  we  would  keep  on  letting  them  come  in.  as  has  often  been 
predicted  would  be  the  case,  so  that  our  standards  would  practically 
become  the  European  standards,  for  then  there  would  be  practically 
no  motive  for  their  coming  here,  the  whole  purpose  of  the  immigrant 
in  coming  over  here  from  Europe  being  to  improve  his  condition,  and 
conditions  being  such  here  that  he  could  not  improve  himself.  Of 
course  I  am  assuming  an  extreme  in  making  that  statement. 

But  on  the  other  hand,  supposing  we  adopt  the  policy  of  selecting 
the  immigrant  that  will  come  here  to  meet  our  needs.  We  all  know 
that  at  any  time  there  are  certain  industries  and  certain  sections  of 
the  country  where  more  workers  are  desired,  whereas  in  many  other 
sections  there  would  be  an  over  supply  of  labor.  If  we  can,  we 
should  arrange  a  selective  policy  by  which  we  can  bring  those  in  just 
where  we  need  them  and  as  we  need  them,  and  shut  out.  in  the  mean- 
time, those  that  will  be  a  burden. 

The  Chairman.  "Would  you  carry  that  out  practically? 

Prof.  Jenks.  I  think  we  can  carry  that  out  practically. 

The  Chairman.  Through  a  commission? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Through  a  commission,  or  something  of  that  type. 

The  Chairman.  Xow.  Prof.  Jenks,  you  said  "those  we  need." 
Permit  me  to  interrupt  your  statement  a  moment? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Certainly. 

The  Chairman.  Now  we  have  a  great  deal  of  testimony  from  cer- 
tain parts  of  the  country  that  they  absolutely  need  Mexican  unskilled 
labor  to  harvest  and  plant  crops  in  the  border  States,  on  the  Rio 
Grande,  and  in  the  beet  industry  extending  north  as  far  as  Kansas. 
Now  we  need  them,  we  will  say — I  am  assuming  that  we  need  them. 
Would  you  let  them  in  ? 

Prof.  Jenks.  I  would. 

The  Chairman.  Would  you  waive  the  literacy  test  and  other  tests 
if  it  was  absolutely  necessary? 

Prof.  Jenks.  I  was  going  to  say  that  as  far  as  that  part  is  con- 
cerned. I  think  the  matter  should  be  in  the  hands  of  a  commission  or 
a  committee,  or  whatever  organization  it  should  seem  best  to  place 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  483 

this  matter  in  the  hands  of — perhaps  a  bureau  of  the  department — 
who  should  have  the  facts  well  in  hand,  and  know  just  what  they 
w'ere  doing. 

Then  also,  the  selection  of  persons  that  come  in  for  this  specific 
purpose  would  be  perhaps  qualified  by  the  other  question,  as  to 
whether  they  are  people  that  we  are  letting  into  become  American 
citizens. 

Now,  in  the  case  of  the  Mexicans,  to  whom  you  have  referred,  the 
general  purpose  of  their  coming  has  not  been  to  be  immigrants,  in 
the  better  sense  of  the  word — coming  in  for  the  purpose  of  becom- 
ing American  citizens  at  all.  It  has  been  that  they  should  come  in 
and  gather  a  crop  and  go  out  again.  They  had  no  thought  of  be- 
coming American  citizens.  And  that  is  a  question  of  substantially — 
although  we  do  not  use  that  expression  ordinarily — a  temporary  con- 
tract labor  supply. 

I  recall  ver}^  distinctly  when  T  was  a  boy  in  Michigan  that  in  the 
lumber  industry  it  was  the  regular  thing  for  Canadians  to  come 
across  every  fall  and  work  in  tlie  woods  in  the  Avinter  for  a  little 
while,  getting  out  timber,  and  then  going  back  to  Canada  again.  The 
question  of  immigration  did  not  come  in  at  all.  in  the  proper  sense 
of  the  word.  xVnd  I  think  we  should  make  a  distinction  clearl}'  be- 
tAveen  yhat  we  call  an  immigrant  supply  and  persons  coming  in 
temporarily.  I  should  suppose  that  it  would  be,  on  the  whole,  very 
exceptional  cases  where  they  would  come  in  temporarily  to  work. 
But  there,  again,  I  think  the  power  should  be  given,  in  the  law, 
to  our  administrative  officials,  that  they  might  make  exceptions  in 
those  specific  cases. 

The  Chairman.  Would  you  admit  a  sufficient  number  of  aliens 
that  our  mills  needed? 

Prof.  Jenks.  If  we  could  not  get  them  here  I  should  apply  the 
provision  of  the  present  law,  so  far  as  that  is  concerned.  AVe  may 
admit  them  now  if  it  can  be  shown  affirmatively  that  those  people  can 
not  be  supplied  by  our  present  labor  supply.  But  in  connection 
with  any  such  matter,  of  course,  we  should  also  make  provision 
first  to  supply  those  needs  if  we  could  from  the  labor  that  is  already 
here. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  are  referring  now  to  the  skilled  labor? 

Prof.  Jenks.  I  am  referring  to  the  skilled  labor.  The  same  prin- 
ciple, hovN^ever,  would  apply  to  unskilled  labor  for  harvesting  crops. 

May  I  finish  now  what  I  had  started  to  suggest? 

The  CuATRivrAN,  I  didn't  mean  to  interrupt  vou.  Prof.  Jenks. 

Prof.  Jenks.  I  am  glad  you  did.  Senator.  That  brings  that  point 
out  more  clearly  than  I  could  have  done  it. 

If  we  do,  by  this  selective  policy,  improve  our  industrial  conditions 
in  a  permanent  way,  and  keep  on  improving  our  standards  of  living, 
ultimately  it  will  be  certain — and  that,  I  should  say,  within  a  period 
of  two  or  three  decades — that  we  would  be  able  to  take,  and  would 
take,  and  assimilate,  a  larger  number  of  European  immigrants  than 
we  can  do  if  we  follow  our  present  helter-skelter  policy,  where,  com- 
ing in  as  they  do  without  selection  and  without  proper  distribution, 
they  certainly  tend  to  lower  our  standards  of  living  instead  of  raising 
them. 


484  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

So  that  I  don't  feel  that  in  speaking  of  a  policy  of  that  kind  we 
should  look  upon  it,  or  that  any  one  else  has  a  rifrht  to  look  upon  it  as 
in  any  way  hostile  to  Europe,  or  opposed  really  to  the  general  idea  of 
immigration.     It  is  a  wiser  method  of  handling  it. 

Of  course  that  raises  the  (juestion  as  to  how  much  the  restriction 
should  be:  how  many  can  come  in,  and  what  kind  of  immigrants 
should  be  selected,  and  that,  I  believe,  is  a  matter  to  be  adjusted  when 
the  time  comes. 

Now  with  reference  to  this  matter  of  adjustment,  too,  because  that 
touches  the  present  situation.  There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  whatever 
that  at  the  present  time  a  very  large  percenta<je  of  those  that  are 
coming  are  undesirable  from  this  economic  viewpoint,  and  their 
coming  in  at  the  present  time  is  tending,  and  tending  strongly,  to 
lower  our  standards  of  living. 

Of  course  the  cpiestion  of  unemployment,  at  any  rate  in  large  sec- 
tions of  the  country,  is,  I  think,  undeniable,  and  there  is  no  reason 
to  believe  that  unemployment  may  not  very  well  increase  during  the 
winter.  Of  course  when  it  comes  to  predicting  what  the  course  of 
business  is  going  to  be,  that  is  a  very  complicated  problem,  but  prac- 
tically the  universal  opinion  seems  to  be  that  our  period  of  hard  times 
is  certainly  not  yet  over,  and  probably  will  not  be  for  some  months, 
and  many  ])eople  feel  that  it  is  likely  to  last  for  some  years.    ., 

Senator  Dillingham.  Prof.  Jenks.  Mr.  Wallis  the  other  day  rep- 
lesented  that  the  present  class  coming  in  were  rather  superior  to 
those  who  came  before  the  war,  in  type,  and  the  evidence  that  is 
before  us  indicates  that  substantially  one-half  of  them  are  women, 
and  that  the  immigration  is  now,  at  the  present  time,  very  largely 
made  up  of  women  and  children  who  are  coming  here  to  join  their 
husbands  and  relatives  who  have  been  here  through  the  war.  Had 
your  attention  been  called  to  that? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes,  it  was  that  thought  that  I  had  in  mind  very 
largely.  I  think  it  would  be  granted  that  if  from  75  to  85  per  cent 
of  the  people  who  are  coming  in  are  women  and  children,  members 
of  the  families  of  those  who  are  already  here,  the  possibility  is  that 
during  the  present  period  of  unemployment  they  will  be  more  likely 
to  be  a  burden  on  the  industries  of  the  country  than  they  will  be  an 
assistance  to  the  industries  of  the  country.  I  was  looking  at  the 
question  purely  from  this  viewpoint  of  economic  conditioivs. 

I  think  I  would  even  go  a  step  further  than  that  and  say  that  there 
seems  to  be  very  good  ground  for  believing  that  there  is  not -merely 
the  normal  tendency  of  families  to  reunite,  which,  of  course  is  very 
praiseworthy,  but  there  is  distinct  effort  made  to  stimulate  the  com- 
ing not  merely  of  the  members  of  the  families,  but  also  of  others  at 
the  present  time,  before  any  change  should  be  made  in  our  immigra- 
tion laws. 

jMiss  Kellor  called  attention  yesterday,  in  her  admirable  statement, 
to  the  fact  that  there  were  at  present  time  organized  in  this  country 
quite  a  number  of  corporations  whose  special  purposes  is — and  who 
are  advertising  to  that  effect — that  they  will  bring  over  members  of 
the  families,  that  they  could  arrange  it  so  as  to  get  them  here,  and 
that  tends  to  stimulate  it. 

Senator  Harrison.  I  didn't  hear  that  statement  yesterday.  Were 
they  advertising  in  this  country? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATIOX   LEGISLATION.  485 

Prof.  Jenks.  Advertising  in  this  country,  if  I  recall  it. 

Senator  Harbison.  Xot  in  the  foreign  countries? 

Prof.  Jexks.  In  this  country,  so  far  as  you  knew  ?  And  not  in  the 
foregn  countries  [addressing  Miss  Kellor]  ? 

Miss  Kellor.  In  the  foreign-language  press  of  this  country. 

Prof.  Jenks.  In  the  foreign-language  press  of  this  country,  that 
is  the  way  I  understood  it. 

Somewhat  more  directl}'  my  attention  Avas  called  the  other  day  to 
what  seems  to  be  an  admirably  good  plan  and  a  very  successful  move- 
ment along  the  same  line.  I  had  happened  to  note  in  the  papers  the 
other  day  the  testimony  of  one  or  two  of  the  witnesses  that  had  been 
before  the  committee,  more  particularh^  Mr.  Marshall,  and  the 
l^resident  of  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  and  Immigrant  Aid  Society,  Mr. 
Bernstein,  and  I  happened  to  have  in  my  office  at  the  time  I  noted  it 
the  Jewish  Immigration  Bulletin,  which  is  an  organ  of  the  Hebrew 
Sheltering  and  Immigrant  Aid  Society,  and  I  found  these  state- 
ments in  these  bulletins  as  the  reports  of  a  commission  sent  by  that 
society  to  Europe,  more  particularly  to  Poland.  May  I  just  read 
a  few  sentences? 

Senator  Harrison.  What  are  the  dates  of  those? 

Prof.  Jenks.  The  date  of  one  of  these  bulletins  is  September,  1920, 
and  of  the  second  one,  October.  1920.  Just  a  few  sentences  to  show 
how  successful  the  work  is,  and  naturally  how  praiseworthy  from 
that  point  of  view,  whether  it  is  a  good  f)olicy  for  our  Government 
or  not. 

The  chairman  of  the  commission,  Mr.  Kamaiky,  said  this : 

We  made  it  possible  for  all  Jews  of  Poland  who  wanted  to  come  to  America 
to  be  able  to  do  so.  Up  to  our  coming  to  Warsaw  it  was  highly  difficult  to 
secure  passports  fi'om  the  Polish  Government.  We  succeeded  in  inducing  the 
Polish  minister  of  labor  to  grant  a  passport  to  everybody  without  requiring 
any  documents  except  a  character  certificate. 

We  also  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  ruling  whereby  the  American  consul  grants 
a  vi^e  to  parents  and  wives  and  children  without  having  to  present  affi<lavits 
from  their  relatives  here.  A  letter  stating  that  they  are  asked  to  America  and 
Avill  be  taken  care  f)f  is  sufficient. 

i^everal  hundred  -lewish  families  are  arriving  without  assistance,  on  the 
Aquitania.  Directly,  the  commission  has  made  it  possible  for  thousands  of 
other  immigrants  to  come  via  the  ports  that  are  now  open. 

And  in  another  sentence  he  states : 

Warsaw  is  flooded  with  innnigrants  who  want  vis§s.  They  have  come  from 
the  whole  of  Poland  and  from  Galacia. 

Senator  Dillingham.  In  that  article  is  there  any  suggestion  of 
any  other  means  being  provided  for  them  than  those  which  you 
have  read? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes,  there  are  one  or  two.  I  Avill  only  read  two  or 
three  sentences. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Those  relating  to  passports  and  the  ease  of 
getting  them  ? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes,  it  covers  simply  that,  and  of  course  aid  that 
would  be  sent  to  them  financially. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Does  it  appear  that  they  had  done  anything 
bej'ond  that  ? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Xot  bej'^ond  that,  and  the  furnishing  of  aid  here,  of 
course.    There  are  one  or  two  sentiences  that  are  rather  significant 


486  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION. 

aloii^'  that  line.  Speakin«j  of  tlie  statf  that  would  be  necessary  to  help 
them  get  their  passports  and  their  vises: 

Thf  pntlierinir  of  a  staff  of  workers  was  no  easy  matter. 

After  ronsi«leral)le  (liili<ulties  we  were  enabled  to  enpa;:e  r»f>  more  workers. 

Then  ajrain : 

As  soon  as  it  became  known  that  we  were  in  Warsaw,  we  were  besieged  by 
person.s  anxions  to  join  tlieir  relatives  in  Americ-a.  The  clamor  for  help  and 
for  jjuidance  was  insistent  and  the  work  would  admit  of  no  dt-lay.  We  bejian 
imme<l  lately. 

Then  further  along : 

We  arranged  that  all  applications  for  vis^s  should  be  filled  out  in  the  oflSce 

of  the  commission.  With  the  limited  staff  at  the  disposal  of  the  consulate,  it 
was  not  possible  to  fill  out  more  than  50  applications  for  vises  a  day.  We 
filled  (tut  500  applications  every  day,  having  12  clerks  on  duty  for  this  par- 
ticular work. 

Senator  Harrison.  AATiat  commission  are  they  talking  about? 

Prof.  Jenks.  They  are  talking  about  a  special  commission  that 
was  appointed  by  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  and  Immigrant  Aid  Society 
to  go  over  there  and  look  into  the  conditions  carefully  and  assist 
their  fellows,  particularly  the  members  of  the  families,  but  also,  as  it 
appears  from  Avhat  I  have  read,  others  of  their  race  who  wished  to 
come  and  assist  them  in  getting  over  in  whatever  way  they  could. 

Senator  Harrison.  They  went  over  there  tliis  year  ? 

Prof.  Jenks.  They  went  over  there  this  year.  This  is  in  the  Sep- 
tember and  October  numbers. 

Senator  Harrlson.  Have  you  any  other  numbers  of  this  bulletin? 

Professor  Jenks,  Xo. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  see  that  this  article  says : 

This  does  not  mean  sending  relief,  giving  charity.  This  is  not  necessary, 
because  enough  money  is  being  sent  by  persons  liere  to  their  relatives  abroad," 
etc. 

Prof.  Jenks,  Yes. 

Senator  Dillingham.  So  that  their  acti%'ities  related  to  making  it 
easier  for  them  to  get  passports. 

Prof.  Jenks.  To  come  over  here. 

Senator  Dillingham.  To  get  passports  and  have  them  viseed. 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes. 

Senator  Harrison,  Now.  how  manj'  organizations  issue  these  bulle- 
tins ? 

Prof.  -Jenks.  I  am  sure  1  don't  know.  This  is  the  bulletin  of  that 
special  organization.  This  is  issued  by  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  and 
Immigrant  Aid  Societv  of  America. 

Senator  Harrison.  1)o  you  know  of  any  other  organization  besides 
this  that  issues  a  bulletin  such  as  this  ? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Well.  I  couldn't  say.  There  are  a  good  many  organi- 
zations that  do,  but  I  don't  happen  to  have  any  in  mind  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

Senator  Harrison.  I  would  like  to  see  some  of  the  bulletins  of 
some  of  the  other  organizations.    This  is  quite  interesting. 

Prof.  Jenks.  The  special  thought  that  I  have  in  mind  is  this,  that 
under  present  conditions  of  course  it  is  very  natural,  very  normal, 
and  from  many  points  of  view  very  praiseworthy  that  such  work  be 
undertaken,  and  it  is  very  clear,  "from  the  statements  made  here,  that 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  487 

it  is  successful.  And  the  consequence  is  that  the  number  that  are 
coming  in  now  of  the  women  and  children,  to  my  mind  is  likely  to 
be  kept  up,  and  possibly  increased  materially,  if  no  action  is  taken 
by  this  (jovernment. 

May  I  speak  another  ^yo^d  also  with  reference  to  the  effect  of  ef- 
forts of  this  kind,  and  also  of  the  general  conditions  in  Europe  now, 
and  those  here,  upon  the  European  countries,  perhaps — the  effect 
of  what  we  may  do  ?  It  is  the  universal  opinion,  I  think,  that  condi- 
tions in  most  of  the  countries  of  Europe  are  most  unsettled,  from  the 
economic  viewpoint,  and  very  largely  also  from  the  political  view- 
point. In  consequence  of  that  very  many  people  there,  in  spite  of 
the  obstacles  that  are  put  in  their  way,  to  which  attention  has  already 
been  called,  are  desirous  of  coming  to  .this  country.  They  are  likely 
to  come  in  pretty  large  numbers.  That  fact  in  itself,  that  very  large 
numbers  of  those  people  expect  to  come  here,  want  to  come  here,  all 
striving  to  get  here,  will  continue  to  increase  that  feeling  of  unrest 
there. 

Now  even  granting — which  I  think  is  true — that  it  would  not  be 
possible  within  a  few  months  or  within  a  year  for  anything  like  the 
large  numbers  that  want  to  come  to  get  away,  until  they  made  up 
their  minds  that  they  were  not  going  to  get  away  in  the  near  future 
they  would  still  be  refraining  from  work  there,  from  engaging  in 
anything  that  would  be  of  a  permanent  character,  so  that  would 
tend  to  emphasize  the  difficulties  there. 

The  Chairjman.  Prof.  Jenks.  if  that  is  absolutely  true,  can  you  ex- 
plain why  such  a  large  number  are  returning  to  the  different  coun- 
tries? It  seems  to  me  the  two  things  are  rather  conflicting,  and  I 
must  say  I  can  not  understand  them. 

Prof.  Jexks.  I  am  very  glad  you  asked  the  question.  I  had 
thought  of  speaking  just  for  a  moment  on  that  a  little  bit  later. 

Attention  has  already  been  called  a  number  of  times  to  the  rather 
large  groups  of  immigrants  that  come  here  with  the  idea  of  remain- 
ing here  only  temporarily,  and  they  do  not  bring  their  families  here. 
They  expect  to  go  back.  Now,  during  the  period  of  the  war  they 
were  sliut  off  from  going  back.  They  could  not  go  back,  very  many 
of  them,  and  I  was  very  much  impressed  with  the  figures  that  you 
read  this  morning  as  to  the  different  nationalities  and  races.  It  is 
largely  from  southeastern  Europe,  from  the  Balkan  States  and  so  on, 
that  we  have  these  unmarried  men  coming  here  only  temporarily, 
with  the  expectation  of  going  back  afterwards.  I  have  heard  it 
spoken  of  repeatedly  by  the  people  who  are  familiar  Avith  iiuniiirra- 
tion  questions,  that  we  would  expect  very  shortly  after  the  difficulties 
of  securing  passage  were  removed,  to  have  a  very  large  emigration, 
especially  from  those  races.  It  seems  to  me  that  a  sufficient  reason  to 
explain  why  for  a  long  time  we  should  have  that  large  emigration  is. 
that  those  people  are  going  back  to  joint  their  families. 

The  Chair:man.  Isn't  there  another  reason?  Aren't  many  Poles 
returning  to  Poland,  Poles  who  are  now  here,  because  they  believe 
that  they  can  actjuire  land,  and  because  they  want  to  help  to  build 
up  Poland? 

Prof.  Jenks.  I  have  heard  that  suggestion  made  a  number  of  times, 
not  only  as  regards  Poland,  but  as  regards  one  or  two  of  the  other 
countries,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  that  is  a  factor. 


488  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

The  Chairman.  There  are  surely,  of  course,  mixed  motives. 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes,  there  are  mixed  motives.  Most  of  us,  of  course, 
act  from  a  mixture  of  motives. 

The  Chairman.  Some  to  go  to  their  families,  and  some  to  help 
build  up  the  new  countries. 

Prof.  Jknks.  Yes,  I  think  so.  On  the  other  hand,  I  have  heard  the 
statement — or  tlie  word  has  come  to  me  indirectly  from  jieople  in 
Poland — that  those  that  are  goin<>:  over  with  that  thouojit  in  mind, 
and  for  that  purpose,  are  sure  to  Ije  disappointed  largely,  and  many 
of  them,  doubtless,  are  coming  back  again. 

The  Chairjian.  But  still  I  can  not  understand,  if  the  conditions  in 
Europe  are  as  you  describe  them,  economically  and  politically,  why 
those  large  numbers  of  people  return  to  those  countries. 

Prof.  Jenks.  As  I  say,  my  impression  is  that  that  is  a  temporary 
movement,  and  is  not  likely  to  last  very  long,  and  the  reason  that  I 
have  given,  it  seems  to  me.  would  account  for  that. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  wouldn't  5^ou  suppose,  if  it  was  a  temporary 
movement,  not  likely  to  last  long,  that  the  numl^ers  who  return  to 
their  country  would  have  gradually  decreased  during  the  last  several 
months  instead  of  increased? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Well.  I  should  think  that  they  would  decrease  be- 
fore much  longer,  at  any  rate.  It  is  in  part  a  question,  also,  of  the 
shipping  facilities,  their  opportunities  of  getting  passports,  and  get- 
ting away. 

The  Chairman.  We  had  in  October  33,000  departures,  and  in 
November  34,000  departures. 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes,  even  those  figures,  of  course,  are  rather  small. 

The  Chairman.  Yes,  all  the  figures  are  small.  The  number  of 
immigrants  arriving  is  comparatively  small. 

Prof.  Jenks.  Excepting  that  it  is  also  the  fact,  is  it  not — I 
understand  that  that  is  the  fact — that  during  these  latter  months 
the  number  of  tliQse  that  are  coming  in  is  really  quite  materially 
increasing,  and  the  net  increase  is  steadilj-  rising. 

The  Chairman.  No.  We  had  101.000  arrivals  and  33.000  depar- 
tures in  October.  In  November  we  had  103,000  arrivals,  and  34,000 
departures.  So  the  slight  increase  in  arrivals  was  about  made  up 
by  the  increase  in  the  departures. 

Senator  Harrison.  Would  the  records  show  that  thej'^  intend,  when 
they  leave  this  country,  to  stay  in  the  other  country  to  which  they 
are  going? 

Senator  Dillingham.  There  is  a  large  numl)er  going  over  there 
that  intend  to  stay. 

Senator  Harrison.  Would  the  records  show  that  they  really  in- 
tend to  live  in  the  country-  to  which  they  are  going,  after  leaving 
here? 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  don't  know  about  that. 

Prof.  Jenks.  It  has  seemed  to  me.  and  I  have  the  opinions  of 
people  who  are  rather  familiar  with  the  immigration  conditions  at 
Ellis  Island  and  elsewhere,  that  a  good  many  of  them  are  going 
back  to  visit  and  look  into  the  situation,  and  that  they  are  not 
cutting  loose  from  here,  but  they  do  expect  to  come  back. 

On  the  other  hand.  I  have  had  specific  instances  called  to  my 
attention — but  I  can  not  at  the  moment  give  them — of  men  who  have 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGEATIOX   LEGISLATION.  489 

gone  so  far  as  to  sell  out  their  property  here,  and  who  were  going 
back  to  their  mother  country  Avitli  the  thought  that  conditions  over 
there  were  good,  and  with  the  intention  of  remaining  there,  but 
when  they  got  over  there  they  found  that  conditions  were  so  unfa- 
vorable that  they  have  come  back  again,  even  at  a  great  loss  to 
themselves. 

The  Chairman.  You  are.  Prof.  Jenks,  very  familiar  with  this 
whole  situation.  Let  me  ask  you  this  question  from  a  practical 
standpoint :  Supposing  we  had  sixty  to  seventy  thousand  net  increase 
in  our  population  arriving  at  the  ports  of  the  United  States.  Assum- 
ing that  half  of  those  people  who  arrive  in  this  country  were  women 
and  children,  leaving  about  30,000.  Assuming  further — and  the  facts 
show  this — that  perhaps  10  per  cent  stayed  in  Xew  York,  15  per  cent 
went  to  Pennsylvania,  12  per  cent  went  to  Ohio,  and  so  on,  would 
you  think  that  that  number  of  arrivals  would  have  any  particular 
effect  upon  the  labor  market? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Speaking  generally,  no.  It  is  a  relatively  small  fac- 
tor, of  course.  There  is  this  other  thing,  however,  to"^  be  kept  in 
mind.  We  already  do  have,  at  the  present  time,  so  far  as  the  in- 
formation goes,  a  very  considerable  amount  of  unemployment,  and 
that  is  increasing,  more  particularly  in  the  industrial  centers.  The 
facts  show  that  most  of  the  immigrants  that  do  come  in — not  referring 
to  wives  and  children  there — go  rather  to  the  industrial  centers  than 
otherwise.  We  have  not  at  the  present  time  the  machinery  to  induce 
them  voluntarily  to  go  elsewhere,  as  I  hope  we  shall  have  in  the 
future. 

It  seems  to  me  that  people  are  expecting  that  this  question  is  to 
be  taken  up  now,  and  that  it  ought  to  be  taken  up,  and  that  it  is  very 
desirable  at  the  present  time  to  have  a'  policy  outlined. 

The  Chairman.  We  will  have  to  suspend  now.  You  can  return  at 
2.15,  can  you.  Prof.  Jenks? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  now  take  a  recess  until  2.15. 

(Thereupon,  at  12  o'clock  noon,  a  recess  was  taken  until  2.15  p.  m., 
of  the  same  day,  January  14,  1921.) 

after  recess. 

The  committee  reconvened  at  the  expiration  of  the  recess,  Senator 
Le  Baron  B.  Colt  presiding. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Jenks,  we  will  hear  from  you  further. 

STATEMENT  OF  PROF.  JEREMIAH  JENKS— Continued. 

The  Chairman.  May  I  ask  you  a  question,  Mr.  Jenks? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Certainly. 

The  Chairman.  I  understood  you  to  say  that  you  thought  the 
number  of  departures  at  the  present  time  was  due  to  present' condi- 
tions, and  that  you  were  inclined  to  think  that  the  number  of  depar- 
tures would  diminish? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes,  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  Upon  that  point  I  wish  to  call  your  attention  to 
this  fact,  that  the  returning  tide  of  immigration  has  been  constant. 
I  have  statistics  covering  the  period  from  1909  to  1919. 
26911— 21— PT  9 3 


490  EMKnOKXCY    IMMKIKATION    l.Ki. ILLATION, 

In  100!)  tho  arrivals  Avere  944i>3o.     The  .lepartiires  were  400,892, 
loavinir  the  net  .U3.S43. 

In  ioiO  the  arrivals  were  1.198.037:  the  depai-tures  380.418,  leav- 
inff  the  net  817,619. 

In  1911  the  arrivals  were  1,030,300:  the  departures  r)18.-21.'i.  leaving 
:i  net  of  ol-2,085. 

In  1912  the  arrivals  were  1,017,155:  the  departures  615.292,  leaA-ing 
the  net  401.863. 

In  1913  the  arrivals  were  1,427,227:  the  departures  611.924,  leaving 
:i  net  of  815.303. 

In  1914  the  arrivals  were  1.403.081 :  the  departures  633.805,  leaving 
the  net  769.276. 

In  1915  the  arrivals  were  434,244;  the  departiue>  3s4.174.  and  the 
net  was  50.070. 

In  1916  the  arrivals  were  366,748:  the  departures  240,807.  leaving 
I  net  of  125,941. 

In  1917  the  arrivals  were  362.877:  the  departures  146.379,  leaving 
the  net  216.498. 

In  1918  the  arrivals  were  211.853;  the  departures  193^68,  leaving 
the  net  18,585. 

In  1919  the  arrivals  were  337.021 :  the  departures  216.231.  leaving" 
the  net  20,790. 

In  July  of  1920  the  arrivals  were  83,959;  the  departures  39.505, 
leavinof  the  net  44,454. 

In  August  the  arrivals  were  85.431 :  the  departures  43,800  and  the 
net  was  41.631. 

In  September  the  arrivals  were  98.400:  the  departures  31,200  and 
the  net  was  67j200. 

In  October  the  arrivals  were  101.000:  the  departures  33.000.  leav- 
ing the  net  68.000. 

In  Xovember  the  arrivals  Avere  103,000:  tlie-  dei)artures  34.000, 
leaving  the  net  69,000. 

Might  I  not  ask  you  this  question,  therefore :  Has  there  not  always 
been  a  very  strong  returning  tide  of  departures,  and  do  not  those 
figures  demonstrate  it  ? 

Prof.  Jexks.  Oh.  clearly.  There  is  also  a  very  good  reason  for 
that,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  these  figures.  availal»le  as  they  are.  are 
]\ot  especially  surprising,  if  I  may  just  take  a  few  moments  on  that. 

In  the  first  place,  as  has  already  been  said,  a  very  considerable  por- 
tion of  the  immigrants  that  come  here  do  not  come  with  the  expecta- 
tion of  making  this  their  peiTnanent  home.  They  expect  to  go  back 
again. 

I  would  like  to  develop  that  a  moment  later,  as  regards  Italy  par- 
ticularly. 

The  CHAimrAX.  Might  I  finish? 

Mr.  Jknks.  I  beg  your  [)ardon:  I  supposed  you  had  finished.  Mr. 
Chairman. 

The  Chaikmax.  For  the  vear  ending  June  30.  1920.  there  were 
141.000  net 

Senator  Dillixohaim.  Where  did  you  get  that  figure? 

The  CuAiit^fAX.  From  the  commissioner's  report,  the  last  report  of 
the  commissioner. 

Of  that  141.<HM»  ninety-odd  per  cent  was  made  up  of  immijrrants 
from   Canada.  Mexico,  and   Italy,  by  far  the  greater  proportion. 


e:meegp:xcy  immigratiox  legislation.  491 

Durin<j  that  year,  from  June  80.  1910,  down  to  six  months  ago,  June 
;}().  19i^0.  accor(linf>-  to  the  report  of  the  commissioner,  there  Avere  l'2S 
(lei)artures  to  eastern  and  southern  European  countries  where  there 
Avere  lUO  immiorants  who  came  to  this  country.  From  northern  and 
western  Europe  there  Avere  only  25  departures  to  100  immigrants  who 
came  from  those  portions  of  JCuro])e. 

In  other  words,  I  remember  that  in  the  report  of  the  commission 
tliey  divide  the  immigration  into  the  old  and  the  new:  the  neAv  be- 
ginning in  18S2.  from  southern  and  eastern  Europe.  The  character- 
istic of  the  old  Scandina\ian  immigration  was  that  it  was  perma- 
nent; that  it  developed  the  Northwest  and  settled  on  the  farms.  One 
of  the  characteristics  of  the  new  immigration  from  southern  and 
eastern  Europe  Avas  that  it  Avas  more  of  a  temporary  character ;  that 
tliey  came  here  more  for  economic  purposes,  to  remain  a  short  time 
and  then  to  go  home. 

I  do  not  understand  that  the  condition  of  the  Avoi-ld  that  existed 
from  the  1st  of  January  last  to  the  1st  of  July  has  substantially 
changed.  I  understand  that  the  conditions  in  Eurojje  are  substan- 
tially the  same  as  they  Avere  during  the  first  half  of  the  year  1920. 
During  the  first  half  of  the  year  1920,  123  of  these  immigrants  from 
these  countries,  which  are  sometimes  called  objectionable,  returned 
to  100  that  came  in.  I  Avould  like  to  ask  you  Avhether  you  see  any 
reason  why  that  phenomenon  should  not  continue  to  exist. 

Prof.  Jkxks.  May  I  just  answer  the  last  question  first,  and  then 
I  Avould  like  to  speak  somewhat  on  the  general  question. 

As  I  said  this  morning,  it  has  seemed  to  me  that  as  regsirds  the 
European  population,  and  moce  j^articularly  tiie  southern  and  eastern 
European  population  and  imniiirration  fi'om  those  countries,  tlie 
conditions  are  materially  diiferent  from  those  in  tiie  north  and  west 
and  from  other  immigration  that  Ave  haA^e.  It  is  especially  from 
those  countries  that  Ave  haA'c  this  temporary  immigration  of  those 
that  come  here  leavinir  their  families  behind  Avith  the  expectation 
of  staying  only  a  short  time  and  then  going  back  again. 

Of  course,  when  it  comes  to  specific  cases  from  specific  countries 
and  in  specific  months  there  are  likely  to  be  local  matters,  temporary 
matters,  that  come  up  with  imi)ortant  effect,  and  these  are  quite 
material. 

For  example.  Ave  have  steamship  line<  running  much  more  regu- 
larly to  northern  and  Avestern  Europe  than  to  Italy,  to  southeastern 
Europe,  so  that  the  mere  matter  of  being  able  to  get  tickets  promptly 
may  affect  the  situation  quite  materially  for  a  period  of  months. 

vSo.  again,  the  means  of  communication  by  mail  among  friends, 
and  this,  that,  and  the  other  thing,  is  certainly  very  much  easier 
from  Great  Britain  than  it  is  from  Bulgaria,  we  Avill  say.  or  Serbia 
or  Greece.  Taking  it  as  a  whole,  the  means  of  publicity  as  regards 
conditions  in  those  sections  are  distinctly  better  in  Great  Britain 
and  in  France — they  Avere  before  the  Avar — in  Germany,  in  Scan- 
dinavia, and  in  Holland  to-day  than  in  southeastern  Europe. 

All  of  those  conditions  might  affect  matters  from  month  to  month 
quite  materially.  The  fact  remains,  hoAVCA-er,  that  there  have  been 
very  many  thousands  of  those  people  here  that  were  not  able  to  get 
back  during  the  Avar  and  for  a  considerable  time  afterwards,  owing 
to  legal  requirements  and  regulations,  and  that  would  make  it  clear 
that  Ave  could  expect  after  the  Avar  a  verA'  large  emigration.     That 


492  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

goino;  back  would  probably  be,  as  regards  those  southeastern 
European  peoples,  pretty  largely  a  going  back  to  stay,  because  they 
have  been  here  four  or  five  years:  the  opportunity  for  earning  very 
large  wages  during  the  years  of  the  war  and  for  a  year  afterwards 
were  great,  and  they  presumably  would  largely  have  accomplished 
what  they  came  here  for  and  would  be  glad  to  go  back  now.  The 
fact  that  it  has  been  the  custom  of  people  of  that  type  Avould,  it 
seems  to  me,  justif}-  us  in  the  conclusion  that  altliough  it  mi^t  last 
for  a  few  months  longer,  nevertheless  that  remigration  to  Europe 
would  probably  cease  before  so  very  long,  so  far  as  those  peoples 
particularly  are  concerned. 

May  I  also  comment  a  little  bit  upon  the  statement  you  made 
about  the  emigrants  that  were  going  out  to  Canada,  to  Mexico,  and 
to  Italy? 

Of  course,  the  Canadian  immigration  policy  has  been  for  some 
years  this  general  selective  policy  that  I  mentioned  incidentally  this 
morning.  Their  laws  and  the  administration  of  them  are  peculiarly 
fitted  to  take  the  kind  of  immigrants  they  want  and  turn  them  into 
the  lines  of  occupation  that  they  think  best  for  their  country.  The 
very  best  immigrant  into  Canada,  according  to  the  views  of  the 
immigration  authorities  of  Canada  with  whom  I  have  discussed  this 
question,  is  the  American  farmer  from  the  Xorthwest  and  the  Middle 
"West.  They  are  eager  to  have  their  lands  in  the  northwest  settled 
by  men  who  will  make  good  Canadian  citizens. 

The  consequence  is  that  they  have  repeatedly — I  say  repeatedly; 
ceitainly.  more  than  once  or  two  or  three  times — sent  circulars  and 
even  their  own  agents  into  the  Middle  TTest  and  Xorthwest  to  take 
up  this  question  with  the  American  farmers  to  get  them  to  come 
over  into  Canada.  They  have  offered  them  at  times  free  transporta- 
tion for  themselves  and  their  families  and  have  offered  them  lands 
on  very  good  terms  if  they  would  come :  and  as  they  have  explained 
to  me  personally,  some  of  the  immigration  officials  of  the  north- 
western part  of  Canada  as  well  as  the  former  Minister  of  Labor  at 
Ottawa,  these  Americans  make  the  best  type  of  immigrants  they 
have,  first,  because  they  come  with  capital.  The}-  sell  out  their  farms 
and  can  pay  for  their  lands  pretty  well. 

In  the  second  place,  they  speak  the  English  language,  largely. 
They  are  likely  to  be  well  educated.  They  are  enterprising  and.  from 
the  experience  thev  have  had  here,  they  believe  in  good  schools  and 
in  a  good  type  oi  civilization;  and  if  they  can  persuade  them  to 
come  up  there  and  take  up  lands  they  know  that  they  will  have  a 
population  that  will  develop  that  country.  So  they  have  been  bid- 
ding for  them.  I  had  not  known  of  it  before,  because  I  had  not 
looked  these  things  up.  but  as  was  said  here  yesterdav,  they  have 
been  making  .special  efforts  again  to  get  them  up  into  Canada;  and 
that  would  acctjunt  for  a  good  many  going  up  there. 

As  regards  the  Mexicans.  I  think  that  is  a  temporary  condition. 

If  I  may  take  up  just  for  a  moment  this  general  policy  which  ac- 
counts for  large  numbers  going  back  always  from  year  to  year,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  for  some  of  those  very  material  fluctuations  in  num- 
bers that  go  back  and  forth  from  year  to  year.  I  think  there  is  no 
better  single  illustration  of  that  than  the  Italian  policy. 

Miss  Kellor  referred  to  the  general  Italian  policy  that  they  have 
in  mind  now.     They  have  had  Substantially  that  same  policy  for  a 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGKATIOX  LEGISLATION.  493 

period  of  10  to  15  years,  which  is  that  they  like  to  have  a  rather 
large  number  of  their  people  and  those  of  the  rather  enterprising 
class  come  over  here  with  the  idea  of  staying  for  a  time  and  then 
going  back.  I  read  some  8  or  10  years  ago  a  rather  detailed  discus- 
sion of  this  question  of  the  Italian  emigration  that  was  published  by 
the  Italian  Government  in  an  official  report  of  their  labor  de- 
partment. They  stated  that,  in  the  first  place,  if  they  could  let  their 
citizens  come  over  here  and  stay  for  some  years,  sending  back  their 
surplus  earnings,  that  was  a  very  material  advantage  to  them,  and 
according  to  the  best  figures  we  could  get  at  that  time,  if  my  mem- 
ory serves  me.  we  could  count  on  from  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three 
hundred  millions  of  dollars  going  back  annually  to  Italy. 

In  addition  to  that,  after  the  men  had  been  here  for  some  years 
they  would  return  to  Italy  and  make  their  homes  there.  _  The  one 
thiiig  that  struck  me  as  most  interesting  in  their  discussion  of  the 
entire  policy  was  this :     They  said : 

Better  than  the  money  that  our  emigrants  send  back  to  us.  better  than  the 
money  that  they  brnig  back  to  us,  is  when  they  come  back  with  the  American 
spirit  of  enterprise  after  they  have  lived  in  America  for  some  years  and 
learned  the  American  ways  of  looking  at  things  and  the  Amei'ican  ways  of 
doing  things,  for  they  are  more  efficient  citizens  than  tliey  were  before  they 
went,  and  we  especially  welcome  their  return. 

We  can  see  that  the  policy  that  the  Government  had  in  mind  was, 
on  the  whole,  rather  to  welcome  that  condition,  and  we  should  ex- 
pect to  go  back  to  Italy  a  good  many  thousands,  and  sometimes  hun- 
dreds  of  thousands. 

Another  factor,  however,  that  should  be  taken  into  account  when 
we  speak  of  the  variations  is  this :  The  transportation  in  these  days, 
when  times  are  normal,  as  of  course  they  are  not  now  between  Italy 
and  the  United  States,  is  very  easy  and  not  very  expensive.  A  good 
many  of  those  men  are  fairly  prosperous,  and  it  has  been  the  cnse 
over  and  over  again — here  again  one  could  count  into  the  thousands, 
although  I  am  not  able  to  give  statistics — that  when  there  has  come 
an  actual  period  of  depression  here  for  a  year  or  two,  even  if  there 
were  a  period  of  unemployment  that  was  thought  to  last  only  a 
few  months,  many  of  the  Italians  who  are  here  in  this  country  in 
this  temporary  class  would  go  back  and  spend  the  winter  in  Italy 
and  then  come  back  in  the  spring.  Those  cases  can  be  found  literally 
by  the  thousands,  of  those  that  go  over  there  purely  temporarily  to 
take  a  rest  when  conditions  are  not  good  here,  and  then  come  back 
here  and  stay  for  awhile  and  then  go  back  again. 

So  that  we  should  expect  that  there  would  be  this  fluctuation  in 
the  net  numbers  in  any  one  year.  It  would  be  dependent  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  upon  temporary  conditions,  a  demand  for  labor 
here  for  the  time  being,  or  a  slackening. 

The  CuAiRriiAX.  A"\'e  are  dealing  with  the  problem  of  a  flood  of 
that  immigration. 

Prof.  Jexks.  Exactly.  This  I  think  will  have  a  little  bearing  on 
that.  Senator. 

The  statement  was  made  here  yesterday  that  we  need  not  fear  a 
flood  because  the  iipmigration  and  emigration  adapt  themselves  so 
])romptly  to  conditions  here.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  do  to  a 
considerable  extent  adjust  themselves  promptly,  but  pretty  largely 
to  our  detriment  from  the  economic  point  of  view. 


494  E.MEHGKNCY   lALMlGKATlON    LEGISLATION. 

For  e.\:unj)le,  if  there  came  a  demand  here  for  a  jrood  many  to  go 
back,  those  that  -wouhl  go  back  are  the  ones  that  have  hiid  up  money 
and  those  who  are  the  most  enterprising  from  that  point  of  view. 
Tlie  ones  that  they  leave  here  are  the  least  efficient  and  have  been 
earning  less  money  and  have  made  fewer  savings.  The  conse<:|uence 
is  they  leave  the  burden  for  us  to  carry  and  the  benefit  goes  to  the 
people  on  the  other  side.  That.  I  think,  was  established  beyond  ques- 
tion by  the  Immigration  Commission  as  the  result  of  its  studies. 

Does  that  cover  the  question  you  asked.  Senator?  If  so,  I  may 
take  up  perhai)s  for  just  a  moment  the  specific  question  of  the  John- 
son lull  and  how  that  Avould  apply. 

When  the  Johnson  bill  was  first  published  I  read  it  with  a  great 
deal  of  interest  and  with  cordial  approval,  because  it  seemed  to  me 
th-at  from  the  facts  that  had  been  reported  to  me  from  Ellis  Islnd — 
and  I  had  been  there  myself,  personally — and  from  the  statements 
that  I  saw  in  the  papers  and  elscAvhere.  there  were  very  large  numbers 
of  immigrants  coming  in  at  the  present  time  from  among  undesir- 
able classes  from  an  economic  viewpoint,  and  that  it  was  very  desir- 
able to  put  a  prompt  check  upon  the  numbers  that  came  in. 

After  a  time,  when  it  was  found  possible  to  analyze  carefully  the 
figures  and  to  see  the  types  that  were  coming  in  and  to  realize,  as 
seems  to  be  the  unquestioned  fact,  that  somewhere  from  TO  to  80  per 
cent  of  those  that  are  coming  in  are  probably  those  that  may  be 
spoken  of  as  the  dependent  classes  rather  than  the  productive  classes — 
I  do  not  mean  by  that  that  they  are  public  dependents,  but  that  instead 
of  bringing  a  surplus  here  they  are  rather  dragging  upon  our 
means — it  had  seemed  to  me  that  the  Johnson  bill  as  drafted,  admit- 
ting the  members  of  the  families  and  considering  that  so  large  a  per- 
centage of  them  were  members  of  families,  was  not  effective. 

I  am  quite  in  acc'ord  with  the  s])irit  of  the  John-^on  bill  that  it 
is  time  to  check  the  thing  and  do  it  now,  when  we  may  have  time 
to  formulate  a  policy  Avhich  is  not  merely  very  difficult  to  frame  but 
which  will  take  months  and  probably  some  years  to  get  into  effective 
working  order.    It  is  time  to  put  a  check  on  it  now. 

I  am  inclined  to  think,  however,  that  it  would  be  wiser  now  to 
amend  the  Johnson  bill  or  substitute  something  in  its  place  that 
would  go  distinctly  further  in  the  way  of  being  a  real  check  on  immi- 
gration and  would  be  more  selective  along  that  line. 

I  had  not  thought  of  a  definite  jiolicy,  because,  as  I  say,  I  had  no 
opportunity  of  preparing  definitely  for  this  matter:  but  for  some 
years  I  have  ])een  feeling  that  we  should  adopt  a  policy  in  general  of 
this  type : 

The  conditions  vary  so  from  year  to  year  and  often  even  from 
month  to  month,  that  any  policy  that  we  adopt  should  be  a  flexible 
policy  that  can  be  adapted  to  new  conditions.  In  consequence  it 
has  seemed  to  my  rnind  that  a  law  should  lay  down  the  general 
principles  but  should  leave  to  administrative  authority-  a  considerable 
degree  of  discretion  in  the  administration  of  the  law  itself. 

That  opinion  has  been  emphasized  a  good  deal  by  the  apparent  ex- 
perience of  Canada  in  the  Canadian  law,  which  does  permit  a  decided 
flexibility  in  the  applicaticm  of  the  law  through  orders  in  council. 

AVe  have  not  anything  here  that  would  exactly  correspond  to  orders 
in  council,  but  discretion  might  l>e  left  to  adjust  matters  either  to  the 
immigration  authorities  in  the  Department  of  Labor,  if  they  retain 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  495 

that,  or  in  the  Department  of  State,  as  has  been  suf^f^ested ;  that  we 
should  transfer  the  immit^ration  there,  or  to  a  commissioner,  if  that 
phm  is  adopted,  but  there  should  be  discretion  left  in  the  hands  of 
some  administrative  body  to  adapt  conditions  after  studying  care- 
fully what  the  conditions  are. 

The  Chaikmax.  Under  the  Canadian  law  tlie  governor  and  coun- 
cil are  clothed  with  very  large  discretionary  powers. 
Prof.  Jenks.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  My  recollection  is  that  the  word  "  selective "  is 
used.    They  have  the  power  of  selection  as  well  as  numbers. 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes,  sir.  That  has  been  applied  in  a  number  of  dif- 
ferent wa5's. 

For  example,  the  Canadian  Government  has  thought  it  was  the 
better  j^olic}-  for  them  to  encourage  immigration  to  the  land,  as  I 
said  before,  and  also  encourage  the  coming  in  of  women  for  domestic 
service  as  well  as  to  go  on  the  farms.  There  have  been  various  ways 
that  that  has  been  brought  about.  In  the  first  place,  as  regards  get- 
ting people  to  go  on  the  farms,  the  Canadian  Government  paid  their 
agents  in  Great  Britain  and  in  other  places  in  northern  Europe  a 
premium  of  a  pound  sterling  per  capita  for  immigrants  that  would 
be  sent  to  Canada  ticketed  through  to  a  local' station  to  go  on  the 
farms — and  with  a  contract,  practically,  to  go  on  the  farms. 

The  same  thing  as  regards  domestic  servants.  They  paid  in  addi- 
tion to  have  people  sent  from  southern  Europe  to  go  into  the  cities. 
Just  of  late,  as  you  doubtless  have  noticed,  in  order  that  the}'  might 
check  quite  decidedly  the  coming  in  of  immigrants  who  would  be 
likely  to  drift  into  the  industrial  centers,  they  have  raised  the  amount 
of  money  that  the  head  of  a  family  should  bring  with  him  as  he  comes 
from  $.")()  to  $250  per  capita,  and  for  ever}-  member  of  his  family  who 
would  normalh'  be  considered  of  the  dependent  class  they  have  de- 
manded that  he  bring  in  $125.  That  is  simply  by  an  order  in  coun- 
cil as  a  distinct  restrictive  measure  and  a  selective  measure  along  this 
line.    So  that  has  its  effect: 

The  Chair:max.  But  does  not  the  Canadian  law  go  further  and 
say  that  if  a  farm  hand  is  coming  in,  or  a  domestic,  he  or  she  is  not 
required  to  have  that  amount  of  cash? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes,  sir:  that  is  my  understanding.  My  knowledge 
of  this  regulation  is  simply  newspaper  clippings  that  I  have  seen 
lately.     But  that  is  my  understanding.     They  liavc  done  that. 

Still  further  than  tliat  they  have  made  regulations  as  regards 
oriental  immigration  by  specific  orders.  So  that  there  is  tliat  flexi- 
bility there  that  I  think  Ave  should  have. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  have  given  some  thought  to  that  and  have 
had  some  correspondence  with  authorities  there,  and  I  see  difficulties 
that  would  prevail  here  that  do  not  prevail  there  in  connection  with 
such  a  plan  as  that.  I  do  not  remember  what  the  ])opulation  of 
Canada  is  at  the  present  time.  It  may  be  10,()()(),000. 
Prof.  Jenks.  Somewhat  less,  I  think. 

Senator  Dillingham.  We  have  105.000.000.  As  early  as  20  years 
ago,  in  1000.  manufacturing  plants  of  America  were  putting  out 
more  goods  than  (ireat  Britain,  Germany,  and  France  combined,  and 
since  that  time  we  haA'e  doubled  that.  There  is  such  a  contrast  be- 
tween the  conditions  in  this  countrv  and  those  in  Canada  that  I  have 


496  EMERGENCY   IMMIGllATIOX   LEGISLATION. 

been  led  to  doubt  Avhetlier  the  plan  they  have  adopted  is  in  any  Avay 
suited  to  us  or  to  our  conditions. 

Prof.  Jenks.  I  do  not  see  ^vhy  the  same  principle  can  not  be 
adopted. 

Senator  Dillingham.  That  may  be,  but  it  -svould  be  a  very  great 
problem  as  compared  with  the  problem  which  Canada  has  had  to 
solve. 

Prof.  Jenks.  There  is  no  question  about  that.  Senator. 

The  provision  has  been  suggested,  for  example,  in  the  Sterling  bill, 
a  copy  of  which  I  have  seen,  that  a  commission,  if  that  plan  is 
adoi)ted.  or  the  immigration  department,  wherever  it  may  ha])i)en  to 
be,  should  secure  almost  continuously  information  from  the  different 
sections  of  the  country  and  from  different  lines  of  industry  in  order 
that  we  may  know  not  merely  in  what  industries  but  in  what  locali- 
ties there  is  a  real  demand  for  labor  at  good  wages  and  in  what  lo- 
calities there  is  apparently  a  surplus  of  labor.  Acting  on  that  in- 
formation the  administrative  body  could  determine  how  strong 
the  restrictions  should  be  and  in  what  directions  the  restrictions 
should  be. 

If  that  informatioji  were  sent  abroad  regularly,  as.  of  course,  it 
should  be  with  regulations  to  people  on  the  other  side,  we  would  be 
in  i^osition  to  say  to  an  immigrant  who  was  presenting  himself  and 
coming  to  join  his  friends,  we  will  say,  as  is  the  usual  custom,  in  a 
certain  line  of  industry,  in  a  certain  locality  there  is  no  normal  de- 
mand for  work  there  and  that  ''  you  can  not  go  beyond  a  certain 
amount " 

Senator  Dillingham.  Is  not  this  the  great  problem — that  is,  to 
work  out  proper  administrative  bodies? 

Prof.  Jenks.  That  is  it,  exactly. 

Senator  Diixingham.  AYhether  it  should  be  in  the  Department  of 
Labor,  the  Department  of  State,  or  whether  there  should  be  a  com- 
mission or  something  else? 

Prof.  Jenks.  Yes.  It  seems  to  me  that  is  distinctly  the  question; 
and  while  I  have  not  attempted  to  work  that  through,  one  or  two 
thoughts  have  occurred  to  me  that  I  may  mention. 

There  is,  of  course,  a  certain  disadvantage  in  an  independent  com- 
mission. I  think  that  would  be  pretty  generally  conceded.  Admir- 
able as  the  work  of  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  has  been 
and  one  or  two  of  the  other  commissions  that  we  have  had,  in  many 
ways,  there  are  also  many  objections  to  an  independent  commission 
of  that  kind  that  there  would  not  be  to  a  bureau  properly  organized 
or  to  a  department. 

The  Senator  suggested  a  moment  ago,  and  I  had  heard  the  sug- 
gestion before,  that  some  had  spoken  of  the  Department  of  State  as 
the  department  to  handle  the  immigration  problem  instead  of  the 
Department  of  Labor.  There  would  be  certain  advantages  in  that. 
As  has  already  been  .suggested  by  witnesses  here  before,  our  immigra- 
tion question  is  a  great  international  problem  and  it  is  becoming 
more  and  more  an  international  problem  all  of  the  time. 

It  is,  as  I  heard  very  wisely  suggested  this  morning,  decidedly  an 
advantage,  practically  a  necessity,  that  we  deal  with  foreign  Govern- 
ments in  connection  with  this  question  of  immigration. 

If  I  may  venture  to  refer  again  to  the  report  of  the  Immigration 
Commission,  a  recommendation  was  put  in  there  that  the  President 


EMERGENCY  IMINIIGRATIOX   LEQISLATIOlSr.  497 

appoint  a  commission  to  attempt  to  work  out  legislation  with  h, 
nmnber  of  the  leading  European  countries.  I  know  from  investiga- 
tions made  that  those  European  countries  would  welcome  an  ap- 
proach from  this  side,  an  attempt  to  work  out  a  policy  that  would 
be  friendly  and  helpful  along  all  lines. 

Of  course,  under  our  Constitution  and  laws  our  dealings  with 
foreign  countries  in  any  official  way  are  normally  carried  on 
through  the  Department  of  State,  so  that  in  many  ways  there 
would  be  advantages  in  working  out  this  policy  which  ought  to  be 
international,  through  the  State  Department  instead  of  through 
the  Department  of  Labor,  and  that  would  in  no  way  imph',  of  course, 
that  we  in  any  sense  had  changed  our  policy  as  regards  the  first 
principle  that  was  laid  down  here,  that  our  great  task  is  to  main- 
tain the  standards  of  living  and  to  promote  the  standards  of  living  of 
the  great  mass  of  our  wage-earning  classes,  but  it  might  perhaps  be 
done  more  easily  through  the  Department  of  State  than  through 
the  Department  of  Labor. 

But  I  will  not  venture  to  express  any  ver}^  positive  opinion  on 
that  question. 

I  may  add,  perhaps,  just  one  thing  more,  that  at  the  present  time, 
as  a  temporary  matter,  as  was  suggested  yesterday,  by  slight  changes 
in  regulations  and  emphasizing  somewhat  our  discretion  we  could 
put  an  immediate  check  on  immigration  through  the  viseing  of  pass- 
ports perhaps  more  quickly  and  promptly  than  in  any  other  way, 
which  would  be  the  first  step  toward  putting  the  subject  into  the 
hands  of  the  State  Department,  but  the  fundamental  thing  which  I 
think  we  should  keep  in  mind  is  that  whatever  law  we  have  should 
be  made  with  special  reference  to  maintaining  our  own  standards 
and  preventing  the  lowering  of  our  standards  by  a  flood  of  immi- 
gration coming  in. 

I  do  not  believe  that  if  the  matter  were  approached  in  the  friendly, 
courteous  way  that  it  should  be  and  doubtless  would  be  there  would 
be  any  serious  objection  on  the  part  of  Eifropean  Governments.  I 
have  not  any  fear  at  all  of  our  getting  into  trouble  with  the  European 
(xovernments  by  attempting  to  lay  out  a  policy  along  that  line  in  our 
own  interests.  They  are  all  of  them  trying  to  do  the  same  thing,  and 
it  is  the  normal  thing  to  do.  I  do  not  believe  there  will  be  any 
trouble. 

The  CHAiR:\rAX.  Might  I  ask  you  this  question  ? 

It  may  be  approached  from  the  standpoint  of  emergency  legisla- 
tion as  called  for  by  the  Johnson  bill,  or,  if  there  were  any  danger 
in  the  next  few  months,  it  might  be  approached  from  the  subject  of 
constructive  and  permanent  legislation? 

Prof.  Jexks.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  In  view  of  the  number  of  immigrants  that  are 
coming  in  now,  do  you  see  any  particular  danger  in  letting  this 
emergency  measure  stand  by  until  the  committee  can  frame  construc- 
tive legislation  in  a  period  of  five  or  six  months,  when  you  see  the 
number  that  are  going  out  as  compared  with  the  number  that  are 
coming  in  ? 

Prof.  Jenks.  I  feel,  myself,  that  it  is  quite  desirable  to  have  rather 
prompt  action.  There  are  two  reasons  for  that :  The  first  and  more 
remote  one  is  this,  that  I  believe  that  the  pressure — and  I  will  speak 


498  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

on  that  ill  a  moment — is  likely  to  increase  pretty  steadily  for  the  next 
six  months  or  a  year. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  a  matter  of  opinion. 

Prof.  Jenks.  It  is  a  matter  of  opinion.  I  say  that  is  my  opinion. 
That  is  one  reason.  i)erhaps.  why  I  feel  the  way  I  feel,  that  if  it  does 
we  shall  find  this  jH-essure  brought  to  bear  upon  Congress  for  im- 
mediate legislation  in  a  very  strong  Avay,  so  that  there  may  be,  Avhen 
we  come  to  frame  a  i)ermanent  policy,  more  haste  in  getting  that 
permanent  policy  than  Avould  be  clesirable. 

Second.  hoAvever,  and  perhaps  more  important,  is  this — and  per- 
haps this  thought  is  emphasized  the  more  because  I  happen  to  be 
living  in  the  city  of  Xew  York — as  a  matter  of  fact,  there  does  seem 
to  be  in  Xew  York  at  the  present  time  a  rapidly  increasing  effort  on 
the  part  of  our  charity  societies  and  everybody  connected  with  the 
care  of  the  less  fortunate  there  to  get  more  and  more  help :  that  if 
unemployment  is  coming  there  all  of  those  organizations  need  more 
lielp  than  ever  before,  and  they  believe  that  the  coming  in  of  consider- 
able numbers  of  immigrants  aifect  this  question  very  materially. 

We  know  from  the  records  we  have  had  earlier  that  a  large  per- 
centage of  the  immigrants  coming  through  Ellis  Island  into  New 
York  of  the  particularly  dependent  or  defective  classes  are  rather 
likely  to  remain  there  in  considerable  numbers.  At  the  present  time, 
if  I  recall  rightly,  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  of  Xew 
York  are  foreign  born  or  are  the  immediate  young  descendants  of 
those  of  foreign  birth :  so  that  with  that  condition,  we  will  say,  of 
50.000  or  100.000  of  that  type  in  the  city  of  Xew  York  in  the  course 
of  six  months  or  a  year  it  is  really  a  rather  important  factor,  and 
that  emphasizes  the  thought  with  us.  If.  as  your  question  implied, 
some  time  ago.  Senator,  they  should  be  scattered  all  around  through 
the  country 

The  Chairman.  Did  you  hear  the  testimony  which  was  offered 
here  of  the  number  that  arrived,  perhaps  10  or  11  ])er  cent — it  was 
in  answer  to  a  question ^by  Senator  Dillingham — perhaps  10  or  11 
per  cent  remained  in  Xew  York?  The  rest  went  to  Pennsylvania, 
Ohio,  and  were  scattered  all  over. 

Senator  Dillingham.  That  was  one  boatload  that  came  in  in 
October,  where  they  kept  a  record  of  distribution,  and  of  about  90 
per  cent  they  kept  track  of,  about  13  per  cent  stayed  in  the  city  of 
Xew  York  and  the  balance  went  outside. 

Prof.  Jexks.  I  think,  if  my  memory  does  not  fail  me.  the  general 
experience  as  a  permanent  matter  is  to  the  effect  that  a  much  larger 
percentage  than  that  lemains  in  Xew  York  for  a  considerable  length 
of  time,  a  period  of  months,  at  any  rate,  if  not  years,  and  that 
would  be  determined  by  the  industrial  conditions  in  the  city. 

I  liaA-e  not  any  late  figures  on  that  question  myself. 

The  Chairman,  Thank  you,  Mr.  Jenks. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  FRANCIS  HARRISON  KINNICUTT. 

The  CHATR>rAN.  Mr.  Kinnicutt,  on  what  do  you  desire  to  be  heard  ^ 
Mr.  KiNNicLTT.  I  should  like,  for  one  thing,  to  put  in  the  record 
a  newspaper  report  from  the  Herald  of  January  8  showing  a  state- 
ment cabled  from  the  Paris  agent  of  the  IIel)rew  Sheltering  Immi- 
grant  Aid   Society,  bearing  on  the  number  of  Hebrews  that  are 


E.MERGEXCY   I.MMKiRATIOX    LECilSLATlOX.  499 

collected  there  in  Paris  about  to  come  into  the  United  States.  It 
is  a  short  article. 

The  Chairmax.  What  Herald? 

Mr.  KixxicuTT.  The  Xew  York  Herald  of  January  3,  I  should 
like  to  read  one  sentence  of  that  statement.  This  is  quoted  from 
Mr.  Shapiro. 

The  article  says : 

Mr.  Shapiro's  bureau  is  taking-  carv?  of  on  an  average  500  new  innnigrant 
cases  daily,  he  .said,  90  per  cent  of  which  arrive  in  Paris  without  funds  and 
with  only  the  most  meager  information  regarding  their  relatives  in  tlie. United 
States,  who  are  expected  to  provide  for  them.  Most  of.these  emigrants  succeed 
in  leaving  Frencli  ports  within  a  montli  after  they  arrive  here.  However,  Mr. 
Shapiro  estimates  that  the  number  of  .Jews  going  to  Xew  York  by  way  of  France 
certainly  will  not  be  more  tlian  3,0<X)  a  week,  with  less  than  that  number  now 
awaiting  passage,  their  passports  having  been  visaed,  their  tickets  obtained,  and 
everything  in  order  for  them  to  go  to  America. 

(Tlie  statement  referred  to  is  here  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

/ 

MEKE  FANCY,   IS  FKENCH   VIEW .lEWS  TUKXING  TO   PALESTINE. 

[By  Laurence  Hills.     Special  cable  to  the  Xew  York  Ilei-ald.] 

Paris,  January  2. 

Immigration  authorities  and  officials  of  immigrant  shelter  organizations 
here  consider  the  estimate  by  Ellis  Island  authorities  of  1.5.000,000  Europeans 
being  bound  for  America  as  a  wild  flight  of  fancy.  Indeed,  they  expressed  doubt 
whether  one-tenth  of  this  number  of  immigrants  would  try  to  enter  the  United 
States  during  tiie  next  live  years.  Even  of  .Jewish  emigrants,  which  is  ad- 
mittedly the  largest  group  to  go  from  FJuropean  countries,  far  fewer  are 
expected  to  go  to  America  during  the  next  12  months  than  went  there  last 
year.  It  was  said  that  fewer  than  400.000  Jews  from  all  countries  were  pre- 
paring to  leave  tlie  Old  AVorld  for  America  wlien  they  were  able  to  get  their 
passage  there.  The  exodus  of  .Jews  is  principally  from  Bessarabia,  Poland,  and 
the  Ukraine. 

Jacques  Shapiro,  head  of  the  Hebrew  Sheltering  Immigrant  Aid  Society, 
with  headcjuarters  at  16  Piue  de  la  Marnek,  told  a  reporter  for  the  Xew  York 
Herald  that  the  Jewish  inunigrant  prolilem  had  assumed  a  new  aspect  since  the 
opening  of  Palestine  to  the  Jews. 

"  We  had  envisaged  a  million  Jews  seeking  i-efuge  in  the  United  States  from 
per.secution,"  he  said,  "  but  now  it  is  certain  that  a  ma.iority  of  those  in  the 
Ukraine  will  go  to  Palestine  as  soon  as  the  Ukraine's  borders  are  opened.  Xot 
a  single  Jew  will  be  left  in  the  Ukraine  once  the  migration  connnences  toward 
the  Xear  East.  Already  our  society  is  arranging  to  send  40,000  Jewish  children 
who  were  orphaned  in  the  Ukraine  pognmis  from  the  Ukraine  to  either 
Palestine  or  to  Argentina." 

Mr.  Shapiro's  bureau  is  taking  care  of  on  an  average  -500  new  ininiigrant 
cases  daily,  he  said."  90  per  cent  of  which  arrive  in  Paris  without  funds  and 
with  only  the  most  meager  information  regarding  their  relatives  in  the  United 
States,  who  are  expected  to  provide  for  them.  Most  of  these  emigrants  suc- 
ceed in  leaving  French  ports  within  a  month  after  they  arrive  here.  However, 
Mr.  Shapiro  estimates  that  the  number  of  Jews  going  to  Xew  Y^irk  by  way  of 
France  certainly  will  not  be  more  than  3,0(X>  a  week,  with  less  than  that 
number  now  awaiting  passage,  their  passports  having  been  vis4d,  their  tickets 
obtained,  and  everything  in  order  for  them  to  go  to  America. 

Emmigration  from  the  poi-ts  of  soutb.ei-n  France  is  not  an  important  factor 
either  from  the  standpoint  of  Jews  or  other  nationalities.  The  consulates  in 
Marseilles  and  Bordeaux  report  long  lines  of  men  and  women  mtiklng  inquiries 
there  every  day,  but  the  laws  governing  the  entrance  of  aliens  into  the  United 
States,  and  particularly  the  tinancial  requirements,  discourage  thousands  of 
these  ]irospective  emigrants  from  trying  to  get  to  America. 

The  French  are  not  likely  to  leave  their  own  country  in  large  numbers, 
Alexander  M.  Thackara,  American  Consul  General  here,  said,  a  majority  of 
Frenchmen  who  go  there  luaking  the  trij)  for  business  rather  than  to  make 
their  home  there. 


500 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION, 


On  the  other  liand,  the  consulates  in  Palermo  and  Naples  report  a  constant 
increase  in  the  nunitier  of  re<|ue.sts  for  vise  of  passports,  most  of  the  applicants 
coming  from  the  IJalkiuis,  while  Greek  emigration  was  said  to  be  less  than  it 
was  before  the  war. 

Polish  and  Lithuanian  emigration  is  moving  chiefly  through  Danzig  and 
Lemberir,  where  the  emigi-ant  agencies  are  thronged  every  day,  but  through 
t)ther  European  gateways  the  foreign-exchange  rate  situation  penults  only  a 
small  percentage  of  emigrants  to  America  to  actually  leave  Europe. 

Germany  has  been  cited  as  one  of  the  countries  ready  to  provide  2,000.000 
emigrants,  chiefly  Jewish,  but  Jewish  leaders  here  call  attention  to  the  fact 
that  the  total  Jewish  population  of  the  world  is  only  about  12,500,000,  including 
those  already  in  the  United  States. 

In  so  far  as  Austria,  Hungary,  and  Serbia  are  concernerl,  immigration 
officials  here  say  that  it  would  be  safe  to  say  that  practically  the  entire  popu- 
lations "  are  anxious  to  go  to  America  or  anywhere  else  where  they  coul*  get 
food,  but  they  will  not  be  able  to  get  out  of  Europe  for  many  years  to 
come." 

The  Paris  police  assert  there  are  at  least  150,000  foreigners  now  in  this  city 
who  had  intended  to  go  to  America,  but  are  unable  to  find  the  necessary  funds 
or  else  have  been  rejected  by  the  embarkation  inspectors. 

I  also  would  like  to  offer  a  statement  showinp:  the  statistics  in  re- 
p:ard  to  the  congestion  of  the  Jewish  population  in  this  country  in 
Xew  York  and  a  few  other  large  cities,  taken  from  the  American 
Jewish  Year  Book  and  quoted  in  the  World  Almanac  of  1920. 

The  Chairman.  That  may  be  placed  in  the  record. 

(The  statistics  referred  to  are  here  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

JEWISH    STATISTICS. 

According  to  various  authorities,  who  have  made  studies,  the  Jewish  popula- 
tion of  New  York  City,  in  past  years  was  as  follows:  (17901  385:  (1812)  400; 
(1824)  6.000:  (1840)  l.j.OfK) :  (1880)  GO.OOO:  (1892)  2o0.0(X):  (1905)  672.(^0; 
(1910,  U.  S.  Census).  861.980;  (1912.  New  York  Kehillah)  1.250,000;  (1918) 
1,500,000.  •'  New  York  City, "  says  S.  D.  Oppenheim.  '•  contains  the  largest 
Jewish  community  that  has  ever  existed  within  ihe  confines  of  a  single  munici- 
pality. It  has  over  2.200  congi-egations  and  181  religious  schools  with  41,403 
pupils,  exclusive  of  about  14,000,  who  attend  private  hedarin.  It  has  over  100 
recreational  and  cultural  agencies,  more  than  1,000  mutual  aid  societies.  965 
lodges,  193  economic  agencies,  and  164  philanthropic  and  correctional  agencies. 
Over  .$17,000,000  was  expended  in  1917  by  all  these  activities,  of  wliioh  amount 
the  two  gi-eat  philanthropic  federations,  that  of  Manha;t;in  and  the  Bronx,  and 
that  of  Brooklyn,  expended  during  the  year  $2,500,000.  In  these  figures  are  not 
included  the  .S6,00t>,0!X)  raised  in  the  year  1917-1918  for  Jewish  War  Relief 
abroad.  Within  the  confines  of  the  metropolis  are  printed  and  published  57 
Jewish  journals — five  dailies,  28  weeklies,  11  monthlies.  1  bi-monthly.  1 
quarterly.  1  annual,  10  occasional  publications.  Of  these,  23  are  published  in 
English,  3  in  Hebrew,  2  in  Judeo-Spanish,  and  29  in  Yiildish.  The  great  ma- 
jority of  American  Jews  live  in  cities  or  towns,  there  being  only  about  20.000 
Jewish  farmers  and  other  agi'iculturisrs  in  the  United  States ;  and  even  most 
of  the.se  20.000  reside  in  little  centers.  "  Latest  estimates  of  the  Jewish  popula- 
tion of  the  large  ciiies  follow : 


Place. 


New  York: 
Manhattan... 

Bronx 

Brooklyn 

Queens 

Richmond... 

Total 

Chicago 

Philadelphia . . . 


Popula- 
tion. 


6fl5,000 
210,  oon 

2S.0O0 
5,000 


1,509,000 
22.i,  (100 
200,090 


Place. 


Popula-] 
i   tlon.   ; 


rieveland |100,noo  | 

Boston 77,  .500 

Bahimore fiO.OOO  | 

.St.  Louis eO.OOO  I 

Pittsburgh fiO.OOO  ; 

Newark '  .55.000 

Detroit .iO.OOO  i 

.San  Francisco.    30.0<X)  i 

Cincinnati ii.OOCi 

Buffalo ,  20.000  ]. 


Place. 


Rochester... 
Milwaukee . 
New  Haven 
Los  Angeles 
Hartford.... 
Minneapolis 

Paterson 

Providence. 
Jersey  City. 
Bridgeport. 


Ponula- 
tioD. 


000 
000 
000 
000 

ono 

000 
000 
000 
500 
000 


Place. 


Pomila- 
tion. 


Kansas  City... 

12,000 

S\TBCH3e 

12.000 

Penver 

11,000 

^^a^hington... 

10,000 

Atlf.nta 

10,000 

Indiimanolis . . 

10,000 

^\  orc-cster 

10,000 

St.  Paul 

.  10,000 

Omaha 

10,000 

EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  501 

JEWISH  POPULATION  OF  UNITED  ST.VTES,  BY  STATES,  1919. 


State. 

1 
Popula- 
tion. 

State. 

Popula- 
tion. 

Slate. 

1                           1 
Popula-   1         g.  .              Popula- 
tion.     '         ''^^'^-             tion. 

Alabama 

Arizona 

ll,nsfi 

1,013 

5,012 

63,652 

14.565 

66,862 

3,806 

10.000 

6,451 

22,310 

1,078 

246, 6.37 

25.833 

15, 553 

9,450 

Kentucky 

Louisiana 

Maine 

13,362  i 
12.723 

7,387 
62,642 
189, 671 
63,254 
31,462 

3,881 
80,807 

2,518 

13,  M7 

5ft3 

3,257 

149,476 

858 

New  York 

N.  Carolina  . . 
N.  Dakota.... 
Ohio     

1,603,923  li  Virginia 

4,915  I    Washington.. 
1,492   1  West  Virginia. 
166,361       WLsronsin 

15,403 
9,117 
5,129 

Maryland 

Massachusetts. 

Michigan 

Minnesota 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Montana 

Nebraska 

Nevada 

N.  Hampshire 
New  Jersey . . . 
New  Mexico... 

28,583 

Colorado 

Connecticut 

Delaware 

Dist.ofC-ol 

Florida 

Oklahoma 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania. 
Rhode"  Island. 
S.  Carolina — 
South  Dakota. 

Tennessee 

Texas  

5, 186 

9,767 

322,406 

20,502 

4,816 

1,262 

14,034 

30,839 

Wyoming 

Porto  Rico 

Alaska 

Canal  Zone 

Philippine  Is. . 

1  Virgin  Is 

1  Guam 

498 
200 
500 
20O 
500 

Georgia 

70 
1 

1  Hawaii-. 

150 

Indiana 

Utali 

3  737  i' 

Vermont 

2^221 

Total 

3, 390, 572 

Kansas.. 

JEWS  IN  THE  WORLD. 

Europe 10,891,917 

Asia 357,070 

Africa 359,722 

America 3,496,225 

Australasia 19, 415 


Grand  total 15,124,349 

NUMBER  OF  JEWS,  AND  PER  CENT  OF  TOTAL  POPULATION,  BY  CHIEF  COUNTRIES 


Countries. 


Austria-Hungarj' 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

France 

Germany 

Greece  (including  Crete) 

Italy 

Netherlands 

Roumania 

Russian  Empire  (as  it 

was) 

Serbia 

Spain 

Switzerland 

Turkey  (in  Europe) 

United  Kingdom 


Year. 


Jewish 
popula- 
tion. 


1910   2,258,262 
1910         15,000 


AUSTRALASIA. 


1913 
1911 

1910 
1913 
1911 
1910 
1915 

1913 
1913 


1910 
1914 
1915 


Australia 1911 


SOUTH  AMERICA. 


Argentina. 
Brazil 


1917 
1917 


One-third  I 
of  total  1 1 
popula-  I 
tion. 


Countries. 


67,650 
100,000 
615, 021 

88,787 
34,324 
106,309 
239, 967 

6,946,090 

45,000 

4,000 

19,023 

75,000 

263,648 


17,287 


110,000 
4,000 


4.42 

,2 
1.42 

.25 

.95 
1.88 

.99 
1.79 
3.19 

4.07 
.98 
.02 
.51 

4.0 
.56 


.39 


1.22 
.02 


NORTH  AMERICA. 


Canada 

Mexico 

United  States. 


ASIA. 

Afghanistan  and  Turke- 
stan  

Dutch  East  Indies 
(Java,  Maduro,  etc.).. 

India 

Palestine 

Persia 

Turkey  in  Asia  (other 
than  Palestine) 


One-third 
Y^r.    popula-  ,  of  to^l 
tion. 


Jewish 


tion. 


1911  75,681 

1912  .500 
1918  3,300,000 


AFRICA. 


Abyssinia 

.\lgeria 

Egypt 

Morocco 

Tripoli 

Tunis 

Union  of  South  Africa. 


1916 


1912 
1911 


1914 
1907 


1911 
1914 
1911 


18, 316 

10,842 
20,980 
&5,000 
40,000 

177,500 


25,000 
70,271 
38,635 
103, 712 
18,860 
M,664 
47,000 


1.0 
.003 
3.2 


.31 

.02 
.006 
12.00 
4.02 


.86 


1.2 

.34 
2.11 
3.6 
2.9 

.78 


The  Jewish  population  of  Canada  is  now  estimated  at  120,000. 

Mr.  KixxicuTT.  I  shouM  also  like  to  call  your  attention  to  this 
matter.  I  do  not  know  whether  the  committee  has  seen  this  very 
interestino;  report  of  the  ex-commissioner  of  immigration.  Mr.  Wil- 
liam AVilliams 

Senator  Dillingham.  AVe  already  have  that. 

Mr.  KiNNicuTT.  Then  I  will  not  burden  the  record  with  it. 

I  should  also  like  to  call  your  attention  to  some  facts  that  have 
come  to  my  i^ersonal  knowledge  in  the  last  few  days  as  to  the  pros- 


502  EMERGENCY    l.MMI(;RATI()X    LECISLATIOX. 

pert  that  iiioiv  boats  will  be  put  oil  pl\  in<^  between  Daiizijr  ami  ports 
in  Poland  and  the  United  8tates  in  the  near  future. 

Mv  information  is  not  very  extensive  on  that  matter,  l)ut  I  will 
l^ive  it  as  far  as  it  <roes,  because  I  think  it  is  characteristic. 

It  was  testified  here  tiiat  tliere  was  a  ship  called  the  Xeiv  Iioc/ie/le, 
l)el(jni;in«r  to  the  New  Baltic  Co..  that  has  been  plying  since  August 
directly  between  Danzi<^  antl  New  York  brinfrina"  a  very  larjre  num- 
ber of  Poles.  I  went  to  the  olHce  of  that  company  the  other  day 
and  they  told  me  that  they  were  plannin*;  to  put  on,  in  the  near 
future,  three  more  boats  on  that  line  of  considerably  laiirer  capacity 
tiian  the  Xeir  Bochelle. 

The  Chairman.  What  line  is  that? 

Mr.  KiNNicn-T.  That  is  the  Baltic  Co..  -24  AVhitehall  Street. 

Senator  Dillingiia^i.  Where  liave  those  ships  been  plying  pre- 
A'ioiis  to  this  time  ? 

Mr.  KixNici'TT.  I  have  no  information  except  what  I  have  given 
3()U.  a  statement  of  the  agent  of  the  line  at  the  office. 

Senator  Dillingham.  They  are  going  to  transfer  them  to  that 
line? 

]Mr.  KiNNicLTT.  The}-  are  going  to  get  the>e  new  ships  Avhich  will 
soon  be  put  in  operation. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Xew  ships? 

!Mr.  KiNNicuTT.  Xew  for  them.  I  do  not  mean  newly  built.  I 
mean  new  on  their  line — additional  ships. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  any  positive  information  as  to  the  new 
sliips?  We  had  considerable  testimony  in  these  hearings  as  to  the 
number  of  new  ships  wdiieh  Avill  be  likely  to  be  engaged  in  Atlantic 
transportation  during  the  next  year.  Have  you  any  positive  knowl- 
edge upon  that  subject? 

Mr.  KiNNicuTT.  Absolutely  not :  but  I  know  that  it  will  be  very 
easy  to  get  it  by  bringing  a  few  witnesses  from  certain  lines  whose 
names  I  can  give  you.  and  very  probably  the  officials  who  have 
charge  of  taking  care  of  the  immigrants  at  Ellis  Island.  I  do  not 
doulit  they  can  give  it  to  you. 

The  Chahoian.  We  have  had  testimony  on  the  subject  of  trans- 
portation, from  agents  of  A-arious  lines  appearing  before  the  com- 
mittee, and  that  question  of  the  amount  of  transportation  facilities 
that  are  now  in  operation  and  the  future  prospect  of  increased 
transportation  facilities  has  been  gone  into  by  the  committee. 

Mr.  KiNNicuTT.  I  stated  that  my  information  on  this  subject  was 
very  limited.  It  is  simply  an  indication  that  there  are  some  ucav 
ships  being  put  on. 

That  is  all  I  wish  to  i>resent. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  EDGAR  WALLACE.  REPRESENTING  THE 
AMERICAN  FEDERATION  OF  LABOR. 

^Ir.  Waij.ack.  From  our  point  of  view.  Mr.  Chairman,  the  emer- 
gency th.^t  exists,  to  meet  Avhich  it  is  the  intent  of  the  Johnson  bill, 
is  the  emergency  of  unemployment. 

Since  ^Ir.  Morrison  gave  his  evidence  we  have  evidence  to  the 
effect  that  out  of  00  cities  canvassed  20  show  an  unemployment  of 
2.400.000  people.     We  have  not  any  returns  from  tlie  others. 


EMERGENCY    I.M. MIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  503 

It  has  been  called  to  the  attention  of  the  <j.entlemen  of  this  com- 
mittee that  the  ships  that  are  available  could  be  crowded  and  the 
full  complement  brouirht  over  Avitii  dependents.  Dependents  of 
whom  ^     Of  the  men  now  here. 

Whatever  else  may  be  the  cause  of  unemployment,  I  think  we  can 
all  be  sure  of  one  thinjr.  and  that  is  that  production  has  gotten 
ahead  of  consumption.  Xow,  these  dependents  are  not  paupers  in 
the  sense  that  Ave  knoAV  paupers :  they  are  the  natural  dependents 
of  aliens  or  citizens  of  certain  countries,  and  these  men — and  it  is 
to  their  credit — are  supporting  those  people  on  the  other  side.  If 
it  be  true  that  the  entire  capacity  of  the  ships  could  be  taken  by 
these  so-called  dependents,  that  would  be  an  asset  to  this  country, 
inasmuch  as  the  money  that  is  now  being  sent  to  those  dependents 
abroad  would  be  spent  in  this  country. 

There  is  another  phase  of  the  evidence  that  I  would  like  to  touch 
upon.  During  the  war  I  was  a  member  of  a  mission,  with  Mr. 
Gompers  at  the  head,  that  visited  England.  France,  and  Italy.  It 
has  been  stated  before  this  committee  that  there  is  a  tendenc}'  in 
certain  countries  to  hold  their  own  nationals  in  their  own  countries. 
While  we  were  in  Kome  we  were  called  before  the  commissioner  of 
emigration  of  Italy,  Avhich  is  evidently  a  permanent  office.  The  com- 
missioner of  emigration  and  some  of  the  gentlemen  in  his  office 
pointed  out  to  us  the  fact  that  in  the  last  few  years  many  Italians 
had  returned  to  their  country  to  fight  in  the  Italian  Army.  Many 
who  should  have  come  to  this  country  under  normal  conditions  were 
prevented  because  of  war  conditions.  Hence,  from  their  point  of 
vieAv.  we  owed  them  the  admission  of  about  one  million  and  a  half 
men.  and  they  asked  us  if  we  could  make  arrangements  or  if  we  could 
assist,  so  that  that  number  of  men  might  migrate  to  this  country 
without  the  usual  tests. 

Of  course,  we  told  them  Ave  could  not  do  that.  But  all  this  indi- 
cates that  there  is  no  tendency  there  to  prcA-ent  emigi-ation.  Rather 
there  is  a  tendency  to  encourage  emigration. 

I  haA'e  here  a  transcript  of  the  questions  asked  of  us  at  that  meetin.g 
by  the  commissioner  of  emigration,  suggesting  that  a  certain  number 
of  contract  laborers  might  be  sent  to  this  country.  They  Avanted  us 
to  consent  to  this.     TTe  did  not. 

The  CHAiRArAX.  Do  you  Avish  that  put  into  the  record? 

Mr.  Wallace.  If  you  please,  with  the  understanding  that  Ave  did 
not  accede  to  this  request.     It  was  a  resolution  presented  to  us. 

(The  resolution  referred  to  is  as  follows:) 

TRANSLATION  INTO  ENGLISH  OF  THK  MOTIONS  DISCt'SSEI)  AT  THE  MEKTINO  HELD  AT 
THE  OFFICE  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  GENERAL  OF  EMIGRATION -ON  OCTOBER  0.  1918, 
BETWEEN  THE  AMERICAN  LABOR  DELEGATION  OF  SAMUEL  GOMPERS,  THE  BOARD  OF 
EMIGRATION    AND    THE    BOARD    OF    LABOR. 

1.  Be  it  resolved.  That  the  American  Federation  of  Lalxir  be  reconnnended  to 
srive  its  snpport  to  the  request  made  by  the  Italian  people  in  the  United  States 
that  the  Italians  who  have  left  the  I'nited  States  to  join  the  Italian  military 
forces  be  freely  readmitted  in  the  United  States  after  the  war,  except  those 
who  are  to  be  excludeil  for  disease  or  sanitary  reasons. 

2.  Be  it  resolred.  That  the  American  Federation  of  Labor  be  recommended  to 
Sive  its  support  to  the  request  which  will  be  made  to  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment to  obtain  that  the  contract  laborers  be  admitted  in  the  United  States,  pro- 
vided that  they  arrive  with  a  contract  which  has  been  previously  approvetl  by 


504  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATIOX. 

the  proper  Aiueriean  autliDritifS.  and  that  those  laborers  which  arrive  with  siKh 
contracts  be  not  considered  as  undesirable  imniij2:rants. 

3.  Be  it  resolrcd,  I'liat  the  American  Federation  of  Labor  be  recommended  to 
establish,  through  the  proper  American  authorities,  special  agreements  with  the 
ollice  of  the  conimissioner  general  of  emigration  with  the  purpose  of  organizing 
a  regular  service  of  information  on  the  labor  conditions  and  on  the  industries 
which  do  not  need  Italian  laljor  and  on  all  other  subjects  which  may  be  useful 
to  direct,  control,  and  employ  the  Italian  emigrants. 

I  maintain,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  even  though  it  is  so  that  only 
800.000  people  could  come  to  this  countiT  in  the  course  of  a  year,  and 
that  800,000  so-called  dependents,  natural  dependents  upon  the  men 
now  here,  vxoiild  come,  it  would  be  of  advantage  rather  than  a  detri- 
ment to  this  country  to  have  the  money  that  is  now  being  sent  over 
there,  and  spent  over  there,  spent  in  this  country  to  keep  those,  natu- 
ral dependents. 

I  would  like  to  call  j^our  attention  to  one  more  thing,  and  then  I 
am  through. 

It  has  been  stated  by  several  witnesses  that  the  possible  number  of 
men,  women,  and  children  that  can  come  to  this  country  with  the 
present  equipment  is  800,000  per  annum.  The  records  we  have  for 
the  flood  time  of  immigration  show  that  101.000  came  over  in  October, 
103,000  came  over  in  November,  and  the  indications  were  that  at 
least  that  many  would  come  in  December.  Xow.  here  are  three  con- 
secutive months  in  which  upward  of  100,000  people  have  come  across. 
That  would,  if  carried  on,  make  a  possibility  of  1.200,000  rather  than 
800.000  that  might  come  to  this  country  in  a  year. 

The  Chairmax.  Have  you  figured  the  net  of  the  number  of  de- 
partures ? 

Mr.  "Wallace.  Yes.  sir;  I  realize  that  the  net  is  there,  but  the 
evidence  was  that  800,000  was  the  total  of  the  possible  incoming,  and 
then  the  emigration  was  deducted  from  that,  leaving  a  net  of  three 
or  four  hundred  thousand. 

Those  figures  indicate  that  1,200,000,  less  the  outgoing,  would  be 
possible. 

The  CHATR:NrAN.  The  committee  will  stand  adjourned  until  Tues- 
day next  at  half  past  10  o'clock. 

(Whereupon,  at  3.15  o'clock  p.  m..  the  committee  adjourned  until 
Tuesday,  January  18,  1921,  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m.) 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 


HEARINGS 

BEFORE  THE 

COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 
UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGKESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 

H.  R.  14461 

BILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZENS 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  BY  THE  TEMPORARY 
SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 
FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 

TUESDAY,  JANUARY  18,  1921 


PART  10 

Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on^Immigration 


^1^ 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
2G911  1921 


COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION. 

LeBARON  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island,  Chairman. 
WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,  Vermont.  THOMAS  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 

BOIES  PENROSE,  Pennsylvania.  JOHN  F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 

THOMAS  STERLING,  South  Dakota.  WILLIAM  H.  KING,  Utah. 

HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California.  WILLIAM  J.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 

HENRY  W.  KEYES,  New  Hampshire.  PAT  HARRISON,  Mississippi. 

•WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey.  JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 

Henb;  M.  Babei,  Clerk, 
n 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGEATION  LEGISLATIOX. 


TUESDAY,  JANTJASY  18,  1921. 

,  United  States  Senate, 

Committee  on  Immigration, 

Washingtaii^  D.  C. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  10.30  a.  m.,  in 
room  235,  Senate  Office  Building,  Senator  LeBaron  B.  Colt,  pre- 
siding. 

Present:  Senators  Colt  (chairman),  Dillingham.  Sterling,  Keyes, 
Harris,  and  Harrison. 

The  Chaitoian.  The  committee  will  please  come  to  order.  Mr. 
Husband. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  W.  W.  HUSBAND. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Mr.  Husband,  before  you  begin  testifying 
won't  you  please  tell  the  committee  what  your  connections  with  the 
general  question  of  immigration  have  been,  what  your  experience  has 
been. 

Mr,  Husband.  Mr.  Chairman.  I  was  clerk  of  this  committee,  the 
Senate  Committee  on  Immigration,  from  1903  to  1907,  when  the  law 
of  1907  was  under  consideration.  I  was  executive  secretary  of  the 
Immigration  Commission  from  1907  to   1911. 

Following  that  I  spent  about  two  years  in  the  Department  of  Com- 
merce and  Labor  as  chief  of  the  so-called  Division  of  Contract  Labor 
and  Induced  Immigration,  and  in  connection  with  that  work,  or  as  a 
continuation  of  it,  I  was  sent  to  Europe  by  the  present  Department 
of  Labor  for  six  months  to  study  the  causes  of  emigration,  particu- 
larly from  Russia,  the  Balkan  States,  and  Eastern  Europe. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  you  said  you  were  over  there  six  months. 
Will  you  state  when  those  six  months  were,  Mr.  Husband. 

Mr.  HusiJAND.  The  six  months  from  June,  1913,  to  the  end  of 
December,  1913. 

Senator  Dillingha:m.  And  since  that  time  you  have  been  in 
Europe,  have  you,  Mr.  Husband? 

Mr.  Husband.  I  was  in  Europe  two  years,  or  practically  two 
years,  during  the  war,  with  the  American  Red  Cross,  in  connection 
with  the  relief  of  American  prisoners  in  Germany,  most  of  the  time 
being  spent  in  Switzerland,  Denmark,  and,  after  the  armistice,  in 
Germany,  in  connection  with  the  repatriation  of  American  prisoners 
of  war. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Well,  as  secretary  of  the  commission  what 
European  countries  did  vou  visit  with  the  committee? 

505 


503  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

JNIr.  IfusBAND.  I  visited  with  the  commission  Italy,  Aiistria- 
Huiifjary,  Russia,  Sweden,  Denmark,  Germany,  Holhind,  Bel<j:ium, 
France,  and  Eriirhmd.  And  for  the  Department  of  Labor  I  visited 
■  practically  all  of  the  countries  in  eastern  Europe,  Russia,  Bulf^aria, 
hervia,  Greece,  Turke}^  in  Europe  and  Turkey  in  Asia,  and  also 
Germany,  Austria-Hunfj^ary,  and  Italy. 

Senator  Dillingiiaini.  Well,  I  have  asked  this  question  simply  to 
show  your  familiarity  with  the  subject,  and  now  I  would  su<:^-gest, 
Mr.  Chairman,  that  he  be  permitted  to  f^o  on  in  his  own  way  until 
the  Committee  think  of  somethinn;  they  want  to  ask  him. 

The  Chairman.  Proceed  in  your  own  way,  Mr.  liusband. 

Mr.  Husisand.  I  shall  attempt  to  keep  as  closely  as  possible  to  the 
subject  which  I  know  is  before  the  committee,  that  is  to  say  the 
present  emero;ency,  and,  if  the  emergency  exists,  I  shall  hope  to 
suggest  a  possible  means  of  meeting  it. 

Following  the  armistice  there  was  considerable  discussion  as  to 
the  possible  effect  that  the  war  would  have  on  immigration  to  the 
United  States.  There  was  little  in  the  way  of  precedent  to  judge 
by,  although  it  was  known  that  following  the  War  of  1912  and  the 
Napoleonic  Wars  there  was  a  sudden  rush  to  the  United  States, 
greater  than  ever  before,  which  created  an  emergency,  and  resulted 
in  the  adoption  of  the  first  passenger  act  for  the  protection  of  pas- 
sengers at  sea,  and  inciclentall}^  provided  for  the  collection  of  sta- 
tistics concerning  immigration,  the  first  that  we  have. 

The  disturbed  periods  in  Europe,  from  1S6-1  to  1871,  including 
the  Prussian- Austrian  War  against  Denmark,  the  Prussian- Austrian 
War  of  1866,  the  struggles  in  Italy,  and  finally  the  Franco-Prussian 
War,  perhaps  affords  a  suggestion  or  a  precedent  by  which  to  judge 
how  the  war  may  affect  the  present  situation,  or  at  least  which 
would  throw  some  light  on  the  present  situation. 

But  after  all  it  tells  very  little,  for  we  know  that  although  Germany 
gained  everything  it  desired  in  that  period,  Germany  continued  to 
send  immigrants  in  even  greater  numbers  than  had  come  from 
that  country  before. 

Italy,  which  gained  its  ambition  of  a  United  Italy,  began  to  send 
immigration  immediately  after  that. 

Austria,  which  lost  as  it  lost  in  the  latest  war,  began  to  send  im- 
migration, and  France,  which  lost,  of  course,  was  very  little  affected 
by  it.  There  was  a  slight  increase  in  our  immigration  from  France 
following  the  Franco-Prussian  War,  but  nothing  that  amounted  to 
anything. 

And  so  I  think  it  can  be  safely  said  that  the  war  in  itself  would 
probably  have  very  little  effect  on  immigration  to  the  United  States. 

But  the  underlying  cause  of  the  great  emigration  from  Europe  in 
the  past  century  is,  I  think,  due  to  the  very  simple  fact  that  the 
population  of  Europe  increased  from  about  175,000,000  in  1815  to 
about  450,000,000  in  1915,  and  it  was  simply  population  pressure 
which  was  the  cause  of  the  great  emigration  during  that  century. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Right  in  connection  with  that,  Mr.  Hus- 
band, you  give,  I  suppose,  some  credit  to  the  unusual  demands  for 
labor  here  owing  to  the  expansion  of  our  manufacturing  system  of 
this  country,  as  an  invitation  to  come  in? 

Mr.  Husband.  Oh,  yes,  indeed.  Of  course.  That  was  the  reason 
why  they  came  to  the  United  States.     The   population   pressure 


EMEKGEXCY  IMMIGRATION   LEQISLATIOX.  507 

practically  drove  them  out  of  Europe,  and  they  came  to  the  United 
States  because  there  was  room  and  a  demand  for  labor  here. 

The  Chairman,  But  isn't  it  true,  so  far  as  Germany  was  con- 
cerned, after  the  empire  ^vas  established  in  1871,  tliat  the  emigration 
from  Germany  gradua>lly  fell  off? 

Mr.  Husband.  It  increased.  Senator,  before  it  fell  off.  The  largest 
emigration  from  Germany  Avas  in  1882,  11  years  after  the  forma- 
tion of  the  German  Empire.  There  were  250,000  in  that  year.  Ger- 
man emigration  is,  I  think,  perculiar,  in  that  it  began  as  a  political 
emigration,  practically  as  a  political  emigration  rather  than  an  eco- 
nomic, which  has  been  the  case  of  practically  all  other  countries. 

The  Chairman.  You  mean  when  Carl  Schurz  and  others  came? 

Mr.  HusnAND.  Yes:  following  the  revolution  in  1S48.  That  was 
political.  And  even  after  the  formation  of  the  empire  it  continued 
to  be  in  part  political,  although  then  it  was  perhaps  more  economic 
than  political. 

The  Chairman.  I  had  an  idea  that  the  falling  off  in  the  German 
emigration  from  1880  down  to  the  period  of  the  war  was  due  to 
Bismarck's  policy  which  was  opposed  to  emigration,  and  Bis- 
marck's policy  of  giving  work  to  every  man  capable  of  work,  a 
policy  in  the  form  of.  you  might  say.  state  socialism :  and  also  due  to 
the  fact  that  Germany  changed  from  an  agricultural  country  to  an 
industrial  country ;  that  her  manufacturing  industries  increased 
enormously,  and  the  population  of  her  cities  increased  very  largely. 
So  that  there  were  two  causes :  The  policy  of  the  Government  to 
check  emigration  and  the  change  of  Germany  from  an  agricultural 
country,  largely,  to  an  industrial  country. 

At  any  rate,  we  know  that  the  immigration  from  Germany  from 
1880  on  fell  off  very  largely:  isn't  that  true? 

Mr.  Husband.  That  is  very  true,  and  that  decline  was  due  to  the 
economic  adjustment  of  Germany  following  Bismarck's  plan,  so  that 
the  population  was  cared  for  at  home. 

(Teimany  could  support  from  her  agricultural  resources  only 
about  60  per  cent  of  the  people,  even  at  the  opening  of  the  "World 
AVar,  and  before  the  great  development  of  industry  in  Germany  fur- 
nished employment  for  the  people  the  overflow  population  simply 
had  to  go  somewhere. 

The  Chairman.  Well,  Germany's  population  ran  up  in  that  period 
from  38.000.000  or  39.000.000  to  68.000,000  or  69,000,000. 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes. 

Senator  Harrison.  From  the  time  of  the  Franco-Prussian  War  up 
to  1882  there  was  a  gradual  increase  in  immigration,  you  say,  from 
Germany  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  No,  there  was  not  a  gradual  increase.  Senator,  for 
the  reason  that  from  1873  to  about  1877  and  1878  immigration  was 
at  a  very  low  ebb  from  every  source,  due  to  the  economic  depression 
here,  and  German  immigration  in  those  years.  1874,  1875,  1876,  and 
1877  was  lower  than  it  was  even  in  1866,  very  much  lower  than  it  was 
in  the  fifties. 

But  about  1878  it  began  to  increase,  and  by  1882  it  reached 
250,000,  which  was  the  highest  point,  and  then  continued  to  be  large, 
but  decreased  rather  gradually  following  1882  until  about  1890,  when 
it  became  what  you  might  call  normal,  and  it  continued  to  be  normal 
up  to  the  beginning  of  the  World  War. 


508 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION, 


Senator  Dillingham.  Mr.  Husband,  the  fact  that  that  was  in  your 
judgment  a  political  immigration  rather  than  an  economic  one,  I 
think  is  supported  by  the  fact  that  the  greater  portion  of  that  immi- 
gration was  made  up  of  men  who  brought  their  wives  and  their 
children  with  them,  with  intention  of  remaining  here  permanently, 
and  they  went  into  the  West  and  helped  in  that  development  of  our 
West  which  followed  the  war  between  the  States. 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes;  the  German  immigration,  though,  both  the 
political  and  economic  immigi'ation  from  Germany,  was  very  defi- 
nitely permanent  immigration;  it  came  to  stay.  It  was  never  like 
the  wants  of  temporal'}'-  labor  which  we  have  witnessed  in  recent 
years. 

I  was  speaking  of  observation  in  Europe  and  opinions  expressed 
in  Europe  during  the  six  months  following  the  armistice.  There 
were  some  who  believed  that  the  peoples  of  eastern  Europe,  having 
achieved  what  they  had  struggled  for,  self-determination  and  polit- 
ical freedom,  would  cease  to  come  to  the  United  States,  and  that  there 
would  even  be  a  large  return  movement  from  the  United  States  to 
those  countries. 

That  was  not  generally  believed,  however,  and  most  of  the  ob- 
servers with  whom  I  talked,  those  who  knew  the  conditions  in  that 
part  of  Europe,  predicted  that  as  soon  as  possible,  as  soon  as 
traveling  facilities  were  available,  there  would  be  a  return  of  the  pre- 
war movement,  and  possibly  even  an  increase. 

But  considering  the  fiscal  year  1920  as  a  whole,  the  statistics  as 
presented  in  the  Commissioner  General's  Annual  Keport  do  not  seem 
to  support  extreme  theories  in  either  direction.  Taken  month  by 
month,  however,  they  appear  to  show  a  decided  drift  toward  pre- 
war conditions,  both  as  regards  immigration  to  and  emigration  from 
the  United  States.  The  figures  that  I  shall  give  are  for  immigrant 
and  emigrant  aliens  only,  I  don't  need  to  explain  the  difference 
between  immigrant  and  nonimmigi-ant  and  emigrant  and  nonemi- 
grant  aliens,  I  am  sure. 

In  other  words,  at  the  beginning  of  the  fiscal  year  emigi-ation  con- 
siderably exceeded  immigration,  while  during  the  last  month  of 
the  year,  June,  1920,  immigration  was  about  two  and  a  half  times  as 
great  as  emigration. 

I  shall  insert  a  table  showing  immigration  bv  months  for  the  year 
ending  June  30,  1920. 

Immigration  and  emigration,  hy  months,  fiscal  year  eliding  June  SO.  1920. 


Immigrant 

aliens 
admitted. 


Emigrant 

aliens 
departed. 


July 

August 

September . 

October 

November . 
December.. 

January 

February . . 

March 

April 

May 

June 

Total 


152 

597 
5.H4 
418 
219 
913 
S58  i 
606  ! 
971  1 
219  i 
772 
692  I 


25,757 
28,934 
27,770 
25,447 
36,105 
22,199 
27,086 
11,607 
22,639 
19, 107 
17, 121 
24,542 


430, 001 


288,315 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  509 

The  Chairman.  Just  a  moment,  please,  Mr.  Husband.    Congress- 
man Hudspeth  wishes  to  make  a  statement.  — \ 

Congressman  Hudspeth  of  Texas.  I  just  ask  one  moment,  Mr.  l 
Chairman,  to  present  certain  affidavits  from  farmers,  bankers,  and 
business  men  of  Texas  relative  to  the  statement  that  has  been  made 
here  that  the  Mexican  labor  was  not  wanted  by  Texas ;  relative  to  the 
statement  that  the  Mexicans  were  used  to  corrupt  the  policies  of 
Texas,  and  relative  to  the  statement  that  they  were  drafted  into 
peonage  when  they  came  across. 

The  Chairman.  They  may  be  placed  in  the  record. 

(The  letters  and  -affidavits  presented  by  Congressman  Hudspeth 
are  here  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

Texas  Cotton  Growers  Saxes  Agency, 

Corpus  Christi,  Tex.,  January  14,  1921. 
Hon,  C.  B.  Hudspeth,  M.  C. 

Washington,  D.  C. 

Dear  Sir  :  My  attention  has  been  called  to  the  statements  made  by  Mr.  Box 
from  the  Jacksonville  district  in  regard  to  Mexican  labor.  With  reference  to 
the  statements  made,  I  desire  to  say  that  I  have  been  a  farmer  in  this  county, 
cultivating  774  acres,  and  have  employed  Mexican  labor  for  10  years.  I  never 
knew  of  their  being  brought  across  the  border  for  political  i)urposes.  These 
laborers  have  been  well  paid  for  their  work.  They  were  furnished  with  wood 
and  water,  and  medical  attendance  when  necessary,  and  comfortable  quarters 
have  been  given  them.  They  are  absolutely  necessary  to  the  agricultural  life 
of  this  country,  and  the  statement  that  they  were  not  desired  is  untrue. 
Respectfully  submitted. 

B.    F.    WOLCOTT. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this  14th  day  of  January,  A.  D.  1921. 
[sBLiL.]  Minnie  Talbott, 

Notary  Piihlic,  Nueces  County,  Tex. 


Corpl's  Christi,  Tex.,  Janiiarij  14,  1921. 
Hon.  Clal'de  Hudspeth,  M.  C, 

Washington.  D.  C. 
Dear  Sir  :  The  Coit)us  Christi  Conunercial  Association  wishes  you  to  em- 
phatically deny  for  them  the  statement  of  Hon.  J.  E.  Box  from  the  .Jackson- 
ville district  as  being  wholly  wrong  when  he  says  ^Mexicans  are  permitted  to 
vote  without  first  complying  with  every  State  law  which  has  to  do  with 
citizenship.  The  farmers  of  Nueces  County,  the  greatest  cotton-growing  county 
in  south  Texas,  must  have  this  labor  to  clear  their  laud,  to  chop  and  pick  the 
cotton,  and  do  other  forms  of  unskilled  labor  necessary  in  the  carrying  on  of 
successfftil  agriculture. 

Yours,  very  truly, 

.  Corpus   Christi   Commercial  Association, 

By  W.  P.  Helscher,  President. 

Sworn  and  subscribed  to  before  me  this  the  14th  day  of  January.  A.  D.  1921. 
[SEAL.]  R.  L.  Garrett. 

Notary  Public  in  and  for  Nueces  County,  Tex. 


Corpus  Christi,  Tex.,  January  14.  1921. 
Hon.  Claude  Hudspeth.  M.  C, 

Washington.  D.  C. 
Dear  Mr.  Hltjspeth  :  I  have  just  read  your  telegram  to  Roy  Miller,  this 
city,  in  which  you  make  the  statement  that  Mr.  J.  E.  Box,  M.  C.  from  the 
Jacksonville  district  in  Texas,  has  made  the  charges  in  a  hearing  before  the 
Senate  Immigration  Committee  recently  that  the  cotton  farmers  of  southwest 
Texas  immigrate  from  Mexico  Mexicans  for  political  purposes,  and  that  tlie 


510  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

Mexicans  so  imported  are  practically  poons  while  engaged  on  this  side  of  the 
border,  are  not  properly  paid,  and  that  the  Mexicans  imported  are  not  needed. 

In  reply  to  this  charge  wis-h  to  say  that  I  have  been  farming  in  this  country 
for  15  years,  and  for  tlie  past  seven  or  eight  years  I  have  had  under  cultivation 
around  7,(XH)  acres  of  land.  I  employ  a  great  many  Mexicans,  pay  them  the 
regular  current  wages  for  all  labor  done,  such  as  cotton  picking,  cotton  chop- 
ping, etc.,  and  many  of  these  laborers  during  the  cotton-picking  season  made 
as  high  as  $7  per  day.  All  Mexicans  »'mploye(l  by  me  have  good  quarters,  wood 
and  water  is  furnisheil  to  them,  and  we  give  them  a  square  deal  in  every  re- 
spect. The  fact  is  they  made  .*o  much  mtmey  that  an  average  of  four  days' 
work  per  week  is  about  the  ordinary  service  rendered.  Not  to  my  knowletlge 
has  there  ever  been  an  impor-ted  ^lexican  who  voted  in  any  election  in  Nuf>ces 
Ck)unty.  An  examination  of  the  poll  list  of  those  who  voted  in  the  primary  and 
general  election  will  disclose  the  fact  that  practically  no  Mexicans  vote  in 
this  county.  Quite  a  few  vote  in  the  city,  but  these  are  regular  bona  tide 
citizens  of  tlie  State.  I  am  well  acquainttnl  with  conditions  in  Xuece.s,  San 
Patricio,  and  adjoining  counties,  and  I  know  from  my  own  knowledge  that 
Mexicans  are  not  imported  for  political  purposes.  ntMther  are  they  treated  as 
peons  while  here,  but  on  the  other  hand  they  are  well  treate<l.  well  paid,  and 
well  taken  care  of.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  abundance  of  Mexican  labor  in 
this  country  and  that  available  in  Mexico  I  would  never  have  developed  my 
farms  and  75  per  cent  of  the  land  in  this  country  would  not  be  cultivated. 

~  .7.  E.  Garrett. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  to  before  me  this  the  14th  day  of  January,  A.  D.  1921. 
[SEAL.]  R.  L.  Garrett, 

Sotary  Public,  Xcuces  County,  Tex. 

The  State  of  Texas, 

County  of  Kleberg. 

Before  me,  the  undersigned  authority,  personally  came  and  appeared,  A.  M. 
White,  who.  being  duly  sworn  deposes  and  says: 

I  am  by  occupation  a  farmer,  residing  and  farming  laud  in  Kleberg  Oaunty, 
Texas,  and  each  year  employ  Mexican  labor  for  the  purpose  of  cultivating  and 
harvesting  the  crops  grown  on  said  land. 

I  have  learned  of  the  statement  made  by  Congressman  Box  before  the  Immi- 
gration Committee  in  which  he  stated  that  Mexicans  being  brought  across  from 
Mexico  were  reduced  to  peonage  amounting  to  absolute  slavery,  were  brought 
across  for  the  purpose  of  polluting  the  policies  of  the  State  and  its  courts,  and 
furthermore,  that  the  people  of  Texas  did  not  want  the  hordes  of  Mexicans 
brought  across. 

The  statement  made  by  Congressman  Box  in  this  respect  is  not  correct.  Mexi- 
cans imported  to  this  country  for  farm  labor  are  well  treated,  receive  ample  pay 
for  their  labor,  are  not  worked  longer  hours  than  customary  on  the  farm  in 
other  sections,  and  are  brought  into  the  country  for  labor  purposes  only ;  in  fact, 
the  farmers  of  this  section  are  entirely  dependent  upon  this  class  of  labor  for 
producing  and  harvesting  their  crops.  To  prevent  these  laborers  from  crossing 
over  from  Mexico  during  the  crop  season  would  work  a  serious  handicap  on  the 
farmers  of  this  section. 

A.  M.  White. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  this  14th  day  of  January,  1921. 
[seal.]  Chas.  H.  Flato,  Jr., 

Notary  Public,  Kleberg  County,  Texas. 


The  State  of  Texas, 

County  of  Kleberg. 

Before  me,  the  undersigned  authority,  personally  came  and  appeared  Chas.  H. 
Hato,  who  being  duly  sworn  depos;es  and  says : 

I  am  by  occupation  a  farmer,  residing  and  farming  land  in  Kleberg  County, 
Texas,  and  each  year  employ  Mexican  labor  for  the  purpose  of  cultivating  and 
harvesting  tlie  crops  grown  on  said  land. 

I  have  learned  of  the  statement  made  by  Congressman  Box  before  the  Immi- 
gration Committee  in  which  he  stated  that  Mexicans  being  brought  across  from 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGEATION   LEGISLATION.  •         511 

Mexico  were  reduced  to  peonajie  aniountiiijj:  to  alisolute  slavery,  were  brought 
across  for  the  purpose  of  polluting  the  policies  of  the  State  and  its  courts,  and 
furthermore  that  the  people  of  Texas  did  not  want  the  hordes  of  Mexicans 
brought  across. 

The  statement  made  by  Congressman  Box  in  this  respect  is  not  correct. 
Mexicans  imported  to  this  country  for  farm  labor  are  well  treated,  receive 
ample  i)ay  for  their  labor,  are  not  woi'ked  longer  hours  than  customary  on  the 
farm  in  other  sections,  and  are  brought  into  the  country  for  lal)or  i)urposes 
only;  in  fact,  the  farmers  of  this  section  are  entirely  dependent  iijion  this 
class  of  labor  for  producing  and  harvesting  their  crops.  To  prevent  these  labor- 
ers from  crossing  over  from  Mexico  during  the  crop  season  would  work  a 
serious  handicap  on  the  farmers  of  this  section. 

Chas.  H.  H.^to. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  this  ]4  day  of  January.  1921. 
[Seal.]  .  Ed  Clark, 

Notary  Public,  Klehen/  County,  Texas. 


The  State  of  Texas,  County  of  ^'al  Verde. 

Before  me,  the  luidersigned  authority,  in  and  for  said  county  and  State,  on 
this  day  personally  appeared  John  J.  Foster,  a  citizen  of  Del  Rio,  Val  Verde 
County,  Tex.,  who  being  first  duly  sworn,  on  oath,  deposes  and  says:  That  he 
is  and  has  been  for  the  past  17  years  a  resident  of  Del  Rio,  Val  Vex'de  County, 
Tex.,  where  he  has  practised  law  during  that  time ;  that  he  has  among  his 
clients  a  great  many  Mexican  people;  that  he  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 
condition  of  Mexican  laborers  in  Texas  and  has  been  for  the  past  15  years ;  that 
of  the  many  thousands  of  Mexican  farm  laborers  who  lived  in  Del  Rio  and 
vicinity  he  does  not  know  of  a  single  instance,  and  absolutely  denies  that  there 
has  been  a  single  instance,  when  the  condition  of  the  Mexican  has  not  been 
improved  very  materially  by  their  employment  upon  the  ranches  and  farms  of 
Texas;  affiant  further  says  that  he  knew  Congressman  Box  intimately  w^hen 
Box  lived  in  Del  Rio ;  that  he  only  lived  here  a  short  time  and  at  that  time  it 
had  been  the  custom  of  the  political  factions  along  the  border  to  pollnte  the 
ballot  box  by  voting  illiterate  and  alien  IMexicans ;  atliant  further  states,  how- 
ever, that  this  practice  has  not  existed  for  more  than  10  years  and  was  stopped 
by  the  influence  of  the  American  citizenship  exerting  themi-elves  against  snch 
practice  and  invoking  the  aid  of  the  State  and  Federal  officials;  that  the  Mexi- 
can people  who  are  brought  across  are  paid  excellent  wages  and  their  children 
are  given  access  to  the  public  schools  and  they  are  housed  comfortably  with  the 
result  that  thousands  of  them  have  become  permanent  resident--,  owming  their 
liomes  and  the  second  generation  of  Mexicans  invariably  become  Americanized, 
.4nd  as  a  race  they  are  peaceable,  law-abiding,  and  make  an  ideal  laboring  class 
for  farm  help,  ranch  help,  and  railroad  work;  to  deprive  the  people  of  Texas 
and  the  other  border  States  of  the  use  of  Mexican  labor  will  be  to  paralyze  and 
ruin  the  hundreds  of  indu^^tries  as  there  is  no  other  labor  available  in  these 
States.  The  facts  above  set  forth  can  be  verified  by  any  reputable  citizen  or 
chamber  of  commerce  along  the  Mexican  border.  Aside  from  this,  there  are 
hundreds  of  sons  and  daughters  of  Mexican  immigrants  who  are  now  occupying 
places  or  trust  among  the  American  people,  such  as  bank  clerks.  Army  officers, 
managers  of  industrial  enterprises,  school-teachers,  and  other  positions  too 
numerous  to  mention.  Affiant  has  in  mind  one  boy,  whose  father  can  not  read 
and  write  and  is  a  Mexican  immigrant,  who  graduated  at  the  Del  Rio  High 
School,  enlisted  in  the  American  Army,  and  is  now  an  artillery  officer,  prior  to 
which  time  he  worked  his  way  through  the  Texas  State  University.  There 
are  many  others  of  this  class ;  and  Congressman  Box's  statement  before  the 
Immigration  Commission  is  a  slander,  both  upon  the  American  and  Mexican 
people ;  and  further  affiant  saith  not. 

JOHN  J.  FOSTER. 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  this,  the  13th  dav  of  January,  A.  D.  1921. 

[SEAL.]  C.  P.  SCARERS. 


512       •  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

The  State  of  Texas,  Couxtv  of  Vat.  Vebde. 

The  following:  bus^iiiess  men.  ranchmon,  and  bankers  do  hereby  state  that  it 
i.s  impossible  and  will  be  impossible  for  years  for  the  people  along  the  Mt'xi- 
ran  border  on  the  AnitMican  side  to  carry  on  business  without  the  assistance  of 
Mexican  labor.  As  a  laboring  class,  the  Mexican  laborers  are  essential.  They 
are  used  in  preference  to  any  other  class  of  labor,  as  section  liands  on  railways, 
as  repairers  in  machine  shops,  as  clerks  in  stores,  as  farmers,  ranch  lal)orers; 
and  they  are  particularly  adept  as  cowboys,  sheep  and  goat  herders  and 
shearers.  We  absolutely  deny  that  any  case  of  peonage  can  be  proven,  and  we 
refer  the  immigration  Committee  of  the  Federal  Congress  to  any  chamber  of 
commerce  at  any  point  along  the  Mexican  border  where  conditions  are  known. 
Of  course,  there  ai-e  occasionally  acts  of  injustice  connnitied,  which  is  inevitable 
where  thousands  of  this  class  of  labor  are  employed.  The  very  best  of  feeling 
exists  bewteen  employer  and  employed ;  and  it  is  the  uanimous  opinion  of  the 
people  along  the  border  that  they  be  permitted  to  have  acce.ss  to  this,  their  only 
supply  of  labor,  for  without  access  of  this  source  of  supply,  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  carry  on  the  sheep,  goat  and  cattle  industry,  and  it  would  be  impossible 
to  carry  on  the  big  farms  along  the  lower  Rio  Grande  Valley.  We  beseech  the 
Immigration  Committee  to  pay  no  attention  to  irrelevant,  immaterial,  or  hear- 
say testimony,  but  to  seek  information  from  the  industrial  bodies  and  cham- 
bers of  commerce  in  the  area  where  this  lalior  is  empkiyed  and  utilized. 

R.  L.  MiEBH.  Arthur  Evans. 

C.  A.  MooKWARD.         A.  Ab.  Rose. 

C.  B.  Wardlaw.  Hal  A.  Hamilton. 

Frank  Greenwood.     L.  Reed. 

Frank  Cochran.         C.  O.  Paekeb. 

.1.  R.  Hamilton.  M.  Herbst. 

J.  D.  Cooper.  J.  O.  Taylor. 

B.  J.  McDowell.         Wlll  G.  Whttehead. 

Sworn  and  subscribed  to  before  me,  this  the  13th  day  of  January,  A.  D.  1921. 
[seal.]  C.  C.  Roberts, 

Count}/   Clerk,    Tal   Verde   County,    Texas. 
.  By  W.  A.  Daniels, 

Deputy. 


Knoiv  all  men  by  these  presents: 

That  I  am  a  farmer  and  I  have  lived  at  Robstown  farming  neighborhood 
for  several  years.  Thar  during  these  years  I  have  had  ever>-  year  to  resort  to 
the  Mexican  labor  to  get  my  cotton  picke«l  and  without  it  I  would  have  been 
unable  to  liarvest  my  crop.  That  I  have  never  nor  do  I  know  of  any  place 
where  IVIexicans  have  been  worked  against  their  will  or  for  less  than  a  just 
wage  for  the  class  of  work  done. 

That  the  Mexicans  that  I  have  dealt  with  were  not  imported  for  any  political 
purpose  whatever,  and  further  that  the  vote  of  the  naturalize<l  Mexican  is  of 
a  negligible  factor  in  the  political  parries  of  this  territory.  That  I  am  entirely 
dependent  on  the  ^lexican  for  the  harvesting  of  crops  and  if  unable  to  secure 
this  class  of  labor  will  suffer  heavy  losses. 

H.  N.  Beakley. 

Subscribed  and  sworn  before  me,  this  the  14th  day  f>f  .Tanuary,  A.  D.  1921. 

H.  M.  Roper. 
Xotnry  Public  in  and-  for  Xua-es  County. 

The  subjoined  telegram  from  the  ^laniifacturers  Association  of 
San  Antonio,  on  the  same  subject  is  herewith  printed  in  fidl,  as 
follows : 

San  Antonio.  Tkx.,  January  12.  192J. 

Senator  Colt,    chairman    Senate   Committee   on    Immigration.    I'nited    States 

Senate,  Washington.  I).  C. 

Representing  some  ."tOO  industries,  we  vigorously  protest  statement  and  views 
reported  by  press  made  by  Ri'prcsentative  Box  before  your  c<tminittee.  Impera- 
tive for  agricultural  industrial  interests  southwest  Texas  that  Johnson  immi- 
gration bill  be  .so  amende<l  that  Mexican  labor  be  permitted  to  enter.  South- 
west Texas  dependent  almost  entirely  this  class  labor  in  working  and  gathering 
crops  and  common  labor  necessary  for  industries. 

Manufactl'rers  Association  of  San  Antonio. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  513 

The  Chairman.  You  may  continue,  Mr.  Husband. 

Mr.  Husband.  I  wonder  if  I  made  it  clear  that  in  Jul}',  1919 — 
that  is,  at  the  beginning  of  the  last  fiscal  year — immigration  into  the 
United  States  was  low ;  emigration  from  the  United  States  was  rel- 
atively large.  It  exceeded  the  immigration  into  the  United  States. 
But  during  the  year  immigration  increased,  while  emigration  re- 
mained fairly  normal,  so  at  the  end  of  the  fiscal  year,  June,  1920, 
the  immigration  to  the  United  States  was  two  and  a  half  times  as 
great  as  the  emigration  out,  showing  a  drift  toward  normal  con- 
ditions, showing   a   drift  toward  prewar  conditions. 

Senator  Hakkison.  Why  do  you  think  there  was  such  an  emigra- 
tion out  of  the  United  States  in  1919  proportionately  greater  than 
into  the  United  States? 

Mr.  HusBAKD.  Oh,  because,  for  one  thing,  the  immigration-emi- 
gration of  1920  was  hardly  a  normal  movement  anyway.  It  was  a 
rush  one  way  or  the  other,  in  order  to  unite  families.  Those  com- 
ing from  Europe  were  largely  what  we  might  call  the  pent-up  immi- 
gration of  several  years,  people  who  were  all  ready  to  come,  who 
would  have  come  during  the  war  years  had  it  been  possible.  And  the 
emigration  out  was  of  the  free-footed  people  in  the  United  States 
who  wanted  to  get  back  to  see  what  had  happened,  to  join  their  fam- 
ilies there,  or  to  see  what  had  actually  occurred  in  their  countries. 

I  am  surprised,  and  have  been,  that  more  people  did  not  go. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Husl)and.  here  is  the  range  in  tabulated 
form  of  the  immigration  into  and  the  return  from  the  United  States 
from  1909  to  1920,  and  in  looking  at  that  table,  beginning  in  1909, 
you  will  find  that  those  going  out  were  from  33^  to  50  per  cent  of 
those  coming  in. 

During  the  first  month  or  two,  beginning  with  the  1st  of  Ji^ly, 
you  will  find  that- those  going  home  increased  up  to  50  per  cent,  but 
now  we  are  getting  back  so  that  the  number  who  return  is  getting 
down  to  between  35  and  40  per  cent. 

But  running  over  a  period  of  years  j^ou  will  see  from  that  sum- 
mary that  it  runs  from  50  to  33;^  per  cent  during  a  series  of  years. 

Mr,  Husband.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  The  tide  going  out  runs  from  33^  to  50  per  cent 
of  those  coming  in. 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes.  I  think  this  table,  however,  is  based  on  the 
total  alien  movement  to  and  from  the  United  States — that  is,  in- 
cluding immigrant  and  nonimmigrant  aliens,  and  emigrant  and  non- 
emigrant;  in  other  words,  includes  both  the  permanent  and  the  tem- 
porary. 

The  outgoing  tide,  if  you  take  the  two  classes  together — that  is,  the 
emigrant  and  nonemigrant,  those  who  go  back  temporarily,  and  those 
who  go  back  permanently,  will  ordinarily  show  a  larger  proportion 
of  outgoing,  because  thej^  do  go  tem]:)orarily  in  large  numbers  fol- 
lowing depression  in  this  country.  But  if  you  take  those  who  go 
permanently  abroad  to  stay,  leave  this  country  definitely  to  take  up 
a  permanent  residence  in  another  country,  it  amounts  to  25  to  30  per 
cent  of  the  incoming  movement  and  is  fairly  normal ;  it  doesn't 
fluctuate  greatly. 

Senator  Harrison.  And  you  don't  think  there  has  been  an  increase 
during  the  past  two  years,  of  those  who  go  back  permanenth'.  over 
the  prewar  period? 


514  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

]Mr.  Husband.  No  ;  it  has  been  smaller,  I  should  say.  I  have  the 
lijrures  here.  The  average  immigration  into  the  United  States  in 
the  month  of  June  of  the  years  from  1910  to  1914 — that  is,  for  five 
years  before  the  war — was  103,292. 

The  immigration  in  the  month  of  June,  1920,  was  62,692.  Smaller, 
of  course. 

Tlio  average  emigration  from  the  Ignited  States  in  the  month  of 
June  of  the  years  1910  to  1914  was  26  202. 

The  emigration  in  the  month  of  June,  1920,  was  24,543,  just  a  little 
less  tlian  the  normal  for  that  month.  And  I  think,  from  what  I 
have  seen  of  the  statistics  and  have  be-en  able  to  judge  of  the  return 
movement  since  July  1,  that  the  return  movement  has  about  readied 
its  normal  status  numerically,  about  the  same  numbers  that  ordi- 
narily go  back,  although  the  relative  numbers,  compared  with  im- 
migration, may  be  somewhat  larger. 

Apparently  the  increase  in  immigration  has  continued  up  to  the 
end  of  the  calendar  year,  and  emigration  has  continued  in  about  nor- 
mal proportions. 

From  the  testimony,  that  has  been  presented  to  the  committee  it 
may  be  estimated  that  about  60,000  immigrant  aliens  were  admitted 
from  Europe  alone  in  December.  1920.  I  have  taken  the  total  num- 
ber and  deducted  the  percentage  of  nonimmigrant,  and  so  on,  and 
it  seems  that  about  60,000  immigrants  were  admitted  from  Europe 
alone  in  December,  1920,  while  the  average  number  admitted  from 
all  sources  in  December,  in  the  five  years  1910  to  1914,  was  72,304. 

Therefore,  if  as  many  as  75,000  immigrant  aliens  were  admitted 
from  all  sources  in  December — as  seems  very  probable  from  the  testi- 
mony— immigration  in  that  month  was  somewhat  above  the  normal 
of  prewar  years. 

Emigration  during  the  month  of  December  is  always  relatively 
hiffh,  the  average  for  the  month  in  the  years  1910  to  1914  being 
357436. 

I  have  not  the  figures  for  December  of  this  year,  although  I  think 
the  chairman  estimated  it  at  something  like  30,000;  that  is,  the  num- 
ber of  those  outgoing. 

According  to  the  testimony  submitted  to  the  committee,  it  seems  to 
be  the  prevailing  opinion  that  from  600,000  to  700,000  immigrants 
will  come  from  Europe  during  the  next  12  months,  and  perhaps  even 
during  the  present  fiscal  year. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Husband,  you  spoke  of  the  figures  for  De- 
cember of  this  year.  I  have  not  the  outgoing  figures  for  December. 
The  outgoing  for  November  was  34,000. 

Mr.  Husband.  Well,  that  was  the  figure  I  had  in  mind,  then. 

It  seems  to  be  the  prevailing  opinion  that  from  600,000  to  700,000 
immigrants  will  come  from  Europe  to  this  country  during  the  next 
12 -months,  and  that  perhaps  that  number  will  come  even  during  the 
present  fiscal  year. 

During  the  15  years  preceding  the  war,  from  1900  to  1914,  the 
average  annual  number  admitted  from  Europe  was  810,573.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  anticipated  influx  during  the  present  year  will  be 
only  100,000  to  200,000  below  the  average  prior  to  the  war,  and  it 
must  be  remembered  that  several  of  the  principal  sources  of  immi- 
gration are  still  practically  closed,  and  that  ocean  carrying  facilities 
are  still  below  normal. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOiSr   LEGISLATION.  515 

In  this  connection  it  is  pointed  out  that  Austria-Hunfjary,  Bul- 
garia, Servia,  Montenegro,  Greece,  Roumania,  Russia,  Turkey  in 
Europe,  and  Turkey  in  Asia  contributed  612,780  immigrant  aliens 
in  1914,  while  the  same,  or  essentially  the  same,  territory  sent  only 
33,157  immigrants  in  1920. 

In  other  Avords,  our  present  immigration  has  scarcely  tapped  that 
source  in  Europe. 

Senator  Harrison.  Why  is  that? 

Mr.  Husband.  Well,  the  jjeople  of  Russia,  of  course,  are  practically 
barred  from  coming. 

Austria-Hungary  is  still  at  war  with  the  United  States. 

Immigration  from  Greece  has  partially  revived,  but  only  about 
half  of  the  usual  number  are  coming  from  that  country. 

The  traveling  facilities  from  the  Balkan  States  and  Turkey  are 
still  very  poor. 

Now,  it  is  not  at  all  conceivable  that  these  conditions  will  continue 
very  long,  and  in  view  of  developments  in  the  last  year  it  seems  en- 
tirely reasonable  to  expect  that  when  the  present  theoretical  state  of 
war  between  the  United  States  and  the  Central  Powers  no  longer 
exists  immigration  from  Europe  will  soon  resume,  and  probably  ex- 
ceed, average  prewar  proportions. 

If  peace  and  prosperity  should  suddenly  pervade  central  and  east- 
ern Europe  this  prediction  might  fail  of  realization,  but,  unfor- 
tunately, the  trend  in  that  direction  is  slow.  Assured  stability  in 
Russia  under  a  liberal  government  would  doubtless  turn  a  consid- 
erable part  of  the  tide  of  European  emigration  eastward  for  a  time 
at  least,  but  this  also  is  a  remote  possibility,  and  there  seems  to  be 
every  indication  that  the  overflow  population  will  move  to  the  New 
World  as  it  has  in  the  past. 

AVhat  might  be  called  the  flood  time  of  immigration  from  the 
United  Kingdom  lasted  50  years,  and  that  from  Germany  about  the 
same  period.  I  mean,  from  the  time  that  it  became  something  like  a 
flood  until  it  had  subsided,  until  it  was  practically  normal.  It  con- 
tinued about  50  years. 

Immigration  from  Italy,  Austria-Hungary,  and  Russia  had  been 
at  the  flood  stage  only  about  25  years  when  the  war  began,  and  there 
was  no  indication  of  a  diminishing  volume  for  many  years  to  come. 

Greece  and  Turkey  had  been  at  the  flood  stage  less  than  15  years, 
and  Spain  is  only  at  the  beginning. 

So  if  the  normal  course  of  immigration  continued,  if  the  history 
of  immigration  from  Germany  and  from  the  United  Kingdom  was 
repeated,  it  would  mean  that  immigration  from  Italy,  Austria- 
Hungary,  and  Russia  would  continue  for  at  least  25  years  more  at 
the  flood  stage. 

Senator  Harrison.  From  Spain  it  would  continue  at  the  flood 
stage  about  35  years  more  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  Well,  the  immigration  from  Spain  is  only  just  at 
the  beginning. 

Senator  Harrison.  It  is  just  beginning? 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes;  and  that  from  Greece  and  Turkey,  30  or  35 
years. 

Now,  taking  up  briefly  some  other  phases  of  immigration  and  emi- 
gration during  the  fiscal  year  1920:  The  movement  to  and  from 


516 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


northern  Europe  and  western  Europe,  except,  of  course,  in  the  case 
of  Germany,  resumed  to  a  considerable  degree  its  prewar  status. 

I  have  a  table  showing  that,  if  3'ou  would  care  to  have  it  inserted 
into  the  record. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  go  in  the  record. 

(The  table  of  immigration  from  and  emigration  to  northern  and 
western  Europe,  presented  by  Mr.  Husband,  is  herewith  printed  in 
full,  as  follows:) 

Immigration   from   and  emigration  to   northern  and  western  Eurorpe  in  years 

sijerified. 


Immigration 
(average). 


1910-1914 


1920 


Emigration 
(average). 


1910-1914  i      1920 


Belgium 

Denmark.... 

France 

Germany. . . . 
Netherlands 

Norway 

Sweden 

Switzerland. 

England 

Ireland 

Scotland 

Walos 


690 
694 
601 
239 
174 
416 
843 
702 
753 
482 
678 
274 


6,574 
3,137 
8,945 
1,001 
5,187 
4,445 
5,8<i2 
3,785 
27,871 
9,591 
9,347 
1.253 


945 

561 
3,401 
5,588 

555 
1,849 
1,868 

563 
5,988 
2,669 
1,893 

161 


1,846 
1,477 
4,477 
3,069 
1,017 
3,022 
3,109 
1,103 
8,099 
3,735 
1,488 
141 


Mr.  Husband.  Xow,  this  table  shows,  for  example,  that  in  the 
case  of  two  •  countries.  France  and  Switzerland,  immigration  was 
higher  in  1920  than  it  had  been  pre%'ious  to  the  war. 

There  has  been  considerable  testimony  relatiA-e  to  the  small  amount 
of  money  possessed  by  recent  immigrants  on  arrival,  and  if  the  testi- 
mony is  generally  aj)plicable  to  immigrants  now  arriving  a  con- 
siderable change  has  occurred  since  the  fiscal  year  1920,  when  the 
average  amount  shown  by  those  showing  money  was  $119,  compared 
with  only  S44  in  1910  to  1914,  The  law  provides  that  the  arriving 
immigrant  must  state  whether  he  has  $50.  and  if  he  has  less  than  $50 
he  must  show  how  much  he  ha.^.  It  does  not  require  him  to  show  the 
amount  he  has  above  $50.  But  if  he  has  less  than  $50  he  must 
show  it. 

The  per  cent  showing  less  than  $50  in  the  years  from  1910  to  1914 
was  82.7  per  cent. 

The  per  cent  showing  less  than  $50  in  1920  was  only  51. -4  per  cent. 

The  average  for  all  immigrants  in  1920  was  $76,  as  compared  with 
$35  in  1914. 

Xow  that  shows,  if  anything,  that  the  immigrants  in  1920  at  least 
were  much  ]»etter  supplied  witli  money  than  those  who  came  previous 
to  the  war,  but  that  is  easily  accounted  for.  I  think,  because  so  large 
a  proportion  came  from  northern  and  western  Europe  in  1920.  and 
so  few  from  the  southern  and  eastern  Europe. 

The  per  cent  of  females  increased  from  33.5  per  cent  before  the 
war  to  42.4  per  cent.  And  in  the  case  of  some  races,  particularly  the 
Italian,  the  increase  was  from  about  25  per  cent  of  females  before 
the  war  to  nearly  50  per  cent  in  1920.  The  percentage  of  Greek 
females  more  than  doubled :  from  9.2  per  cent  to  20.2  per  cent. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  517 

These  figures,  of  course,  indicate  that  the  proportion  of  families 
was  higher  in  1920  than  in  1910  to  1914,  and  that  therefore  the  im- 
migration of  the  year  -will  be  more  permanent.  The  increase  in 
female  immigration  is  not  surprising  under  the  circumstances. 

As  already  suggested — and  here  I  take  up  what  I  deem  to  be  the 
emergency  in  the  situation — it  seems  very  probable  that  immigra- 
tion from  Europe  will  soon  reach  pre-war  proportions,  and  that 
when  communication  with  all  European  countries  is  resumed,  and 
facilities  of  travel  are  fully  restored,  the  influx  may  and  probably 
will  be  greater  than  ever. 

We  can  hardly  expect  an  important  increase  from  north  and 
west  Europe  unless  it  be  from  Germany,  but  there  seems  to  be  every 
evidence  that  unless  restricted,  there  will  be  a  resumption  of  pre- 
war influx  from  southern  and  eastern  Europe.  I  believe  this  to 
be  the  emergency  which  the  country  now  faces. 

Of  course  I  do  not  believe  that  an  emergency  exists  in  the  sense 
that  disaster  is  impending,  but  simply  that  there  is  immediate  dan- 
ger of  a  return  to  a  condition  which  the  Immigration  Commission 
found  to  be  clearly  unsatisfactory  and  which  the  Congress  by  a 
large  majority  attempted  to  remedy  when  it  adopted  the  literacy 
test  for  immigrants. 

The  Chairman.  How  far  would  the  present  attitude  of  Italy  in 
forbidding  passports — ^the  action  of  the  Government — affect  the  gen- 
eral situation? 

Mr.  Husband.  Why,  it  might  affect  it  temporarily,  Senator.  J 
doubt  if  it  would  have  any  permanent  effect,  because  I  don't  know 
of  a  case  in  the  history  of  emigration  from  Europe  where  any 
countiy  has  successfully  said  to  its  people,  "  You  shall  not  go 
abroad."  They  have  gone  practically  as  they  have  wanted  to,  or 
as  the  necessity  required.  So  while  temporarily  the  action  of  the 
Italian  Government  might  and  probably  would  cut  down  the  emi- 
gration it  would  not  be  at  all  permanent. 

Senator  Harrison,  Mr.  Chairman,  has  there  been  placed  in  the 
record  a  statement  of  just  what  tlie  Italian  Government  has  done 
about  that? 

Senator  Dillingham.   Yes: 

Senator  Harrison.   The  law? 

Senator  Dillingham.    Yes. 

Senator  Harrison.  Is  it  temporary  or  permanent? 

The  Chairman.  The  Italian  Government  has  issued  an  order  say- 
ing that  they  will  not  at  present  grant  any  more  passports  to  Italians 
for  emigration  to  the  United  States,  but.  further,  they  have  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  cooperate  with  the  United  States  in  furnishing 
such  immigration  as  the  United  States  might  desire:  selective,  if 
you  please. 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes. 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  you  were  sajnng,  Mr.  Husband,  re- 
garding the  inability  of  the  Governments  to  control  that,  I  think  we 
found  illustrated  in  Russia  by  the  number  of  Jewish  immigrants  in 
that  country  that  went  over  what  was  called  the  "  Green  "  frontier 
without  passports,  and  who  came  that  way  into  this  country.  There 
were  many  who  came  in  that  way.  weren't  there? 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes.  Russia  is  the  only  country,  of  the  principal 
countries  at  least,  having  a  law  which  practicall}^  prohibited  emigra- 


518  p:mergency  immigratiox  legislation. 

tion.  But  the  fact  that  Russki  became  one  of  the  chief  sources  of 
innnitrration  into  the  I'nited  States  indicated  very  clearly  that  that 
did  not  work. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  repeat  the  findings  which  led  to  the  Inimio^ra- 
tion  Commission  recomnmiendation,  or  the  arji^uments  which  induced 
Congress  to  attempt  to  reduce  immigration.  They  are  familiar 
to  all. 

It  has  been  argued  here  that  there  is  room  in  the  United  States 
for  all  who  might  desire  to  come,  and  that,  of  course,  is  true,  but  it 
is  also  true  that  the  country  has  not  yet  properly,  or  perhaps  even 
passably,  assimilated  the  great  influx  which  preceded  the  war, 
although  some  headway  in  that  direction  was  made  during  the  fire 
or  six  years  breathing  spell  which  is  now  ended. 

Undoubtedly  we  shall  need  immigrants  in  the  future  just  as  we 
have  in  the  past,  and  it  is  entirely  possible  that  we  shall  at  some  time 
need  them  in  greater  numbers  than  ever,  but  in  view  of  past  experi- 
ences, and  of  present  conditions,  it  seems  almost  imperative  that  some 
means  shall  be  found  to  adjust  future  immigration  to  the  needs  of 
the  United  States. 

What  the  present  needs  of  the  country  are  with  respect  to  immi- 
gration is  difficult  to  say.  But  it  will  probably  be  agreed  that  such 
knowledge  is  essential  to  an  intelligent  solution  of  the  present 
problem.  From  testimony  submitted  here  it  appears  that  labor  is 
needed  in  Columbus.  Ohio,  and  Peoria,  Illinois,  but  not  in  Akron. 
Ohio,  or  Detroit.  Michigan,  and  that  immigrants  are  needed  every- 
where in  agriculture,  but  that  they  are  not  needed  in  Xew  York  City. 
Of  course  the  situation  in  cities  and  industrial  centers  is  subject 
to  change,  but  it  is  certain  that  the  needs  of  agriculture,  broadly 
speaking,  will  be  permanent.  This  is  the  testimony  of  all  observers, 
as  well  as  the  testimony  of  United  States  census  figures. 

There  has  been  a  constant  decrease  in  the  proportion  of  the  popu- 
lation living  in  rural  communities  ever  since  the  chief  source  of 
immigration  shifted  from  northern  and  western  to  southern  and 
eastern  Europe. 

Xow.  I  will  give  the  percentages  of  the  total  population  living  in 
rural  communities  since  1880.  when  the  change  came. 

In  1880  the  rural  population  was  70.5  per  cent  of  the  total  popu- 
lation :  in  1890  it  was  63.9  per  cent ;  in  1900.  59.5  per  cent :  in  1910, 
53.7  per  cent :  in  1920.  48,6  per  cent.  So  that  more  than  half  of  the 
population  of  the  United  States  at  the  present  time  is  living  in 
urban  communities,  as  compared  with  less  than  30  per  cent  in  1880. 
Of  course,  other  factors  besides  immigration  played  an  important 
part  in  this,  but  it  is  certain  that  the  changed  character  of  immigra- 
tion was  an  important  factor. 

Xow  this  is  also  shown  by  the  number  of  people  who  have  gone 
into  farming,  the  number  of  foreign  born  of  the  various  peoples. 

For  instance,  Austria,  which  in  1910  had  1.174.973  people  in  the 
United  States,  had  only  33.336  farmers. 

Germany  had  more  people — about  2,500,000 — but  of  that  number 
221.800  were  farmers. 

Holland,  with  a  total  population  here  of  120.000.  had  13.000  farm- 
ers. In  other  words,  more  than  10  per  cent  of  the  Hollanders  were 
farmers.  I  am  not  speaking  of  farm  laborers,  but  of  independent 
farmers. 


EMKKGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LKClSLATlON .  5i9 

Scamrmuvia,  with  a  population  here  of  1.250,000,  had  lo^.oTO 
farmers. 

Switzerhmd.  with  a  popuhition  here  of  124.S-J-S  people,  had  H.^iJJS 
farmers. 

And  Italy,  witli  a  population  of  1,348,000  had  only  10.(U4  farmers. 

These  liirures  show  very  clearly  that  the  southern  and  eastern 
Europeans  have  not  oone  into  farmin<r  industry  in  the  United  States 
to  any  oreat  extent. 

Senator  Dillingham.  AikI  yet,  ]Mr.  Husband,  a  o:reat  proportioix 
of  those  had  been  farm  lalMjrers  before  they  came  here,  had  they  not? 

Mr.  HiTSBANi).  Yes.  And  the  i2;reat  ])roportion  of  some  of  the 
peoples,  at  least,  would  be  only  too  <rlad  to  o(,  into  farmino-  in  the 
United  States  if  the  way  could  be  opened  to  them. 

Xow  the  evidence  comes  from  a  iireat  many  directions,  that  the 
farmino-  population  of  Euro])e.  and  ])articiilarly  the  farmino-  popula- 
tion of  eastern  Europe,  is  not  altooether  pleased  Avith  its  statu>  in  our 
industrial  life  in  this  country,  and  if  you  wcmld  ask  ten  men  of  the 
Slavic  races — possibly  of  the  Italian  race  also — whether  thev  would 
like  to  become  farmers  in  the  United  States,  jn-obablv  nine  of  theni 
would  saAV  yes,  and  say  it  very  em|)hatically.  IJiit  they  do  not; 
knoAv  hoAv. 

The  Chaihman.  Do  not  a  considerable  number  of  Italians  eno-age 
in  o;ardenino:  in  the  outskirts  of  the  cities,  and  so  forth  ^  It  is  so 
in  Rhode  Island. 

Mr.  IIusnANi).  Quite  a  considerable  number,  yes:  but  not  so  con- 
siderable when  compared  Avith  the  number  of  Italians  who  are  in 
the  country. 

Senator  Harrlson.  Hoav  do  you  class  those  Avho  do  the  aai-deninj^? 
Do  you  class  them  as  farmers? 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes.  I  think  any<me  avIio  has  a  patch  of  land 
that  he  AA'orks  for  profit,  if  it  is  an  acre  or  more,  is  counted  as  a 
farmer  in  the  census. 

Senator  DiLLiNGHA:vr.  Mr.  Husband,  the  failure  of  that  class  to 
^o  to  the  farms  is  due,  is  it  not,  to  the  fact  that  they  naturally  move 
in  racial  croups,  folloAv  those  Avho  have  preceded"  them,  and  most 
of  those  classes  AA'ho  preceded  them  went  to  the  o^reat  manufacturinir 
centers  of  the  country?  '" 

Mr.  HiTSBAXD.  Yes. 

Senator  Dillingham.  They  dislike  to  l)reak  away  from  each  other 
and  i.solate  themseh'es  on  farms,  isn't  that  true? 

Mr.  Husband.  That  is  true.  That  is,  of  course,  the  secret  of  it. 
The  races  of  luirope;  the  peoples  of  southern  and  eastern  Europe, 
and  more  particularly  of  eastern  Europe,  are  clannish  and  move  in 
o;rou})s.  Take  the  population  of  an  Hunoarian,  or  an  Austrian,  or 
a  Russian,  or  a  Polish  village,  and  if  the  first  emifrrants  of  that 
ofroup  o^o  to  Homestead,  Pa.,  you  Avill  find  practically  all  of  the 
others  Avho  emijrrate  subsequently  also  jroinof  to  Homestead.  But 
if  the  forerunners  Avere  to  jro  to  a  farm,  to  a  farmino-  community, 
and  nuike  a  success,  you  would  find  the  peojile  Avho  follow  theni 
oroin<r  in  that  direction.     It  is  simply  that  they  folloAv  the  leaders. 

Pursuinp-  the  rural  and  urban  question  and  the  aofricultural  ques- 
tion in  oreneral  a  little  further,  let  me  say  that  between  1900  and 
1910  the  total  population  of  the  country  increased  21  per  cent. 
2G9n— 21— PT  10 — —2 


620  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

The  urban  population  of  the  country  increased  34.8  per  cent. 

The  rural  population  increased  11.2  per  cent. 

P^roni  1910  to  1920  the  total  population  of  the  country  increased 
11.9  per  cent. 

The  urban  population  increased  28.8  per  cent.  The  rural  popula- 
tion increased  only  3.2  per  cent. 

The  number  of  farms  increased  10.9  per  cent  from  1900  to  1910. 
The  number  of  farms  increased  only  1.4  per  cent  from  1910  to  1920. 

Between  1900  and  1910  the  land  in  farms  increased  4.8  per  cent. 
Improved  land  in  farms  increased  in  that  period,  from  1900  to  1910, 
15.4  per  cent. 

I  have  read  somewhere  that  the  total  production  of  farms,  meas- 
ured in  bushels  and  pounds,  increased  10  per  cent,  but  could  not 
\  erify  that  at  the  moment. 

Cereals  increased  only  1.7  per  cent  in  quantity,  as  compared  with 
an  increase  of  34  per  cent  in  the  consumino;  population,  that  is.  the 
urban  population. 

But  in  the  decade.  1900-1910,  the  value  of  crops  increased  83  per 
cent,  which  shows,  of  course,  a  very  natural  effect  of  a  large  increase 
of  consumers,  and  a  slower  increase  in  the  producing  population. 

From  the  foregoing  it  seems  very  clear  that  agricultural  develop- 
ment has  not  nearly  kept  pace  with  the  growth  of  the  consuming 
population,  and  that  recent  immigration  has  contributed  relatively 
little  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  agricultural  industry. 

Xow.  this  field  is  unlimited.  Of  course  there  are  millions,  many 
millions,  of  acres  of  land  caj^able  of  cultivation  in  the  United  States 
which  are  not  cultivated,  and  the  native  born  can  not  be  depended 
upon  to  solve  the  problem  of  the  development  of  waste  lands.  The 
trend  among  the  native  born  is  in  the  other  direction.  They  are 
clearly  going  into  industrial  occupations  and  into  the  cities,  and  if 
anyone  in  the  next  25  or  50  years  is  to  develop:)  the  waste  lands  of 
the  countiy  it  must  be  done,  I  think — and  I  think  that  is  generally 
agi'eed — by  immigrants  from  other  countries. 

Senator  Harrison.  But  the  figures  show  that  such  a  small  per- 
centage of  them  have  gone  into  the  developing  of  these  waste  lands. 

Mr.  HrsBAXD.  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  The  figures  show  that  a  very  small  per  cent  of  the 
immigrants  that  come  here  have  undertaken  this  work  of  developing 
the  waste  lands. 

Mr.  Husband.  A  very  small  number.  And  I  think  it  is  most  un- 
fortunate that  they  are  not  doing  it.  They  are  increasing  the  urban 
])opulation,  the  city  popidation.  without  a  corresponding  increase  in 
the  producing  population. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  know  of  any  way  to  direct  them  to  the 
farms? 

Mr.  HusiuND.  T  am  coming  to  that  in  a  moment,  if  I  may.  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  Don't  let  me  interrupt  you.  I  would  just  like  to 
have  your  statement  on  that. 

Senator  Harrison.  Everyone  is  trying  to  get  away  from  the  farms 
to  the  cities. 

The  Chairman.  "\^V  are  in  rather  deep  seas  now.  I  hope  you  will, 
if  you  can.  Mr.  Husband,  suggest  some  practical  solution  of  the 
question. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX    LEGISLATION.  521 

Mr.  Husp.AXD.  Yes. 

The  C"HATR:>rAX.  But  take  voiir  own  time.  1  on  may  proceed  with 
your  statement. 

Mr.  Husband.  But  just  now  I  will  discuss  that,  if  I  ma}'.  I  have 
seen  these  peoples,  many  of  them,  on  their  farms,  in  eastern  Europe. 

The  Chairman.  When  you  say  '"  these  people."  whom  do  you  mean, 
the  peoi)le  of  southern  and  eastern  Europe? 

^Ir.  Husband.  The  peoi)le  of  southern  end  ea^^tern  Europe,  the  farm- 
in^r  population  who  are  now  coming  to  the  T'nited  States.  And  I 
will  take  the  Russian,  for  exam]5le,  because  I  know  more  about  the 
Russian.  In  three  montlis  that  I  spent  in  Russia  I  practically  lived 
with  the  peasants,  slept  in  their  homes,  ate  with  them,  went  to  about 
35  of  their  villages  to  see  how  they  lived  in  Russia,  and  in  even  the 
best  parts  of  central  Russia  if  a  num  had  6  acres  of  land  for  himself  and 
his  family  he  was  counted  rich  among  them.  That  was  all  that  any 
one  would  have  asked  in  Russia,  if  he  could  have  had  6  acres  of  good 
land.  The  average  Mas  around  3^  acres  I  was  told.  And  that  allot- 
ment 3^  acres  of  land,  under  the  system  which  prevailed  over  a  great 
part  of  Russia,  for  the  most  part  was  cut  up  into  little  strips,  a  scind 
of  a  semicommunal  arrangement,  whereby  a  man  had  a  strip  here, 
another  one  there,  and  another  one  there,  sometimes  10  miles  apart, 
and  would  go  from  his  village  this  day  to  cultivate  a  piece  of  land, 
which,  fi'om  a  distance,  looked  like  an  arrow  laid  out  in  the  field, 
and  another  day  he  would  be  in  another  part  working  on  another 
strip.  And  then  every  10  years,  or  perhaps  every  10  or  15  years, 
there  would  be  a  redistribution  of  that  land,  because  while  the  area 
of  land  on  which  the  ]:)eople  of  that  particular  community  lived  did 
not  increase,  the  population  did  increase,  and  as  new  families  came 
into  existence  it  was  necessary  that  they  should  have  land.  Conse- 
cjuently  when  these  periodical  redistributions  took  place  the  strips 
were  narrowed,  and  the  man  who  had  had  3^  acres  would,  for  the 
next  10  years  have  3  acres,  while  his  half  acre  was  split  up  among 
other  familes. 

Senator  Sterling.  That  is.  each  man  would  have  3  acres  all  told  ? 

Mr.  HisBAND.  Yes:  each  man  would  have  only  3  acres  all  told, 
for  himself  and  family.     That  is.  each  family  would  have  that  much. 

Senator  Sterling.  "Wherever  it  might  be  loc-ated  ?  It  might  be 
located  in  different  places? 

Mr.  Husband.  Oh,  yes,  w^herever  it  might  be  scattered  about,  and 
that  is  what  drove  tlie  Russian  population  first  to  Siberia,  and  then 
to  begin  an  immigration  movement  to  the  United  States. 

In  1907  about  three-quarters  of  a  million  peasants  from  central 
Russia  went  to  Siberia — one  of  the  biggest  movements  of  population, 
and  by  far  the  biggest  migration,  that  is  in  the  sense  that  it  was  a 
movement  within  one  country,  that  ever  occurred. 

Senator  Sterling.  Xow  what  were  the  conditions  under  which 
they  got  and  held  land  in  Siberia  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  The  land  laws  of  Siberia,  as  I  understand  them, 
were  more  liberal.  They  approached  ownership,  definite  owner- 
sliip,  whereas  in  central  Russia  it  Avas  largely  a  community  owner- 
ship. 

Senator  Sterlin(;.  And  thev  were  able  to  get  larger  tracts  of 
land? 


522  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LECJISLATION. 

Mr.  IlrsHAXi).  And  tlu'v  weiv  al)le  to  <ri4  larjjjei-  trarts  of  land: 
yes,  sir.  But  tlu'  land  that  \Yas  readily  avaUable,  m  that  it  was  near 
the  Siberian  liailroad,  was  by  U'lO  practically  exhausted,  and  that 
movement  had  stopped,  almost  stoj^ped,  and  some  were  coming  back, 
and  then  the  overflow  into  the  United  States  bepin.  The  immigra- 
tion of  these  peasants  increasetl  from  2(),{)(K)  in  191"2  to  nearly  50.000 
in  IDl.').  I  was  sent  to  Kussia  by  tlie  Department  of  Labor  to  study 
the  causes  of  that  movement. 

Now.  people  of  this  tyi)e  if  they  could  be  given  40  acres  of  land, 
say,  which  is  a  small  tract  in  the  United  States,  it  would  be  some- 
thing be^'ond  their  dreams:  they  never  have  dreamt  of  anything 
of  that  sort,  and  they  love  the  land. 

I  have  seen  numbers  of  them  who  had  returned  to  Europe  from 
industrial  life  in  the  United  States  absolutely  disgusted  with  it.  I 
saw  letters  from  Kussian  boys  in  the  Ignited  States  complaining 
bitterly  of  the  conditions  here,  and  I  Avas  told  over  and  over  again 
by  intelligent  people  in  Russia  that  what  those  people  wanted  was 
hind.  About  all  they  would  have  to  offer  for  land  here  is  their  labor. 
But  I  think  it  could  be  worked  out  so  that  their  labor  would  enable 
them  to  acquire  land. 

Senator  Dilijxgham.  From  what  class  of  the  people  in  Kussia 
do  these  immigrants  come? 

Mr.  Husband.  These  were  the  true  Russian  peasahts.  You  sie 
we  have  had  very  little  real  Russian  immigration  to  the  United 
States.  It  has  been  Polish  and  Jewish  and  I^ithuanian.  and  to  sjme 
extent  German,  but  very  few  of  the  real  Russians  have  been  coming 
over  here.  I  don't  suppose  there  are  more  than  125.000  real  Rus- 
sians in  the  United  States  now.  out  of  a  Russian  j)opulation  of  moro 
than  nine  million  and  a  half. 

But  I  think.  Senator,  perhaps  in  answer  to  your  question,  that 
all  that  is  necessar}'  is  in  some  way  to  make  it  possible  for  men 
with  very  little  mone}-  but  with  plenty  of  strength  and  plenty  of 
willingness  to  labor  and  a  real  love  for  the  land,  to  go  into  the 
development  of  the  waste  lands  of  the  United  States  in  such  way 
that  a  living  would  be  assured  from  the  lieginning.  And  that  is  all 
they  will  get  in  Russia,  is  just  a  bare,  bare  living,  and  that  is  prac- 
ticalh'  true  of  other  parts  of  eastern  Europe. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  you  think,  Mr.  Husband,  there  could  be 
cooperation  between  the  State  and  Federal  novernments.  more  than 
there  has  been  in  the  past? 

Mr.  Husband.  Oh.  yes,  absolutely. 

Senator  Sterling.  In  distributing  immigrants  on  this  plan,  and 
getting  them  on  to  the  land? 

Mr.  Husband.  Absolutely.  Senator,  absolutely.  The  .States  have 
taken  up  this  problem  independently.  State  univei-sities  have 
studied  and  in  fact  know  the  jjossibilities  of  the  development  of 
cut-over  lands  and  swamp  lands  in  their  States  very  thoroughly. 
The  State  departments  of  agricidture  also  know  these  conditions. 
Ihit  they  rarely  come  in  contact  in  a  practical  Avay.  with  the  forces 
of  the  Federal  (lovernment  intei-ested  in  that  sort  of  thing,  and  of 
course  they  can  not  handle  it  alone. 

And  just  in  connection  with  that — and  I  don't  want  to  take  too 
much  time  about  it,  because  this  is  not  a  i)art  of  the  emergency. 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGlJATiOX    LKCUSLATION .  523 

perhaps — the  American  farm  is,  I  think,  clearly  the  placemen  which 
to  put  new  immigrants  if  you  can  possibly  do  it. 

Just  now  we  talk  much  of  Americanization.  And  many  oro;ani- 
zations  in  the  ITnited  States  are  enfrag'ed  in  so-called  Americaijiza- 
tion  work  now,  tryin<;  to  make  Americans  out  of  these  immi<j:rants, 
and  they  are  makino;  Aery  slight  headway  on  the  whole.  But  if  you 
will  put  one  of  those  families  on  an  American  farm,  there  is  the  best 
Americanization  aoency  that  ever  existed.  Put  the  immigrant  on 
a  farm  under  conditions  which  will  enable  him  to  make  a  better  liv- 
ing than  he  made  in  Europe,  and  he  begins  to  be  an  American  that 
day.  And  as  to  his  children,  you  don't  have  to  worry  about  the 
children  at  all.  Recruit  industry  from  that  source  in  the  United 
States,  and  you  have  very  largely  solved  the  problem  of  Americaniza- 
tion, I  think. 

The  Chaiioeax.  You  lune  spoken  about  the  Russian  peasants. 
Would  that  apply  to  the  Italian  immigrants 

Mr.  Husband.  I  think  it  would  apply  to  the  Italian  immigrant. 
But  the  Italian  immigrant  has  gone  in  the  other  direction  a  long, 
long  way.  He  has  become  a  city  worker  largely,  a  construction 
worker.     But  he  has  succeeded  on  farms  in  this  country. 

There  are  some  two  or  three  colonies  of  Italians  in  the  United 
States,  two.  in  North  Carolina  and  one  in  Arkansas  wliich.  I  tliink, 
demonstrates  the  feasibility  of  what  I  have  said. 

Taking  up  the  subject  of  immigrants  in  industry.  Immigrant 
labor  will  be  needed  in  industry  in  the  future,  as  it  has  in  the  past, 
but  it  is  clear  that  that  demand  is  not  unlimited,  as  in  the  case  of 
agriculture. 

Our  industries,  of  course,  were  built  on  immigrant  labor,  and  I 
doubt  if  they  could  continue — certainly  they  could  not  continue  to 
advance  as  rapidly  as  they  have  in  the  past — without  immigrant 
labor. 

The  Chairman.  You  don't  know  what  percentage  of  immigrant 
labor  is  employed  in  tlie  manirfacturing  industries  of  the  country,  do 
you  ?     In  cotton  mills,  woolen  mills,  and  so  forth  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  The  Immigration  Commission  collected  some  very 
important  and  valuable,  and  I  think  convincing  statistics  in  that 
regard,  and  it  showed  that  in  all  of  the  basic  industries,  I  think,  more 
than  half  of  their  employees  were  immigrants,  and  in  most  cases 
about  two-thirds,  and  in  some  cases  as  many  as  80  per  cent  were  im- 
mi":rants. 

Senator  Dillingham.  "\Ve  had  placed  in  the  record  the  other  day 
the  number  of  foreign  born  in  a  large  number  of  industries  in  the 
Ignited  States. 

Mr.  Hi'SBAND,  The  commission  found  that  there  was  an  unneces- 
sarily large  supply  of  unskilled  labor  in  the  country,  and  that  was 
very  clearly  demonstrated  in  se\  oral  wnys. 

The  situation  was  this :  Industry  had  in  1007 — and  particularly  in 
190S,  1909.  and  1910 — enough  workmen  for  what  is  called  the  "  peak" 
day,  the  highest  day  in  the  year,  and  that  resulted  in  unemployment 
during  a  great  part  of  the  year,  so  that  workers  were  not  continuously 
employed. 

That  is  true  in  the  bituminous  coal  mines  to-day,  or  it  was  a  year 
ago,  that  they  have  more  labor  than  is  needed.     If  labor  in  the 


524  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION, 

bitiiniiiK^us  coal  niiiu's — 1  am  Hpeakinf;  now  of  a  year  a^o.  and  of 
facts  ilcvcloped  during  the  coal  dispute  a  year  a<ro.  and  1  understand 
the  condition  is  the  same  now — if  the  labor  emi>loyed  had  worked  full 
time.  48  hours  a  week,  that  labor  would  have  i)roduced  perhaps  250,- 
()0(V)(>U  more  tons  of  bituminous  coal  than  this  country  cotdd  possibly 
have  used.  Therefore,  work  in  that  industry  was  in  a  measuie  sea- 
sonal rather  than  continuous.  Accordin<r  to  the  records  the  miners 
worked  an  averaire  only  :M)  hours  a  week  instead  of  48  hours.  It 
will  be  recalled  that  the  miners  made  a  demand  for  a  30-hour  week, 
and  the  experience  of  the  previous  year  8eemin<rly  justified  that  de- 
mand,  because  they  had  done  their  work  and  produced  all  the  coal 
that  was  asked  for  by  workinir  30  hours  a  week  on  the  averafje. 

I  think  the  war  experience — although  I  wasn't  here  during  the 
war — bore  out  the  commission's  conclusions  that  there  was  an  over- 
suj^ply  of  labor,  because  we  certainly  demonstrated  a  great  increase 
in  industrial  output  in  the  country  Avhen  immigration  had  been  shut 
off.    That,  however.  I  won't  go  into. 

But  an  important  factor,  of  course,  in  that  increase  was  the  em- 
ployment of  women.  The  Department  of  Labor  issued  the  other  day 
a  statement  to  the  effect  that  in  the  industries  of  the  United  States 
35  per  cent  more  women  were  employed  than  there  were  before  the 
w^ar.  There,  I  think,  is  an  argument  for  liberal  immigration.  I 
doubt  if  we  want  to  shut  off  the  industrial  labor  supply  'of  the  coun- 
try to  the  extent  that  we  will  force  American  women  permanently 
into  industr}^ 

Senator  Sterling.  There  is  one  question  there.  Mr.  Husband,  that  I 
would  like  to  ask — you  may  have  touched  on  it  before  I  came  in.  I 
don't  know — but  what  do  you  know,  if  anything,  about  efforts  being 
made  by  foreign  governments  to  restrict  emigration  at  the  present 
time  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  I  know  just  what  has  been  testified  here  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  merely. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Husband — not  to  interrupt  you — but  let  me 
say.  the  committee  has  two  classes  of  bills  before  it.  One  is  the  John- 
son l)ill.  which  calls  for  temjiorary  suspension  of  immigration.  The 
bill  introduced  by  Senator  Dillingham,  and  the  bill  introduced  by 
Senator  Sterling  are  more  constructive  and  permanent  in  their 
nature. 

Now.  in  regard  to  the  Johnson  bill,  which  is  before  us.  calling  for 
temporary  suspension  of  immigration  pending  time  for  consideration 
of  pernuinent  or  constructive  legislation  on  this  subject,  the  committee 
would  be  very  glad  if  you  could  give  your  idea  as  to  the  necessity  of 
a  temporary  suspension  in  view  of  the  so-called  imminent  flood  from 
P^urope;  or  tell  us  whether  in  youi-  opinion  ii  the  Hood  is  not  of  such 
a  character  as  to  call  for  emergency  legislation  of  that  kind,  we 
would  have  time  to  frame  pernuinent  or  constructive  legislation. 

The  committee  is  confronted  with  a  certain  situation,  and  we 
want  to  try  to  solve  the  problem.  Shall  we  solve  it  by  passing  an 
emergency  bill  suspending  immigration,  or  have  we  time  enough  to 
frame  constructive  legislation  ?  You  need  not  answer  it  now  unless 
you  want  to. 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes.  Senator.  I  will.  I  ha\e  come  to  a  point  in 
my  notes  headed  "  The  Johnston  Bill,"  and  it  is  perfectly  logical  to 
take  it  up  now. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  525 

I  will  say  now,  as  I  have  said  before,  that  I  think  the  emergency 
IS  an  immediate  return  to  conditions  that  existed  before  the  war, 
and  I  doubt  very  much  whether  that  condition  ought  to  be  allowed 
to  continue. 

And  as  for  time  in  which  to  pass  constructive  legislation,  it  has, 
I  think,  been  the  experience  that  that  takes  a  long  time.  I  know 
that  when  I  was  clerk  of  this  committee  the  committee  worked  about 
three  years  in  making  the  law  of  1907,  and  then  failed  to  get  in  any- 
thing that  was  actually  constructive. 

The  Immigration  Commission  was  appointed  to  suggest  construc- 
tive legislation.  The  commission  reported,  with  some  definite  recom- 
mendations, and  it  took  five  years  to  enact  one  of  them  into  law,  and 
there  are  still  several  recommendations  which  it  made  that  have  not 
yet  been  enacted  into  law.  The  commission  ran  against  a  great  many 
obstacles  in  creating  any  radical  change  in  the  Immigration  Law.  It 
took  -10  years  to  pass  the  first  law,  and  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States  had  to  tell  Congress  in  \erj  plain  words  that  it  was 
the  duty  of  Congress  to  regulate  immigration  before  they  would  take 
it  seriously.  I  just  mention  that.  And  I  will  say  that  I  think  the 
emergency  is  here  now — the  emergency  of  a  return  to  prewar  con- 
ditions. 

The  Chairman.  What,  in  your  opinion.  Mr.  Husband,  tlien.  is 
a  remedy  l! 

Mr.  Husband.  Well,  if  I  might  take  up  the  Johnson  bill  first,  and 
then  discuss  somewhat  Senator  Dillingham's  proposition,  and  inci- 
dentally Senator  Sterling's  proposition. 

The  Johnson  bill,  in  my  opinion,  does  not  meet  the  emergency 
as  it  has  been  outlined. 

There  has  been  c  onsiderable  testimony  to  the  effect  that  its  appli- 
cation would  not  reduce  the  volume  of  immigration.  I  believe  that 
it  Avould  reduce  the  volume  to  a  considerable  extent,  but  that  the 
reduction  would  come  where  a  reduction  is  neither  desirable  nor 
desired  bj'  anyone. 

In  other  words,  it  seems  very  clear  that  the  operation  of  the 
Johnson  bill  would  discriminate  against  northern  and  western 
European  peoples  in  favor  of  those  from  southern  and  eastern 
Europe. 

Inmiigration  f]-om  northern  and  western  Europe  is  not  a  problem, 
and.  so  far  as  possible,  it  should  not  be  subjected  to  the  operation 
of  restrictive  laws. 

I  say  that  it  would  discriminate  against  the  northern  and  west- 
ern P2uropeans.  It  would,  for  this  reason,  that  immigration 
from  southern  and  eastern  Europe,  now  as  before  the  war,  is  a 
dependent  immigration,  a  large  part  of  it  is  financed  by  relatives 
here :  it  comes  to  your  relatives  very  largely,  and  depends  on  rela- 
tives for  getting  its  start  in  the  I'nited  States.  These  figures  of  the 
percentage  of  certain  j^eoples  who  came  to  join  relatives  in  1920 
will  illustrate  what  I  mean : 

Of  the  Dutch  and  Flemish.  74  per  cent  were  going  to  join  rela- 
tives: of  the  Irish.  75  per  cent;  of  the  Scandinavians,  only  63  per 
cent :  of  the  Scotch,  only  67  per  cent. 

And  you  can.  I  think,  very  readily  surmise  that  those  people  were 
not  going  to  join  relatives  in  the  sense  that  they  were  dependent  on 


526  emergp:xi'y  immigration  legislation. 

those  relatives.  They  were  merely  fioing  where  relatives  were,  for 
northern  and  western  Europe  imnii«;ration  is  very  independent.  It 
does  not  come  until  it  knows  what  it  is  doin«;,  and  knows  where  it  is 
»»oin«2:,  and  it  comes  to  become  a  permanent  part  of  the  country. 

Now.  on  the  other  hantl.  Ni  per  cent  of  the  Oreeks  came  to  join 
their  relatives:  SO  per  cent  of  the  Hebrews,  and  04  per  cent  of  the 
Italians. 

Now  it  can  be  surmised  that  a  lar^e  part  of  the  latter  movement 
was  dependent,  and  that  presumably  a  larfje  proportion  of  those  who 
came  in  in  lO'JO  could  come  in  under  the  Johnson  bill.  I)ut  that  a 
much  smaller  jiroportioii  of  the  northern  and  western  Europeans 
could  come  in. 

Senator  Harrisox.  Then  you  think  that  the  Johnson  bill  should 
be  amended  in  that  particular,  to  strike  out  that  exception^ 

Mr.  HisBANi).  I  think  that  that  discrimination,  and  clearly  it  wouM 
be  a  discrimination,  slioidd  be  eliminated  from  any  legislation. 

Senator  Harrison.  If  that  should  be  eliminated,  of  course,  that 
would  strike  out  quite  a  large  nimiber  of  immigrants  who  are  coming. 

Mr.  Husband.  You  mean  if  relatives  and  all  were  kept  out  ? 

Senator  Harrison.  Yes. 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  was  going  to  say  that  immigration  from 
northern  and  western  Europe  is  not  a  problem,  from  another  stand- 
point, too.  It  is  through  that  kind  of  immigration  that  we  get  those 
people  that  you  Avere  speaking  of  who  will,  when  they  come,  go  to 
the  farms. 

Mr.  Husband.  Absolutely.  Senator. 

Senator  Sterling.  More  than  to  the  industrial  centers. 

Mr.  Husband.  I  think  that  anything  that  would  interfere  with 
the  free  movement  of  northern  and  western  European  immigration — 
restricted,  of  course,  in  matters  of  health,  as  other  immigration  is — 
v\-ould  be  a  real  mistake,  a  real  mistake. 

Xow  take  the  destinations  of  immigrants  admitted  in  19'20 : 

Of  the  Dutch  and  Elemish  there  were  l"2.7o<)  who  came  in.  Oidy 
18  per  cent  of  those,  or  1.640.  went  to  Xew  York:  2.889.  nearly  twice 
as  many,  went  to  Michigan:  1.331  went  to  Illinois:  940  to  Iowa;  622 
t-)  California :  641  to  New  Jersey;  607  to  Minnesota ;  468  to  Indiana : 
360  to  the  State  of  Washington. 

A  splenditl  di.stribution.  just  by  themsilvcs.  not  l)y  any  artificial 
means. 

Tiie  Scandinavian:  2-!  per  cent,  or  4,<J.]0  out  of  16.621.  Avent  to 
New  York:  767  went  to  California:  l,~>'>()  to  Illinois:  r)3s  to  Wiscon- 
sin: 676  to  Iowa:  1.2.")4  to  Wasl.ington:  4^^  to  Pennsylvania:  1,871 
to  Minnesota:  485  to  North  Dakota. 

Of  the  21.00<)  Scotch  who  came  in  only  1")  per  cent,  or  3.249.  went 
to  Nev.-  York.  And  I  am  mentioning  New  York  because  that  is  the 
one  point  that  people  talk  ai)out  a  ji'eat  deal.  One  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  eighty-fcui-  went  to  California.  809  to  Illinois.  2,767 
to  Michigan,  32.")  toMinnesota.  964  to  New  Jersey.  9:^2  to  Ohio.  1.413 
to  Washington  State.  1.26)7  to  Pennsylvania. 

And  the  distribution  of  the  English  was  practically  the  same.  The 
total  number  of  English  immigrants  was  r)8.:W8.  And  r).982  English 
immcrrants  went  to  ^'alifornia  last  year,  as  compared  with  10,000 
to  Nevx-  York.    To  Illinois.  2,166:  to  Michigan,  7.992;  to  New  Jersey, 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGKATIOX    LEGISLATION.  527 

1.872:  to  Ohio,  2  271:  to  Pennsylvania,  ;j.(;7G:  to  Vii-ainia,  4s0:  to 
Washin<rton,  3.K35. 

Xow  take  the  other  races.  First  the  Italian.  Out  of  a  total  of 
97,M()()  that  came,  80,884.  or  87  per  cent,  were  destined  to  New  York. 

Of  the  number  of  C^reeks  who  came — 18.998 — 1.281.  or  81  per  cent, 
were  destined  to  Xew  York. 

Of  the  Spanish  who  came,  28,594.  4.")  jjer  cent,  or  10,(387,  were  des- 
tined to  Xew  York. 

Of  the  Hebrews.  20,784  who  came.  89  per  cent,  or  S.088.  were  des- 
tined to  Xew  \ork. 

Tlie  Chairman.  Do  you  mean  Xew  York  City  or  Xew  York  State  ? 

Mr.  -Hi  ^i5ANi).  The  fiirnres  I  am  quotin«r  refer  to  Xew  Yorlc  State 
as  a  v.hole. 

Senator  Steki.'ng.  Tluit  means,  does  it  not,  \cr\  ]ar<>eh  Xew  York 
City? 

Mr.  HLsr,ANn.  Yes:  that  means  very  largely  Xew  York  City. 

Hut  tlie  tiijures  show  tlie  difference,  I  think,  between  the  two  prroups 
of  peo])le.  One  is  a  perfectly  normal  and  a  perfectly  desirable  im- 
mi<rrat;on.  The  other  is  not  undesirable.  I  have  nothiuir  a<zainst 
tho.se  people.  I  have  seen  tliem  liere  and  I  have  seen  them  in  Europe, 
and  I  will  say.  too,  that  we  do  not  get  the  scum  of  Europe  in  the 
sense  that  the  scum  is  objectionable.  We  rather  get  the  cream  of 
the  class  who  come,  except  in  the  case  of  purely  dependent  people, 
for  it  is  quite  an  effort  to  leave  Europe  and  come  to  the  Ignited 
States,  and  the  inane  fellow  does  not  do  it  very  often. 

So  T  say.  in  that  connection,  that  I  think  it  would  be  a  serious 
mistake  to  do  anything  wliich  would  interfere  with  the  natural  flow 
of  immigi'ation  from  the  northern  and  western  European  countries. 
It  Avon't  be  large.  It  has  nearly  reached  a  normal  status  and  will 
continue  to  be  normal.  I  think  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  we 
need  expect  a  very  large  flood  fi'om  those  sources. 

Xow.  several  witnesses  have  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  present 
law,  if  properly  enforced,  would  meet  all  requirements.  I  have 
known  .something  of  the  Avork  of  the  Bureau  of  Immigration  under 
four  administrations,  and  believe  that,  so  far  as  the  function  of 
admitting  and  rejecting  aliens  is  concerned,  few.  if  any.  Federal  laws 
l>ave  been  better  executed.  Xow  that  will  be  disputed.  l)ut  I  thinlc 
tliat  is  probably  true. 

There  has  been  leniency  in  individual  cases,  but  even  a  most  ri^id 
enforcement  in  this  respect  would  not  improve  the  present  situation 
to  any  perceptible  degree,  but  it  would  bring  an  avalanche  of  criti- 
cism on  the  grounds  of  inhumanity. 

If  I  might  mention  an  illustration :  I  read  in  a  prominent  X'^ew 
York  paper  the  other  day  an  editorial  about  the  inefficient  execution 
of  the  immigration  laws,  the  impression  l)eing  given  that  no  one  was 
kept  out :  that  they  came  in  under  this  exception  and  the  other  excep- 
tion, and  finally,  if  they  did  not  come  in  under  any  of  these  named 
exceptions,  therest  of  them  were  admitted  as  fleeing  from  religious 
persecution.  And  there  were  nine  admitted  as  fleeing  from  religion- 
persecution  last  year. 

That  is  all  right.  I  am  not  objecting  to  that  criticism.  But  if 
there  should  be  held  up  at  Ellis  Island  a  case  for  deportation  whicli 
involved  inhumanity  in  any  respect,  that  same  paper  would  cover 


528  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

its  front  page  with  objections  to  the  inhumanity  even  of  })roperly 
enforcing:  the  law.  and  there  woiikl  be  l)ri<l<;e-'\vhist  parties  from  one 
end  of  New  York  City  to  the  otlier  to  raise  money  to  get  the  detained 
alien  or  aliens  admitted.  That  merely  illustrates  the  inconsistency 
that  is  sometimes  encountered  in  the  administration  of  the  laws. 

Now.  if  I  may  speak  just  bnefly  of  the  development  of  immigra- 
tion law  and  the  effect  of  the  various  immigration  laws  in  the  i)ast. 

Senator  Hakrisox.  Mr.  Chairman,  this  is  most  interesting  state- 
ment. Are  you  going  to  proceed  with  this  hearing  this  afternoon, 
or  are  you  going  to  adjourn  now  until  in  the  nK)rning? 

The  Chairman.  Yes:  Ave  had  planned  to  continue  this  afternoon. 
I  hope  you  can  be  here. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well.  I  can  not.  There  is  a  bill  over  here  on 
the  Senate  floor  that  I  am  interested  in,  and  I  can  not  be  here  this 
afternoon.  I  would  like  very  much  to  hear  Mr.  Husband's  testi- 
mony, but  I  can  read  the  record. 

The  Chairman.  I  would  like  very  much  to  have  you  present, 
Senator. 

Senator  Harrison.  "Why  can  we  not  proceed  with  the  hearing  to- 
morrow morning  i 

The  Chairman.  Can  you  be  here  in  the  morning.  ISIr.  Husband? 

Mr.  Husband.  Oh.  yes. 

Senator  Harrison.  This  is  very  interesting  and  very  importanr. 
but  it  is  hard  for  me  to  be  away  from  the  floor  of  the  Senate  to-day. 
and  I  should  very  much  indeed  like  to  hear  Mr.  HusbancFs  statement. 

The  Chairma^'.  I  am  very  anxious  that  you  should  hear  it. 

We  will  suspend,  then,  until  to-morrow  morning  at  half  past  10. 

(Whereupon,  at  11.55  a.  m.,  the  committee  adjourned  until  10.30 
a.  m.,  AVednesday,  January  19,  1921.) 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 


HEARINGS 


BEFORE 

COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 
UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGRESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 

H.  R.  14461 

A  BILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZK.*  s 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  BY  THE  TEMPORARY 

SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 

FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 


WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  19,  1921 


PART  11 

Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration 


1^ 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT   TRTNTING   OrPU'rC 


COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION. 

LeBARON  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island,  Chairman. 

WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,  Vermont.  THOM-VS  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 

BOIES  PENROSE,  Pennsylvania.  JOHN  F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 

THOMAS  STERLING,  South  Dakota.  WILLIAM  H.  KING,  Utah. 

HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California.  WILLIAM  J.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 

HENRY  W.  KEYES,  New  Hampshire.  PAT  HARRISON,  Mississippi. 

WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey.  JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 

Henby  M.  Babbt,  Clerk. 

n 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 


WEDNESDAY,   JANUARY   19,    1921. 

United  States  Senate, 
Committee  on  Immigration, 

Washington^  D.  C. 
The  committee  met  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  10.30  a.  m.,  in 
room  235,  Senate  Office  Building,  Senator  LeBaron  B.  Colt,  presid- 
ing. 

Present,  Senators  Colt  (chairman).  Dillingham,  Keyes,  and  Harri- 
son. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  please  come  to  order.  Mr. 
Husband,  we  will  hear  you. 

STATEMENT  OF  MK.  W.  W.  HUSBAND— Resumed. 

Mr.  Husband.  Mr.  Chairman,  when  the  session  closed  yesterday  I 
think  I  was  saying  something  about  the  operation  of  the  immigration 
law  based  upon  statements  that  had  been  made  before  the  committee 
that  if  the  present  law  was  enforced  as  it  should  be  enforced,  it  would 
solve  the  problem,  in  other  words,  that  the  present  law  is  all  that  is 
needed.  And  I  said,  I  think,  that  in  ni}^  opinion  the  law  had  been, 
and  always  had  been,  as  well  and  better  enforced  than  other  Federal 
laws,  and  that  a  more  rigid  enforcement  Avas  not  a  solution  of  the 
problem. 

Senator  Harrison.  You  do  not  include  the  prohibition  hiAv  in  that, 
do  you  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  Perhaps  not.  Senator. 

The  Chairman.  There  are  exceptions  to  all  cases. 

Mr.  Husband.  There  are  exceptions  to  all  cases,  perhaps. 

In  following  that  line  I  would  like  to  call  attention  to  experiences 
under  past  immigration  laws  and  to  show  to  what  extent  the}^  were 
effective,  measuring  such  effectiveness  as  nearly,  perhaps,  as  it  can 
be  measured,  by  comparing  the  number  of  rejections  and  the  number 
of  admissions,  in  order  to  show  the  sorting  process  that  has  gone  on. 

Under  the  law  of  1891,  which  I  think,  was  the  second  general  legis- 
lation on  the  subject  of  immigration,  in  the  year  1892  we  rejected  1 
to  every  268  aliens  admitted. 

In  1893  we  rejected  1  to  every  418  aliens  admitted. 

Senator  Harrison.  That  is.  of  those  that  got  to  the  port  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes.  There  was  1  rejected  for  418  admitted  at 
United  States  ports,  in  1893,  under  the  law  of  1891. 

Then  came  the  law  of  1893,  which  provided  boards  of  special  in- 
quiry or  the  first  time,  and  in  1895  we  rejected  1  to  123  admitted. 

529 


530  kmeiu;kncv  imalkjkation  i.ecislatiox. 

Then  c-anie  the  hiw  of  1{M)3.  with  an  adtlition  of  several  exchuled 
chisses,  and  we  rejected  1  to  98. 

Then  came  the  hnv  of  11)07.  with  more  exchided  chisses.  and  in 
190J)  we  rejected  1  to  T'J.  and  in  11>1<».  1  to  48. 

Then  came  the  hiw  of  15*17.  and  in  19*20  1  to  8<>  were  rejected. 

I  mention  that  to  show  that  in  the  development  of  the  law  there 
had  been  under  each  successive  act  a  more  careful  siftin«r  of  immi 
<rrants. 

Senator  Hahkisox.  Now.  how  many  of  these  are  rejected  on  ac- 
count of  the  literacy  test? 

Mr.  Hi  sBAXi).  I  can  not  say  al  the  moment. 

Senator  Harkisox.  I  don't  want  to  take  up  too  much  of  your  time, 
Mr.  Husband.  l)ut  I  would  like,  if  you  could,  to  have  you  i)ut  these 
figures  in  the  record. 

Mr.  HusBAXi).  Yes.  sir:  there  are  not  many  (jf  them. 

Senator  Hakrisox.  I  don't  want  to  interrupt  your  statement  now. 
but  I  wish  you  would  some  time  during  the  ccnirse  of  your  remarks 
put  them  in  the  record. 

{^Ir.  Husband  subseciuently  furnished  the  following  informa- 
tion:) 

Reports  of  the  I'oniniissiouer  (ieneral  show  that  rejections,  on  account  of 
inabilitv  to  read,  under  the  act  of  1917,  have  been  as  follows :  1917.  391 ;  1918, 
1,598:  1919,  1,4.5.5:  and  1920,  1,639. 

The  Chairmax.  In  the  commissioner's  report  he  deals  with  tlie 
number  that  have  been  rejected  on  account  of  the  literacy  test  ( 

Mr.  HusBAXi).  Yes. 

The  Chairmax.  In  other  words,  the  diminution  of  immigatiou, 
which  was  the  result  of  the  literacy  test. 

Mr.  HrsBAX'D.  Of  course,  it  is  difficult  to  say  what  effect  the  liter- 
acy test  had  in  1920.  or  what  effect  it  may  have  in  the  future,  for  the 
reason  that  it  does  not  necessarily  reduce  numbers.  It  provides  that 
a  man  who  is  illiterate  shall  not  come  in,  but  does  not  keep  out  the 
man  who  may  come  in  his  place,  so  as  a  limit  to  numbers  it  is  not 
necessarily  effective.     It  simply  keeps  out  those  who  are  illiterate. 

There  has  been  considerable  reference  also  to  the  pos.sible  advan- 
tages of  an  examination  of  immigrants  abroad.  I  think  Senator 
Dillingham  has  put  in  the  record  some  stati.stics  which  resulted  from 
an  investigation  made  by  the  Inmiigration  Commission  in  the  year 
1907.  and  I  will  repeat  that  record  l)riefly. 

In  the  development  of  our  immigration  law  fines  have  been  i)lace»l 
upon  the  steamship  companies  for  bringing  to  the  Ignited  States 
immigrants  who  are  not  admissible  under  our  laws,  and  as  the  num- 
ber of  inadmissable  classes,  and  the  number  of  classes  to  which  fines 
Avere  applied  has  increased  there  has  been  an  increasing  care  on  the 
part  of  steamship  companies  in  order  not  to  bring  defective  and 
otherwise  inadmissible  aliens  to  the  Inited  States.  That  is  one 
reason. 

The  other  reason,  which  Senator  Dillingham  has  explained,  was 
that  the  countries  from  which  the  immigrant^  sailed,  that  i<.  the 
countries  from  whose  seaports  they  sailed,  adopted  certain  measures 
for  their  own  protection,  so  as  not  to  allow  diseased  immigrants  to 
come  into  tho.se  countries — Germany  was  the  chief  example.  With 
this  end  in  view  a  numl)er  of  control  stations  were  established  on  the 


EMKRGEXCY    1 AIAIIGKATION    LKGISLATION.  531 

border   between   (lerinany   and    IJiissia    and   Germany   and   A^istria 
where  intendin<r  emigrants  were  examined  and  many  tnrned  back. 

In  1907  we  collected  data  showing  the  result  of  the  examinations 
at  those  control  stations  and  at  the  ports,  so  far  as  was  possible.  I 
think  the  inquiry  included  all  of  the  control  stations,  and  28  out  of 
about  40  ports  from  which  immigrants  sailed  to  the  United  States 
from  Europe,  and  it  was  found  that  in  that  year  approximately 
40.000  intended  immigrants  were  rejected  at  the  ports  and  control 
stations,  and  it  was  estimated  that  including  all  the  ports  about 
50,000  were  not  permitted  to  come  to  the  United  Saes.  This  was  for 
medical  reasons  alone,  because  the  examination  at  foreign  ports  was 
essentially  physical. 

In  that  same  year  at  all  United  States  ports — Pacific,  the  border 
ports  and  the  ^^tlantic  ports — for  all  causes,  approximately  13,000 
were  turned  back,  showing  that  about  four  times  as  many  were  re- 
jected in  Europe  as  were  turned  back  here,  and  tliat  was  due  in  part 
to  measures  taken  by  European  (lovernments  for  self  protection 
and  in  part  to  the  fact  that  it  was  unprofitable  under  our  immigra- 
tion laws  for  steamship  companies  to  bring  ina(hnissil)le  immigrants 
to  this  country. 

Now.  as  to  the  question  of  the  Ignited  States  participation  in  in- 
spection abroad,  which  has  been  advanced  as  a  possible  solution  of 
the  immigration  problem.  We  have  had  in  the  past — I  don't  know 
how  it  is  now — perhaps  all  that  could  reasonably  be  asked  in  that 
dii'ection  at  some  of  the  ports  of  Europe. 

.Vt  the  port  of  Xaples,  and  ottier  Italian  ports,  through  an  agree- 
ment with  the  Italian  (lovernment,  the  examination  of  emigrants  in- 
tending to  embark  for  the  Ignited  States  Avas  turned  over  to  the 
T'^nitecl  States  Public  Health  Service.  At  Xaples,  when  we  were 
there,  there  were  three  surgeons  of  that  service  examining  emigrants 
about  to  embark  for  this  country,  and  while  they  had  no  legal  au- 
thority to  say,  "  This  man  can  not  go,"  the  steamship  comi)anies  and 
the  Italian  (lOvernment  invariably  kept  from  going  those  designated 
l)y  our  officers,  so  it  was  practically  complete  control  in  that  respect. 

The  Chairmax.  What  year  was  that  ^ 

Mr.  HrsBAXD.  That  was  in  1907,  and  that  arjangement  had  con- 
tinued, at  that  time,  for  a  considerable  number  of  years,  and  did 
continue  after  that.  I  think,  up  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war. 

XoAv,  at  Bremen  another  system  was  in  force.  There  the  steam- 
ship company  had  ]:)ractically  turned  over  to  the  American  consul 
creneral  the  control  of  emigration.  He  selected  the  doctors  who  made 
the  examination,  the  steamship  companies  paying  them,  and  what- 
ever those  doctors  said  was  conclusive.  If  one  of  the  doctors  rejected 
an  emigrant,  turned  an  emigrant  back,  he  was  not  taken  aboai'd  ship. 
So  that  was  practically  United  vStates  control. 

The  othei"  extreme  was  at  Antwerp,  where  the  Belgian  Govern- 
ment absolutely  refused  to  let  United  States  officials  interfere  in  any 
way  in  the  examination  of  emiirrants.  The  consul  general  there  has 
told  me  that  he  was  hardly  able,  under  the  Belgian  restriction,  to 
exercise  his  functions  under  the  (piarantine  law.  He  never  saw  the 
emigrants  who  were  loaded.  He  simply  signed  the  ship's  bill  of 
health  as  it  Avas  presented  to  himV 

Taking  those  three  ports  as  a  basis.  Ave  studied  the  results  of  the 
examinations  as  shoAvn  in  rejections  at  Ignited  States  ports,  during 


532  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

the  period  of  a  3'ear,  and  found  that  in  the  case  of  Bremen,  where, 
as  I  say,  we  had  absohite  control,  or  practically  absolute  control,  we 
rejected  1  in  165  amon^r  those  comin<i  from  that  port. 

In  the  case  of  Xaples.  where  we  had  absohite  control,  we  rejected 
1  in  805. 

In  the  case  of  Antwerp,  where  we  had  no  control  whatever,  we  re- 
jected only  1  in  505. 

Showin<r,  I  think,  so  far  as  fi<rures  of  that  sort  show  anythin«j:, 
that  the  examination  at  Antwerp  conducted  by  the  steamship  com- 
panies and  by  the  Belfrian  Government,  was  more  effective  than 
where  we  conducted  it  ourselves.  I  don't  say  that  that  is  absolutely 
conclusive,  but  it  is  an  evidence  that  the  prol)lem  can  not  be  solved 
by  examinations  abroad  by  Ignited  States  officials. 

I  will  say  this,  that  rejections  on  this  side,  which  every  one  de- 
plores— the  number  who  come  over  there  and  are  sent  back  to  ports  of 
embarkation  and  to  their  home  countries — would  be  ol)viated  if  wj 
had  an  examination  on  the  other  side  which  was  final,  so  that  when 
immi<rrants  reach  this  country,  they  could  walk  ashore  as  other  pas- 
sen^^ers  do.  That,  of  course,  would  obviate  the  necessity  of  sendin<r 
them  back. 

But  if  we  are  bound  to  have  a  final  examination  here.  I  think  the 
control  in  Europe  can  be  ciuite  as  effectiA'ely  had  by  continuin<r  to 
make  it  expensive  for  the  steamship  companies  to  brinir  inadmissible 
immi<rrants  to  this  country. 

International  cooperation  has  also  been  sufrgested  as  a  possible 
solution,  and  I  think  some  believe  that  we  could  almost  turn  over  the 
control  of  immifrration  to  the  furnishing  countries  under  some  inter- 
national aofreement.  I  doubt  that  very  much,  for  this  reason,  that 
in  the  really  important  things  in  immigration,  in  the  selection  of 
immigrants,  the  interests  of  the  country  furnishing  thei  mmigrant 
and  the  country  receiving  the  immigrant  are  conflicting.  The  coun- 
try furnishing  the  immigrant  naturally  does  not  want  to  gi^-e  up  the 
best  of  its  people,  and  the  country  receiving  the  immigrant,  of  course, 
wants  the  best  of  the  people. 

Senator  Harrison.  But  it  has  been  stated  in  the  hearings  that  some 
of  the  countries  did  encourage  the  very  best  ones  to  leave,  as  I  under- 
stood; that  is.  that  those  who  were  leaving,  in  many  instances,  were 
the  best,  because  they  had  that  spirit  of  adventure. 

Mr.  Husband.  That  is  true,  but  I  doubt.  Senator,  if  it  is  true  about 
the  encouragement  of  these  emigrants  on  the  part  of  the  Govern- 
ments. I  think  it  is  the  law  of  nature  that  if  a  country  wants  to  get 
rid  of  any  of  its  people  it  Avould  naturally  want  to  get  rid  of  the 
undesirables. 

Senator  Harrison.  That  is  the  way  it  has  always  appeared  to  me, 
and  I  could  not  understand  these  statements  to  the  contrary. 

Mr.  Husband.  AVe  have,  T  think,  an  example  of  turning  over  the 
control  of  immigration  to  another  country  in  the  gentlemen's  agree- 
ment with  Japan.  We  have  said,  in  substance,  to  Japan,  as  I  under- 
stand the  agreement  in  question,  that  "  only  this  class  and  that  class 
of  immigrants  shall  be  admitted  to  the  Ignited  States,  and  we  leave  it 
to  you  to  determine  who  shall  come  by  giving  them  passports.  If 
you  issue  a  passport  to  a  citizen  of  Japan  tt)  come  to  the  United 
States,  we  here  are  i)ractically  bound  to  accept  him  as  within  the 
terms  of  the  agreement." 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  533 

Now,  that  plan  seemed  to  work  for  a  time.  In  1907  we  had  30,226 
immigrants  from  Japan.    Then  came  the  gentlemen's  agreement. 

In  1909  the  number  was  reduced  to  3,111,  which  looked  yerj  en- 
couraging, and  I  think  there  was  a  general  belief  that  the  number 
coming  would  continue  to  dwindle,  and  that  in  time  immigration 
from  Japan  would  practically  cease.  But,  on  the  contrary,  it  con- 
tinued to  grow  after  1909.  until  now  it  has  reached  an  average  of 
nearly  10,000  a  year. 

In  1920  we  had  9,432. 

And,  as  I  understand  it,  that  immigi-ation  is  practically  beyond 
our  control.  If  a  man  comes  with  a  Japanese  passport  we  take  him. 
So  in  that  particuhir  instance  the  statistics,  I  think,  will  shoAv  that 
the  delegating  of  control  of  immigration  to  a  foreign  country  has  not 
worked  as  successfully  as  it  was  hoped  in  the  beginning. 

Now.  passing  to  the  remedy  or  proposed  remedy  to  meet  the  emer- 
gency which  I  think  I  described  yesterday,  and  perhaps  do  not  need 
to  describe  again,  except  to  say  that  it  is  a  return  practically  to  prewar 
conditions — normal  immigration  from  northern  and  western  Europe, 
and  a  large  and  perhaps  growing  influx  from  southern  and  eastern 
Europe. 

Senator  Harrison.  Before  you  get  to  that,  Mr.  Husband.  What 
do  you  think  of  these  foreign  papers  that  are  published  in  this 
country  and  distributed  abroad  ?  Do  you  think  they  encourage  immi- 
gration very  much,  or  have  they  very  much  influence  on  immigration 
to  this  country  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  Not  a  great  influence.  Senator.  They  have  some, 
naturally.  But  I  doubt  if  the}^  have  any  real  influence  beyond  the 
fact  that  international  news  relative  to  conditions  in  one  country 
naturally  attracts  or  repels  people  in  another  country,  as  the  case 
may  be.  I  doubt  if  there  is  any  studied  eifort  on  the  part  of  the 
foreign-language  press  in  this  country  to  promote  immigration,  but 
although  I  do  knoAv  more  or  less  of  the  foreign  press  in  the  country, 
I  am  not  perhaps  competent  to  express  a  very  definite  opinion. 

Senator  Harrison.  Do  you  know  whether  any  of  the  foreign  press 
in  this  country  have  branch  offices  or  branch  papers  in  foreign  coun-. 
tries?  I  did  not  hear  the  discussion  on  that  subject,  and  am  sorry  I 
missed  it. 

Mr.  Husband.  I  don't  know  about  that.  Some  of  the  larger  dailies 
may.    I  can  find  that  out,  I  think,  for  you,  but  I  don't  know  definitely. 

Now,  granting,  for  the  sake  of  argument,  that  the  emergency  here 
is  what  I  have  said  it  seems  to  be.  I  want  to  suggest  the  following 
as  the  remedy,  or  as  something  which  will  lead  to  a  discussion  of  reme- 
dies, at  least : 

First,  to  fix  a  reasonable  limit  to  the  volume  of  immigration  which 
may  be  admitted  from  any  country  in  any  one  year,  but  leaving  the 
way  open  for  the  admission  of  emergency  labor  when  it  is  clearly 
shown  that  such  labor  is  actually  needed,  and  also  leaving  the  way 
open  for  the  exercise  of  humanity  in  individual  cases. 

Second,  if  the  limitation  proposed  results  in  the  actual  restriction 
of  immigration,  such  restriction  should  first  apply  in  the  case  of  peo- 
ples who  come  to  this  country  temporarily  rather  than  ])ermanently, 
and  who  are  known  to  assimilate  slowly,  leaving  the  way  open  for 
the  unhampered  coming  of  peoples  who  have  readily  assimilated  in 
the  past. 


534  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION, 

Third,  the  promotion  of  a  beneficial  distribution  of  immigrants 
and  the  development  of  a  definite  policy  and  plan  for  placing  immi- 
grants on  the  land  as  independent  operating  farmers,  and  especially 
in  utilizing  immigration  in  the  needed  development  of  waste  lands. 
Kather  than  turning  over  to  aliens  farms  that  are  already  in  opera- 
tion, they  ought  to  be  utilized  in  developing  the  waste  lands  of  the 
country  into  more  farms;  increasing  the  number  of  farms. 

There  are  two  bills  before  the  committee  which  propose  the  limit- 
ing of  immigration  to  a  percentage  of  immigrants  already  in  the 
United  States, 

First,  Senator  Sterling's  bill,  which  would  fix  the  limit  on  the 
basis  of  ethnic  groups. 

Second.  Senator  Dillingham's  bill,  which  would  fix  the  limit  on 
the  basis  of  nationality. 

Either  plan.  I  believe,  would  accomplish  the  result  suggested. 

Senator  Dillingham's  bill  provides  that  the  number  of  persons 
of  any  nationality  Avho  may  be  admitted  to  the  covmtry  as  immi- 
grants in  any  fiscal  year  shall  be  limited  to  5  per  cent  of  the  number 
of  persons  of  such  nationality  already  residing  here. 

I  have  prepared  a  table  which  shows  the  number  who  could  be 
admitted  from  each  country  under  this  bill. 

The  Chairmax.  Let  me  interrupt  you  a  moment.  Mr.  Husband. 
What  is  the  distinction  between  "nationality  *'  and  "  ethnic  group  "? 

Mr.  HusBAXD.  The  "  nationality  "  is  the  political  status  of  an  im- 
migrant.   The  "  ethnic  group  "  is  the  racial  status. 

The  Chairmax.  Thank  you. 

Mr.  HusBAxn.  I  have  prepared  a  table  which  shows  the  number 
who  could  be  admitted  from  each  country  under  the  Dillingham 
bill  compared  Avith  the  numl)er  who  Avere  admitted  from  the  same 
countries  in  the  five  years  1910  to  1914.  The  table  also  shows  the 
nuni])er  who  would  be  admissible  on  a  -i.  8.  and  '2  per  cent  basis.  I 
will  put  that  table  in  the  record,  if  T  may. 

Briefly,  it  shows  this: 

In  the  case  of  the  northern  and  western  Kuropean  countries  the 
average  immigration  1910  to  1914  was  182,850. 

Tender  the  5  per  cent  provision.  887.020,  ajiproximately  twice  as 
many,  could  be  admitted :  under  the  4  per  cent  provision.  269,619 ; 
under  the  8  per  cent  provision,  202,212 :  under  the  2  per  cent  provi- 
sion. 184,808:  shoAving  that  until  you  get  doAvn  to  the  2  per  cent 
basis  there  Avould  l)e  no  restriction  of  immigrntion  from  northern 
and  Avestern  Europe  as  a  Avhole. 

Senator  Harrisox.  "What  Avould  be  the  nuinl)ei-  under  a  1  per  cent 
provision?     Have  you  got  that  figured  out? 

Mr.  HrsBAxn.  One  per  cent  Avould  be  about  67.000. 

Senator  Harrisox.  "What  per  cent  does  your  bill  ])rovide  for. 
Senator  Dillingham? 

Senator  Dit>t,ixotta:m.  Five  per  cent.  That  is  Avhat  he  is  dis- 
cussing. 

Mr.  Htsbaxi).  Yes.  Tt  would  be  67.000  from  northern  and  Avest- 
ern  P^urope  under  a  1  per  cent  limit. 

Xow.  from  southern  and  eastern  Europe  the  average  number  ad- 
mitted in  1910-1914  Avas  about  789.000  annually. 

Under  the  5  per  cent  j^rovision  255,416  could  be  admitted:  under 
the  4  per  cent  provision.  204.882:  under  tlie  8  per  cent  provision. 


EMEEGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


535 


153,249;  under  the  2  per  cent  provision.  102. 1G6;  and  under  a  1  per 
cent  provision  the  limit  would  be  approximately  51,000. 

I  won't  discuss  the  effect  it  would  have  on  the  immiirration  from 
China.  Japan,  and  other  countries,  but  these  appear  in  the  statis- 
tical table. 

Senator  Dillingham.  In  round  numbers,  Mr.  Husband,  under  the 
5  per  cent  basis  immioration  from  northern  and  western  Europe 
would  not  be  affected  at  all,  would  it? 

Mr.  Husband.  Xo. 

Senator  Dillinghaim.  Ea'cu  more  mitrht  come  in  than  had  been 
cominor  in.  but  it  would  reduce  the  immigration  from  eastern  and 
southern  Europe  substantially  two-thirds? 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes;  it  would  reduce  it  to  about  one-third  of  the 
average  before  the  war. 

Senator  Dillingha.^i.  It  would  l)e  reduced  to  one-third  of  the 
average  prior  to  the  war. 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes.  The  only  country  in  northern  and  western 
P^urope  that  would  l)e  affected,  according  to  this  table — that  is,  where 
immigration  might  be  limited — is  Belgium,  which,  because  of  the 
very  small  number  of  Belgians  residing  in  the  Ignited  States  and  a 
considerable  immigration  from  1910  to  1914 — an  unusually  large 
immigration  from  Belgium — immigration  from  that  country  would 
be  reduced,  theoretically,  from  5.G90  to  2,470. 

Senator  Harrison.  It  would  not  restrict  the  Germans? 

Mr.  Husband.  The  Germans  would  be  the  least  restricted  of  all. 
The  average  immigration  from  (xermany  in  1910-1014  was  32.239, 
and  the  5  per  cent  clause  would  allow  the  admission  of  125.066 
annually. 

Take  also  Sweden,  for  example.  The  immigration  was  17,848, 
and  33,000  could  be  admitted. 

Senator  DTLLiNGHA:\r.  You  will  insert  that  table  in  your  testimony. 
Mr.  Husband? 

IVIr.  Husband.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  be  placed  in  the  record. 

(The  table  presented  by  Mr.  Plusband  is  herewith  printed  in  full, 
as  follows:) 

Xiiiiihcr  of  natires-  of  countries  specified  who  were  resident  in  the  J'nital  States 
i))  1910:  (tverafie  nimiher  of  inn)iifira)if  aJieiis  uho  irere  admitted  from  siie?} 
countries  durinfi  1f>tO-10J.'i :  the  iiiimher  irho  irould  t)r  adinixsihle  aiiviialh/ 
under  the  Dillint)lia)n  '>  jicr  ce)it  plan,  and  also  under  a  .'/.  .?.  and  2  per  cent 
limit. 


Country. 


Belpiim 

Denmark 

France 

Germany 

Netherlands 

Norway 

Sweden 

Switzerland 

United  Kingdom. 


Population 
in  United 

States, 
1910. 


49,400 
181,649 
117,418 

2,501,333 
123, 134 
403, 877 
tW.S,  207 
124,  848 

2,  573,  5.34 


Total  northern  and  western  Eu- 
rope   I     6,740,400 


Average 
annual 
immigra- 
tion, 
1910-1914. 


5,690 
6,694 
8,601 

32, 239 
7,147 

11,416 

17,843 
3, 762 

89, 188 


Approximate  number  who  would  be  ad- 
missible annually  under  specified  per 
cent  limit. 


5  per  cent.  4  per  cent.  3  per  cent.  2  per  cent 


182,850 


2,470 

9,082 

5,871 

125,066 

6,157 

20,194 

33, 260 

6, 232 

128,677 


337, 020 


1,976 

7,266 

4,697 

100, 053 

4,925 

16, 155 

26,608 

4,994 

102,941 


1,482 
5,449 
3,  52.3 

75, 04(1 
3,694 

12,116 

19,956 
3,745 

77,206 


3,633 
2,348 

50,027 
2,463 
8,078 

13,304 
2,487 

51, 471 


269,616  I     202,212  |       134,808 


536 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


y limber  of  uiitircs  of  rottntrics  specifiPd  11)10  icrrc  resident  in  the  United  States 

in  1910,  cff.— Continued. 


Counfrv. 


Austria-Hungary 

Bul^ria ". 

Servia 

Montenegro 

Greece 

Italy 

Poriugal 

Ruma  nia 

Russia 

Spain 

Turkey  in  Europe 

Turkey  in  Asia 

Total  southern  and  eastern  Eu- 
rope and  Turkey  in  Asia 

China 

Japan , 

India 

British  North  America 

Cuba 

Other  West  Indies 

Mexico 

Afric-a 

Australia 

Atlantic  Islands 

Central  America 

South  America 


Population 

in  United 

SUte;, 

1910. 


1,670,&S2 

11,498 

4,6:39 

5,374 

101,282 

1, 34.3, 125 

.59,360 

65,923 

1, 732, 462 

22,108 

32,230 

59,729 


.Vveraee 
annual 
immigra- 
tion, 
1910-1914 


5, 108, 312 


56.756 

67,744 

4,664 

1,209,717 

15,133 

32,502 

221,915 

3,992 

9,055 

18,274 

1,736 

8,228 


225,931 

4,964 

26,442 

220,967 

10,  .380 

2,570 

210,922 

5,722 

13,930 

16,780 


Approximate  number  who  would  be  ad- 
missible annually  under  specified  per 
cent  limit. 


5j>ercent.  4percent.  3percent.  2peTcent, 


738,612 


12,092 

» 7, 713 

»348 

65,863 

12,805 

17,672 

1,197 

1,068 


1,285 
6,661 


83,529 

575 

232 

269 

5,064 

67,136 

2,968 

3,296 

86,623 

1,105 

1,612 

2,986 


255,416 


2,837 

3,387 

233 

60,486 

757 

1,625 

11,096 

200 

452 

913 

87 

411 


66,823 
460 
196 
215 
4,  ail 
53,725  I 
2,'v74  I 
2,6.37  ' 
69,298  I 
884 
1,289  I 
2,389  I 


50,117 

345 

139 

161 

3,aiS 

40,294 

1, 7S1 

1,978 

51,974 

663 

967 

1,792 


204,332  i     15.3,249 


33,412 
230 

93 

107 

2,028 

26,863 

1,187 

1,318 

442 
645 

1,195 


102,166 


2,270 

1,703 

2,710 

2,032 

186 

140 

48,389 

36,292 

605 

454 

1,300 

975 

8,877 

6,657 

160 

120 

361 

271 

730 

548 

69 

52 

329 

247 

1,135 

1,355 

93 

2^194 

303 

650 

4,438 

80 

181 

365 

35 

165 


I  1910-1919. 

Mr.  Husband.  Senator  Dillingham's  bill  provides  that  in  addition 
to  this  percentage  certain  relatives  of  immigrants  may  be  admitted 
after  the  maximum  number  had  been  reached — that  is.  after  the  maxi- 
mum number  had  been  admitted  certain  relatives  could  come  in. 
That  is  a  detail.  I  should  think  that  the  basic  maximum  number  in 
any  case  would  take  care  of  all  the  relatives  who  might  want  to  come, 
but.  as  I  said,  provision  ought  to  be  made  for  the  exercise  of  humanity 
in  individual  cases  after  that  maximum  has  been  reached. 

The  matter  of  ethnic  groups  seems  to  me  a  more  difficult  one  to 
handle.  Our  census,  while  it  gives  .some  information  concerning  the 
number  of  people  in  each  ethnic  group,  is  not  so  definite  as  it  is  in 
the  case  of  countries  of  birth  or  nationality,  and  if  passports  are  to 
play  a  part  in  the  regulation  of  immigration  it  would  be  difficult  to 
attach  passports  to  ethnic  groups,  whereas  it  is  perfectly  easy  to  at- 
tach them  to  nationality. 

But  on  the  whole  I  don't  think  it  makes  so  very  much  difference. 
Either  plan  could  be  worked  out  so  as  to  produce  the  desired  result. 

Senator  Dillixham.  In  some  of  the  European  countries,  especially 
those  of  eastern  and  southern  Europe,  the  number  of  races  within  one 
(Tovernment  are  (juite  numerous,  are  they  not  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  Oh.  yes;  even  now.  although  that  condition  has  been 
modified  greatly  h\  the  war.  And  I  have  thought  it  possible  that  a 
combination  of  nationality  and  ethnic  group>  in  the  case  of  some 
countries  might  be  desirable. 

Take  Turkey,  for  example.  Our  immigration  from  Turkey  is 
Syrian,  Armenian.  Greek,  and  Hebrew,  and  finallv  Turks,  who  in  the 


EMERGEISrCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATIOX.  537 

past  liaVe  plaj^ed  a  very  small  part.  I  think  a  few  years  ago  in  immi- 
gration from  Turkey  only  1  in  about  80  was  actually  a  Turk  in  race. 

It  has  seemed  to  me  that  in  the  case  of  a  country  like  Turkey, 
whei'e  there  might  be  some  conflict  among  the  A-arious  races  or  peo- 
ples as  to  which  should  have  preference,  possible  difficulty  might  be 
avoided  by  providing  that  the  number  coming  from  that  country 
should  be  apportioned  among  the  various  races  on  the  basis  of  the 
l^opulation  of  such  races  in  the  country  of  origin. 

There  would  be  a  little  difficulty  in  the  beginning  in  determining 
the  population  in  the  United  States  of  natives  of  some  of  the  new 
countries  of  Europe,  particularly  Finland,  Poland,  Czechoslovakia, 
the  Kingdom  of  the  Serbs,  Croats,  and  Slovenes,  but  Senator  Dill- 
ingham's bill  provides  that  that  number  shall  be  determined  by  a 
board  consisting  of  the  Secretary  of  State,  the  Secretary  of  Com- 
merce, and  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  pending  the  results  of  the  pres- 
ent census,  which  will  not  be  available  until  somewhat  later  in  the 
year. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  Avas  thinking,  as  you  mentioned  that,  Mr. 
Husband,  whether  it  would  be  well  to  modify  that  bill  by  giving  the 
I3ureau  of  the  Census  or  the  department  in  which  the  Bureau  of 
the  Census  is  located  charge  of  making  those  estimates,  the  same  to  be 
approved  by  some  of  the  other  organizations  that  are  interested,  be- 
cause it  would  be  from  the  Bureau  of  the  Census  that  we  would  derive 
all  the  information  on  which  the  law  would  be  executed. 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes.  The  three  departments  mentioned  in  your  bill, 
I  think,  are  the  ones  that  would  naturally  be  selected  to  determine  a 
matter  of  that  kind,  for  the  reason  that  the  De})artment  of  State 
knows  boundaries  in  Europe,  the  Department  of  Commerce,  which 
includes  the  Census,  has  the  population  statistics,  and  the  Department 
of  Labor  is  charged  with  the  control  of  immigration. 

Now,  I  mentioned  the  board  or  commission.  But  just  as  a  matter 
of  suggestion — not  that  I  am  absolutely  convinced  myself  as  to  the 
wisdom  of  the  matter — I  will  suggest  that  such  a  board  might  be  in- 
creased by  adding  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  and  the  Secretary  of 
Agriculture,  and  that  the  duties  of  the  board  might  be  expanded  to 
include : 

First,  authority  to  admit  labor  to  meet  an  emergency.  I  think  it 
has  been  pretty  clearly  shown  here  that  the  seasonal  labor  in  the 
Southwest,  and  on  the  east  coast  of  Florida,  and  I  know  it  is  so  along 
the  Canadian  border — the  Canadian  lumbermen  coming  over  into 
Maine,  and  Xew  Hampshire,  and  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin  during 
the  winter  season  for  the  lumbering  industry — has  ahvays  been  a 
large  and  a  perfectly  natural  movement,  and  one  that  I  think  no  one 
w^ould  want  to  interfere  Avith.  But  this  l)oard  might  be  vested  Avith 
definite  authority  to  admit  that  labor. 

Senator  Dilltncjham.  And  by  being  enlarged  it  avouIcI  cover  sub- 
stantially all  the  practical  interests  of  the  country? 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes.    Now,  continuing: 

Second,  that  the  board  might  be  authorized  to  make  plans  for  the 
distribution  of  immigrants,  including  their  permanent  distribution 
to  the  land  as  farmers. 

Third,  in  promoting  the  cooperation  of  goA'^ernraental  and  other 
agencies  which  have  to  do  wnth  immigration  and  immigrants. 


538  K.MEiujKNc'v  i.mmi(;hati()N  le(;islati()N. 

Now.  take  that  jrroii])  of  (It'paTtnu'iits :  The  Department  of  State 
ill  nny  coinpi-eheiisive  j)hm  for  passjiorts  or  exainiiiatioii  abroad  oi- 
inspection  aliroad  is  oleaily  interested  in  the  iTnnii<rration  movement. 
The  Department  of  Commerce  from  a  business  standpoint  is  inter- 
ested in  immiffration.  The  T)e])artment  of  Lal)or.  of  course,  has  con- 
trol of  immi<r]ation  matter^,  'i'he  Dei)artment  of  the  Interior,  in- 
chides  the  (ieneral  Land  Office,  the  Bureau  of  Education,  and  other 
<rovernmental  a<rencies.  Avhich  ouirht  to  be  utilized  in  a  compreliensive 
immigration  scheme.  And  the  Dejjartnient  of  A«rriculture  shoidd  be 
included  foi*  the  same  reason.  TJiese  de])artnients  are  all  doin<r  work 
which.  I  think,  if  coordinated  would  have  a  verv  l>eneficial  eli'ect  on 
the  distril)ution  of  inmiiirrants  and  the  utilization  of  immi<rration  to 
the  better  advantage  of  the  T'nited  States. 

But  now  there  is  })ractically  no  cooperation,  as  is  true  of  (Jovern- 
ment  departments  <rer!erallY.  Each  pursues  its  own  way.  but  it  too 
seldom  brin<>s  its  work  in  contact  with  the  work  of  another  depart- 
ment for  the  purpose  of  accomplishing  a  common  object.  And  those 
departments  that  I  have  named.  I  think,  could  very  well  work  to- 
<rether.  either  temporarily  in  makinfr  a  ])lan.  a  conij^rehensive  innni- 
iiration  plan,  or  possibly  in  some  i)ermanent  way. 

There  is  ample  precedent  for  the  creation  of  interdepartmental 
boards  of  this  nature,  notably  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  the 
United  State^  Interdpi)artmental  Social  Hygiene  Board,  the  Fniteil 
States  Geographic  Board,  the  Federal  Board  for  Vocational  P^duca- 
tion,  and  the  Council  of  Xational  Defense,  all  made  up  of  representa- 
tives from  various  departments. 

I  dont  know  biit  what  purely  as  an  administrative  unit  an  inter- 
departmental board  Avould  have  its  faults,  and.  i)erhaps.  serious 
faults,  but  in  an  advisory  way.  and  in  promotinjr  coo[)eration  I  can 
not  see  but  what  it  would  work  to  the  advantage  of  all  concerneii.  I 
am  mentioning  that,  because  Senator  Sterling's  l)i]l  pro\ides  for  the 
creation  of  an  outside  commission  of  three.  ai)pointed  by  the  Presi- 
dent, as  I  remember  it.  to  represent  the  interests  of  labor,  of  capital, 
and  the  interests  of  the  public  generally,  with  a  salary  roll  of 
5*?10.000  a  year  for  the  three  commissioners. 

Senator  Dillingham.  For  each  of  them. 

Mr.  HrsBAxn.  SlO.OOO  for  each  of  them:  yes.  And  it  ^eems  to 
divide  authority,  it  leaves  the  authority  for  regulating  inmiigration 
largely  in  the  hands  of  the  Department  of  Lai)or.  as  it  is  at  present. 
But  it  mixes  in  at  this  jioint  and  that  ])oint  the  c(»ntrol  of  a  board. 

Xow.  I  should  almost  think  that  if  there  is  to  be  a  board  of  im- 
migration, other  than  an  inderdepartmental  board,  it  should  have 
full  control  of  the  regulation  of  immigration,  taking  it  away  from 
any  department.  But  in  doing  that  you  would.  I  think,  be  building 
up  a  duplication  of  effort.  This  board  would  do  things  that  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  is  doing,  that  the  Dej)aitment  of  the  In- 
terior is  doing,  and.  if.  in  some  way.  the  present  activities  of  the 
various  department--  that  have  to  do  with  immii>"ration  or  immi- 
grants could  be  coordinated  it  would  be  a  saving  of  effort  and  a  sav- 
ing of  money.    That  is  practically  all  I  have  to  say. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  IIusl)and.  to  repeat.  i)erhai)s.  what  was  your 
A'iews  of  the  Johnson  bill,  of  the  temporary  suspension  of  immigra- 
tion, and  the  provision  for  admitting  dej^endents? 


EMERGENCY    IM.MKiRATIdX    J.KiJISLATIOX.  539 

Mr.  HusRAND.  My  view  of  the  Johnson  bill  was  that  it  would  not 
meet  the  emergency.  That  it  would  act  as — I  won't  say  as  a  detri- 
ment— but  it  certainly  would  reduce  immigration  from  northern  and 
from  Avestern  Europe.  I  believe  it  would  cut  immigration  from 
northern  and  from  western  Europe  to  almost  nothing,  for  the  reason 
that  admissions  under  the  Johnson  bill  are  very  largely  based  on 
dependency. 

Senator  Hakkison.  Do  you  think  if  we  should  report  out  the  John- 
son bill,  that  we  ought  to  strike  out  that  dependency  feature  of  it  ( 

Mr.  Husband.  AVell.  that  would  cut  out  all  immigration. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  that  is  what  I  am  for,  right  now.  What 
do  you  think  about  the  advisability,  if  we  should  report  out  the  John- 
son bill,  of  working  out  some  scheme  such  as  we  now  have  in  Senator 
Dillingham's  bill,  for  example,  of  limiting  immigration  to  this 
country  ? 

Mr.  Hi'sBANi).  AVell,  that  is  my  solution  of  the  present  emergency, 
Senator,  to  fix  a  definite  limit  at  whatever  the  Congress  might  deter- 
mine is  proper. 

Senator  H.ujrison.  Xot  to  put  the  two  together?  But  have  an 
interim  Avhere  we  would  suspend  immigration,  as  is  ])rovided  in  the 
Johnson  bill,  striking  out  some  of  the  exceptions,  the  dependency 
feature,  for  instance,  and  then  at  a  certain  time  to  start  the  opera- 
tion of  the  principle  embodied  in  the  Dillingham  bill  or  the  Ster- 
ling bill? 

]NIr.  Husband.  Well.  I  personally  tliink  that  the  principle  involved 
in  those  two  bills  ought  to  be  applied  at  once  to  meet  the  emergency. 
I  think  there  is  an  emergency.  I  don't  think  the  emergency  is  the 
immigration  from  northern  and  western  Europe,  which  is,  I  think, 
exceedingly  desirable.  In  fact,  I  came  over  on  a  ship  six  months  after 
the  armistice  with  some  immigrants  aboard,  and  they  were  a  per- 
fectly splendid  type  of  British  families  who  were  tired  of  the  turmoil 
of  Europe,  and  were  coming  to  the  United  States  with  plenty  of 
money,  to  settle  down:  people  whom  any  community  Avould  welcome. 
And  there  is  a  great  deal  of  that. 

One  of  the  very  definite  things  that  I  have  seen  concerninor  future 
immigration  from  Europe  was  a  statement.  I  believe  issued  by  the 
Federation  of  Labor,  that  there  AA-ere  some  ten  or  fifteen  thousand 
or  more  Hollanders  who  wanted  to  come  th  the  United  States.  Well, 
if  Hollanders  want  to  come  to  the  United  States  I  don't  think  any- 
thing at  all  ought  to  be  placed  in  their  way  except,  of  course,  the 
usual  te.st  as  to  health  and  everything  of  that  sort. 

The  CHAiR:\rAN.  ^Ir.  Husband,  I  underst<iod  vou  to  say  that  it  was 
your  opinion,  so  far  as  northern  and  ea>;t€^rn  Europe  is  concerned,  that 
we  were  about  to  return  to  preAvar  conditions  in  respect  to  immigra-, 
tion;  and  that  so  far  as  southern  and  eastern  Europe  is  concerned  it 
Avas  your  opinion  that  the  immigration  would  be  in  excess  of  prewar 
conditions.    Was  that  so  ? 

]Mr.  Husband.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  Xoav  then,  that  is  Avhat  you  term  the  emergency? 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes.  sir ;  that  is  what  I  term  the  emergency. 

The  Chair^ian.  We  would  return  to  preAvar  conditions  so  far  as 
northern  and  Avestern  Europe  is  concerned,  and  there  Avould  be  an  in- 
crease— you  didn't  state  the  amount,  but  your  opinion  Avas  that  there 


540  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLx\TION. 

would  be  an  increase — so  far  as  southern  and  eastern  Europe  was  con- 
cerned.   That  is  the  emergency  which  you  say  confronts  the  country  ? 

Mr.  Hi  SB.A.Nn.  That,  in  my  opinion,  is  the  emer<rency :  yes.  sir. 

The  Chairman.  Now.  is  that  emerjrency  in  your  opinion  of  such  a 
character  that  there  shoidd  be  a  temix)rary  suspension  sucli  as  called 
for  by  the  Johnson  bill,  pendin^r  the  consideration  of  the  Dillinjrham 
and  Sterlintr  bills? 

Mr.  HrsHANi).  Why.  I  mitrht  say  yes  to  that.  Senator,  if  I  thoufrht 
that  the  Johnson  bill  would  ac('omj)lish  what  is  desired.  I  doubt  if 
it  will. 

The  Chaiioiax.  Supposin«r,  as  suorjrested  by  Senator  Harrison,  we 
should  eliminate  the  exceptions  in  the  Johnson  bill  and  have  it 
strictly  a  suspension  bill.  Then  you  have  an  absolute  suspension^ 
have  you  not.  of  immicfration  ? 

Mr.  HrsBAXi).  An  absolute  suspension  of  immifrration. 

The  Chairman.  Pendinfr  consideration. 

Mr.  Husband.  Except  tliat  skilled  labor  might  come  in. 

The  Chairman.  I  think  it  is  in  the  minds  of  some  of  the  com- 
mittee and  others  that  what  you  call  this  emergency  really  calls  for 
a  temj^orary  suspension  pending  the  consideration. 

Mr.  Husband.  Not  quite  that.  Senator  Colt.  I  don't  believe  the 
emergency  calls  for  a  suspension  of  immigration.  I  might  say  that 
it  calls  for  a  suspension  of  southern  and  eastern  European  immigra- 
tion, but  that  it  would  be  most  unfortunate  to  suspend  immigration 
from  northern  and  western  Europe. 

The  Chairman.  Xow.  let  me  go  a  little  further.  You  know,  gen- 
erally, the  figures  for  December  of  the  immigrants  and  emigrants. 
Take  January.  February.  March,  and  April — for  a  period  of  three 
or  four  months — is  there  likely  to  be  any  great  increase  in  the 
number  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  Xot  a  great  increase.  As  I  said  yesterday,  the 
testimony  here  would  seem  to  indicate  that  about  75.000  immigrants 
had  come  to  the  United  States  in  December.  That  is  above  normal 
for  Decem.ber.  The  normal  number  for  December  before  the  war 
was  around  72.000.  and  immigration  is  usually  low  in  December. 

I  expect  that  there  will  be  an  increase,  simply  because  new  sources 
are  opening  \\p.  people  are  finding  a  way  to  get  loose  from  Europe. 
For  instance,  a  Lettish  gentleman  told  me  the  other  day  that  the 
old  Russian  Volunteer  Fleet,  which  has  not  been  in  operation  to  the 
United  States  for  10  or  15  years,  so  far  as  I  know — but  it  did  op- 
erate at  one  time — was  coming  into  being  again  and  would  operate 
between  Riga  and  Xew  York.  That  opens  up  Esthonia.  Latvia, 
Lithuania,  and  possibly  a  part  of  Russia. 

Senator  Harrison.  How  many  vessels  are  there  in  that  fleet?  Do 
you  know.  Mr.  Husband? 

Mr.  Husband.  I  don't  know.  There  were  only,  as  I  remember  it., 
three  or  four  wliich  came  to  United  States  ports.  I  saw  in  a  news- 
paper just  a  day  or  two  ago  the  statement  that  there  was  to  be  a 
new  line  from  Danzig  to  the  United  States.  I  doubt  if  you  can 
depend  upon  the  lack  of  steamship  facilities  for  carrying  immi- 
grants. It  is  a  trade  which  can  adjust  itself  very  readily  to  the 
best-paying  business.  If  there  are  emigrants  in  large  numbers  com- 
ing from  Europe.  I  think  steamships  will  be  found  to  bring  them 
over.    I  haven't  any  doubt  of  that.    That  was  true  back  in  the  forties, 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  541 

and  ever  since  that  time  ocean  transportation  companies  have  seemed 
to  adjust  their  facilities  to  the  demand. 

The  Chairman.  Siipposin<2^  an  immifjration  law  alon^r  the  lines  of 
Senator  'Sterlinfr's  or  Senator  Dillin<jham's  bill  would  be  passed 
within  four  or  five  months,  would  you  esteem  what  you  call  the  emer- 
gency, or  the  number  that  might  arrive,  any  menace  at  all  to  the 
country  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  Oh,  no;  not  in  that  sense.  Senator;  no. 

Senator  Harrison.  If  it  should  be  12  months,  what  would  you  then 
think  of  it? 

Mr.  Husband.  Well,  I  should  say  that  that  Avas  perhaps  temporiz- 
ing too  long — 12  months.     However,  that  is  a  matter  of  opinion. 

The  Chairman.  What  possible  effect  would  it  have  upon  the  gen- 
eral Avelfare  of  the  United  States  if  the  present  law  remained  in  force 
for  a  number  of  months  longer  until  we  could  pass  some  legislation 
of  a  restrictive  character  along  the  line  suggested  in  either  of  these 
new  bills? 

Mr.  Husband.  Well.  Senator  Colt,  the  country,  I  think,  is  very 
much  agitated  on  the  question  of  immigration  now.  I  believe  that 
the  agitation  in  the  country  will  grow  stronger.  I  think  perhaps 
much  of  the  feeling  about  the  impending  danger  is  unwarranted,  but 
it  is  in  the  minds  of  the  people  that  a  danger  is  impending,  and  the 
sooner  the  matter  can  be  adjusted  and  we  can  begin  to  look  at  the 
immigration  problem  in  a  sane  fashion  tJie  better  it  will  be. 

I  should  expect  that  as  immigration  grows  the  agitation  will  grow, 
and  all  of  that  agitation  is  veiy  unfortunate.  It  is  unfortunate  in 
the  sense  that  it  creates  unrest  and  dissatisfaction  and  hard  feelings 
among  the  immigrants  themselves.  If  we  could  get  down  to  some- 
thing in  the  way  of  tranquillity  in  the  mind  of  the  country,  if  the 
country  could  be  imbued  with  the  idea  that  there  had  been  a  right 
move  made  in  the  matter  of  immigration  regulation,  it  would  make 
a  great  difference.  Dissatisfaction  with  present  conditions  will,  I  be- 
lieve, grow  more  intense  when  the  spring  months  come  and  immigra- 
tion  increases,  as  it  usually  does  at  that  season.  I  should  expect  that 
the  dissatisfaction  would  then  become  very  much  more  intense  than 
it  is  now. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  think  that  the  prewar  immigration  should 
have  been  restricted ;  that  it  was  in  excess  of  the  wants  of  the  country  ? 

Mr.  Husband.  It  certainly  was  very  definitely  in  excess  of  the 
needs — I  won't  say  of  the  country  as  a  whole — but  of  the  parts  of  the 
country  where  it  went  in  greatest  numbers. 

The  Chairman.  A  question  of  distribution,  then? 

Mr.  Husband.  A  question  of  distribution. 

The  Chairman.  We  have  105  millions  of  people  in  the  United 
States;  we  have  a  territory  of  continental  area.  Do  you  think  the 
addition  of  500,000  or  600,000  aliens  a  year  is  a  detriment  to  the 
countrv  from  any  point  of  view  if  properly  distributed? 

Mr.  Husband.  Oh,  no ;  not  in  the  least.  I  think  that  is  the  secret 
of  the  problem,  "  if  properly  distributed."  I  doubt  if  two  millions 
of  the  right  sort  would  be  too  many  if  properly  distributed. 

The  Chairman.  From  an  economic  standpoint  do  you  think  it 
would  be  to  the  best  interests  of  the  country  to  suspend  immigration 
entirely  ? 


542  EMERGKNCV    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  IlrsRAXi).  No.  I  quoted  fi<;ures  here  3'esterday  showinj^  some- 
thin<r  of  the  achiiirabk'  distribution  of  certain  immip-ant  peoples  who 
are  comintr  to  the  United  States.  Some  cases,  I  think,  in  which  Cali- 
fornia and  Washin^on  received  nearly  as  many  as  New  York  did,- 

The  Ckaikman.  Have  you  in  your  own  mind  the  means  by  which 
we  can  distribute  immiorriHits  arrivintj  in  this  country  that  would  be 
effective  in  the  form  of  a  statute? 

Mr.  Husband.  No:  not  perhaps  in  the  form  of  a  statute.  We  iuive 
had.  since  the  law  of  1907  was  passed,  an  opportunity  to  accomplish 
that,  or  at  least  to  work  out  a  plan  for  doino;  that.  I  think  the  exist- 
in<r  statute  would  permit  that.  It  is  not  law  that  is  needed,  but  it  is, 
I  think,  as  I  said  a  few  moments  ajro.  cooperation  that  is  needed. 
There  is  need  for  cooperation  amon<j:  the  governmental  a<rencies  that 
are  interested,  and  then  among  State  agencies,  but  it  is  a  slow  process, 
it  can  not  be  done  at  once. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Mr.  Husband,  referring  to  the  immediate 
demand  that  has  been  mentioned  for  a  suspension  of  curtailing  of 
immigration.  I  presume  you  have  noticed  that  the  bill  which  I  intro- 
duced was  to  a  considerable  extent  intended  to  be  a  temporary 
measure,  but  containing,  perhaps,  a  l)asis  for  a  permanent  measure. 

If  we  should  adopt  the  Johnson  bill.  Avhich  is  a  total  suspension,  ex- 
cept in  respect  of  the  classes  mentioned  in  that  bill,  we  still  have  with 
us  the  difficulties  that  have  been  suggested  in  the  testimony  given  here, 
namely,  the  cigar  industry  in  Florida,  the  cotton-picking  industry  in 
the  Southern  States,  and  the  sugar-beet  industiy  in  the  Central  States, 
and  the  seasonal  labor  in  the  Northwest,  and.  in  fact,  all  along  the 
Canadian  border,  in  New  England,  as  well  as  in  the  West. 

I  was  wondering  what  your  opinion  would  be  regarding  this  bill 
Avhich  you  have  been  discussing,  as  a  temporary  measure,  fixing  the 
term  of  the  bill  for  one,  two.  three,  or  fours  years,  and  fixing  the 
i:)ercentage  anywhere  from  2  to  ')  per  cent :  aiul  if  that  was  adopted 
as  a  temporary  measure,  not  to  suspend  entirely  immigration.  l)ut  to 
let  in  a  limited  number,  and  providing  also,  as  it  would,  for  the 
letting  in  of  the  classes  that  are  needed — and  more  labor  at  this  time 
is  actually  needed  in  some  sections  of  the  countr}' — whether  in  the  end 
we  could  adoj^t  that  system,  that  is,  the  percentage  system  for  the 
basis  of  the  scheme  Avhich  you  have  already  outlined  here,  which 
would  provide  for  some  machinery  of  Government  for  receiving  and 
scattering  and  distributing  the  immigration  that  comes  to  this 
country  and  sending  it  where  it  is  needed  in  larger  quantities. 

I  don't  know  as  I  have  made  myself  clear? 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Whether  this  would  be  a  reasonable  measure 
at  this  time  to  meet  the  present  condition,  and  whether  it  is  one  that 
in  your  judgment  could  be  built  upon  as  a  permanent  measure? 

Mr.  Husband.  I  think  that  you  are  just  right  about  that.  Senator. 
I  have  thought  for  the  last  seven  or  eight  years  that  the  thing  needed 
was  to  establish  an  immigration  principle,  a  fixed  principle  on  which 
to  deal  with  the  immigration  question,  something  which  we  have  not 
had.  in  spite  of  the  many  laws  which  have  been  jiassed  on  the  subject. 
Our  immigration  and  emigraticui  has  been  simply  the  ebb  and  flow 
in  response  to  economic  conditions,  or  to  disturbed  conditions  in  one 
part  of  the  world.    In  other  words,  we  have  not  attempted  to  control 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  543 

immigration  beyond  providing  that  it  shall  be  healthy.  That  is 
really  the  one  provision  of  the  present  law. 

But  1  have  thought  that  the  basic  principle  ought  to  be  one  of  ad- 
ju.-tment  of  immigration  to  the  needs  of  the  country.  And  the  needs 
of  the  country  I  think  are  great  and  will  permit  of  a  considerable 
amount  of  immigration. 

And  then  provision  should  be  made  to  lower  or  raise  immigration 
as  a  whole,  or  as  there  is  a  surplus  of  or  a  peculiar  need  for  some 
particular  class  of  immigrants. 

If  we  found,  for  example,  that  a  certain  people  of  eastern  Europe 
were  dcA^eloping  waste  lands  in  this  country,  I  should  say  that  an 
exception  might  be  made  in  favor  of  those  doing  that  sort  of  work. 

But  if  we  found  too  many  of  other  peoples  going  into  crowded 
industrial  centers  or  into  cities  we  ought  to  be  able  to  curtail  such 
immigration  or  even  to  stop  it  if  necessary. 

I  believe  that  the  percentage  principle  proposed  in  your  bill,  or  in 
Senator  Sterling's  bill,  would  be  the  first  step  in  that  direction,  be- 
cause you  could  in  the  very  beginning  cut  immigration  below  any 
possible  danger  point.  It  could  be  done  by  the  application  of  the 
percentage  principle. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  That  was  a  matter  that  was  discussed  and 
acted  upon  by  the  commission. 

Mr.  Husband.  Yes. 

Senator  DiLLiNOHA^r.  I  find  in  the  report  of  the  commission,  after 
they  had  recommended  a  restriction  of  immigration,  they  said  that 
the  following  methods  of  restricting  immigration  have  been  sug- 
gested : 

i'l)   The  excl'.isioii  of  those  u;i:ible  to  rer.d  or  writp  In  some  language. 

ih)  The  liniitatidu  of  tlie  nuniher  of  each  race  aiTiving  each  year  to  a  cer- 
tain percentage  of  the  average  of  that  race  arriving  during  a  given  period  of 
years. 

And  then  there  were  some  others.  And  I  will  say  for  the  in- 
formation of  the  committee  that  that  was  a  plan  that  has  been  in 
my  mind  ever  since  we  made  that  investigation,  and  almost  immedi- 
ately I  introduced  a  bill  incorporating  that  plan,  but  I  did  not  press 
it,  I  wanted  to  have  the  country  get  familiar  with  it.  And  so  I  put 
it  in  two  or  three  times,  and  it  has  been  under  discussion,  and  the 
countrj^  gradually  has  been  considering  it  as  a  proposition,  but  we 
have  not  done  any  general  OAerhauling  of  the  immigration  laws, 
except  to  meet  the  President's  veto,  since  1915. 

Senator  Harrison.  Of  course,  it  would  be  rather  difficult,  in  your 
opinion,  to  pass  a  bill  carrjang  a  new  idea  like  that  when  we  have 
only  about  40  days  remaining  of  this  Congress? 

Mr.  Husband.  Well,  I  know  something  of  the  difficulties,  but  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  House  is  committed  to  tlie  cutting  down  of 
immigration,  very  definitely  committed  to  it.  I  don't  know,  but  the 
newspaper  reports  and  comments  have  seemed  to  indicate  that  the 
Senate  was  not  committed  to  that. 

Senator  Harrison.  Not  committed  to  what,  Mr.  Husband?  I 
didn't  get  you. 

Mr.  PIusband.  To  the  suspension  of  immigration. 

Senator  Harrison.  They  have  not  had  an  op])ortunity  yet. 

269n— 21— I'Tll 2 


544  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

Mr.  Husband.  Xo  ;  but  granting,  for  the  purpose  of  argument,  that 
the  position  of  the  two  Houses  is  as  I  have  suggest — I  am  not  saying 
that  I  think  it  is  so — in  view  of  possible  difficulties  in  getting  the 
suspension  plan  through  this  committee,  through  the  Senate,  and 
then  overriding  a  possible  presidential  veto,  as  a  practi!,al  matter, 
would  it  not  be  better  to  substitute,  possibly  by  compromise  in  the 
minds  of  some,  a  plan  which  would  produce  tlie  same  result  as  to 
numbers  and  at  the  same  time  give  opportunity  for  trying  out  a 
principle  upon  which,  as  Senator  Dillingham  has  said,  might  be  based 
a  constructive  policy  to  be  worked  out  within  the  next  three  or  four 
years,  but  in  the  meantime  having  th*e  protection  which  the  substitute 
device  or  plan  would  afford? 

Now  I  would,  personally,  as  a  student  of  the  immigration  problem 
and  having  no  interest  whatever  in  the  matter  beyond  that,  dislike 
to  see  this  present  term  of  Congress  go  out  of  existence  without  a 
move  in  that  direction. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  now,  if  you  differ,  Mr.  Husband,  with  a 
good  many  people  who  believe  that  the  coming  extra  session  of  Con- 
gress will  be  tranquil  and  peaceful  and  harmonious,  and  believe  that 
there  might  be  some  difference  of  opinion  touching  the  League  of 
Xations  and  the  tariff,  which  will  be  the  two  main  questions  discussed 
in  that  Congress,  almost  to  the  exclusion  of  every  other  piece  of  legis- 
lation that  will  be  considered  in  that  Congress,  and  that  there  will 
be,  due  to  those  conditions,  a  possibility  that  there  would  be  no  legis- 
lation on  immigration  for  say,  10  months  or  12  months,  maj'be  until 
the  December  Congress  following — wouldn't  you  think,  if  there  was 
a  possibility  of  that,  that  we  ought  to  pass  the  Johnson  bill  at  this 
session,  in  order  to  get  some  legislation,  and  then  take  up  immediately 
the  consideration  of  this  principle  that  is  suggested  by  Senator  Dil- 
lingham and  Senator  Sterling,  which  really  appeals  to  me?  Xow^ 
in  view  of  that,  don't  you  think  it  would  be  well  to  pass  the  Johnson 
bill,  and  strike  out,  of  course,  that  dependenc}^  proposition? 

Mr.  Husband.  Xo,  Senator;  frankly  I  do  not.  I  think  that  any 
possible  harm  which  might  come  to  the  countrj^  from  a  resumption 
of  the  unnecessarily  and  unfortunately  large  immigration  which  we  are 
going  to  get  from  southern  and  eastern  Europe  within  the  next  year — 
any  difficulty,  any  harm  that  might  come  from  that  would  not  over- 
balance the  harm,  and  the  real  harm,  that  would  come  from  stopping 
the  normal  flow  of  immigration  from  northern  and  western  Europe. 

Senator  Harrison.  Well,  is  there  any  way  we  can  amend  this  John- 
son bill  to  take  care  of  that  northern  and  western  European  immigra- 
tion, which,  of  course,  is  much  more  desirable  than  the  southern  and 
eastern  European  immigration?  Under  our  treaties  do  you  believe 
we  could  do  that?  T  don't  know  whether  we  have  got  any  treaties 
left. 

!Mr.  Husband.  Well,  of  course  you  would  stir  up  a  great  deal  of 
international  trouble  and  domestic  trouble  in  attempting  to  discrimi- 
nate absolutely  against  one  part  of  Europe  in  favor  of  another  part 
of  Europe.    That  undoubtedly  would  happen. 

But  if  you  would  substitute  for  the  relative  clause  in  the  Johnson 
bill,  the  clause  admitting  relatives,  the  Dillingham  5  per  cent  or  2 
per  cent  or  4  per  cent,  whatever  it  may  be.  then  you  would  give  offense 
to  no  nation. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  545 

Senator  Harrison.  Even  if  we  ^vould  make  it  1  per  cent,  we  would 
have  to  strike  out  that  dependency  provision  in  the  Johnson  bill,  and 
make  the  only  exception  a  certain  percentaoe.  In  other  words  that 
would  be  passino;  the  Johnson  bill,  with  some  modification,  and  would 
really  restrict  immiojration  for  the  next  10  months? 

Mr.  Husband.  More  than  the  Johnson  bill  would.  I  think,  from 
southern  and  eastern  Europe,  not  from  northern  and  western  Europe. 

Senator  Harrison.  Do  you  think  it  mio:ht  arouse  any  international 
complications  to  say  that  we  would  limit  it  to  so  much  from  one 
countrv.  and  to  allow  more  to  come  in  from  another  country  ? 

Mr.  IHLusband.  But  under  the  percentaf^e  plan  you  are  not  limiting 
it  in  that  way.  You  are  limiting  it  to  the  percentage  of  the  people 
who  are  already  here,  on  the  theory  that  you  can  assimilate  into  the 
United  States  a  fixed  addition  to  the  people  of  any  country'  or  of  any 
race  or  j^eople. 

If  there  are  40,000,  let  us  say,  of  one  people,  speaking  one  language 
in  the  United  States,  you  might  in  the  course  of  a  year  assimilate  an 
addition  of  2,000  to  that  particular  people.  But  you  could  not  possi- 
bly hope  to  assimilate  an  addition  of  20,000  or  40.000  persons. 

I  think  the  jDroposition  is  perfectly  logical,  and  can  be  defended 
on  the  ground  of  the  possibilities  of  assimilation. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Without  calling  it  that,  it  is,  in  fact,  a  se- 
lective sj'^stem :  a  selective  system  that  grows  out  of  the  relative  num- 
ber of  the  nationalities  now  in  this  country. 

Senator  Harrison.  So,  then.  I  understand  that  you  would  favor 
the    passage    at    this    session    of    Congress    of    the    Johnson    bill, 
with  that  section  eliminated  excepting  the  dependents,  and  substi- 
tuting for  that  proposition  a  1  per  cent,  or  a  2  per  cent  provision,  or  | 
whatever  the  committee  might  thing  wise,  as  embodied  in  the  prin- ' 
ciples  of  Senator  Dillingham's  bill? 

Mr.  Husband.  Well,  now,  as  to  the  Johnson  bill,  I  am  not  suffi- 
ciently familiar  with  all  of  its  provisions  to  say  that.  Senator,  but 
if  you  will  take  two  things  that  are  in  the  Johnson  bill,  the  two  pro- 
visions that  are  in  my  mind  at  the  moment,  the  suspension  of  immi- 
gration, except  for  the  admission  of  relatives,  and  the  provision 
which  would  admit  skilled  labor,  if  labor  of  like  kind  unemployed, 
could  not  be  found  in  this  country — limiting  it  to  those  things,  be- 
cause I  am  not  altogether  familiar  with  whatever  other  provisions 
may  be  in  the  bill :  and  in  place  of  the  suspenson  of  immigration,  if 
you  would  substitute  the  Dillingham  provision,  the  percentage  pro- 
vision, on  any  percentage  basis  that  might  be  thought  wise;  and 
as  a  substitute  for  the  admission  of  skilled  labor,  if  labor  of  like 
kind,  unemployed,  could  not  be  found,  to  turn  over  to  some  competent 
board  or  to  the  Department  of  Labor,  if  you  choose,  the  right  to 
admit  labor,  regardless  of  whether  it  is  skilled  or  unskilled,  when 
it  is  clearly  needed,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Southwest,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  east  coast  of  Florida,  as  in  the  case  of  along  tlie  border,  the 
Canadian  border,  for  those  industries  which  have  always  existed, 
then,  in  my  opinion,  you  would  accomplish  what  the  Johnson  bill 
aims  to  accomplish. 

Senator  Harrison.  This  is  a  new  phase  of  the  proposition,  and 
probably  we  have  not  given  the  consideration  to  it  that  the  question 
deserves.     Now,  can  we  have  Mr.  Husband  appear  before  the  com- 


546  EMERGENCY   I.MMIGRATIOX   I.F:GISLATI0N. 

inittee  later?  Suppose  wp  ask  liini  if  ho  will  hold  himself  in  readi- 
ness for  further  discussion  of  this  proposition  of  substitutin<r  that 
principle  for  the  section  of  the  Johnson  hill  in  question,  so  we  could 
discuss  it  later  on? 

The  Chairmax.  T  think  that  is  a  ver^^  valuable  sufrgestion.  You 
are  accessible,  are  you  not.  Mr.  Husband? 

Mr.  nusBAXD.  Yes.  I  have  to  make  a  western  trip:  in  fact,  I 
have  delayed  it  for  a  few  days  on  account  of  the  hearin<!:s  of  the  com- 
mittee. T  should  make  that  trip  within  a  week,  or  possibly  10  days, 
but  I  could  adjust  that,  I  think,  very  readily,  to  the  wishes  of  the 
committee. 

The  Chatrmax.  "Will  you  hold  yourself  at  the  service  of  the  com- 
mittee. ^Ir.  Husband '. 

Mr.  HusBAXD.  I  will  be  very  glad  to;  yes. 

Senator  Harrisox.  How  many  more  witnesses  lij^ve  we  got.  Mr. 
Chairman? 

The  Ciiatr:\iax.  There  was  one  witness  more  who  had  a  statement 
to  make,  and  that  is  Mr.  Patten.  Are  a^ou  prepared  to  go  on.  Mr. 
Patten? 

Mr.  Pattex.  Yes. 

The  CHAiR>rAX\  "We  will  hear  from  you.  Mr.  Patten. 

STATEMENT  OF  MR.  J.  H.  PATTEN,  REPRESENTING  THE  PATRI- 
OTIC ORDER  SONS  OF  AMERICA. 

^fr.  Pattp^x.  ^Ir.  Chairman  and  members  of  the  Senate  Com- 
mittee on  Immigration.  I  Avish  to  make  a  statement  bearing  on  the 
emergency  lecislation  and  also  on  this  percentage  proposition,  which 
coincides  with  what  Mr.  HusV)and  has  said. 

I  appear  on  behalf  of  the  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America,  whose 
principles  and  traditions  go  back  to  the  colonial  period  and  to  the 
'•  Sons  of  America  "  of  that  eventful  epoch  in  our  country's  history. 
Although  primarily  a  patriotic  society,  the  Sons  of  America  is  in- 
cidentally a  benevolent  organization:  it  cares  for  its  sick,  buries  its 
dead,  tries  to  look  after  their  Avidows  and  oi-phans.  and  i)er forms 
other  beneA'olent  functions.  The  chief  object  of  the  order.  hoAvever, 
is  the  inculcation  of  patriotism,  devotion  to  this  count ly.  its  institu- 
tions, and  its  ideals. 

As  a  strong  advocate  of  the  American  public-school  system  the 
order  urged  enactment  of  the  reading  test  for  adult  immigrants.  Its 
member.ship  favored  the  test  for  the  same  reason  they  favored  com- 
i>ulfeory  school-attendance  laws.  They  see  no  reason  Avhy  we  should 
not  require  as  mucli  of  adult  aliens  rominsr  here  as  we  compel  of 
our  own  native-born  adults.  They  believe  that  the  enactment  of  the 
test  will  tend  to  increase,  as  it  already  seems  to  haA'e  done  in  Italy 
and  elsewhere,  the  s])read  of  public  schools  throughout  the  world. 
It  is  their  ojnnion  that,  on  the  average,  the  man  or  Avoman  who  can 
lead  or  Avrite  is  better  equipped  for  the  struggle  for  existence,  for 
turning  a  living,  for  being  a  better  man  or  Avoman.  and  for  more  in- 
tellifrently  participating  in  our  public  affairs,  than  one  who  can  not 
i-ead  or  write.  It  is  their  contention  that  an  elementary  education 
iu'ttcr  fits  a  person  for  citizenshij).  and  that  the  ignorant  and  illiter- 
ate constitute  a  much  more  fertile  field  for  the  educated  rascal  and 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  547 

irresponsible  agitator  than  the  literate,  else  our  whole  public-school 
system  is  all  wrong.  Consequently,  they  are  opposed  to  the  repeal 
of  any  modification  of  that  provision  in  existing  law. 

The  membership  of  this  and  other  similar  orders  have  always 
taken  a  deep  and  somewhat  intense  interest  in  immigration  legisla- 
tion, and  it  seems  to  me  an  advanced  and  progressive  stand.  They 
are  opposed,  fundamentally,  to  any  foreign  interests  of  any  kind 
whatsoever  in  our  State  or  National  affairs.  They  believe  that  our 
immigration  policy  is  strictly  and  exclusively  a  domestic  question  to 
be  determined  by  the  people  of  this  country  through  the  legislative 
department  of  the  Government. 

They  believe  in  putting  the  determination  of  our  immigration  pol- 
icy ahead  of  business  and  every  other  consideration,  except  its  effect 
upon  America,  American  institutions,  American  standards,  Ameri- 
can ideals,  and  Americans,  whether  native  or  foreign  born. 

For  that  reason  they  would  respectfully  suggest  that  even  the 
hand-made  cigar  factories  of  Tampa,  the  large  cotton  and  sugar 
jdantations  of  the  Southwest,  and  similar  employing  interests  whose 
representatives  have  been  before  your  committee  and  the  House  com- 
mittee during  the  past  year,  seeking  legislation  that  will  except  illit- 
erate, pauper,  contract  alien  labor  from  the  operation  of  existing 
law.  .should  bow  to  the  public-school  principle  and  .should  thereby 
help  instead  of  hinder  the  banishment  of  ignorance  and  illiteracy 
from  our  country. 

They  fear  ignorance  and  illiteracy,  the  use  which  the  educated 
rogue  can  and  does  make  of  the  ignorant  and  illiterate,  and  there- 
fore they  favor  its  eradication  as  a  necessary  safeguard  to  our  insti- 
tutions and  a  blessing  to  our  citizenship  itself.  They  believe  with 
Washington  in  raising  here  standards  to  which  not  only  men.  but 
nations,  will  aspire. 

The  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America  is  composed  of  local.  State, 
and  a  national  camp.  At  its  last  session  the  national  camp  adopted 
the  following  resolution : 

ResolrPd.  That  we  urge  the  enactment  of  H.  R.  67.50.  deporting:  dangerous 
enemy  aliens ;  H.  R.  8572,  suspending  immigration  for  two  years,  outlining  a 
pjis.sport  system  and  for  other  purposes:  the  maintenance  of  our  existing  Chi- 
nese exclusion,  .Japanese  exclusion,  and  Hindu  exclusion  policies ;  and  the  fur- 
ther restriction  of  immigration  by  numerical  limitation  of  nationalities  accord- 
ing to  percentage  of  aliens  naturalized. 

The  attitude  of  State  and  local  camps  is  well  illustrated  by  that 
of  the  Penns3dvania  State  camp,  which  recently  adopted  the  follow- 
ing: 

AVheieas  our  country  is  reported  honeycombed  with  alien  radicals,  our  ambas.sa- 
dors  and  othei-  representatives  alu'oad  report  foreign  ports  congested  with 
millions  of  the  worst  elements  awaiting  peace  and  transportation  to  come 
to  America,  and  inasnuich  as  we  already  have  within  our  gates  over  5,000,000 
illiterates  to  be  educated  and  over  10.000,000  aliens  to  be  assimilated  and 
Americanized  :  Therefore  be  it 

RcMolvcd  b;/  the  Peutisiilrania  State  Catni).  Patriotie  Order  Sana  of  America, 
in  (nniual  .sp.-j.s/oji  at  Ifarrishiirg  this  2nth  dmi  of  Aiifjust,  19.20.  rrprcsentinfj 
132JG7  )iiriin)er.<i.  Tliat  we  urge  the  more  ethcient  enforcement  of  all  immigra- 
tion and  deportation  laws,  and  favor  the  enactment  of  additional  legislation, 
such  as  the  Johns<m  bill.  H.  R.  12320,  requiring  alien  regi-stration  and  limiting 
the  number  of  aliens  admi.s.sible  to  shown  capacity  for  Americanization  and 
naturalization. 


548  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

These  resolutions  look  at  immigration  restriction  from  the  stand- 
point of  America  and  Americans  rather  than  from  its  effect  upon 
business  or  its  advantage  or  disadvantage  to  the  alien  or  his  foreign 
land.  The  resolutions  contend  and  tne  order  argues  that  over 
10.000.000  unnaturalized  foreigners,  over  1.200  foreign-language  pub- 
lications, the  many  foreign  colonies  and  settlements,  over  3.500,000 
aliens  unable  to  speak  our  language,  and  other  similar  conditions  in 
our  midst  demand  further  restrictive  legislation  in  order  to  afford 
our  assimilative  and  Americanizing  forces  and  institutions  a  chance 
to  do  their  work.  It  is  not  more  raw  material  that  the  melting  pot 
needs,  but  more  elbow  room  to  do  its  work,  in  their  opinion. 

The  order  would  like  to  see  the  number  of  foreign-language  papers 
reduced  to  a  minimum,  and  has  urged  to  this  end  that  they  be  de- 
prived of  the  special  reduced  rate  privilege  of  circulating  through 
the  mails  which  our  own  press  enjoys.  It  subscribes  absolutely  to 
the  last  public  message  of  Theodore  Roosevelt,  which  appeared  the 
same  day  his  death  was  announced,  and  which  sounded  like  a  warn- 
ing from  eternity,  when  he  said: 

We  have  room  for  but  one  laiiguafrt-  here,  aud  tliat  is  the  Auiericau  lanjaiage. 
for  we  intend  to  see  that  the  crucible  turns  our  people  out  as  Americans,  of 
American  nationality,  and  not  as  dwellers  in  a  polyglot  boarding  house :  and 
we  have  room  for  but  one  soul  loyalty,  and  that  is  loyalty  to  the  American 
people. 

As  I  have  said,  the  Sons  of  America  feel  that  these  problems 
should  be  viewed  from  the  standpoint,  first,  of  America  and  Ameri- 
cans. They  think  that  10,000.000  aliens,  over  5.000.000  illiterates, 
and  3.000,000  additional  persons  among  us  unable  to  speak  our 
language  constitute  a  condition  that  ought  not  be  further  enlarged 
by  importations  from  abroad  or  any  other  source  whatever  may 
happen  to  the  citrus  fruit  and  cigar  industry  of  Florida,  garment 
making  in  Xew  York  City,  the  big  cotton  and  sugar  plantations  of 
the  Southwest,  or  the  open  shop. 

It  was  a  mere  trickle  of  not  more  than  7,000  Xegroes  a  year  at  its 
maximum  that  caused  a  four  years'  civil  war  and  saddled  this  coun- 
try and  its  people  with  problems  that  vex  and  will  continue  to  vex 
them.  And  the  argument  advanced  then  was  the  same  as  that  ad- 
vanced now.  for  cheap  servile  labor,  said  to  be  necessary  then  to  con- 
tinue cotton  growing,  which  before  the  Civil  "War  and  during  slavery 
never  amounted  to  4.0<''0.000  bales  in  any  year,  but  recently,  with 
slaverv  abolished  and  the  slave  trade  ended,  has  increased  to 
16.000".000  bales. 

Since  the  abolition  of  slavery  the  poor  whites  who  were  driven  to 
the  mountains  because  they  could  not  compete  with  the  large  planta- 
tion owner  who  had  the  money  to  buy  a  large  tract  of  fertile  land 
and  a  large  number  of  slaves,  are  coming  down  from  the  mountains 
and  out  of  the  hills,  where  they  were  forced  to  eke  out  a  precarious 
existence  hunting,  fishing,  and  even  moonshining.  and  are  now  en- 
gaging in  the  very  work  which  it  has  been  said  the  native  born  will 
not  perform. 

I  do  not  believe  the  statement  that  Americans  are  too  proud  to  do 
manual  labor.  I  do  not  believe  that  our  industrial  and  commercial 
prosperity  is  due  exclusively  to  foreign  "  pick-and-shovel  labor."  I 
can  not  share  the  view  expressed  here  that  native-born  children  are 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  549 

not  as  ambitious  to  learn  to  read  and  write  and  are  more  inclined  to 
commit  crime  than  foreign-born  children  and  children  of  foreign- 
born  parents.  If  American  conditions  increase  propensity  for  crime 
and  strip  offspring  here  of  ambition  and  a  desire  to  become  better 
and  prevent  the  hmnan  race  progressing,  then,  may  it  not  be  asked, 
Avould  it  not  be  better  to  shut  the  gates  and  rescue  the  future  genera- 
tions of  those  coming  here  from  becoming  the  victims  of  such  de- 
generation '( 

Such  propositions  can  be  tested.  The  South  has  had  practically 
no  foreign  immigration  for  a  century.  Few  Southern  States  have 
more  than  1  per  cent  foreign  born,  and  only  a  ver}'  small  percentage 
of  foreign  parentage,  When  it  comes  to  growth  in  railroad  mileage, 
bank  deposits,  cotton  spindles,  coal  mined,  or  increase  in  popula- 
tion— increase  in  labor  supply  itself — out  of  their  own  loins  the 
South  has  increased  faster  than,  or  as  fast  as,  the  North,  which  has 
received  the  bulk  of  the  tremendous  immigration  that  has  come  to 
this  country  during  the  past  half  century. 

The  representative  of  a  farmers'  organization  called  the  attention 
of  the  House  Committee  on  Immigration  and  Naturalization  to  this 
point  when  he  said : 

I  have  here  a  tahle  taken  from  the  Tradesman  of  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  which 
shows  that  18  Southern  States  and  Territories,  receiving  during  tlie  past  15 
years  practically  no  foreign  immigration,  have  increased  in  population,  either 
black  or  white,  or  both,  over  20  per  cent  per  decade,  while  the  population  of  the 
North,  the  labor  supply  of  the  North,  has  not  increased  much  faster,  with  all  its 
foreign  immigration.  The  native  birth  rate  in  the  Northeastern  States,  to 
whicli  about  three-fourths  of  the  present  alien  influx  goes,  or  is  destined,  has 
fallen  off  luitil  it  equals  the  death  rate  in  some  localities,  or  what  is  termed 
"  race  suicide  "  has  set  in. 

This  is  not  surprising  when  it  is  understood  that  40  per  cent  of  the  present 
alien  influx  goes  back  to  its  native  lands,  as  is  indicated  by  official  statistics, 
which  showed  that  until  recently  only  one-tenth  of  the  number  coming  any  year 
had  ever  been  here  before.  The  fact  tliat  a  large  per  cent  of  the  present 
immigration  comes  to  stay  only  a  short  time,  returning  with  its  savings,  after 
very  strenuous  competition  with  those  here,  would  tend  to  cause  that  result 
and  make  it  an  undesirable  immigration  from  our  point  of  view.  And  it  is 
useless  to  talk  about  diverting  or  distributing  such  an  immigration  over  the 
rural  sections  when  only  a  few  thousand  out  of  a  million  are  farmers,  and  a 
comparatively  small  per  cent  farm  laborers.  The  South  and  West  do  not  want 
it  distributed. 

Mr.  Brooks,  the  speaker,  representing  the  Farmers'  Union,  which 
he  claimed  had  initiated  over  3.000,000  members,  quoted  in  sup- 
port of  his  view  an  editorial  from  a  Mississippi  farm  paper,  which 
he  said  characterized  the  attitude  of  the  South  and  West,  as  follows : 

For  a  number  of  years  there  has  been  a  strenuous  effort  made  in  Southern 
States  to  establish,  at  the  taxpayers'  expense.  State  bureaus  of  immigration 
for  the  ultimate  purpose  of  inducing  foreigners.  Various  conferences  and  con- 
ventions were  first  held,  apparently  at  the  suggestion  of  local  commercial 
bodies  and  old-time  residents.  The  arguments  advanced  had  around  them  a 
progressive  atmosphere  and  lauded  development  of  every  kind,  picturing  In- 
creased bank  deposits,  larger  commerce,  better  prices,  and  enhanced  land 
values. 

Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and  even  Tennessee  yielded  and 
established  an  immigration  department  with  a  commissioner  in  charge  and 
approprated  a  certain  amount  of  the  public  funds  for  furthering  the  purposes  of 
the  department.  In  South  Carolina  the  movement  was  then  openly  fathered 
by  the  cotton-mill  men  and  transportation  interests.  Some  .$25,000  or  $30,000 
was  raised  by  these  interests,  and,  together  with  an  appropriation  by  the  State 
legislature.  State  Commissioner  of  Immigration  E.  J.  Watson  was  sent  abroad 


5  50  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

to  carefully  selet-t  severHl  sliiploads  of  imiuijriHiits,  which  in  due  course  of 
time  arrived  on  the  ^ynt(•ki^^(^.  To  make  a  long  story  short,  one  year  ago  last 
March  the  State  Legislature  of  South  Carolina  abolished  the  .State  bureau  of 
immigration  and  by  affirmative  statute  forbade  a  '•  State  official  to  attempt 
directly  or  indirectly  to  brinpr  immifrrants  into  South  Carolina."  Virjrinia  and 
North  Carolina  took  similar  action  by  refusinj:  to  appropriate  funds. 

Mr.  Patten.  T  -would  like  to  call  the  committee's  attention  to  an- 
other of  his  remarks  which  seems  in  point  and  well  worth  quotinir. 
He  said : 

The  general  attitude  throughout  tiie  South  is  that  whatever  ills  ihey  liavc 
they  wonld  rather  not  fly  to  ills  tliey  know  not  of.  They  have  in  mind  one 
unfortunate  experiment  indulged  in  to  satisfy  the  cries  of  the  violent  exploiter.-^. 
While  the  importation  of  slaves  did  give  impetus  to  the  cotton-growing  industry, 
just  as  I  understand  tlie  iremendous  influx  of  cheap  unskilled  labor  from  south- 
ern Eurojte  and  western  Asia  has  given  imiietus  to  the  steel  industry,  yet  every 
dollar  that  cheap  ser^ile  labor  brought  the  South  proved  blood  money  a  thou- 
sand fold.  The  poor  whites  and  small  planters  unable  to  purchase  slaves  were 
subjected  to  a  niiuous,  cutthroat  comi>etition.  '*  Not  only  did  the  mistake 
saddle  upon  most  of  the  white  people  an  economic  evil,"  which  according  to  the 
Immigration  Commission  has  its  parallel  in  the  steel  industry  to-day,  but  it 
was  ffdlowed  in  time,  as  was  recently  state<l  in  the  Record,  by  "  even  worse 
racial,  social,  ard  political  evils,  for  after  all  it  is  our  institutions  and  ideals 
and  their  successful  perpetuation  that  makes  us  economcally,  industrially, 
materially,  and  commercially  great." 

As  to  the  argument  that  the  South  needs  inmiigration.  and  what  all  these  inil- 
„jns  of  immigrants  mean  to  the  North  that  have  come  without  let  or  hindrance 
recently  from  parts  of  Europe  that  until  a  few  years  ago  sent  us  no  immigrants, 
and  where  public  schools,  representative  institutions,  ideals,  and  all  that  go 
to  distinguish  our  civilization,  I  have  a  few  figures  that  show  that  the  South. 
«-thout  any  foreign  immigration,  has  been  doing  every  whit  as  well  propor- 
tionately as  has  the  North  in  increased  labor  supply,  growth  of  population, 
increased  bank  deposits,  added  rralroad  mileage,  and  in  fact  in  every  indus- 
trial, material,  and  commercial  way  that  can  be  worked  out  statisticall.v.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  the  South  has  increased  at  as  great  a  rate  in  population  and 
iabor  supply  without  any  foreign  immigration  as  has  the  North  with  its- 
tremendous  "alien  influx.  Aliens  have  been  a  substitute  for  the  natural  rate 
of  increa.se. 

Mr.  Patten.  With  reference  to  the  South  Carolina  experiment  of 
l)rino:ing  in  two  shipload?  of  "carefully  selected"  immifrrants — 
selected  on  the  other  side  by  her  own  State  officials,  landed  at  her 
port,  and  *  intellifrently  distributed  "  by  beinof  located  in  the  factories 
and  on  the  farms  of  South  Carolina — 1  think  it  is  a  fact,  determined 
by  the  invest io-ations  of  the  Immiofration  Commission,  that  within 
a'year  less  than  5  per  cent  were  within  the  State,  and  at  the  end  of 
a  few  years  there  was  not  a  one  in  South  Carolina,  most  of  them 
havino-  jrone  to  Xew  Orleans.  New  York  City.  Fall  River,  or  back 
to  their  native  land. 

The  letter  written  to  our  State  Department  by  the  Italian  Govern- 
ment four  days  after  the  Johnson  bill  passed  the  House,  offerinj:  to 
send  us  the  "  classes  of  immijrrants  we  want,  and  proposinji  to  suspend 
all  immifiration  from  Italy  until  our  preference  is  made  known, 
conflicts  with  the  interview  which  the  head  of  the  United  States 
Public  Health  Service  g^ave  out  last  September.  The  Surgeon  Gen- 
eral in  the  interview  declared  that  epidemics  of  contagious  diseases 
were  rampant  in  Europe,  and  that  there  was  great  danger  that  this 
country  would  be  infected,  for  "  Seven  million  people  are  trying  to 
get  here  from  that  part  of  Europe  which  is  at  present  a  hotbed  of 
typhus  and  yellow  fever."  Surg.  Gen.  Cummings  said.  ''  In  addition 
to  typhus  and  yellow  fever,  bubonic  plague  is  present  in  all  Mediter- 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  551 

ranean  ports,"  and  he  further  said,  '*  It  is  hi^h  time  that  the  people 
and  the  Government  awoke  to  a  realization  of  the  fact  that  Europe's 
plagues  will  obtain  a  foothold  here  before  many  months  oro  by  unless 
we  keep  close  watch  upon  immifrrants." 

The  Surgeon  General  then  complained  that  after  permitting  for 
3'ears  our  medical  officers  to  examine  embarking  aliens,  the  Italian 
Government  "  has  recently  raised  objections  to  United  States  medical 
officers  being  stationed  in  Italian  yjorts,  basing  its  position  upon  an 
old  treaty  which  was  dug  up  from  goodness  Imows  where." 

With  reference  to  foreign  inspection  and  the  attitude  of  foreign 
Governments  towards  our  sifting  out  undesirables,  on  their  soil,  my 
understanding  is  that  some  years  ago  the  State  Department  canvassed 
the  situation  and  many  foreign  Governments  objected. 

In  this  connection,  and  with  reference  to  compelling  the  steamship 
lines  to  reject  '*  over  there "  under  "  pains  and  penalties,"  13,000 
aliens  were  brought  here  last  j^ear  that  were  certified  by  our  examin- 
ing physicians  as  mentally  or  physically  defective,  and  according  to 
the  annual  report  of  the  commissioner  general  the  steamship  com- 
panies were  fined  for  bringing  to  tliis  coimtrj^  contrary  to  law,  3,950 
diseased  and  other  inadmissible  aliens.  The}'  brought  1,639  illiterates 
contrary  to  law,  and  were  fined  $52,800  therefor.  The  lines  may  do 
the  best  they  can,  but  it  has  not  always  been  so. 

I  have  an  extract  from  the  report  of  one  of  the  subcommittees  of 
the  Immigration  Commission,  which  reads  as  follows : 

Several  ships  were  to  .sail  from  Queenstown  the  next  day  ro  America,  and  at 
nearly  every  stutioH  people  were  iretting  on  the  train  for  Queenstown  to  go 
on  these  ships.  I  talked  with  some  ot  them  and  was  told  that  they  were  la- 
borers going  to  America  seeking  better  wages  than  they  could  get  at  home. 

August  29  I  arose  early  and  went  down  to  the  dock,  where  a  tender  was  to 
carry  the  eniigi-ants  to  one  of  the  ships  sailing  to  America. 

At  the  gateway  I  inquired  of  the  gatekeeper  where  the  medical  examination 
of  the  third-class  passengers  was  to  be  conducted.  He  replied  that  the  doctor 
stood  at  the  gangway,  but  that  there  was  no  medical  examination.  I  went 
down  to  the  gangway  whei-e  the  first  and  second  class  passengers  were  board- 
ing a  tender  to  be  consigned  to  the  ship.  I  asked  one  of  the  employees  of  the 
steamship  company,  who  stood  on  the  gangway,  where  the  third-class  pas- 
sengers were  to  be  examined.  He  replied,  as  the  other  had,  that  the  doctor 
would  stand  right  there  and  look  at  the  passengers  as  they  went  by,  but  that  it 
was  merely  formal,  and  there  was.  in  fact,  no  examination. 

I  did  not  make  myself  known.  Directly  the  third  class  were  ordered  aboard. 
The  doctor  stood  at  the  gangway,  as  the  employees  had  said  he  would  do,  and  I 
stayed  till  every  one  of  them  had  gone  on,  and  not  a  single  eye  or  head  was 
examined  nor  any  other  examination  made.  I  visited  Mr.  Culver,  the  American 
consul,  afterwards,  and  asked  him  about  the  examination  at  the  gTingway,  and 
he  said  they  were  very  rigid.  This  did  not  conform  to  what  I  had  seen,  al- 
though I  did  not  let  Mr.  Culver  know  that  I  had  witnessed  it. 

The  consul  is  an  honorable  gentleman,  and  had  his  deputy  at  the  gangway 
where  the  third-class  passengers  were  being  examined,  and  no  doubt  thought  it 
was  properly  conducted ;  but  I  fear  that  he  is  being  imposed  iipon. 

Mr.  Patten.  I  can  not  share  the  statement  that  has  been  made  be- 
fore this  committee  that  native-born  Americans  of  native-born  par- 
entage have  greater  tendency  to  crime.  I  know  what  has  been  said 
with  reference  to  what  the  statistics  sIioav.  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  statisticians  as  a  result  of  weighting,  averaging,  and  selecting 
figures  sometimes  come  to  quite  different  conclusions. 

However  that  ma}'  be,  the  New  York  Kinoes  Count}'-  grand  jury 
only  last  month  in  its  presentment  petitioned  Congress  "  to  prohibit  " 


552  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

certain  immigration.  The  presentment  is  signed  by  the  foreman  and 
the  secretary. 

I  beg  to  read  this  presentment,  just  as  a  word,  in  answer  to  what 
has  been  said  about  the  greater  relative  criminality  of  native  than 
foreign  born  and  their  offspring. 

(The  presentment  of  the\ew  York  Kings  County  grand  jury  pre- 
sented by  Mr.  Patten  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

The  experience  of  the  grand  jury  for  November  for  the  county  of  Kings 
(which  we  are  assured  does  not  greatly  difCer  from  that  of  other  recent  grand 
juries)  is  such  as  to  liave  caused  us  to  give  most  earnest  thought  as  to  the 
origin  of  much  of  the  crime  with  which  we  have  had  to  deal. 

A  study  of  the  record  of  our  proceedings  shows  that  all  of  the  homicides  and 
most  of  the  graver,  most  desperate,  and  heinous  crimes  were  committed  by  for- 
eigners, who  palpably  have  no  understanding  of  the  genesis  or  genius  of  Ameri- 
can institutions.  They  not  only  have  not  been  assimilated  but  seemingly  are 
unlikely  under  present  conditions  ever  to  be  assimilable. 

The  facts  as  to  many  of  these  crimes  show  the  presence  in  this  city  of  foreign 
colonies  whost*  existence  is  a  perpetual  menace  to  the  lives  and  property  of  our 
law-abiding  and  law-loving  citizens.  From  the  testimony  of  witnesses,  some 
of  whom  were  participants  in  these  heinous  crimes,  it  has  been  clearly  revealed 
that  interracial  hatred,  with  their  attendant  feuds  and  vendettas,  have  been 
transplanted  to  this  country.  These  feuds  have  been  aggravated  and  perpetu- 
ated by  the  increase  and  extension  of  these  foreign  colonies. 

The  formation  and  gi'owth  of  these  foreign  colonies  in  our  midst  have  sub- 
jected our  institutions  to  a  great  strain.  Unless  their  gi-owth  is  prevented  by 
the  exclusion  of  countless  thousands  of  like  elements  which  are  constantly  ar- 
riving at  the  port  of  New  York,  these  colonies  will  be  a  constantly  increasing 
menace  and  may  threaten  the  submersion  of  the  American  elements  in  our  popu- 
lation. ■    — -"" 

The  securing  of  evidence  and  the  taking  of  testimony  as  to  most  of  the  grave 
crimes  has  become  next  to  impossible  in  the  language  of  our  country.  Every  C, 
additional  immigrant  of  this  type  but  adds  to  the  difficulty  of  protecting  the  :'^ 
lives  and  property  of  the  law-abiding  section  of  the  community,  of  those  who 
are  native  birth  or  were  readily  assimilable.  The  cost  of  administering  our 
courts  and  of  maintaining  a  constantly  increasing  police  force  in  orsler  to  cope 
with  these  law-defying  elemerits  is  au  ever-increasing  burden  to  this  community. 

In  the  face  of  these  conditions  our  people  may  well  pause  and  inquire 
whether  it  will  be  possible  to  keep  the  wellsprings  of  our  institutions  pure  if 
they  are  to  continue  to  be  subjected  to  the  infusions  of  such  elements,  elements 
which  are  not  merely  unassimilable  but  largely  hostile  to  the  fundamental  prin- 
ciples of  liberty.  _Our  institutions  were  subjected  to  a  great  strain  during  the 
war  by  reason  of  the  divided  allegiance  of  certain  foreign  elements.  This  pre- 
vented the  Nation  from  functioning  unitedly  in  its  efforts  to  preserve  democracy.    , 

Unless  steps  are  quickly  raken  to  prevent  the  admission  of  those  millions    L 
which  wish  to  come,  although  hostile  to  our  institutions,  we  are  liable  to  be    ^ 
submerged  by  elements  who  have  no  devotion  to  the  great  ideals  of  humane 
liberty,  have  no  regard  for  justice,  nor  respect  for  the  sacredness  of  human 
life.    America  would  then  cease  to  be  a  beacon  light  to  lead  the  nations  to  the 
complete  establishment  of  democracy. 

The  stream  of  our  national  life  can  not  rise  higher  than  its  source.  To  per- 
mit any  further  pollution  of  this  stream  is  to  jeopardize  our  national  exist- 
ence. To  allow  any  further  admixture  of  races  in  our  midst  is  to  intensify 
both  our  foreign  as  well  as  our  domestic  problems;  It  will  foster  disunion  in- 
.stead  of  promoting  union.  Instead  of  continuing  as  a  Nation  of  high  ideals, 
we  shall  degenerate  into  a  mere  raedly  of  races,  a  hodgepodge  of  nationalities.  ^\ 

We  therefore  earnestly  request  the  Congress  of  the  I'nitetl  States  to  enact    \ 
such  legislation  as  will  prohibit  the  immigration  into  the  country  of  all  who 
can  not  read  and  write  English,  and  who  do  not  possess  an  intelligent  under- 
standing of  the  fundamental  ideas  of  human  liberty. 

We  further  request  that  comprehensive  measures  be  taken  for  the  education 
of  every  adult  of  foreign  birth  at  least  in  the  rudiments  of  simpler  education 
such  as  will  enable  them  to  understand  our  form  of  government. 

William    Sh.^ddock,    Foreman. 
J.  Van  V.  Smith,  Secretary. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGKATIOX   LEGISLATION.  553 

Mr.  Patten.  The  King's  County  grand  jury  seem  supported  in 
their  position  by  Justice  Aspinall,  of  the  Xew  York  Supreme 
Court,  according  to  the  New  York  World  of  March  31,  which  quotes 
the  justice  as  saying :  "  If  I  had  my  way  I  would  shut  the  gates." 

According  to  the  World  the  justice's  remarks  were  occasioned  by 
the  effort  to  make  easier  nationalization  requirements,  and  he  is  re- 
ported as  saying : 

An  American  boy  aT  the  age  of  10  knows  as  much  as  the  average  Sicilian, 
and  yet  he  must  wait  until  he  is  21  before  he  can  vote  or  serve  as  a  juror, 
while  a  Sicilian,  after  live  years'  residence,  if  of  age.  can  secure  both  privileges. 
I  suppose  I  will  get  the  employing  class  down  on  me,  for  many  people  think 
we  need  these  laborers,  and  feel  that  labor  has  had  too  nnich  protection,  and 
that  capital  needs  more. 

I  have  not  made  the  painstaking  study  of  the  42- volume  report  of 
the  Immigration  Commission  that  others  have  made.  It  may  be 
that  the  commission's  reports  shows  all  these  favorable  things  that 
have  been  said  about  foreign  born  and  the  less  favorable  abput 
native  born. 

The  first  preliminary  report  of  the  commission,  House  Document 
No.  1489,  Sixtieth  Congress,  ^t  page  29,  contained  the  following 
clauses  and  sentences : 

Many  undeniably  undesirable  persons  are  admitted  to  this  country  every  year. 
Tlie  law,  in  theory,  so  far  as  its  exclusion  provisions  are  concerned,,  is  excep- 
tionally strong,  but  in  effect  weak  and  ineffectual.  In  theory  the  law  debars 
criminals,  but  in  fact  many  enter;  the  law  debars  persons  likely  to  become 
public  charges,  but  data  secured  by  the  commission  show  that  too  many  immi- 
gi'ants  become  such  within  a  short  time  after  landing. 

The  Immigration  Commission  made  its  inquiry  during  1908,  1909, 
1910,  reportmg  finally  to  Congress  in  December,  1910,  Its  inquiry, 
therefore,  could  be  said  to  be  a  characterization  of  the  immigration 
of  that  decade. 

According  to  the  census  of  1910  our  foreign-born  population  in- 
creased 3,129,766  from  1900  to  1910. 

I  have  prepared,  from  the  Annual  Reports  of  the  Commissioner 
General  of  Immigration,  a  table  showing  the  arriva-ls,  departures, 
and  certain  other  facts.  This  table  shows  that  practically  10,000,000 
aliens  arrived  during  the  decade,  and  about  three  and  a  half  million 
departed,  leaving  a  net  addition  to  our  population  of  over  6,000,000 
aliens. 


i54 


EMEllGEXCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 


(The  table  presented  bv  Mi-.   Patten  is  herewith   printed  in  full, 
as  follo^vs:) 

'I'dlilt   .shoiinui  imntifinitioii.  i  tiii(/r(itio)i.  etc..  f"r  Jt  inarx.  JHOI  tu  I'.iJl.  incliDiiie. 


Yea;  emling  .lune  iO- 


I  Total  alien 
I   arrivals.' 


1901 ;  562, 868 

1902 7.30, 798 

.  1903 921, 315 

1904 840,714 

1905 1,059,755 

1906 1,166,353 

1907 1, 438, 469 

190S 924 , 695 

1909, I  944.235 

1910 1  1 ,  198. 037 

1911 j  1, 030, 300 

Total  since  1900,  or  forla^t  11  years. . .  10.817,539 


Total 
alien 
depar- 
tures.* 


Per  cent  of 

immifO'ant 

ImmiLTant   aliens  who 

alien  ar-      have  been 

in  the 


rivals  in 
Note  1. 


United 

States 

I     before. 


209,318 
220,103 
247,559 
3-32,019 
385,111 
356,257 
431,306 
714.828 
400,392 
380.418 
.')1S,215 


4S7.91>; 
04 S. 743 
S57,04(; 
812, 870 
026,499 
100,733 
285,349 
782, S70 
7.51, 7S6 
O41..i70 
878.. 567 


11.9 
y.  5 
S.9 
12.  s 
12.1 
12.1 
•  1.  s 
8.1 


Nonimmi- 
grant alien 
arrivals. 


74,950 
S2,0.">5 
ti4,269 
27, 844 
35.2.=* 
6.-.,  618 
Vi'j,  120 
141.825 
192, 449 
150, 467 
1.51.733 


4,19.5,524       9,673,9.53 


1,143.586 


'  Official  Government  statistics.    ( Annual  report  of  Conimissioncr  General  of  ImniiCTation. ) 

2  Statistics  furnished  to  the  Government  by  steamship  companies.    ( Required  by  act  of  i  eb.  20.  1907. ) 

3  Not  giveii'after  1909. 

Note. — The  distinction  "immiKrant  alien"  and  ••nonimmiCTant  alien"'  is  fan-'iful.  the  only  diiTercnee 
being  as  to  whether  the  alien  comes  for  the  first  time  or  comes  intending  to  remain.  A  ••nonimmigrant 
alien"'  is  so  classified  if  the  ahen  says  he  expe.ts  to  return  to  the  native  land. 

Note  2. — .Ylthough  9.7S7.2iJ  aliens  entered  this  country  dunng  the  lastcensus  decade  U9W  lo  1910)  the 
Census  Bureau  reports  that  our  fo.eit'n-born  population  ih:-e3:ed  only  3.129.766.  which  tends  to  sho.v  that 
the  number  of  alien  departures  reported  by  the  steamship  companies  falls  short  of  the  number  that  at-tually 
leave  the  country.  The  Immigration  Commission  reports  that  "a*  least  40  per  cent  of  those  coming  re- 
turn." taking  a  minimum  of  ?2.5O,00O.0OO  annually  out  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Patten.  It  is  difficult  to  reconcile  the  census  figures,  which 
show  an  increase  of  three  and  a  half  million  foreign  born,  with  the 
Immigration  Bureau's  figures  showing  a  net  alien  addition  of  over 
six  millions.  Certainly,  the  difference  can  not  be  accounted  for  by 
mortality,  since  nine-tenths  were  in  the  prime  of  life.  At  an}'  rate, 
the  net  addition  of  al  ittle  over  3.000,000  immigrants  during  the 
decade  ending  in  1910  was  found  by  the  commission  to  have  caused 
"  an  oversupply  of  unskilled  labor  in  the  basic  industries  to  an  extent 
which  indicates  an  oversupply  in  the  industries  of  the  country  as  a 
whole,  a  condition  which  demands  legislation  restricting  the  further 
admission  of  such  unskilled  labor." 

The  crux  of  the  commission's  •12-volume  report  about  immigration 
conditions  at  the  end  of  this  decade,  during  which  there  was  a  net 
increase  in  foreign  born  of  a  little  over  3.000.000  aliens,  is  to  be 
found  on  page  48  of  the  first  volume,  where  the  whole  42  volumes  are 
summed  up  as  follows : 

The  coniniii^sion  as  awliole — all  nine  members — rec-onimends  restriction  as 
(leniaiided  hy  economic,  moral,  and  social  consideration,  and  furnishes  in  its 
rejiort  reasons  for  stich  restriction,  and  points  out  methods  hy  which  ron.irre.ss 
can  attain  the  desired  result  if  its  .iudfrment  coincides  with  that  of  the  com- 
mission. 

Then  the  commission  goes  on  to  say : 

It  is  desirable  in  iiiakiiitr  the  restriction  that — 

in)  A  sufllcient  imniher  be  debarred  to  produce  a  marked  effect  upon  the  pres- 
ent sup])l.v  of  unskilled  labor. 

(fi)  As  far  as  i)ossible,  the  aliens  excluded  should  be  those  who  come  lo  this 
country  with  no  intention  to  become  American  citizens  or  even  to  maintain  a 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX    LEGISLATION.  555 

permanent  resiflence  here,  but  merely  to  save  euousih.  by  the  adoption,  if  neces- 
sary, of  low  standards  of  liviufi.  to  return  permanently  to  their  home  country. 
Such  persons  are  usually  men  unaccompanieil  by  wives  or  children. 

(r')As  far  as  possible  the  aliens  excluded  sliould  also  be  those  who,  by  reason 
of  their  pv'rsonal  ([ualities  or  habits  would  least  readily  be  assimilated  or  would 
make  the  least  desirable  citizen.^. 

The  foUowins;:.  methotls  of  restricting  immisartion  have  been  suKe.'^ted : 

{<!)   The  exclusion  of  those  unable  to  read  or  write  in  some  lanjrua;ie. 

(//)  The  limitation  of  the  number  of  each  race  arriving:  each  year  to  a  certain 
percentast*  of  the  averajie  of  that  race  arrivinji  durine'  a  j^iven  i>eriod  of  years. 

(<■)   The  exclusion  of  unskilled  Iborers  unaccompanied  by  wives  ov  fiimilies. 

('/)  The  limitation  of  the  ninnber  of  innuijiiants  arriving  annually  at  any 
port. 

(e)  The  material  increase  in  the  amo  .nt  of  money  required  to  be  in  the  jios- 
session  of  the  inunigrant  at  the  port  of  arrival. 

[f)  The  material  increase  of  the  liead  tax. 

(p)  The  levy  of  the  head  tax  so  as  to  make  a  marked  discriiiuiiation  i;i  favor 
of  men  with  families. 

All  Ihese  metliods  would  be  effective  in  one  \\ay  or  another  in  secnrinjr  re- 
.strictions  in  a  greater  or  less  degree.  A  ma,1ority  of  the  connnission  favor  the 
reading  and  wi-iting  test  as  the  most  feasible  single  method  of  restricting  unde- 
sirable innnigraiion. 

Mr.  Patten.  Just  as  these  findings  and  conclusions  of  the  Immi- 
gration Commission  corroborated  the  results  of  previous  hearings  and 
inquiries,  they  were  in  turn  confirmed  in  the  report  of  the  Commis- 
sion on  Industrial  Relations  to  Congress  in  1915,  which  contained 
the  following  summary : 

The  immigration  policy  of  the  United  States  has  created  a  number  of  our 
most  difficult  and  serious  indu.strial  problems  and  has  been  responsible,  in  a 
considerable  measure,  for  the  existing  state  of  industrial  unrest.  The  enormous 
influx  of  immigrants  during  the  last  25  years  has  already  undermined  the 
American  standard  of  living  for  all  workmen  except  those  in  skilled  trades, 
and  has  been  the  largest  single  factor  in  preventing  the  wage  scale  from  rising 
as  fast  as  food  prices.  The  great  mass  of  non-English  speaking  workers,  who 
form  about  half  the  labor  force  in  basic  industries,  has  done  much  to  prevent 
the  development  of  better  relations  between  employer  and  employee. 

These  reports  establish  the  fact  that  immigration,  as  at  present 
regulated,  causes  a  surplus  of  unskilled  labor  in  this  country  as  a 
whole.  Even  alien  labor  is  found,  by  these  investigations,  to  be  ruin- 
ously competing  with  itself,  as  well  as  with  the  native  born.  And 
precisely  as  it  undermines  the  standard  of  living  it  undermines  other 
standards  and  conditions. 

"  Economic,  moral,  and  social  considerations,"  the  nine  members 
of  the  Immigration  Commission  conclude,  "  demand "  substantial 
limitation  of  foreign  immigration,  which  during  the  decade  of  their 
searching  inquirv  averaged  a  net  alien  addition  to  our  population  of 
300,000  a  year. 

Practically  the  weakest  one  of  the  nine  restrictive  remedies  sug- 
gested was  adopted  by  Congress,  and  it  onl}^  in  part  and  with  many 
partially  nullifjdng  exceptions. 

"With  Italy  and  other  countries  opening  night  schools  to  teach  their 
populations  to  read,  and  with  Europe  war  torn  and  seething  with 
radicalism  and  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  people  to  get  out  from 
under  those  war-torn  conditions,  existing  law  does  not  seem  to  satisfy 
the  commission's  conclusions. 

We  should  think  first  of  America  and  Americans.  Our  country  is 
thronged  with  unemployed.  Soup  kitchens  are  being  opened  this 
very  week  in  parts  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  where  they  have  been 
imknown  before.  The  world  is  practically  bankrupt  and  it  is  natural 


556  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

that  its  people  should  want  to  come  to  the  best  place  in  it.  They  can 
not  all  come.  For  them  to  come  will  merely  duplicate  here  the  con- 
ditions from  which  they  flee. 

With  the  situation  as  it  is,  why  should  any  come  until  we  get  our 
bearings?  Why  should  they  even  come  to  take  the  places  of  those 
leaving?  For  that  will  maintain  foreign  conditions  here  which  our 
assimilative  and  Americanization  forces  have  not  been  able  to  correct. 

The  figures  seem  to  indicate  that  they  will  soon  be  coming  at  the 
old  rate.  The  number  has  increased  from  14.643  in  Januarv.  1919, 
to  85,959  for  August.  1920.  and  is  estimated  at  fi-om  92,000  to'lOl.OOO 
for  each  of  the  remaining  four  months  of  1920. 

Conditions  in  this  country  are  what  should  control,  in  our  opinion. 
To  intensify  any  one  of  the>e  conditions  may  be  dangerous.  We 
recognize  that  there  will  always  be  immigration. 

A  circular  has  just  been  sent  to  me  entitled  "  T'nem])loyment."' 
issued  recently  by  the  central  executive  committee  of  the  Communist 
Party  of  America.  After  describing  the  large  army  of  unemployed, 
and  how  workers  are  "  beginning  to  feel  the  pinch  of  hunger  and 
cold,"  in  a  year  of  bumper  crops  and  a  land  of,  plenty,  while  the 
"idle  rich  are  enjoying  the  fat  of  the  land,''  the  reader  is  exhorted 
to  "  put  an  end  to  this  j^rofit  system  "  which  keeps  him  in  "'  poverty, 
misery,  and  degradation  and  gives  all  the  good  things  of  life  to  the 
rich,"  and  the  way  pointed  out  is  "  to  conquer  ]>olitical  power  and 
•  destroy  this  capitalistic  Government  and  establish  in  its  place  a 
soviet — just  as  did  the  workers  and  peasants  of  Russia."  Again  and 
again  the  circular  urges  the  overthrow  of  the  American  Govern- 
ment by  force  and  the  establishment  of  communism  in  its  place. 

The  Attorney  General  in  his  last  annual  report  represents  that 
he  has  a  card  index  of  over  200.000  radicals,  and  that  "  90  per  cent 
of  the  communist  and  anarchist  agitation  last  year  is  traceable  ta 
aliens."  The  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America  teaches  that  the 
American  form  of  Government  is  the  best  that  ever  has  been  devi.sed 
anywhere,  any  time,  and  that  under  it,  when  properly  administered, 
there  is  more  personal  liberty  and  greater  equality  of  opportunity 
than  anywhere  else. 

The  membership  is  opposed  to  radicals  and  radicalism,  and  would 
prefer  absolutely  shutting  the  gates  at  this  time  until  the  present 
agitation  in  this  country  can  be  wiped  out.  They  would  prefer 
keeping  all  out  rather  than  admit  a  very  few  such  enemies  of  our 
free  institutions.  Our  members  have  come  in  contact  with  the 
propaganda  and  have  been  instrumental  in  putting  an  end  to  it  in 
a  number  of  instances,  and  as  a  result  of  their  efforts  have  been 
commended  by  various  public  officials,  including  the  Attorney  Gen- 
eral of  the  United  States,  who  said.  "It  is  a  pity  that  there  are  not 
more  organizations  like  the  Patriotic  Order  Sons  of  America  in  this 
country." 

About  a  year  ago.  when  an  effort  was  made  to  get  Congress  to 
empoAver  the  Secretary  of  Labor  to  waive  the  provisions  of  the 
immigration  law  and  admit  illiterate,  pauper,  contract  labor  from 
Mexico  and  other  contiguous  foreign  territory.  T  made  a  statement 
before  the  House  committee  on  behalf  of  the  order  in  opposition  to 
the  proposal.  The  same  gentlemen  that  have  been  before  your  com- 
mittee at  this  hearing  were  before  the  House  committee  then.     One 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  557 

of  them.  Mr.  Fred  Roberts,  of  Corpus  Christi.  Tex.,  testifying  before 
the  House  committee  described  unemployment  conditions  savoring 
of  sLaverv  and  peonage.  The  House  committee  unanimously  tabled 
the  bill  or.  rather,  resolution  excepting  from  the  immigration  law 
illiterates,  pauper,  contract  laborers  from  contiguous  territory. 

Ten  da^^s  later  the  Secretary  of  Labor  issued  an  order  suspending 
the  law,  saying  he  did  so  "  pending  action  by  Congress,"  although 
the  House  committee  had  unanimously  refused  to  act.  The  order 
issued  by  the  Secretary  purports  to  be  done  without  clear  authority 
of  law,  because  it  is  done  "pending  action  by  Congress"  authorizing 
"the  admission  of  laborers  for  agricultural  pursuits."  It  was  not 
intended  by  the  committees  or  those  that  drafted  the  existing  law  to 
give  the  Secretary  any  such  discretionary  power  as  to  declare  the 
law  to  be  law  at  one  time  and  in  one  place  and  not  law  in  another 
place  and  as  to  all  countries'  nationals  with  whom  we  have  treaties 
containing  the  most-favored-nation  clause. 

We  should  maintain  our  proud  boast  that  this  is  a  Government  of 
law  and  not  of  men,  and  that  all  are  equal  before  the  law  and  enti- 
tled to  the  same  privileges,  be  they  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of 
happiness,  or  the  importation  of  illiterate,  pauper  laborers  under 
contract. 

Congressman  Box,  of  Texas,  a  member  of  the  House  Committee  on 
Immigration  and  Naturalization,  made  a  statement  before  the  House 
committee,  and  showed,  by  reading  from  the  official  journal  of  the 
Texas  State  Senate,  which  conducted  an  extensive  investigation  into 
the  matter,  the  illegal  voting  of  large  numbers  of  Mexicans,  to  which 
1  would  call  your  attention.  It  has  been  stated  these  Mexicans  were 
desirable  and  affidavits  have  been  introduced  to  that  effect.  Of 
course,  it  is  impossible  to  prove  a  universal  negative. 

The  evidence  taken  before  the  Texas  Senate  committee  shows  the 
contrary.  It  does  not  show  that  those  imported  under  the  contracts, 
as  a  result  of  the  waiving  of  the  immigration  law,  were  used  to  cor- 
rupt the  ballot,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  does  not  show  that  they 
were  not,  and  it  does  show  that  hundreds  upon  hundreds  of  illiterate 
Mexicans  were  so  used. 

Mr.  Patten.  I  have  here  a  four-page  brief  in  favor  of  the  numerical 
limitation  of  immigration,  which  I  should  like  to  have  placed  in  the 
record. 

The  Chairman.  It  may  be  placed  in  the  record. 

(The  "  Brief  in  favor  of  the  numerical  limitation  of  immigra- 
tion" presented  by  Mr.  Patten  is  printed  in  full  in  a  subsequent 
part  of  the  record.) 

Mr.  Patten.  I  have  here  various  orders  issued  by  the  Secretary  of 
Labor  suspending  the  law,  and  certain  letters  and  memoranda,  which 
complete  the  history  of  the  proposed  amendment,  and  which  the 
committee  may  have  if  it  cares  to  have  them  printed  in  the  record. 
I  have  also  a  statement  which  I  made  before  the  House  committee  in 
opposition  to  the  resolution  which  contained  the  gist  of  the  amend- 
ments for  which  Mr.  Roberts,  Mr.  Mandeville,  and  others  have  con- 
tended before  this  committee. 

These  orders  issued  by  the  Department  of  Labor  and  this  cor- 
respondence on  the  part  of  the  Secretary  of  Labor  and  Mr.  Caminetti 
bearing  on  the  admission  of  illiterate  Mexicans  and  aliens  would. 


558  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

1  think,  be  valuable  for  the  purposes  of  this  committee.  I  have 
here  a  copy  of  the  order  issued  by  the  Secretary  of  Labor  on  Febru- 
ary 12,  19*20.  and  copies  of  letters  and  orders  appearing  in  Appendix 
A  "to  the  hearings  of  the  House  committee  on  "  Temporary  admis- 
sion of  illiterate  Mexican  laborers  "'  from  pages  358  to  373,  inclusive. 

The  Chairman.  They  may  be  incorporated  in  the  record,  if  you 
will  submit  them. 

(The  letters  and  orders  presented  by  Mr.  Patten  are  printed  in 
full  in  a  subsequent  part  of  the  record.) 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  now  stand  adjourned  until 
Tuesday,  January  25,  at  half  past  10. 

(Thereupon,  at  11.55  o'clock  a.  m..  January  19.  1921,  the  committee 
adjourned  until  Tuesday,  January  25,  1921,  at  10.30  a.  m.) 


X 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 


HEARINGS 

BEFORE  THE 

COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION 
UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGEESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 

H.  R. 14461 

A  BILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZENS 

OF  THE  UNITED   STATES  BY  THE   TEMPORARY 

SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 

FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 


TUESDAY,  JANUARY  25,  1921 


PART  12 

Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration 


Sk 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
26011  1921 


COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION. 

LeBAROX  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island.  Chairman. 

WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,  Vermont  THOMAS  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 

BOIES  PENROSE,  PennsylvanUt.  JOHN   F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 

THOMAS  STERLING.  South  Dakota.  WILLIAM  H.  KING,  Utah. 

HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California.  WILLIAM  J.  HARRIS,  Georgia. 

HENRY  W.  KEYES,  New  Hampshire.  PAT  HARRISON.  Mississippi. 

WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey.  JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 

IIexry   M.   BAttBT,   Clerk. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 


TUESDAY,  JANUARY  25,   1921. 

United  States  Senate, 

Committee  on  Immigration, 

WasMngtorij  D.  C. 

The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  in  room  235,  Senate 
Office  Building,  at  10.30  o'clock  a.  m..  Senator  LeBaron  B.  Colt 
presiding. 

Also  present:  Senators  Colt  (chairman),  Dillingham,  Keyes,  Edge, 
Gore,  Harris,  and  Harrison. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  Mill  now  be  glad  to  hear  Mr. 
McCleUan. 

STATEMENT   OF   ME.    GEORGE   McK.    McCLELLAN,    WASHING- 
TON, D.  C. 

The  Chairman.  Before  you  go  on  with  your  statement,  will  you 
not  tell  us  in  a  preliminary  way  as  to  your  profession  and  experience  i 

Mr.  McClellan.  Yes,  Senator.  I  am  a  lawyer,  and  I  have  for 
about  10  years,  during  the  past  15  years,  represented  here  at  Wash- 
ington the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Honolulu,  Hawaii,  and  have  been 
in  touch  with  all  public  legislation  for  the  Hawaiian  Islands.  I  have 
not  represented  private  interests,  but  have  been  working  on  behalf 
of  commercial  oi-ganizations  of  Hawaii  for  public  legislation  affecting 
those  islands.  I  do  not  now  represent  those  interests,  and  I  appear 
as  an  individual  citizen. 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  made  a  special  study  of  the  subject  of 
immigration  ? 

Mr.  McClellan.  I  have  for  the  past  two  years.  Senator.  I  have 
been  engaged  on  this  subject,  because  it  is  to  me  one  of  the  most 
fascinating  subjects  that  one  can  study,  since  it  represents  really  the 
fundamental  drama  of  the  human  race. 

The  (^hairman.  It  is  fascinating,  but  rather  difficult? 

Mr.  McClellan.  Fascinating  an.d  also  difficult,  as  all  important 
human  problems  are  apt  to  be.  Senator. 

Gentlemen  of  the  committee,  through  your  courtesy  I  appear,  as  a 
citizen  and  without  financial  interest  in  the  issues  before  you,  to 
dist?uss  briefly  the  immigration  situation. 

My  purpose  is  to  make  a  prclimiiuiry  statement  and  outline  of  a 
new  and  comprehensive  plan  of  immigration  control.  Its  considera- 
tion now  may  have  some  bearing  on  the  type  of  emergency  legislation 
to  be  adopted  at  this  session.  The  plan  as  a  whole,  and  the  problem, 
it  undertakes  to  meet,  should  receive  both  prompt  and  thorough  con- 
sideration by  the  Sixty-seventh  Congress. 

The  chief  indictments  of  the  present  immigration  practice  in  this 
country  are  that  control  and  direction  are  scarcely  attempted;    that 

559 


560  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATICfX   LEGISLATION. 

it  treats  a  vast  conn  try  as  one  immigration  unit  of  destination  and 
vocation;  that  it  grants  to  the  untrievl  alien  full  and  unrestricted 
admission:  and  finally  that  it  leaves  to  the  restless  masses  of  Europe 
and  to  the  activities  of  foreign  steamship  companies  the  real  determi- 
nation of  the  volume,  character,  and  destination  of  our  immigration. 

A  comj)re!iensive  immigration  plan  must  em])ody  llexihility  under 
varying  conditions,  and  control  of  volume,  distribution  and  general 
lines  of  occu])ation  to  be  followed  by  the  immigrant.  Finally,  it 
should  condition  the  alien's  right  to  land  and  to  remain  upon  com- 
pliance with  definite  stejs  toward  citizenshi]..  No  comj  rehensive 
immigration  system  has  ever  been  ado])ted  by  the  nation:  rather  we 
have  allowed  immigration  to  mal-  e  its  own  volume  and  currents  and 
to  remain  alien. 

.  Even  l>eiore  the  great  war,  big  industry  and  big  opportunity  had 
combined  to  make  immigration  a  j.roblem  to  this  nation  of  ours. 
The  World  War  and  its  trailing  misery  have  raiseil  the  problem  to 
an  impending  crisis. 

A  bankrupt  continent  is  ready  to  flood  us  with  the  millions  who 
typify  the  wretchechiess  and  poverty  spa\^^^ed  by  relentless  war. 

In  addition,  tne  war  lias  forced  us  to  recognize  some  of  the  majoi 
defects  of  our  immigration  flood. 

First  oi  these  is  the  stupidity  of  rermitting  the  alien  masses  to 
control  their  o%m  pereonnel  and  numbers,  we  admitting  and  turning 
the  immigrant  loose  in  the  country  with  no  ]  Ian  or  effort  to  coordinate 
him  with  our  industrial  activities,  some  of  which  needed  him,  and 
others  of  which  were  injured  by  his  unsought  arrival.  The  second  is 
the  miwisdom  and  actual  danger  of  permitting  large  bodies  of  aliens 
to  remain  as  a  foreign  mass  in  the  nation's  organism  vrith  neither  plan 
nor  requirement  for  assimilating  them  into  the  citizen  body. 

The  Congress,  alive  both  to  its  responsibility  and  to  the  danger, 
has  moved  to  bar  the  entrance  gates  for  a  fixed  period. 

Some  such  heroic  temporary  action  is  probably  necessary.  But 
its  chief  value  will  be  to  emphasize  the  crisis,  warn  the  country  that 
no  adequate  method  lias  yet  been  devised  to  meet  the  intensified 
immigration  problem  and  give  Congress  time  to  adopt  a  comprehen- 
sive plan. 

Xeitlier  Congress  nor  the  country  believes  that  we  can  become  a 
hermit  republic,  with  our  doors  long  closed  to  immigration.  It  must 
meet  the  situation  and  continue  the  stream  of  immigration  as  a 
permanent  policy.  The  situation  therefore  invites,  and  even  urges 
affirmative  proposals  of  methods  from  those  who  have  given  thought 
to  the  subject. 

In  the  hope  that  it  may  lead  to  constructive  discussion  and  to  a 
better  practical  solution,  the  writer  submits  a  new  plan  for  meeting 
the  immigration  ]>roblem. 

The  mechanism  of  the  new  immigration  system  would  center  in  a 
board  of  immigration  control. 

^Miile  generally  ojjposed  to  the  creation  oi  new  govenunental 
boards,  it  seems  necessary  here,  because  the  authority  and  duties  are 
too  great  and  varied  to  be  met  by  a  single  man. 

Tne  authority  and  responsibility  of  the  board  of  immigration  con- 
trol should  be  comparable  to  that  of  the  Federal  Reserve  Board  in  the 
finances  of  the  country.  Tlie  Commissioner  of  Immigration,  with  a 
salary  of  not  less  than  810,000,  should  be  the  chairman:  the  other 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  561 

four  members,  appointed  by  the  President,  should  receive  not  less 
than  .1^9,000  per  year.  The  task  is  too  important  to  be  handled  by 
other  than  first-rate  men. 

The  control  system  itself  should  be  built  on  three  chief  bases. 
First  of  these  is  the  revocation  of  the  full  admission  now  granted  to 
immigrants.  I  regard  it,  gentlemen,  as  fundamental  that  we  shall 
cease  giving  full  and  final  admission  to  an  immigrant  because  he  is 
allowed  to  cross  from  Ellis  Island  to  the  mainland  of  the  contijient 
Substitute  for  that  a  qualified  and  revocable  permit  for  temporary 
denization.  The  revocable  permit  is  the  central  point  of  the  new 
plan.  It  A\'ould  put  the  immigrant  in  line  for  citizenship  if  he  fulfilled 
its  reasonable  conditions;  failing  those  requirements  within  a  period 
of,  say,  five  years,  he  would  be  deported  without  right  of  reentry. 

Tlie  ])ermit  would  limit  the  immigi'tmt  while  ac(juiring  citizenship 
to  certain  groups  of  occupations.     Suggested  groups  are: 

(a)  Farm  labor  and  common  labor  other  than  factory,  shoj),  or 
mine. 

(/))  Mining  and  outdoor  common  labor. 

((■)  Unskilled  labor  in  factories,  mills,  shops,  etc.,  and  outdoors, 
including  railway  section  work. 

(d)  Skilled  factory  workers,  with  privilege  of  common  labor. 

{e)  iNlechanical  trades,  with  privilege  of  indoor  common  labor. 

(/■)  Business,  the  professions,  students,  travelers,  etc.,  to  be  classi- 
fied as  internationals. 

Under  ordinary  conditions  classes  {d)  and  {e),  that  is,  the  skilled 
fact 'rv  workers  and  the  skilled  workers  in  the  mechanical  trades 
should  be  restricted  or  closed,  in  order  to  make  all  higher  paid  occu- 
pations the  privilege  of  citizens  only. 

The  permit  should  also  contain  conditional  limitations  as  to  location 
of  the  immigrant  within  certain  general  divisions  of  the  States.  This 
country  is  so  large,  its  sectional  conditions  and  requirements  so  varied, 
that  it  is  sheer  stupidity  to  treat  it  as  a  unit  for  immigration  purposes 

The  Chairman.  Have  you  considered,  in  outlining  that  ccmi])li- 
cated  machinery  in  order  to  finally  admit  the  alien  to  full  privileges  of 
American  citizenship,  that  the  more  complicated  you  make  the 
machinery  the  more  you  prevent  the  alien  himself  from  being  willing 
to  become  attached  to  the  country  ?  In  other  words,  from  the  stand- 
point of  nationalism  of  the  unioji  of  these  alien  races  ^ 

Mr,  McClellax.  Yes. 

The  Chairman.  It  is  not  complicated  machinery  and  conditions 
that  make  an  alien  an  American  citizen? 

Mr.  McClellan.  No;  you  are  quite  right. 

The  Chairman.  It  is  the  spu'it  in  which  we  approach  him,  and  we 
must  create  in  liim  a  feeling  of  affection  and  attachment  to  the 
country.  Well,  now,  if  you  overload  him  with  conditions  and  regis- 
tration and  everything  of  that  kind,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  hinder 
the  main  political  object  of  making  these  alien  nations  of  one  nation- 
alism. 

Mr.  McClellan.  I  quite  see  that  point,  Mr.  Chairman. 

The  Chair>l\n.  Have  you  outlined  that?  The  other  thought 
merely  occurred  to  me. 

Mr.  McClellan.  The  principle  which  has  been  adopted  here  is 
based  on  the  principle  well  known  to  all  men  in  public  life,  that  the 
hope  and  expectation  of  things  in  the  future  is  always  a  stronger 


562  e.mer(;kn("V  IMMH;RATIO^'  legislation. 

inducomcMit  to  tho  human  boiiif;  than  anything  alroady  achieved; 
conse(|uently,  ostahHshing  citizenship  as  a  pri^'ilege  and  some  of  the 
industrial  privileges  whicli  go  with  it  as  something  to  be  worked  up 
to.  that  lieing  miderstood  hy  the  alien  before  he  ever  comes  to  tliis 
country,  he  is  then  working  definitely  townrd  a  prize  which  is  within 
his  rea"li  if  he  fulfills  the  condition.  It  does  not  have  to  meet  the 
limitation.  Senator  Colt,  which  you  cite.  But  I  am  impressed  that 
on  the  whole  the  result  will  be  ])etter  if  citizenship  be  made  a  prize  to 
be  worked  for  by  the  alien  instead  of  presenting  to  him  in  advance 
all  the  economic  benefits  of  citizenship  before  we  know  whether  he 
will  either  appreciate  or  use  them  rightly. 

Concerning  the  limitations  as  to  occupation  and  residence,  it  is  to 
be  considered  that  a  surplus  of  factoiy  operatives  in  New  England 
should  not  bar  the  entrance  of  agricultural  immigrants  for  the  West; 
neither  should  an  excess  of  steel  workers  prevent  the  entrance  of 
cigar  makers  in  Florida;  miners  may  be  needed  in  the  South  or  the 
West  at  a  time  when  no  more  should  be  admitted  east  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies. 

A  reasonable  degree  of  flexibility  would  be  provided  by  giving  the 
board  of  control  authority  to  extend  the  scope  of  any  permit  both 
geographically  and  as  to  occupation. 

The  second  important  basis  in  the  new  immigration  plan  is  a 
system  by  which  our  own  countn',  through  its  proper  officials,  would 
decide  and  select  not  only  the  numbers  but  also  the  occupational 
classes  of  the  immigrants  to  be  admitted  in  any  given  year.  This 
seeks  to  reverse  the  present  conditions  under  which  the  restless 
masses  of  Europe  deciae  for  us  what  shall  be  the  volume,  type,  and 
distribution  of  our  added  population. 

To  effect  this  vital  and  revolutionary  change,  the  board  of  control 
should  establish  offices  in  some  of  the  leading  ports  of  Europe  from 
which  immigrants  sail.  The  function  of  those  offices  would  be  a  dual 
one:  First,  to  limit  the  sailings  of  immigrants  within  such  numbers 
and  occupations  as  our  Government  should  find  from  time  to  time 
were  then  desirable;  second,  to  make  a  preliminary  sifting  of  those 
wdio  apply  for  immigration  permits;  such  selection  to  be  based  on 
the  industrial  record  and  personal  history  of  the  applicant,  proven 
by  proper  local  evidence. 

To  each  prospective  immigrant  approved  by  any  European  office, 
would  be  given  a  form  of  permit  setting  forth  the  occupational 
groups  and  the  territory  for  which  he  had  been  recommended.  The 
issuance  or  withholding  df  such  permits  abroad  would  regulate  both 
the  volume  and  the  occupational  pei*sonnel  of  the  immigration 
stream;  it  also  makes  such  control  possible  without  violation  of  the 
favored-nation  clause  in  our  treaties.  In  other  words,  it  is  possible 
to  work  out  a  selective  system  without  impinging  upon  the  treaty 
status  as  it  now  exists. 

The  final  decision  as  to  the  admission  would  be  made  at  our  own 
ports  as  at  present;  but  no  one  would  be  admitted  without  possession 
of  a  permit jjroperly  identified  and  bearing  the  tentative  approval  of 
one  of  our  European  offices. 

In  countries  from  which  a  small  volume  of  immigration  comes  the 
issuance  of  tentative  permits  cf)uld  be  handled  by  consular  repre- 
sentatives. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  563 

Authority  should,  of  course,  be  given  the  board  of  control  to  grant 
admission  under  conditional  permits  to  arrivals  from  any  country 
when  the  preselective  service  is  lacking,  provided  such  immigrants 
meet  the  other  requirements  of  the  immigration  laws. 

The  third  basis  of  a  proper  immigration  system  is  the  creation  of 
both  facilities  and  requirements  that  definitely  tend  to  fit  the  alien 
for  citizenship,  and  that  either  lead  him  to  actual  citizenship 
within  a  reasonable  time  or  else  deports  him  to  the  country  of  origin. 

The  problem  of  fitting  the  immigrant  for  citizenship  is  admittedly 
difficult  of  solution,  but  it  is  one  that  statesmanship  must  meet  and 
solve. 

One  possible  method  would  be  to  require  that  every  vState  to  which 
aliens  are  granted  permits  for  residence  shall  make  provision  for 
citizenship  training. 

This  would  place  economic  pressure  on  the  several  States  to  make 
the  necessary  provisions  in  order  that  it  be  able  to  secure  its  needed 
quota  of  labor. 

In  some  States  it  might  be  feasible  to  pass  this  responsibility  on  to 
those  employing  the  labor,  particularly  where  it  is  in  considerable 
groups.  In  other  words,  to  a  certain  extent,  you  would  place  upon 
industry  the  charge  for  the  educational  preparation  of  work  for 
citizenship  just  as  in  modern  legislation  3^ou  have  placed  on  industry, 
very  proper!}-,  the  cost  and  burden  of  the  industrial  loss  through  acci- 
dents, that  being  now  recognized  as  a  proper  charge  on  industry-  itself. 

If  the  minimum  requirement  for  citizenship  be  made  a  capacity 
to  speak  and  to  reasonably  understand  the  English  language  and  the 

Erinciples  of  our  Government,  that  could  be  accomplished  in  five 
ours  of  instruction  per  month. 

Much  of  the  minimum  requirement  for  citizenship  would  be 
assimilated  by  the  immigrant  in  his  daily  life  if  there  were  a  sharp 
limitation  of  the  publication  of  foreign  language  newspapers. 

To  make  practicable  and  definite  the  needed  study  and  prepara- 
tion for  citizenship,  the  board  should  prepare  an  official  manual  or 
handbook  of  citizenship,  printed  with  the  English  text  in  parallel 
columns  with  the  language  of  the  immigrant. 

This  manual  should  contain,  in  brief  and  simple  language,  a  state- 
ment of  the  structure,  purposes,  and  principles  of  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment, an  outline  of  its  relation  to  the  States  and  municipalities, 
and  the  rights  and  duties  of  citizens  and  of  those  who  are  candidates 
for  citizenship;  it  should  include  an  outline  of  the  most  relevant  and 
important  parts  of  our  history. 

A  fair  understanding  of  this  manual  and  full  acceptance  of  its 
principles,  coupled  with  a  satisfactory  record  under  his  permit, 
should  admit  the  alien  to  citizenship  on  his  final  examination. 

Aliens  should  be  eligible  for  citizenship  at  the  end  of  three  years 
if  they  meet  all  requirements:  unless  here  as  internationals  they 
should  be  required  to  attain  citizenship  within  five  years. 

The  board  should  have  authority  to  extend  the  time  of  individual 
permits,  and  to  change  the  same  to  the  international  class  for  reasons 
shown. 

The  central  purpose  of  the  plan  is  to  coordinate  immigration  with 
our  industrial  conditions,  and  to  treat  the  right  of  immigration  as  a 
conditional  and  qualified  privilege,  leading  definitely  toward  citi- 
zenship.    Growth,  change,  and  world  events    have  made  no  longer 


564  K.MEKCKXCV    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

workabh^  tho  prosont  s^.stom  of  full  and  relatively  open  admission 
without  any  effective  distribution.  They  have  also  shown  the 
mistake  of  not  placino;  a  higher  and  definite  valuation  on  the  privi- 
leges of  denization  and  citizenship.  The  polic  of  holding  that  the 
alien  who  may  iu)t  he  able  ev<Mi  to  speak  our  language  shall,  when 
permittcnl  to  cross  from  Ellis  Island  to  the  mainland,  have  the  same 
economic  rights,  privileges,  and  opportunities  as  the  American 
citizen  who  has  sp'Mit  years  in  study  and  has  made  his  contribution 
to  the  natione.l  life  for  .ears,  is  unsound  from  every  point  of  view; 
and  those  privileges  should  be  conditional  upon  subseouent  effort 
and  evidence  of  desire  and  fitness  to  become  a  citizen,  to  be  required 
of  the  immigrant. 

Bi'Ttering  unlimited  residence  rights  to  alien  masses  for  what  our 
industr,  may  be  a})le  to  exploit  them  for  is  no  longer  a  sound  policy — 
if  it  ever  was. 

Permitting  the  immigrant  mass  to  select  its  own  makeup  and  desti- 
nation, wholly  regardless  of  the  varying  retiuirements  of  the  dilMU-ent 
groups  in  our  industrial  life,  is  not  sound  business.  It  is  an  inde- 
fensible method,  or  lack  of  method,  both  sociall,"  and  economicall ;,  ; 
it  imposes  hardship  and  loss  both  on  the  immigrant  and  on  workmen 
who  are  already  here.  Nationalh  or  in  a  social  sense,  it  carries 
the  menace  of  poverty,  tax  burdens,  and  all  the  dangers  inlierent  in 
a  dissatisfied  alien  population. 

The  limiting  of  ii liens  as  to  occupation  is  both  sound  and  workable, 
and  gives  added  incentive  to  the  securing  of  citizenship.  It  places 
a  fair  price  on  the  coveted  right  to  enter  this  countrv  :  it  emphasizes 
to  the  alien  that  admission  to  our  country  and  to  our  citizenship  are 
privileges  both  to  be  sought  and,  in  part,  paid  for.  The  present 
arrangement  not  only  omits  any  final  ref|uirement  of  citizenship  for 
the  alien,  but  also  lacks  any  special  incentive  for  the  attainment  of 
citizenship. 

While  other  influences  are  felt  at  times,  still  the  overwiielming 
factors  in  immigration  will  always  be  economic  pressure  in  foreign 
lands,  and  industrial  opportunit  in  this  countr,  .  If  unrestricted, 
those  forces  will  to  some  extent  work  automaticalh  to  increase  and 
diminish  the  immigrant  tide  as  a  whole 

However,  it  is  extremely  important  to  remember  that  those  eco- 
nomic laws  work  both  blindly  and  sluggish!}',  and  therefore  can  not 
be  relied  upon.  Industrial  depression  abroad  tends  to  send  us  immi- 
grants; but  they  may  be  of  occupations  in  which  we  already  have  a 
surplus. 

Moreover,  the  immigration  chart  for  the  past  50  years  shows  that 
the  inward  tide  flow  does  not  cease  as  promptly  as  our  industries  drop 
in  times  of  marked  depression.  Following  the  panic  of  1S73,  it 
required  five  years  for  the  self-directed  immigration  to  reduce  itself  to 
a  new  minimum;  the  same  was  true  after  the  panic  of  1893. 

In  this  day  of  quick  communications  and  swift  travel,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  immigration  stream  be  controlled,  so  that  it  can  be 
modified  as  quickly  as  the  business  and  industrial  volume  of  the 
country  fluctuates. 

In  other  words,  instead  of  this  law  working  automatically  with 
promptness,  it  required  five  years  for  the  effect  of  the  check  to  fully 
work  itself  out  in  continental  Europe. 

The  Chairman.  It  was  not  so  in  1907  ( 


emp:egexcy  immigratiox  legislation.  565 

Mr.  McClellax.  That  was  distinctly  so.  however,  in  1893,  Senator. 
The  conditions  in  1893  almost  identically  paralleled  those  in  1873.  and 
it  was  not  until  1898  that  the  new  minimum  was  reached.  wSo  that  it 
recjuired  these  five  years  for  that  law  to  assert  itself  effectively.  It  is 
true  that  after  the  financial  panic  of  1907 — which  was  not  an  indus- 
trial panic — the  results  were  not  the  same,  and  the  check  came  rather 
promptly,  and  the  results  in  the  following  few  years  were  fluctuciting. 
But  that  is  hardly  a  test  of  the  matter,  because  the  panic  of  1907  was 
a  financial  flurry  rather  than  an  industrial  depression. 

The  board  of  immigration  control  should  classify  and  analyze  the 
labor  needs  of  various  sections  of  the  country  by  occupational  groups; 
should  receive  and  consider  statements  of  labor  leaders,  captains  of 
industry,  and  all  interested  citizens  as  to  why  immigration  should  be 
enlarged  or  diminished  in  any  particular  section  or  occupation. 

Not  later  than  January  20  of  each  year  the  board  would  by  vote 
make  recommendations  to  the  President  of  a  maximum  number  of 
immigrants  to  be  admitted  within  that  calendar  year,  together  with 
estimates  of  the  groups  to  form  that  total.  The  President  would  con- 
sider such  recommendation,  and,  not  later  than  February  1  would  by 
proclamation  fix  the  maximum  for  that  calendar  year.  The  board 
should  have  power  to  recommend  and  the  President  to  order  an  in- 
crease or  diminution  of  the  year's  limit  thus  established:  but  no  de- 
crease should  be  made  on  less  than  three  months'  notice.  This  would 
make  it  possible  to  reduce  immigration  within  a  few  months  after  a 
business  reaction.  The  law  itself  should  provide  that  the  total  ad- 
missions should  not  exceed  a  specified  maximum  in  any  calendar 
year. 

The  board  should,  however,  in  no  way  incite  or  encourage  immi- 
gration; they  would  simply  announce  to  their  foreign  representatives 
that  tentative  permits,  as  a  prerequisite  for  sailing,  could  be  issued  to 
those  properly  Cjualified  for  certain  occupations  up  to  a  stated  total. 

Under  present  conditions  the  existing  requirements  as  to  literacy 
might  well  be  continued  as  a  check  on  the  volume  of  immigration. 
It  is  apparent,  however,  that  the  literacy  test  is  not,  alone  and  in  itself, 
a  fair  or  workable  test  as  to  whether  the  immigrant  will  fit  into  some 
part  of  our  national  life  at  a  given  time. 

The  use  of  a  common  language  in  daily  life  is  the  greatest  single 
factor  of  unity  in  a  nation.  If  a  foreigner  has  a  reasonable  under- 
standing of  our  Government,  is  loyal  to  its  principles  and  can  speak 
our  language  intelligibly,  he  is  ready  for  citizenship.  The  question 
of  whether  he  can  read  and  write  the  English  language  is  not  vital. 
It  would,  therefore,  seem  permissible  that  at  least  those  entering  the 
country  over  25  years  of  age  should  meet  only  the  minimum  require- 
ment that  they  be  able  to  speak  and  reasonably  understand  the 
English  language. 

The  svstem  will  require  an  indexed  record  of  every  immigrant 
admitted.     That  record  will  include  photograph,  signature  or  finger 

Erints,  and  essential  data  as  to  place  of  migration,  steamship  landing 
im,  port  and  date  of  entry  and  first  destination.  The  permit  would 
require  semiannual  reports  to  the  immigration  board  as  to  location, 
employment,  and  all  requirements  of  his  permit.  Willful  violation  of 
permit  requirements  would  subject  the  alien  to  deportation.  Any 
citizen  should  have  the  right  to  swear  out  a  complaint  against  an 
-alien  for  violation  of  the  terms  of  his  permit. 


566  EMERGENCY    1  M  M  ICRATIOX    LKCISLATION. 

I  contend  that  this  possibility  of  check  on  the  immigrants  who  are- 
in  the  country  in  possession  of  these  permits  could  be  very  largely 
automatically  sustained  by  a  provision  that  any  citizen  should  have 
the  right  to  swear  out  a  complaint  against  an  alien  for  violation  of 
the  terms  of  his  permit.  Under  any  such  provision,  every  citizen 
laborer  in  this  country  would  himself  keep  his  eye  on  all  these  men 
who  held  permits,  and  they  would  not  be  allowed  to  float  around 
through  the  country  without  beinor  checked  up;  so  that  it  w^ould  be 
possible  to  keep  tab  on  most  of  tne  aliens  who  are  holders  of  such 
permits. 

It  will  be  objected  that  the  cost  of  the  system  will  be  considerable. 
The  answer  is  that  all  worth-while  things  cost  something.  Most  of 
the  cost  of  the  proposed  system  would  be  met  by  receipts  from  the 
head  tax  and  a  moderate  charge  for  issuance  of  permits.  If  there  is 
any  deficit  to  be  met  from  the  Treasurv,  no  better  expenditure  of 
public  funds  can  be  made  than  in  a  sensible  balancing  of  the  nation's 
labor  reciuirements  and  in  preparing  and  directing  alien  arrivals 
toward  citizenship.  If  the  plan  itself  is  sound,  it  is  not  to  be  rejected 
on  an}^  score  of  expense. 

The  foregoing  plan  outline  is  only  a  framework  for  the  necessary 
legislation  which  would  supph^  the  detailed  working  parts  of  the  new 
immigration  mechanism. 

We  have  reached  the  parting  of  the  ways  in  our  national  develop- 
ment, both  industrially  and  in  the  social-political  sense. 

Our  great  stretches  of  virgin  land  are  gone.  Our  industrial  life  is 
now  developed  to  a  tensity  where  its  materials  and  agencies  may  no 
longer  be  left  to  chance  and  to  alien  impulse;  and  that,  gentlemen, 
is  substantially  the  situation  to-day. 

Most  of  all,  the  integrity  of  our  institutions  is  neither  to  be  neg- 
lected nor  bartered  for  mere  industrial  volume.  It  is  no  longer  suffi- 
cient to  merely  add  amendments  to  the  immigration  laws.  The  time 
has  arrived  when  we  must  have  a  new  system  of  immio;ration  control. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  press  of  the  country  will  bring  about  a 
general  constructive  discussion  of  this  vital  subject  to  assist  in  reach- 
ing a  solution  both  sound  and  workable. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question. 

Mr.  McClellan.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  are  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
conditions  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands  ? 

Mr.  McClellan.  Yes,  Senator,  I  have  a  general  familiarity  wnth 
conditions  in  Hawaii;  but  I  am  not  now  representing  any  Hawaiian 
interests. 

Senator  Dillingham.  There  has  been  some  difficulty  in  obtaining 
labor  in  those  islands,  has  there  not? 

Mr.  McClellan.  Yes,  for  many  years. 

Senator  Dillingham.  The  government  tiiere  have  created  some 
board  to  look  after  that  question  ? 

Mr.  McC^LELLAX.  They  have  an  immigration  board. 

Senator  Dillingham.  What  methods  have  they  adopted  to  pro- 
cure labor  required  in  the  production  of  the  sugar  and  pineapple  and 
other  crops  of  that  coimtrv^ 

Mr.  Mc(^,KLLAX.  Tliey  have  tried  various  methods.  Senator. 
They  sent  representatives  to  Europe,  to  the  Azores  and  various 
places   to  endeavor  to  secure  agricultural   hd)()i'ers,   and   tliev  have 


EMERGEXCY    IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  567 

canvassed  the  world  for  sources  of  labor  of  a  type  that  would  be 
willmg  to  work  in  that  semitropical  country  at  outdoor  labor. 

They  in  recent  years  have  relied  very  largely  on  securing  the 
Filipinos. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  What  wages  are  paid  in  the  islands  to 
agricultural  labor;  that  is,  the  cane  fields? 

Mr.  McCleli,an.  That  is  a  difficult  question  to  answer,  Senator, 
because  their  scale  is  based  on  a  fiat  wage,  plus  a  bonus  fixed  by  the 
current  market  price  of  sugar.     The  present  basic  wage  is  SI  per  day, 

Elus  the  bonus.  That  bonus  ran  up  last  year,  in  some  cases,  to  as 
igh  as  400  per  cent  of  the  fixed  wage.  Of  course,  under  the  present 
lower  prices  of  sugar,  the  bonus  will  be  smaller.  f3ut  the  arrange- 
ment is  that  the  workman  who  ])uts  in  20  days  of  work  a  month 
receives  this  bonus — if  he  is  ill  he  does  not  lose  his  bonus  on  that 
account,  but  if  he  is  able  to  work  he  is  required  to  work  the  20  days. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  AVliat  are  the  principal  nationals  coming 
in  there  ? 

Mr.  McClellax.  You  mean  during  recent  years  ? 

Senator  Dillixgham.  Yes;  into  the  islands  ? 

Mr.  McClellax.  Well,  we  have  had  some  Spaniards,  some  Porto 
Ricans,  some  from  the  Azores,  the  Filipinos,  and  some  few  from 
India — negligible  from  India,  however. 

Senator  Dillingham.  You  have  good  educational  facilities  in  the 
islands  ? 

Mr.  McClellax.  We  have. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  And  all  races  are  permitted  in  the  schools  ? 

Mr.  McClellax.  Not  only  permitted,  but  required  to  attend. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  You  have  been  carrying  on  this  experiment 
long  enough  to  have  a  second  generation  arise  ' 

Mr.  McClellax.  The  second  generation  is  approaching  the  point 
where  it  is  going  to  be  the  dominating  factor  in  our  political  life. 
Senator. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  Will  you  please  tell  us  how  the  second 
generation  of  the  different  races  in  the  islands  are  developing  regard- 
ing citizenship  and,  in  fact,  generally  ? 

Mr.  McClellax.  I  think,  to  answer  that  question  broadly,  Senator 
Dillingham,  Hawaii  offers  some  of  the  most  discouraging  and  some 
of  the  most  encouraging  evidences  on  the  question  of  making  citizens 
out  of  alien  peoples.  We  have  a  very  conglomerate  po|)ulation. 
Unfortunately,  a  large  part  of  it  is  oriental  population,  and  that  is 
one  of  the  greatest  problems  that  we  have  to  face,  to  attempt  to 
make  Americans  out  of  those  young  orientals  who  are  growing  up. 
In  order  to  do  that  we  are  spending  a  very  large  amount,  relatively 
in  our  schools,  and  we  make  a  very  great  feature  in  the  school  life 
of  the  ((uestion  of  patriotism  and  Americanization. 

We  feel  rather  hopeful  in  Hawaii  that  if  undisturbed  by  outside 
influences  and  possibly  the  Governments  of  some  of  the  peoples 
whom  we  are  attempting  to  make  citizens  of,  we  shall  be  meas- 
urably successful.  But  it  is  a  very  tense  situation.  We  have  just 
taken  a  step  there  which,  to  my  mind,  ought  to  be  heralded  from  one 
end  of  this  country  to  the  other  as  an  example  to  be  followed  and 
insisted  upon  in  this  country,  and  that  is  that  we  have  limited  the  ac- 
tivities of  the  foreign-language  schools  there — private  schools.  They 
were  carried  on  very  extensively  b}^  one  of  the  nationals,  and  we  had 


568  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

at  the  recent  special  session  of  the  legislature  reached  a  very  satis- 
factory, amicable  arrangement  with  the  representatives  of  that 
race,  and  their  private  school  activities  are  going  to  be  practically 
wiped  out  as  a  separate  language  school.  They  will  teach  their 
children,  but  their  schools  will  be  conducted  in  the  English  language, 
and  every  one  of  their  teachers  must  be  approved  by  our  Territorial 
board  on  education;  and  I  think  that  if  that  same  step  were  taken  in 
this  country  and  followed  up  and  extended  to  the  matter  of  foreign- 
language  newspapers  we  would  make  some  long  strides  toward 
citizenship. 

I  want  to  say  to  you,  gentlemen,  that  a  few  years  ago  I  was  visiting 
one  of  my  congressional  friends  in  the  State  of  Iowa,  and  he  took  me 
on  a  drive  one  Sunday  out  in  his  district,  which  is  an  agricultural 
district,  and  he  showed  me  a  section  of  a  county  there  where  not  10 
per  cent  of  the  people  in  that  part  of  the  State  of  Iowa  could  speak 
anything  other  than  a  foreign  language.  Their  schools  were  con- 
ducted in  that  foreign  language;  all  of  their  local  ncAvspapers  were 
published  in  that  foreign  language,  and  there  right  in  the  State  of 
Iowa  was  a  section  as  foreign  as  the  land  they  came  from. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  wish  you  would  speak  about  the  second 
generation  of  the  European  races  in  Hawaii. 

Mr.  McClellan.  The  second  generation  of  the  European  races  have 
uniformly  come  into  the  spirit  of  our  own  local  life,  Senator  Dillingham. 
There  has  been  no  difficulty  on  that  score.  It  is  true  that  under  our 
peculiar  situation  there,  there  is  some  tendency  to  retain  their  race 
group  in  their  political  activities,  but  that  is  due  to  temporary  condi- 
tions and  does  not  affect  their  absolute  loyalty  to  the  country,  the 
spirit  of  citizenship  and  their  entire  success  in  industrial  occupations. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Is  that  peculiar  to  any  one  race  more  than 
to  another^ 

McClellan.  You  mean  the  tendency  to  maintain  its  separateness  ? 

Senator  Dillingham.  Yes. 

Mr.  McClellan.  Well,  perhaps,  it  has  been  more  marked  in  the 
case  of  the  Portuguese  than  any  other  one  of  those,  due  in  their  case 
to  their  political  opposition  to  the  native  Hawaiian  political  influence, 
which  is  a  local  political  condition. 

Senator  Dillingham.  But,  as  a  class,  they  make  very  good  citizens  ? 

Mr.  McClellan.  Absolutely. 

Senator  Dillingham.  As  good  as  any  ? 

Mr.  McClellan.  I  would  say  one  of  the  best.  They  have  been 
our  most  successful  agricultural  class. 

Senator  Harris.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  move  that  we  now  hear  Mr. 
Caminetti  and  that  we  hear  him  until  he  closes.  We  have  been  here 
now  more  than  30  days  on  this  bill;  and  if  we  are  to  report  it  or 
not  to  report  it,  we  can  decide  that  without  further  hearings  and  not 
take  the  time  of  the  members  of  the  committee. 

The  Chairman.  I  should  think  we  want  to  hear  Mr.  Caminetti, 
and  I  do  not  know  of  other  witnesses  who  are  to  be  called  after  Mr. 
Caminetti.     I  think  the  hearings  are  virtually  closed. 

Senator  Harris.  That  is  quite  agreeable  to  me. 

The  CiiAiR.MAN.     The  committee  will  now  hear  Mr.  Caminetti. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  569 

STATEMENT  OF  HON.  ANTHONY  CAMINETTI,  COMMISSIONER 
GENERAL  OF.  IMMIGRATION,  DEPARTMENT  OF  LABOR. 

Commissioner  Camjxetti.  Mr.  Cliairman  and  oentlemen,  I  can  not 
say  that  I  am  entirely  prepared  to  submit  a  full  statement  at  this 
time,  but  I  will  go  on  as  far  as  I  can.  Possibly  I  will  consume  a1]  the 
time  that  the  committee  may  have  to  devote  this  morning. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Caminetti,  you  know  the  committee  has  be- 
fore it  the  question  of  immigration,  and  one  aspect  of  it  is  the  emer- 
gency that  may  or  may  not  exist,  as  represented  perhaps  by  the 
Johnson  bill.  The  committee  also  has  before  it  other  bills  of  a  con- 
structive character,  but  a  considerable  part  of  the  testimony  has 
been  directed  to  the  emergency  feature.  The  emergency  feature 
naturally  resolves  itself  into  three  inquiries:  First,  the  immigrants 
that  have  arrived  during  the  past  year  and  a  half,  and  especially 
during  the  past  six  months,  and  the  increase,  if  any,  in  those  arrivals, 
that  is  the  fact  of  that  situation:  and  then,  secondly,  the  transporta- 
tion facilities — the  number  of  immigrants  that  could  possibly  be 
transported  from  Europe  to  America;  and,  thirdly,  European  condi- 
tions as  to  the  so-called  "flood"  about  which  we  hear. 

We  thought  that  you  might  enlighten  us  upon  the  third  proposi- 
tion as  to  the  European  conditions,  knowing,  as  the  committee  does, 
that  you  have  been  abroad,  and  we  are  anxious  to  ascertain  the  facts 
rather  than  deductions  or  inferences  from  those  facts.  Now,  having 
made  the  tri])  abroad,  if  you  will  state  what  you  saw  and  the  results 
of  that  trip  in  your  own  way. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Mr.  Chairman,  some  of  the  matters  you 
have  referred  to  did  not  constitute  the  objects  of  the  trip.  I  will  present 
as  I  go  along  the  primary  purposes  of  the  visit,  viz,  to  note  immigration 
conditions  at  the  principal  immigration  centers  of  Europe:  also  such 
matters  bearing  thereon  as  came  to  the  attention  of  those  constituting 
the  detail,  and  further  to  confer  on  measures  to  determine  at  the 
source  as  far  as  practicable  the  admissibility  of  applicants  for  ad- 
mission into  the  United  States. 

What  constitutes  an  emergency  is  a  matter  of  judgment  and  de- 
pends upon  the  circumstances.  So  that  I  do  not  know  that  I  can  at 
this  time  divert  from  consideration  of  the  matters  mentioned  to  that 
particular  subject.  However,  what  I  shall  present  at  this  time  and 
at  any  other  future  meeting  of  the  committee  can  be  considered  for 
what  it  is  worth. 

In  order  that  the  committee  may  understand  the  i^urpose  of  the 
visit,  I  will  ask  permission  to  submit  the  following:  In  a  memoran- 
dum addressed  to  the  Bureau  of  Immi,g;ration  June  24,  last,  there  was 
given  autliority  by  the  Secretary  of  Labor  to  undertake  an  investi- 
gation in  Europe  and  elsewhere  concerning  immigration  matters,  a 
copy  of  which  memorandum,  with  the  permission  of  the  committee, 
I  will  now  read  [reading]: 

June  24,  1920. 
Memorandum  for  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  (through  the  Assistant 

Secretary). 

You  will  recall  that  earlv  in  our  administration  we  undertook  a  survey  of  conditions 
in  Europe  with  a  view  to  determininc;  whether  or  not  methods  could  be  developed  by 
which  tlie  tragedy  of  having  people  l)real\ing  u})  their  homes,  selling  their  belongings, 
expending  the  proceeds  in  transportation  to  this  country  only  to  find  that  they  were 
not  admissible  under  our  laws,  might  be  eliminated  or  reduced  by  preventing  the 


570  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

immigration  of  inadmissible?  at  tlie  sonrcp.  The  coming  of  the  European  war  pre- 
vented us  from  putting  the  results  of  that  work  into  effect.  Since  then  additional 
problems  have  Iieen  added  l)y  new  legislation,  such  as  the  literacy  test,  the  seamen's 
qualilications,  the  passport  regulations,  and  other  provisions  administered  in  coopera- 
tion with  the  State  Department. 

It  would  add  very  (•onsideral)ly  lo  the  humane  administration  of  the  law  if  all  of 
these  phases  could  "be;  handled  intelligently  at  their  source.  It  will  rerjuire  some 
investigation  and  inquiry  to  accomplish  that  end.  In  a  numl>er  of  instances  the 
investigations  should  be  made  in  cooperation  with  the  Department  of  State,  as  it  is 
intrusted  with  the  administration  of  certain  portions  of  the  law. 

You  are  well  qualified  l)y  virtue  of  your  long  e.KiJerience  in  immigration  matters 
to  undertake  these  inquiries,  and  I  would  be  pleased  to  have  you  take  the  matter  up 
with  the  State  Department  with  a  view  to  arranging  for  a  trip  to  Europe,  northern 
Africa,  and  eastern  Asia  liordering  on  the  Mediterranean  for  the  purpose  of  gathering 
information  on  the  questions  dasired  and  giving  such  instructions  relative  to  visaing 
of  passports,  the  shipping  of  seamen,  and  similar  matters  as  will  lead  to  the  elimination 
of  unnecessary  hardships  by  preventing  the  movement  of  people  to  the  United  States 
who  are  not  admissil)le  and  who  consequently  would  be  required  to  return  to  the 
countries  from  which  they  came. 

W.  B.  Wilson,  Secretary. 

Conferences  were  had  with  the  appropriate  officers  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  State  concerning  the  proposed  trip,  at  which  every  courtesy 
was  extended  and  the  good  offices  of  that  department's  entire  service 
tendered. 

The  preparation  of  the  annual  report  of  the  bureau  for  1920  delayed 
action,  but  as  soon  as  it  was  practicable  to  devote  time  for  the  voyage 
arrangements  were  comi>leted  for  departure,  which  took  place 
November  17,  last,  from  New  York,  on  the  steamship  Adriatic. 

Owing  to  the  many  requests  from  the  press  for  information  as  to 
the  object  of  the  journey,  a  statement  was  issued,  as  follows  [reading] : 

The  Secretary  of  Labor  has  detailed  the  undersigned  to  visit  theprincipal  immigra- 
tion, centers  of  Europe  for  the  purpose  of  initiating  a  study  of  existing  conditions 
affecting  emigration  to  the  United  States. 

The  Secretary  is  anxious  that  there  should  be  a  cessation  of  the  cause  of  hardships 
resulting,  as  he  states,  from  "individuals  in  Eui'ope,  or  elsewhere,  breaking  up  their 
homes,  selling  theii-  belongings,  and  expending  the  proceeds  for  transportation  to  this 
country  only  to  find  on  arrival  at  oiu-  ports  that  they  are  not  admissible  under  our 
laws  and  miist  return  to  their  former  abode." 

It  i^  his  opinion  that  this  "•tragedy,"  as  he  terms  it,  "might  be  eliminated  or  reduced 
by  preventing  the  immigration  of  inadmi.ssibles  at  the  source."  Efforts  in  this  direc- 
tion undertaken  previous  to  the  World  War  were  checked  by  its  operations.  Since 
then  additional  problems  have  been  added  by  the  war  and  its  aftermath  and  by  new 
legislation.  Among  those  caused  by  the  latter  may  be  mentioned  the  literacy  test 
and  provision  for  the  inspection  of  seamen. 

A  study  of  so  much  of  these  as  have  their  origin  abroad  would  not  only  be  interesting 
but  beneficial  in  aiding  a  solution  by  cooperation  between  the  authorities  of  the 
respective  nations  affected  and  those  of  our  own  country,  or  by  direct  legislation  by 
Congress. 

An  inquiry  into  the  various  phases  of  immigration  will  also  be  of  assistance  in  con- 
sidering que.-^tions  involved  in  the  regulation  of  immigration,  particularly  under 
existing  circumstances. 

It  is  important  in  this  relation  that  there  be  as  little  interference  with  commerce,  or 
the  movement  of  passenger  trathc,  as  is  consistent  with  a  fair  and  proper  enforcement 
of  immigration  laws  and  regulations.  Tliis  constitutes  a  subject,  which,  by  the 
method  of  cooperation  mentioned,  may  be  solved  \\'ith  benefit  to  the  transportation 
interests,  as  well  as  the  immigration  service  of  the  various  nations. 

Under  existing  law  (section  2:5  of  ihe  imniigratiou  act  of  liUT)  "the  conmiissioner 
general  may,  with  the  approval  of  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  whenever  in  his  judgment 
such  action  may  be  necessary  to  accom])li.sh  the  purposes  of  said  act.  detail  immigra- 
tion officers  for  service  in  foreign  couriiries, ""  and  similar  provision  is  made  for  like 
purposes  concerning  the  detail  of  medical  ofhcers  of  the  United  States  Public  Health 
Service,  with  the  apj^roval  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

Should  the  stud\-  proposed  to  be  initiated  under  the  Secretarv's  direction  reveal 
that  bv  cooperation  and  by  thorough  explanation  of  our  laws  and  regulations,  a  solu- 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  571 

tioii  would  bf  found  for  some  of  these  problems,  and  that  as  regards  all  of  them,  benefits 
would  accrue  from  a  detail  of  immigration  and  medical  oflicers  for  such  service,  recom- 
mendations to  pursue  such  course  might  follow  after  due  consideration  of  all  the  facts. 
The  Secretary  cites  with  approval  the  experience  with  Canada,  where,  by  a  reciprocal 
arrangement,  aliens  resident  therein  may  apply  at  United  States  immigration  offices 
established  in  that  country  under  said  arrangement  for  admission  to  the  United 
States  and  have  a  final  decision  of  the  Immigration  Service  before  undertaking  to 
give  >ip  their  residences  or  make  any  changes  concerning  their  property. 

Senator  Gore.  Is  that  the  law  now  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  It  is  a  regulation  and  an  agreement 
between  Canada  and  the  United  States  under  section  23  of  the 
immigration  law. 

Senator  Gore.  Does  it  work  satisfactorily  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  It  works  very  satisfactorily,  Senator. 
[Reading:] 

In  the  event  that  an  alien  is  admitted,  he  may  tnke  ^uch  steps  as  he  may  desire 
•concerning  his  belongings;  whereas,  if  he  is  denied  admission,  he  goes  on  as  before. 
This  is  one  method  of  determining  one  of  the  problems  mentioned  '"at  the  source" 
that  the  Secretary  has  in  mind  in  having  this  study  extended  to  European  and  other 
centers  of  immigration . 

In  the  Secretary's  judgment,  such  a  study  "will  add  considerably  to  the  himiane 
administration  of  the  law,  and  if  all  of  these  phases  could  be  handled  intelligently  at 
their  source,  there  would  l)e  an  elimination  of  unnecessary  hardships  by  preventing 
the  movement  of  people  to  the  United  States  who  are  not  admissible.  " 

The  bureau  is  pleased  to  state  that  Surg.  Gen.  H.  S.  Cumming.  of  the  United  States 
Puldif  Health  Service,  has  detailed  Surg.  J.  W.  Kerr,  now  and  for  a  long  time  sta- 
tioned at  Ellis  Island  as  head  of  said  medical  service  there,  to  join  in  the  study  to  be 
made,  as  the  representative  of  the  Public  Health  Service. 

At  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  the  Public  Health 
Service  was  requested  to  furnish  a  representative  to  accompany  the 
ofhceis  of  the  department  on  the  voyage  and  join  in  the  study  for 
which  instructions  had  been  given,  and  Surg.  J.  W.  Kerr  of  that 
service,  chief  medical  officer  at  the  Ellis  Island  immigration  station, 
Ellis  Island,  N.  Y.,  was  detailed  by  the  Surgeon  General,  Immigrant 
Inspector  A.  R.  Wiggin,  an  experienced  officer  of  the  Immigration 
Service,  was  assigned  to  accompany  the  wi'iter,  to  act  as  secretary, 
and  was  also  designated  as  special  disbursing  agent  for  the  detail. 

We  arrived  at  Southampton  on  November  25,  and  at  once  entered 
u])on  the  discharge  of  our  duties.  The  plan  agreed  upon  was  that 
endeavor  should  be  made  to  call  on  the  chief  officers  of  the  respec- 
tive immigration  services  of  as  many  nations  as  possible  ui  the  brief 
time  at  our  disposal,  and  also  confer  with  American  dii)lomatic  and 
consular  officers  hi  the  nations  visited.  As  it  turned  out,  owhig  to 
drawbacks  uicident  to  a  trip  in  winter  under  existuig  transportation 
facilities,  the  detail  was  able  to  visit  only  eight  nations,  as  follows: 
England,  France,  Italy,  Belgium,  Holland,  Czechoslovakia,  Poland, 
aiul  Jugoslavia.  We  were  treated  with  every  courtesy  and  consider- 
ation by  the  rei)resentatives  of  the  immigration  ser\-ices  of  said 
countries. 

The  general  subjects  of  immigration  and  emigration  were  discussed 
and  great  mterest  was  evmced  by  all  taking  part  hi  the  respective 
conferences.  Without  exception  they  were  particularly  interested 
in  the  proposal  of  the  department  as  contamed  ui  memorandum  No. 
1,  to  consider  the  matter  of  the  admissibility  of  intending  immigrants, 
as  much  as  possible,  at  the  source,  in  order  to  avoid  the  long  voyage 
together  with  its  attendhig  hardshii)s,  to  ports  of  the  United  States, 
in  cases  where  denial  of  aclmission  would  make  necessary  a  return  to 


572  EMERGENOY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

the  home  countrv.  The  fact  that  the  ])roposal  was  hi  effect  one  in- 
volving mutual  beiu>tits  was  recogjiized  by  all.  The  procedure  to 
effect  this  (l','sira])le  object  was  also  considered. 

In  connection  with  these  methods  it  was  suggested  by  members  of 
the  detail  that  oi)portunities  for  closer  contact  between  the  Immigra- 
tion Ser\'ice  of  the  Department  of  Labor  of  om*  Government  and  the 
immigration  services  of  the  various  nations  from  which  emigrants 
come  to  tiie  United  States  would  result  in  keeping  each  Government 
mformed  as  to  laws,  regulations,  and  procedure  in  immigration  mat- 
ters and  bushiess  connected  therewith  and  when  occasion  arose,  con- 
ferences could  be  held  with  the  officers  rci)r(^senting  the  respective 
services  at  each  ca])itol.  Such  immigration  officers  could  also  be 
detailed  to  act  as  advisors  to  the  Consular  Service  on  matters  com- 
mitted to  its  care. 

The  detail  of  medical  officers  to  act  in  like  capacity  on  medical 
questions  was  also  considered.  Provision  was  made  for  the  recip- 
rocal exchange  of  reports,  publications,  and  circulars,  including  laws 
and  regulations.  Many  questions  concerning  our  laws  were  asked, 
and  were  answered  by  the  members  of  the  detail. 

England,  France,  Italy,  Belgium,  and  Holland  have  immigration 
systems  in  operation,  and  Poland,  Czechoslovakia,  and  Jugoslavia 
are  making  an  extensive  study  of  immigration  matters  and  are  deeply 
interested  in  the  subject.  I  anticipate  the  adoption  of  a  progressive 
and  able  system  by  them. 

These  nations  take  great  interest  in  their  nationals  and  in  addition 
expressed  a  desire  to  see  to  it — as  much  for  their  benefit  as  from  a  wish 
to  respect  the  rights  of  friendly  nations— that  no  one  would  depart 
from  their  State  unless  they  were  prepared  to  stand  the  immigratioi> 
tests  of  the  countries  to  which  they  were  destined.  In  this  respect 
the  representatives  of  the  older  nations  as  well  as  the  new  seemed  to 
be  of  one  thought.  The  new  nations  are  very  anxious  to  obtain  from 
this  Government  all  the  statistics  concerning  the  territories  in  their 
respective  jurisdictions  that  can  be  furnished  from  our  records. 
They  were  informed  that  the  same  would  be  supplied,  together  with 
such  otlier  information  as  might  be  of  interest  to  them.  The  sugges- 
tion to  furnish  them  with  not  only  the  laws  and  immigration  regula- 
tions, but  also  the  detailed  methods  of  enforcing  and  administering- 
same,  was  received  with  satisfaction. 

On  the  whole,  the  matters  discussed  seemed  to  create  a  favorable 
impression,  as  far  as  could  be  judged,  upon  the  various  representa- 
tives present  at  each  conference.  These  official  visits  were  in  all 
cases  made  in  company  with  our  diplomatic  or  consular  officers  in  the 
respective  countries  or  their  representatives. 

Conferences  with  the  diplomatic  and  consular  officers  of  our  own 
country  were,  of  course,  more  general,  and  went  into  the  entire  range 
of  immigration  work.  As  in  the  conferences  with  the  representatives 
of  the  foreign  Governments,  the  interest  at  these  meetings  turned  on, 
as  a  main  point,  the  suggestion  of  the  Secretary  to  consider  iis  far  as 
practicable  at  the  source  the  admissibility  of  intending  immigrants 
so  as  to  avoid  the  "tragedy"  described  in  his  menKu-anckmi.  There 
was  a  unanimous  agreement  that  every  effort  should  be  directed 
toward  esta})lishing  such  a  system  as  would  eliminate  the  coming  of 
people  who  can  not  pass  the  tests  of  the  immigration  laws.  This 
involved  discussion  of  the  vise  laws,  for  unless  the  present  law  is 


EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  573 

amended  there  can  not  be  any  hope  of  accomplishing  very  much  in 
this  direction. 

The  detail  of  immigration  officers  and  medical  officers  to  cooperate 
with  the  Diplomatic  and  Consular  Services  of  the  United  States  in 
foreign  countries  was  considered,  and  unanimous  approval  was  given 
to  this  suggestion. 

In  addition  the  suggestion  was  made  that  a  few  of  the  most  experi- 
enced officers  of  the  Immigration  Service  might  be  detailed  to  move 
from  place  to  place  and  keep  the  immigration  inspectors  on  the 
various  details  up  to  date  upon  latest  laws,  instructions,  and  rulings 
applicable  to  the  work  committed  to  them. 

The  addition  of  examiners  at  the  consular  offices,  to  secure  infor- 
mation when  necessary  for  the  use  of  such  offices,  was  agreed  upon 
as  a  necessity  under  present  conditions.  The  remaining  suggestions 
contained  in  memorandum  No.  1  were  taken  up  with  all  the  consular 
officers. 

The  time  at  our  command  and  the  drawbacks  incident  to  the  trip 
in  winter  made  it  impracticable,  if  not  impossible,  to  extend  the 
visit  to  other  nations,  the  inclusion  of  which  would  have  added  much, 
not  only  to  the  pleasure  afforded  in  meeting  their  officers  but  also 
to  the  value  of  the  work  accomplished. 

In  the  five  older  nations  visited  the  experience  of  decades  was 
apparent  in  the  systems  established  as  well  as  the  laws  in  force.  In 
all  of  the  eight  countries"  the  officials  impressed  the  members  of  the 
detail  with  their  earnestness.  All  were  men  of  high  standing,  com- 
manding ability,  and  distinguished  public  service.  As  a  result  of 
the  conferences,  it  is  my  judgment  that  the  justness  of  the  secretary's 
suggestion  has  been  made  apparent,  and  that  cooperation  within 
their  respective  jurisdictions  may  be  reasonably  expected  to  follow. 

The  members  of  the  detail  enjoyed  in  a  high  degree  contact  with 
the  diplomatic  and  consular  officers  upon  whom  they  called,  receiving 
from  all  of  them  earnest  attention  and  careful  consideration  of  the 
matters  made  the  subject  of  the  various  conferences.  All  displayed 
exceptional  ability,  great  initiative,  and  a  high  sense  of  duty. 

At  the  various  capitals  and  the  ])rincipal  cities  visited,  including 
seaports,  the  detail  met  the  representatives  of  the  various  steamship 
companies,  and  the  courtesies  extended  by  them  and  the  assistance 
rendered  were  of  great  help.  Emigration  conditions  in  Europe  was 
the  general  subject  of  conversation.  Maj.  Frank  Bustard,  of  the 
International  Mercantile  Marine  Co.,  who  had  made  a  visit  to  all 
the  principal  European  centers  immediately  previous  to  our  arrival, 
furnished  in  detail  considerable  valuable  information,  ^fr.  P.  V.  G. 
Mitchell,  director  general  of  the  Red  Star  Line,  Antwerp,  also  favored 
the  members  of  the  detail  with  his  views,  and,  like  Maj.  Bustard,  was 
fair  in  his  treatment  of  all  matters  discussed.  These  gentlemen,  as 
well  as  others  representative  of  the  steamship  interests,  displayed 
great  interest  in  the  administration  of  our  laws  and  expressed  their 
desire  to  fulfill  their  obligations  toward  our  Government.  They 
conveyed  the  wish  of  their  companies  for  conference  with  the  officers 
of  this  department  to  see  in  what  way  by  cooperation  more  effective 
enforcement  of  the  law  and  regulatit  ns  might  be  secured.  All  joined 
in  the  desire  to  stop  at  the  source  all  madmissibles  and  promised 
the  fullest  cooperation. 

26911— 21— PT 12 2 


574  emee(;kx('Y  immicration  legislation. 

At  this  time  all  seem  to  be  deeply  engaged  in  making  j)rovisi()n  f(  r 
the  present  as  well  as  future  business.  The  immigrant  hotels  or 
])arracks  in  existence  before  the  war  have  either  been  placed  in  com- 
mission or  preparations  therefor  are  under  way  by  the  various  com- 
panies owning  or  controlling  them,  and  new  hotels  or  barracks  of 
the  same  character  on  improved  lines  are  under  construction.  The 
management  and  conduct  of  these  is  fully  set  forth  in  Dr.  Kerr's 
report,  henc(>  extended  description  herein  at  this  time  is  unnecessary. 

Arrangements  in  the  new  structures  particularly  provide  for 
delousing  and  fumigation  of  baggage  and  clothing,  and  in  estab- 
lished places  additions  for  the  same  purpose  are  being  made.  Plans 
for  the  new  immigrant  hotel  or  barracks  to  be  built  bv  the  Red  Star 
Line  at  Antwerp  were  inspected  and  copies  thereof  have  been  fur- 
nished. An  immigrant  hotel  and  barracks  of  like  character  is  being 
planned  for  Cherbourg  by  the  White  Star  and  (^unard  Lines,  possibly 
on  a  larger  scale  owing  to  the  necessities  of  the  port,  now  giving 
promise  of  becoming  one  of  the  largest  immigration  embarkation 
points  in  P^urope. 

Senator  Gore,   What  place  is  that  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  That  is  Cherbourg.   France. 

Plans  of  the  same  have  been  promised  and  as  it  will  be  necessary 
to  take  at  Ellis  Island  the  same  precautions  that  have  been  used  by 
the  steamship  companies  oi  Governments  abroad  as  to  delousing, 
and  fumigation  of  baggage  and  clothing,  these  plans,  containing 
the  latest  information  and  improvements,  may  be  of  value  to  the 
Immigration  Service. 

At  Southampton  and  at  the  other  places  visited,  tlie  activities 
of  organizations  and  committees  in  connection  with  the  movement 
of  immigrants  to  America  and  other  places  were  made  apparent; 
in  fact,  there  appeared  to  be  as  much  publicity  given  and  desired 
as  to  their  labors  as  business  enterprises  manifest.  They  possess 
headquarters  at  Paris,  Warsaw.  Danzig,  and  in  many  other  cities 
of  Europe.  The  organizations  present  a  complete  network,  with 
thousands  of  aliens  in  their  train,  moving  from  place  to  place  appar- 
ently under  their  direction.  They  possess  establishments  at  which 
these  people  are  fed  and  lodged,  and  maintain  offices  for  the  transac- 
tion of  the  business  involved  in  their  work. 

I  visited  their  principal  office  in  Paris,,  and  found  a  large  number 
of  people  congregated  at  what  is  known  as  the  Asile,  perhaps  over 
a  thousand  being  present.  Mr.  Jacciues  stated  the  objects  and  pur- 
poses of  the  organizations  he  represented  and  said  they  work  through 
committees  at  various  places,  nelping  to  find  people  and  get  them 
out,  procuring  passports,  vises,  and  transportation,  and  in  various 
other  ways  looking  out  for  tlieir  welfare.  I  called  attention  to  the 
fact  that  people  moving  during  the  cold  weather  and  with  the  hard- 
ships prevailing  in  the  nations  through  which  they  have  to  pass, 
was  a  very  serious  thing  and  that  after  witnessing  some  of  the  scenes 
in  some  of  the  countries  I  readily  understood  how  it  is  that  many 
children  and  elderly  people  are"  sick  when  they  reach  Ellis  Island. 

Immigrant  lodging  and  eating  places  are  established  by  these 
organizations  at  various  places.  In  Warsaw,  an  extensive  organi- 
zation exists  where  the  general  v\'ork  mentioned  above  is  carried  on, 
taking  care  of  about  400  applicants  a  day.  it  was  stated. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION.  575 

On  December  17,  when  the  members  of  the  detail  visitetl  War- 
saw, we  were  informed  by  the  officers  there  that  people  are  con- 
stantly coming.  Passport  and  other  bureaus  are  established,  papers 
are  made  out  and  showing  submitted  upon  which  to  secure  pass- 
ports. Information  was  at  hand  that  the  matter  of  preparation 
of  showing  for  a  passport  was  one  of  form  only.  As  at  Pans,  so  at 
Warsaw,  the  work  is  conducted  through  c(mimittees.  At  one  of 
the  offices  visited  I  was  informed  that  80  clerks  are  employed.  Here, 
too,  lodging  and  boarding  houses  exist. 

A  like  organization  on  a  larger  scale  is  Found  at  Danzig,  where  the 
place  known  as  the  Troyl,  a  former  Russian  prison  camp,  has  been 
converted  into  a  station  where  food  and  lodging  is  given  and  embarka- 
tion takes  place  direct  for  America. 

Besides  committees,  work  is  carried  on  through  delegates,  who 
come  from  America  representing  particular  communities  there, 
bringing  money  for  distribution,  and  return  with  individuals  to  whom 
money  was  sent  to  pay  the  cost  of  transportation.  An  illustration 
was  called  to  our  attention  where  the  previous  week  a  delegate  of 
this  character  arrived  and  stated  that  he  came  with  donations  for 
84  families,  of  from  $5  to  SIO  apiece,  and  besides  was  in  possession 
of  funds  from  individuals  in  America  to  pay  for  the  transportation 
of  particular  members  of  families. 

The  organizations  represented  by  Mr.  Chapira,  known  as  the  Hebrew 
Immigrant  Aid  Society,  referred  to  by  the  initials  H.  I.  A.  S.  through- 
out Europe  generally,  seems  to  be  the  life  of  this  work.  The  plan 
of  operations  can  best  be  illustrated  b^^  a  card  upon  which  is  entered 
the  history  and  action  taken  in  each  case  with  which  they  deal,  a 
copy  of  which  I  will  insert  at  this  point,  with  your  permission. 

(The  card  presented  by  Mr.  Caminetti  is  here  printed  in  full,  as 
follows :) 

[Front.] 

H.  I.  A.  S.     Record.     Danzig  Office. 

Case  No No.  of  persons Ages Date  uf  arrival 192 

Name Occupation Barrack  No 

Or  address ( Vo 

From  city  of Address Country 

Destined  to Address 

City State Relationship 

Emigrant  in  possession  of: 

Prepaid  S.  S.  ticket  on Class 

From  port  of To  port  of 

Kind  of  passport American  vise Other  vise 

How  much  money? 

Emigrant  in  need  of: 

Cable  relative  for  sum  of Dollars Get  S.  S.  ticket  from 

Get Dollars  from Vise 

Get  baggage  from Get  temporary  loan  of Maiks 

For  the  purpose  of 

Remarks Record  filed  by 


576  E-MEiu;kn("Y  immi(:i;ati().\   ij:(:isi.ation. 

IBack.] 

DISPOSITION. 

( 'ahk'd  tor  the  sum  of Dollars  on 192 

Received  for  cable Marks  by 

Answer  not  received  in  14  days  and  cabled  H.  I.  A.  S.  on 192 

To  see  relative.     Cable  No Reply  received  on  192. . 

Cable  No To  pay  the  sum  of dollars. 

Hias  also  advises 

Loan  department : 

Date 192. ..     Note  No Amount dollars  by 

Repaid  loan  on ,  192 . . ,  to 

Date ,  192. . .     Note  No Amount dollars  by dollars. 

Date ,  1920. . .    Note  No.  . . .     Amount dollars  by  balance  due dollars. 

Total dollars,  by 

Remittance  department:  Remarks. 

Paid  Hias  remittance  on • ,  192 . . ,  in  following  manner  i 

By  cash S dollars  | 

Order  No on for S.  S.  tickets  S dollars  i 

Receipt  No 

Total  dollars  j 

Emigrant  sailed  on  S.  S Date, ,  192 . . . 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  You  will  notice  that  the  card  provides 
blanks  to  show  the  name  of  the  applicant,  his  address,  etc.,  including 
spaces  for  recording  history  of  financial  and  other  transactions  in 
his  behalf. 

In  the  Paris  edition  of  the  New  York  Herald,  under  date  of  Decem- 
ber 14,  1920,  Mr.  Chapira  has  given  an  interview,  a  copy  of  which  I 
will  ask  to  be  inserted,  in  which  he  sets  forth  the  work  and  j)ur])oses 
of  the  H,  I.  A.  S.  [reading]: 

The  H.  I.  A.  S.,  as  it  is  known  to  intending  emigrants,  is  cooperating  closely  with 
French  shelter  organizations.  Its  headquarters  are  at  Ki  Rue  Lamarck,  where  at 
least  1,.5()0  Jews — men.  women  and  children  from  central  and  eastern  Europe — apply 
daily  foi  assistance.  ''Ninety  per  cent  of  the  applicants,''  Mr.  Chapira  says, "arrive 
in  France  without  funds  sufficient  to  carr\  them  to  America.  Some  have  only  the 
most  meagre  information  regarding  relatives  in  the  United  States,  but  so  extensive 
are  the  society's  ramifications  that  nearly  every  demand  for  assistance  is  met  and  the 
emigrants  are  sent  to  New  York." 

"During  the  two  or  three  weeks  necessary  to  locate  relatives,  to  purchase  railroad 
and  steamship  tickets,  and  to  comply  with  health  regulations,  hundreds  of  emigrants 
are  fed  daily  at  the  Rue  I.amarck  shelter,  while  as  many  as  750  have  oeen  giA  en  sleep- 
ing space — when  beds  were  not  available  -  at  another  shelter  in  the  Rue  des  Saules." 

EFFORTS  TO  BE  EXTENDED. 

"The  American  organization  will  extend  its  cfiorts  soon,  in  cooperation  with  a 
recentl\  formed  French  society  for  sheltering  Jewish  voyagers.  Premises  in  the  Rue 
de  la  Durance  are  now  Deing  arranged  to  accommodate  3C0  emigrants.  In  each  of 
the  shelters  medical  service  is  available;  serious  cases  receive  prompt  attention  in 
Paris  hospitals  at  the  expense  of  the  New  York  organization. 

"Most  of  the  Jewish  emigrants  who  ])ass  through  I'aris  come  from  Bessarabia." 
Branches  of  the  H.  1.  .\.  S.  at  Warsaw,  l.emberg  and  Dan/ig  are  receiving  .additional 
hundreds  of  emigrants  daily,  but  Mr.  Chapira  characterizes  as  "wild  tiights  of  fancy" 
the  reports  that  millions  of  Jews  intend  to  pass  through  Ellis  Island  as  soon  as  steam- 
ship passages  can  be  booked. 

"My  estimate  of  Jewish  emigrants  from  Europe  to  America  is  l)etween  400,000  and 
500,000."  he  said.  'One  thing  is  certain — when  the  Ukranian  liorders  are  opened 
not  a  single  Jew  will  riMuain  there,  lint  they  are  not  going  to  .Vmerica.  Many  are 
going  to  Argentina;  but  it  is  now  intended  to  direct  the  Ukranian  Jews  toward 
Palestine. ' ' 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  .  577 

The  joint  distribution  committee,  referred  to  in  European  nations 
as  the  J.  D.  C,  an  American  organization,  has  oflices  at  Warsaw, 
also  at  Danzig,  and  does  work  similar  in  character  and  employs 
methods  similar  to  those  of  the  organization  above  mentioned,  ex- 
cepting that  it  does  not  take  up  the  work  of  passports  and  vises. 

Senator  Gore.  What  is  the  lull  name  of  that  organization? 

Commissioner  C^vmixetti.  Joint  distribution  committee. 

The  foregoing  is  presented  as  explanatory  of  conditions  in  many 
countries  of  Europe  which  have  succeeded  in  arousing  an  interest  in 
emigration  to  the  United  States  by  activities  and  agitation  long 
continued  and  carried  on,  it  is  understood,  partly  in  charge  of  Amer- 
ican citizens. 

It  is  not  claimed,  nor  is  there  any  information  going  to  show,  that 
such  activities  are  illegal,  nor  are  they  cited  by  way  of  complaint,  but 
to  indicate  the  kind  of  impression  created  not  only  on  the  people  for 
whom  intended  but  on  the  public  generall}^  and  on  people  in  partic- 
ular of  communities  of  all  nationalities  and  races  among  whom  dis- 
couragement due  to  their  war  experiences  and  unrest  exists,  that  the 
United  States  through  these  agencies  was  inviting  them  all  to  cross 
the  seas. 

This  was  not  the  intention  of  the  organizers,  nor  has  it  at  any  time 
been  their  purpose,  but  the  effect  has  been  as  stated,  and  great  masses 
of  people  left  their  homes  last  fall  and  this  winter,  enduring  hardships 
and  suffering  to  reach  ports  of  embarkation. 

The  strange  thing  about  the  matter  is  that  individuals  or  asso- 
ciations, etc.,  not  engaged  in  the  business  of  transporting  aliens 
to  or  within  the  United  States  may  encourage,  invite,  or  solicit  aliens 
to  come  to  the  United  States,  provided  no  promise  of  employment, 
express  or  implied,  is  given,  while  any  person  or  association,  etc., 
engaged  in  the  business  of  transporting  aliens  to  or  within  the  United 
States  is  prohibited  under  penalty  of  the  law  to  in  any  manner  solicit, 
invite,  or  encourage  any  alien  to  come  into  the  United  States. 

It  can  be  easily  seen  that  if  it  is  contrary  to  the  interest  of  our 
Government — and  that  it  is  there  can  be  no  question — to  have  steam- 
ship companies  solicit,  invite,  or  encourage  any  alien  to  come  into 
the  United  States,  the  act  is  not  any  less  injurious  to  this  country 
when  it  is  done  by  individuals  or  associations  not  engaged  in  trans- 
porting aliens  to  this  country,  as  the  effect  is  the  same  in  either  case. 

What  can  be  done  or  what  should  be  done,  if  anything,  is  a  matter 
to  which  consideration  should  be  addressed. 

Of  course,  a  different  situation  is  presented  when  the  alien's  passage 
is  paid  for  by  an  individual,  association,  corporation,  etc.  Wlien  such 
payment  is  by  an  individual,  the  alien  is  confronted  with  the  burden 
of  establishing,  affirmatively  and  satisfactorily,  that  he  is  not  of  an 
excludable  class;  and  if  payment  is  by  a  society,  association,  corpora- 
tion, etc.,  he  is  thereby  placed  in  a  mandatorily  excluded  class. 

The  statement  heard  in  some  quarters  that  the  steamship  com- 
panies have  stimulated  tlic  movement  is  met  by  their  re})resentatives 
in  Europe  by  asserting  that  with  more  traffic  offered  for  a  long  time 
past,  and  apparent  in  the  future,  than  can  be  accommodated,  such 
a  charge  is  absurd. 

Senator  Edge.  Mr.  Chairman,  before  Mr.  Camiuetti  continues,  may 
I  inquire  if  it  is  the  intention  to  go  right  along  after  12  o'clock  ( 


578  KArERCJEXCY   TMMTGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Tlie  CiiAiuMAX.  No;  my  intontioTi  is  to  rocoss  from  12  until  2.1 '. 

Sonator  Edcje.  I  woiiUl  lii<e  to  hem  Mr.  Camiiietti  us  to  tho  impres- 
sions ho  has  gathered  as  to  the  emm-gency  that  you  si)eak  of,  the 
exodus  from  Euro])e.  His  report  is  all  very  interesting  and  undoubt- 
edly will  be  helpful,  but  is  not  directed  to  the  matter  that  we  are 
attempting  to  decide. 

Senator  Harris.  I  can  not  be  liere  at  2.15  this  afternoon,  and  I  am 
ver}'  anxious  to  hear  ]\Ir.  Caminetti  on  the  same  thing. 

Senator  Edge.  I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  ('aminetti  one  or  two  ques- 
tions that  might  bring  it  out,  if  he  is  not  prepared  to  generally  give 
his  impressions. 

The  Chairman.  What  I  thought  was  that  if  Mr.  Caminetti  could 
finish  his  general  statement,  then  we  could  ask  him  certain  questions. 

Senator  Edge.  Of  course,  I  would,  too,  but  the  time  is  so  short. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  prefer  to  proceed  that  way,  if  the 
committee  will  indulge  me.  I  think  it  is  the  better  way  to  proceed. 
In  the  first  place,  I  have  not  presented  these  matters  to  the  Secretary 
of  Labor  as  yet,  and  it  is  not  within  my  authority  to  formulate 
policies  for  the  department.  That,  I  suppose,  has  f)eon  or  will  be 
attended  to  in  due  course  by  a  reference  of  this  pending  legislation 
to  the  De]>artment  of  Ijabor  and  the  action  of  tliat  department.  So 
that  I  want  to  furnish  what  we  have  found  in  this  investigation 
and  let  it  go  into  the  record  for  what  it  is  worth. 

Senator  Edge.  Mr.  Caminetti.  if  we  can  not  get  from  you  your 
direct  impression  after  a  month  or  two  of  contact  with  the  immigra- 
tion ofhcials  and  the  actual  preparation  for  exodus  to  this  side,  what 
type  of  immigrants  and  what  your  view  is  as  to  the  numbers,  com- 
paratively speaking,  etc.,  whom  can  we  get  it  from? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  am  just  proceeding  to  that. 

Senator  Harris.  Mr.  Caminetti,  how  long  is  your  general  state- 
ment? It  will  probably  take  vou  a  couple  of  hours  to  finish  with 
that  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Well,  it  will  take,  if  the  entire  matter  ijv 
presented,  possibly  a  counle  of  hours  longer;  yes,  sir. 

Senator  Harrison.  The  only  proposition  is,  we  are  all  interested  in 
his  statement,  but  there  are  some  matters  coming  up,  so  that  some 
of  us  wanted  to  be  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate. 

The  Chairman.  Would  it  not  help,  Mr.  Caminetti,  now  understand- 
ing the  general  purposes  of  this  committee  and  the  class  of  facts  that 
we  want  to  find  out,  to  come  right  down  to  answers  and  specific 
questions  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  have  not  given  the 

The  Chairman  (interposing).  Would  it  not  be  helpful  if  we  suspend 
now  until  to-morrow  morning,  say,  until  half  ])ast  10,  and  then  give 
Mr.  Caminetti  an  opportunity  to  condense  his  statement  preparatory 
to  our  putting  certain  questions  to  him  ?  Does  that  appeal  to  the 
committee?  I  want  Senator  Harris  to  understand  that  this  examina- 
tion is  not  going  to  be  prolonged.     This  is  our  last  witness. 

Senator  Edge.  Why  not  continue  at  2.15  and  try  to  get  this  in  the 
record  ? 

The  Chairman.  I  am  willing. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  think  I  will  be  ready  to 
present  and  give  what  you  desire  after  recess,  and  then  fui'ther 
action  could  be  continued  until  to-morrow  morning;  if  it  is  agreeable 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  579 

to  the  mombers  of  the  committee,  it  is  agreeable  to  me.  I  will  then 
be  able  to  continue  and  present  the  complete  statement. 

Senator  Hahrison.  Why  not  start  at  9.30  to-morrow  morning? 

The  Chairman.  To  be  fresh  on  this  subject,  I  can  not  start  too 
early. 

Senator  Harrison.  Half  past  10  is  too  late  to  start. 

The  Chairman  (after  consultation  with  members  of  the  committee). 
It  seems  to  be  the  desire  of  most  of  the  members  of  the  committee  not 
to  go  on  this  afternoon.  They  have  other  engagements,  and  we  will 
therefore  suspend  until  to-morrow  morning  at  10  o'clock. 

(Thereupon,  at  12  o'clock  (noon),  the  committee  adjourned  to  meet 
to-morrow,  Wednesday,  January  26,  1921,  at  10  o'clock  a.  m.) 


Emergency  Immigration  Legislation 


HEARINGS 

BEFORE  THE 

COMMITTEE  OxN  IMMIGRATION 

UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

SIXTY-SIXTH  CONGRESS 

THIRD  SESSION 
ON 


H.  R.  14461 


A  BILL  TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE  PROTECTION  OF  THE  CITIZEiNS 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  BY  THE  TEMPORARY 

SUSPENSION  OF  IMMIGRATION,  AND 

FOR  OTHER  PURPOSES 


WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  2G,  1921 


PAKT  13 

Priiited  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  Immip:ratioa 


^1^ 


WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
2G911*  1921 


COMMITTEE  ON  IMMIGRATION. 


WILLIAM  P.  DILLINGHAM,  Vermont 
BOIES  PENROSE,  Pennsylvania. 
THOMAS  STERLING,  South  Dakota. 
HIRAM  W.  JOHNSON,  California. 
HENRY  W.  KEYES,  New  Hampshire. 
WALTER  E.  EDGE,  New  Jersey. 


LeBARON  B.  colt,  Rhode  Island,  Chairman. 

THOMAS  P.  GORE,  Oklahoma. 


JOHN  F.  NUGENT,  Idaho. 
WILLIAM  H.  KING,   Utah. 
WILLIAM  J.   HARRIS,  Georgia. 
PAT  HARRISON,   Mississippi. 
JAMES  D.  PHELAN,  California. 


Heney  M.  BARRr,  Clerk. 


II 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 


WEDNESDAY,  JANUARY  26,  1921. 

United  States  Senate, 

Committee  on  Immigration, 

Washington,  D.  C. 
The  committee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  10  o'clock  a.  m,, 
in  room  235,  Senate  Office  Building,  Hon.  LeBaron  B.  Colt  presid- 
ing. 

Present:  Senators  Colt  (chairman),  Dillingham,  Sterling,  Keyes, 
Harris,  and  Harrison. 

The  Chairman.  You  may  proceed,  General,  if  you  are  ready. 

STATEMENT  OF  HON.  ANTHONY  CAMINETTI,  COMMISSIONER 
GENERAL  OF  IMMIGRATION— Resumed. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Mr.  Chairman  and  gentlemen  of  the 
committee,  I  have  condensed  much  of  the  material  that  I  had  desired 
to  offer,  following  the  suggestion  made  3'esterday  by  the  chairman. 
Having  selected  a  few  of  the  most  important  matters  which  it  is 
proposed  to  present  to  the  Secretary  of  Labor  when  I  make  my  com- 
plete report,  they  are  now  submitted  as  follows: 

On  the  European  immigration  situation,  it  may  be  said  that  the 
people  of  Europe,  anxious  to  emigrate,  may  be  divided  into  the  fol- 
lowing classes: 

First,  those  who  for  one  reason  or  another  had  decided  to  leave  for 
America  but  whose  passage  was  delayed  by  the  World  War,  now 
constituting  what  has  been  denominated  as  deferred  immigration. 

Second,  dependents  joining  relatives,  in  particular  the  wife  and 
children  proceeding  to  an  established  home. 

Third,  middle-class  people,  such  as  ex-Government  officials,  ex- 
military  officers,  etc.,  who  find  it  impossible  to  keep  up  appearances 
in  Europe,  but  who  will  be  prepared  to  undertake  work  in  America, 
or  elsewhere,  that  their  social  traditions  would  not  permit  them  to 
engage  in  at  home. 

Fourth,  working  classes  whose  natural  desire  is  to  find  a  more 
open  field  for  their  activities  than  is  possible  in  Europe  under  present 
conditions. 

Fifth,  people  who  find  that  with  the  formation  of  new  boundaries 
their  homes  are  now  in  countries  that  are  racially  alien  to  them,  and 
sooner  than  subject  themselves  to  the  rule  of  their  new  governing 
authority  they  prefer  to  emigrate  OA'ersoas. 

Sixth,  those  who  left  Europe  years  ago,  but  returned  after  the 
World  War.  These  people  find  conditions  in  Europe  unsatisfying  as 
compared  to  what  they  left  behind,  and  are  anxious  to  migrate  once 
more  to  this  country. 

581 


582  .        EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

The  following  observations  all  hoar  on  the  eraigation  situation: 

Despite  rail  transport  and  passport  dilliculties,  emigrants  show  a 
marked  tendency  to  follow  the  routes  of  prewar  days.  One  reason 
for  this  is  that  the  greater  bulk  of  })resent-day  emigrants  are  travel- 
ing on  prepaid  tickets  or  funds  furnished  by  relative-;  or  friends  in 
the  United  States,  who,  as  a  rule,  advise  the  newcomer  to  travel  by 
the  same  route  that  they  did. 

Much  has  been  done  in  the  last  12  months  to  restore  rail  facilities 
and  it  is  now  possible  for  intending  passengers  to  reach  the  seaboard 
from  any  part  of  Europe  west  ol  Russia,  although  the  journey  is 
usually  attended  with  difficulties,  hardships,  and  delays.  Through 
emigrant  trains  are  not  operating  now.  Improvements,  however, 
are  noticeable  and  can,  in  the  natural  order  of  events,  be  considered 
certain  in  bettering  the  situation.  The  coming  spring  will,  with  the 
cessation  of  cold  weather,  permit  a  great  increase  in  passenger  traffic. 

Thi'ough  tickets  are  not  usually  obtainable  beyond  frontier  points, 
this  adding  very  materially  to  the  inconvenience  of  the  emigrant, 
who  must  purchase  transportation  once  or  sometimes  twice  in  each 
country  he  passes  through,  each  time  in  a  currenc}^  that  is  foreign 
to  him.  Five  or  six  countries  must  in  many  instances  be  traversed 
before  reaching  a  port  of  embarkation. 

To  overcome  man}^  of  these  difficulties,  conductors  are  provided 
in  some  instances  by  the  steamship  lines  or  their  agents,  to  accom- 

Eany  parties  of  emigrants  from  their  country  of  origin  to  the  sea- 
oard. 

Concentration  of  emigrant  and  other  traffic  in  the  capitals  and 
leading  cities  of  Europe,  many  of  which  are  already  much  over- 
crowded by  Russians  and  others,  including  refugees,  and  the  cessation 
of  building  operations  during  the  war  and  subsequent  period,  has 
caused  a  congestion  w^hich  only  can  be  relieved  by  additional  steam- 
ship facilities  and  milder  weather. 

The  conditions  cited  above  are  all  productive  of  more  or  less  hard- 
ship to  emigrant  passengers.  The  great  surprise  is  that  so  many 
have  been  willing  to  undertake  journeys  across  so  many  nations, 
notwithstanding  these  unfavorable  conditions. 

Dealing  specifically  with  conditions  in  the  northern,  central,  and 
eastern  countries  of  Europe,  the  following  observations  have  been 
brought  to  my  attention: 

It  is  not  expected  that  there  will  be  any  appreciable  emigration 
from  France  and  Belgium.  They  are  both  living  through  a  period 
of  reconstruction  that  should  not  allow  of  any  great  diminution  of 
their  man  power.  There  is,  however,  a  comparatively  small  emi- 
gration from  the  agricultural  sections  of  Belgium. 

No  considerable  movement  of  emigrants  is  expected  from  either 
Holland  or  Switzerland,  but  both  these  countries,  as  well  as  France 
and  Belgium,  will  figure  prominently  in  handling  the  emigration 
movement  fiom  central  European  and  near  eastern  countries. 
Some  Swiss  are  going  to  F'rance. 

There  is  a  strong  desire  on  the  part  of  the  middle  and  laboring 
classes  of  Germany  and  Austria  to  migrate.  While  their  respective 
Governments  do  not  care  to  see  their  best  workers  leave  the  country, 
they  are  not  likely,  it  is  said,  to  place  any  insuperable  difficulty  in 
their  way.  In  Austria,  where  the  food  shortage  is  acute,  the  Gov- 
ernment will  probably  not  interpose  impediments  to  the  movement. 


EiVrERGENCY   IM-MIGEATIOX   LEGISLATIO:sr.  583 

The  presonce  of  so  many  Russians,  including  refugees,  in  Vienna, 
it  is  reported,  has  done  much  to  aggravate  the  hardsliips  in  that  city. 

The  movement  to  be  expected  from  Hungary  will  be  more  pro- 
nounced among  the  middle  than  the  laboring  classes,  as  the 
latter,  to  an  extent  not  now  known,  may  be  absorbed  by  her  agri- 
cultural lands.  There  are  many  Hungarian  peasants,  however, 
resident  in  districts  ceded  to  neighboring  countries,  who  will  prob- 
ably elect  to  emigrate  rather  than  become  nationals  of  the  countries 
in  which  they  now  find  themselves  situated. 

With  reference  to  Czechoslovakia,  there  is  a  considerable  feeling 
between  the  Czechs  and  Germans  domiciled  there,  the  latter  repre- 
senting about  50  per  cent  of  the  population  of  Bohemia,  and  may 
be  expected  to  emigrate  in  considerable  numbers.  As  to  the  Slovaks, 
their  emigration  maybe  expected  to  continue,  and  probably  increase. 

Poland  is  overpopulated,  and  emigration  seems  to  be  the  outlet  for 
the  surplus  population,  including  workers,  many  of  whom  are  wend- 
ing their  way  to  seaports  and  cities  to  obtain  transportation  to  oversea 
points. 

Owing  to  recent  reported  changes  in  the  land  laws  of  Rumania, 
which  will  make  small  ownership  possible,  it  is  not  expected  any 
great  number  of  the  peasant  class  will  emigrate  from  that  country, 
although  there  are  indications,  as  found  at  various  places  in  Europe, 
of  people  from  Rumania  and  near-by  States,  goin^  to  embarkation 
points,  notwithstanding  unfavorable  traveling  conditions. 

Bulgarian  peasants  have  not  figured  to  any  extent  in  prewar 
immigration  to  our  country,  though  many  Bulgars  came  from 
Macedonia  and  other  sections  of  the  Balkan  territory.  To  what 
extent  war  conditions  will  effect  a  change  is  not  ascertainable  at 
present,  but  like  their  neighbors,  the  Bulgarians,  it  is  expected,  will 
be  influenced  by  the  prevailing  efforts  to  secure  a  change.  Important 
additions  to  the  outward  movement  from  among  the  people  who  have 
been  driven  from  the  regions  ceded  to  Greece  and  Serbia  may  be 
expected. 

Concerning  Jugoslavia,  the  authorities  at  Belgrade  appear  not  to 
favor  emigration,  as  they  consider  the  country  already  too  thinly 
populated  for  its  agricultural  possibilities,  though  evidence  of  some 
movement  is  apparent.  While  this  may  be  true  as  to  Serbia,  it 
can  hardly  be  applied  to  the  States  of  Croatia  and  Slovenia.  There 
has  been  an  active  emigration  from  these  last  Provinces  to  the  United 
States  for  many  years,  and  this  will  probably  prove  an  incentive  to 
further  emigration  of  the  surplus  workers  of  these  two  sections  of 
the  new  kingdom. 

Present  immigration,  except  as  it  has  leaked  through  the  lines,  is 
from  European  countries,  including  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  other 
than  Russu\,  Germany  and  Austria.  In  northwestern  and  southern 
Europe  west  of  the  Adriatic,  the  movement  has  shown  increased 
numbers  over  those  coming  therefrom  since  1914,  and  with  some 
exceptions  the  same  is  true  of  the  territory  east. of  Germany  and 
what  is  now  Austria,  including  Poland,  Hungaiy,  Czechoslovakia, 
Jugoslavia,  Greece,  Rumania,  Bulgaria,  and  other  Balkan  and  near- 
Balkan  States.  Western  Asia,  down  to  the  Suez  Canal,  including 
former  Turkish  territory  in  Europe  and  Asia,  has  likewise  taken 
renewed  life,  as  shown  by  rising  numbers  coming  therefrom. 


584 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


The  foregoing  are  observitble  changes  in  immigration  conditions 
in  Europe  and  western  Asia  during  the  last  eighteen  months,  record- 
ing steady  increases  in  most  of  the  nations  in  this  territory  for  the 
12  months  ending  June  30,  1920,  the  last  fiscal  year,  and  sudden  and 
continuing  rise  since  June  80. 

The  rate  for  the  12  months  mentioned  was  621,576,  and  for 
the  latter  period,  the  first  6  months  of  the  present  fiscal  year, 
549,790,  or  at  the  rate  of  1,100,000  per  year,  nearly  double  the  arrivals 
for  the  last  fiscal  year,  equaling  the  average  annual  rate — 1,012,000 — 
for  the  10  years  previous  to  June  30,  1914,  and  approximating 
within  140,000  the  1914  rate  of  1,218,480. 

Reference  is  made  to  tables  showing  arrivals  and  departures 
since  July  1,  1904,  to  December  31,  1920,  and  for  the  first  six  months 
of  the  present  fiscal  year,  which  I  will  ask  permission  of  the  committee 
to  in.sert  at  this  point. 

The  Chairman.  That  may  be  done. 

(The  tables  showing  arrivals  and  departures,  submitted  by  Mr. 
Caminetti,  are  here  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

Aliens  admitted  to  and  departed  from   the  United  States,  by  classes  and  years,  10  years 
-previous  to  June  30,  1914,  and  since  June -30,  1914. 


Admitted. 

Departed. 

Fiscal  year  ended  June  30— 

Immigrant.  j^^?^;„t 

Total. 

Emigrant. 

Xon- 
emi  grant. 

Total. 

1905 

1,026,499 

1,100,735 

1,285,349 

782, 870 

751,786 

1, 041, 570 

878,587 

8.38, 172 

1, 197, 892 

1, 218, 480 

33, 256 
65, 618 
153, 120 
141, 825 
192,449 
156, 467 
151,713 
178, 9S3 
229,335 
184, 601 

1,059,755 
1,166,353 
1, 438, 469 
924, 695 
944,235 
1,198,037 
1,030,300 
1, 017, 155 
1,427,227 
1.4a3.081 

0) 

(') 

(') 

395,073 
225, 802 
202, 436 
295, 666 
333, 262 
308, 190 
303,338 

0) 

(') 

(') 

319,755 
174,590 

(') 

1906 

(') 

1907 

(') 

1908 

714, 828 

1909 

400. 392 

1910 

177, 982            386! 418 

1911 

222,549 
282,0.30 
303,7.34 
330, 4f)7 

518,215 

1912 

615, 292 

1913. 

611  924 

1914 

633, 805 

Total 

10,121,940       1,487,367 

11,609,307  j    2,06.3,767 

1,811,107 

3, 874, 874 

1915 

326,700 
298, 826 
295, 403 
110,618 
141,132 
430.001 

107,544 
67, 922 
67, 474 

101, 2.35 
95,889 

191,. 575 

434,244 
366, 748 
362, 877 
211,853 
237,021 
621,576 

204,074 
129,765 
66,277 
94,585 
12.3,  .522 
288, 315 

180,100 
111,042 
80, 102 
98,683 
92,709 
139, 747 

384, 174 

1916 

240, 807 

1917 

146,379 

1918 

193, 268 

1919 

216, 231 

1920 

428, 062 

Total 

1,602,680 

631,  &39 

2,234,319 

906.538 

702,383 

1, 608, 921 

1  Alien  departures  prior  to  July  1,  1908,  were  not  recorded. 

Aliens  admitted  to  and  departed  from  the  United  States  since  July  1,  19^0. 


Admitted. 


Month. 


I  Immigrant. 


Nonimmi- 
grant. 


Total. 


July 62,832  21,127  83,959 

August 67,369  18,062  85,431 

September' 72,900  25,500  i  98,400 

October 74,800  26,200  I  101,000 

November 65,900  23,100  !  89,000 

December 68,100  23,900  92,000 

Total 411,901  137,889  549,790 


Departed. 


Emigrant. 


27,565 

0) 

(') 

(') 

(1) 

(>) 


0) 


Nonemi- 
grant. 


11,940 

(») 

(') 

(') 

(') 

(«) 


(>) 


Total. 


39,505 
50,000 
31,200 
41,000 
37,000 
39,000 


237, 705 


I  Complete  figures  for  admissions  later  than  August  and  for  departures  later  than  July  not  yet  available. 
Those  above  given  for  later  months  are  estimated.  About  26  per  cent  of  the  aliens  admitted  during  the 
14  months  ended  .\ngust,  1920,  were  nonimmigrants,  and  this  percentage  is  estimated  as  the  average  for 
this  class  admitted  during  the  following  4  months. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  585 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  The  rising  ti(le  bids  fair  to  grow  by  leaps 
and  bounds  unless  checked,  so  that  tiie  1914  rate  will  from  present 
indications  be  passed  by  the  end  of  this  fiscal  year,  June  30  next. 
Steamship  authorities  in  Europe,  while  they  will  not  give  out  declara- 
tions on  tiie  subject,  I  am  satisfied,  from  all  I  have  been  able  to  gather, 
are  in  accord  with  this  expectation,  and  if  reports  can  be  credited  new 
lines  and  additions  to  going  concerns  are  among  the  early  certainties. 
It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  we  have  already  reached  the  average 
annual  rate  for  the  10  years  previous  to  June  30,  1914,  and  approxi- 
mated the  1914  rate  without  the  additions  expected,  particularly  from 
Germany,  Austria,  and  other  territories  now  practically  closed  to 
transportation,  and  with  soviet  Russia  and  the  states  carved  out  of 
old  Russia,  from  and  including  Finland,  on  the  northwest  of  soviet 
Russia,  to  the  Caucasus  and  trans-Caucasus  regions,  on  the  southern 
and  eastern  borders  thereof,  supposedly  closed.  I  hesitate  to  estimate 
what  will  be  the  rate  when  Germany,  Austria,  and  near-by  States  open 
up  their  supply.  Soviet  Russia  may  be  backward,  though  it  is  prob- 
able that  many  may  break  away  from  there  too,  but  so  far  as  the 
states  carved  out  of  old  Russia  are  concerned,  particularly  those  on 
the  west  and  south  of  soviet  Russia,  the  outpouring,  it  is  expected, 
will  be  great.     It  is  considerable  now,  though  it  is  veiled  in  secrecy. 

At  the  rate  of  increase  of  the  past  six  months,  if  Germany  and 
Austria  open  their  gates  through  the  declaration  of  peace,  the 
2,000,000  rate  will  be  approximated  and  probably  passed  before 
January  1,  1922,  pro^dded  that  shipping  facilities  are  available. 

With  the  opening  of  the  German  and  Austrian  gateways,  even  if 
soviet  Russia  continues  closed,  nothing  can  prevent  an  outflow  from 
the  states  carved  out  of  old  Russia  on  the  south  and  west  boundary 
of  soviet  Russia. 

To  all  this  must  be  added  the  imunigration  of  the  balance  of  the 
world,  which  in  the  aggregate  has  increased  year  after  year  since  1914, 
notwithstanding  the  war. 

The  countries  east  of  Germany  and  Austria,  unless  communication 
is  provided,  can  not  now  take  the  same  part  in  the  movement  as  the 
countries  farther  west,  but  with  the  opening  of  spring  all  will  be 
brought  into  action.  The  cold  weather  and  hardships  incident  to 
long  journeys  in  winter,  with  the  extra  expense  involved,  have  acted 
as  a  deterrent  during  the  winter  months  and  will  continue  to  do  so 
while  the  cold  weather  is  on. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  many  people  are  drifting  out  of  Russia 
throughout  the  western  and  southern  borders  and  stopping  wherever 
they  can  find  an  abode  until  they  can  go  to  places  selected  in  Europe 
or  elsewhere,  but,  follo"wing  the  general  trend,  most  probably  to  the 
United  States. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Mr.  Caminetti,  may  I  interrupt  a  moment  ? 
Do  you  intend  before  you  close  to  analyze  this  immigration  as  to 
sexes,  and  show  us  how  it  compares  with  the  previous  immigration? 

Commissioner  CA^rIXETTL  That  was  my  intention.  Unfortunately, 
the  reports  from  Ellis  Island  have  not  been  furnished  to  the  bureau 
containing  complete  ligures  since  August  31. 

Senator  DILLlXGHA^r.  Why  has  not  that  been  done  ?  We  are 
troubled  to  death  to  get  information  which  we  want. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  appreciate  the  situation,  and  it  was  a 
disappointment  to  learn  that  we  are  not  able  to  utilize  such  statistical 
reports. 


586  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION. 

Senator  Dtt-LINGHAM.  It  has  hoon  rc^portod  to  us  that  you  have  been 
taking  av:ay  the  machinoiy  from  Ellis  Island. 

Commissioner  (Lutinettl  We  sent  maeliincMy  there;  and,  my  reeol- 
loction  is,  furnished  extra  men  to  he  added  to  the  roll.  The  other  day 
an  extra  number  w<;s  ordered  for  the  purpose  of  completing  report  of 
d'^Iayed  statistics.  I  am  very  much  disappointed  that  we  have  not 
those  figures. 

Senator  DiLLixciiA^r.  I  asked  the  cjuestion,  Mr.  Caminetti,  because 
it  has  ])een  a  good  deal  discussed  here:  b(>fore  the  Johnson  bill  was 
introduced,  I  asked  the  department  for  figures  relating  to  immigration 
since  the  close  of  the  last  fiscal  year.  I  have  not  been  a])le  to  get  them 
yet,  and  we  are  told  by  those  at  Ellis  Island  that  the  department  has 
taken  away  the  machin(n-y — that  is,  the  clerical  force — for  tabulating 
this  information  at  Ellis  Island  and  brought  it  to  Washington,  and  I 
do  not  know  anything  about  it;  I  am  trying  to  get  at  the  truth  of  it. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  am  very  glad  that  you  have  presented 
the  matter,  because  it  is  something  that  has  caused  me  a  great  deal  of 
distress. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Is  that  true  or  is  it  not  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  It  is  true  that  they  have  completed 
reports  of  the  present  fiscal  A^ear  only  for  the  months  of  July  and 
August. 

I  can  not  explain  the  situation;  I  do  not  know  why  it  should  be  so. 
Ellis  Island  has  over  700  officials  now — 200  more  than  it  had  in  1914 
when  immigration  was  at  a  greater  rate  than  it  is  or  has  been  in  the 
last  two  years. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Allow  me  to  make  another  suggestion? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Certainly. 

Senator  Dillingham.  It  appears  in  evidence  here  from  the  com- 
missioner at  Ellis  Island  that  of  the  immigration  that  has  been  coming 
in  since  the  close  of  the  last  fiscal  year  substantially  one-half  of  it  was 
made  up  of  females. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Forty- two  per  cent  plus  was  the  rate  at 
the  end  of  last  fiscal  year,  and  what  it  has  been  since  we  are  not  able 
to  estimate  because  we  lack  the  returns. 

Senator  Dillingham.  As  to  this  particular  immigration  from  the 
eastern  and  southern  Europe  of  which  3"ou  have  been  speaking,  and 
of  which  3"ou  seem  to  expect  a  large  inflow  in  the  future,  I  think  the 
statistics  show  that  when  we  get  one  woman  we  usually  get  four  or 
five  or  six  men;  and  for  that  reason  I  was  hoping  that  you,  in  rela- 
tion to  this  later  immigration,  would  have  information  to  give  us 
as  to  the  proportion  of  males  and  females  and  the  character  of  the 
immigration  that  was  coming. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Your  hope  in  that  respect  was  what  I 
had  expected  to  be  able  to  gratify.  I  had  expected  to  be  able  to 
furnish  this  committee  at  this  time,  as  part  of  this  report,  the  same 
deductions  and  the  same  information  contained  in  the  annual  report 
up  to  June  30  last  extended  so  as  to  include  the  first  four  months  of 
this  fiscal  year,  or  five  months,  if  it  was  practicable.  I  find  I  can 
furnish  arrivals  and  departures  only  for  July  and  August. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Then  I  am  to  understand  that  the  com- 
mittee will  be  unable  to  secure  at  this  time  an  analysis  of  the 
recent  inmiigration  such  as  we  have  had  in  previous  years  of  immi- 
gration coming  in  ? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  587 

Commissionor  Camixetti.  Efforts  have  been  made  during  the  last 
30  days  to  lend  assistance  and  to  ascertain  whj''  this  condition  exists, 
and  the  department  has  ordered  the  temporary  addition  of  30  ehi- 
ployees  to  supply  this  information  by  the  1st  of  March  complete, 
or  before  that  if  it  is  practicalile.  There  is  a  large  accumulation  of 
work  on  hand,  I  am  informed. 

Senator  Dillixgham.  Excuse  me  for  interrupting  your  remarks. 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  That  is  all  right;  it  is  very  proper  to 
bring  it  up. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  What  do  you  think  the  pro])able  reason  is  for 
failure  in  having  that  information  here  now  ? 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  I  can  not  understand  how  with  700  offi- 
cers at  Ellis  Island  they  have  not  been  able  to  keep  up  with  this  work. 
They  have  not  the  immigration  they  had  in  1914  to  contend  with, 
and  at  that  tim.e  with  nearly  200  less  employees  they  got  along. 
There  is  something  unexplainable  in  the  situation. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  While  you  say  they  have  700  officers  there. 
do  you  have  the  statisticians  there  ? 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  They  have  had  the  statisticians,  which 
they  have  always  had,  and  they  have  more  people — more  help  in  that 
office  than  they  had  in  1914  or  in  previous  years.  The  bureau  will 
be  pleased  to  submit  an  early  report  upon  the  subject  and  also  to 
assure  you  gentlemen  that  it  is  desirous  of  supplying  this  informa- 
tion and  of  doing  the  best  that  can  be  done  to  obtain  it. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Caminetti,  in  answer  to  a  letter  addressed  to 
the  department,  we  have  some  of  the  particulars  with  regard  to 
July  and  August,  classification,  etc.  For  July,  the  number  of  males, 
according  to  the  letter  received,  was  53,205  and  the  number  of  females, 
30,753:  in  August  the  number  of  males  was  51,541  and  the  number 
of  females,  33,980.  Those  figures  include  both  the  immigrants  and 
the  nonimmigrants  ? 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  And  we  also  hare,  the  correct  estimate  as  to  the 
number  of  arrivals  furnished  by  the  department. 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  1  am  placing  in  this  record  the  latest 
figures  which  we  have  completed  up  to  the  end  of  August,  and 
estimated  from  that  time  down  to  the  1st  of  January. 

The  Chairmax.  According  to  the  information  from  the  depart- 
ment for  the  six  months,  the  number  of  arrivals  was  343,285  and 
the  number  of  departures,  220,505. 

But  I  will  tell  you,  since  you  are  on  this  subject,  if  you  will  give  us, 
in  the  line  of  Senator  Dillingham's  inquiry,  the  latest  data  that  you 
have  down  to  the  1st  of  January  the  committee  will  appreciate  that. 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  I  am  placing  in  the  record  the  figures  as 
I  have  been  able  to  obtain  them.  I  will  be  pleased  to  consult  further 
with  you  gentlemen  upon  what  you  desire  in  relation  to  the  statistics, 
and  tlien  to  undertake  specially,  not  only  through  efforts  in  the 
department  but  also  at  Ellis  Island,  to  see  what  is  delaying  the 
matter  and  take  necessary  action  to  secure  this  information  at  the 
earliest  possible  date. 

The  Chairj[ax.  From  all  the  information  I  can  gather  down  to 
date,  the  number  of  immigrants  arriving  up  to  the  1st  of  January 


588  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

arc  not  in  excess  of  the  prewar  poi-iod — tliey  are  under  the  prewar 
average.  But,  however,  that  is  merely  my  impression.  I  wish  to 
be  corrected  by  the  statement  you  make. 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  Tliey  are  not  in  excess,  if  no  more  were 
to  come  for  this  fiscal  year;  but  if  you  take  the  average  for  10  years 
from  1914  back,  which  was, as  I  have  indicated,  1 ,012,000;  thenthefact 
that  for  the  first  six  months  of  this  fiscal  year  the  arrivals  amounted 
to  549,790,  indicating  a  yearly  rate  of  1,100,000,  it  would  show  that 
we  had  nearly  reached  the  average  annual  rate  for  10  years  previous 
to  June  30,  1914,  the  greatest  years  in  the  immigration  liistory  of  our 
country,  so  far  as  the  numl)er  of  j^eople  coming  to  it  is  concerned. 

I'he  Chairmax.  Those  figures  differ  from  the  estimates  of  your 
private  secretary,  but  perhaps  you  are  right. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  do  not  know;  errors  in  copying  may 
have  taken  place.  The  statement  placed  in  the  record  was  prepiired 
under  my  supervision  and  is  correct  according  to  the  records. 

The  Chairmax.  And,  Mr.  Caminetti,  do  you  not  think  that  it 
conveys  rather  the  wrong  impression,  possibly,  when  you  state  the 
number  of  immigrants  if  you  do  not  at  the  same  time  state  the 
number  of  departures  so  as  to  show  the  actual  increase  in  the  alien 
population  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  No;  Mr.  Chairman.  Ever  since  immi- 
gration to  this  country  has  amounted  to  anything,  there  has  been 
emigration  as  a  consequence,  and  in  great  numbers. 

The  Chairmax.  That  is  true. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  In  my  citation  of  statistics  I  have  stated 
the  arrivals  and  departures  for  the  period  covered  by  the  tables.  It  is 
no  new  thing  in  immigration  to  have  a  large  emigration,  and  particu- 
larly it  is  nothing  surprising  at  this  time  following  the  cessation  of 
war  activities  in  Europe  that  people  who  in  1914,  1915,  1916,  1917 
or  1918  wished  to  go  to  Europe  now  desire  to  do  so.  The  wonder  is 
that  so  few,  comparatively,  go  from  the  large  mass  of  people  that  we 
have  here,  for  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  people  who  came  to 
this  country  from  foreign  territories  in  15  years  before  the  war 
amounted  to  many,  many  millions,  and  that  the  close  connection 
between  so  many  millions  of  families  in  the  United  States  and  so 
many  million  families  in  Europe  necessarily  brings  about  a  desire 
for  a  meeting. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Caminetti,  I  do  not  mean  to  interrupt  you,  but 
we  are  dealing  with  the  question  of  many — of  a  flood. 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairmax.  Now,  if  a  million  arrive  and  a  million  depart  of  the 
aliens,  there  is  no  flood,  is  there  ? 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  Not  if  they  came  and  departed  at  that 
rate;  but  they  do  not  depart  at  that  rate.  And,  mintl  you,  the  peo- 
ple who  depart  many  come  back  in  two  or  three  months  or  in  a  snort 
time. 

The  Chairmax.  But  they  are  counted  when  they  come  back  ? 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  I  know  thej'  are  counted. 
The  Chairmax.  I  may  be  too  much  impressed  by  this,  but  we  have 
the  flgures  for  the  month  of  July,  and  in  that  month  the  number  of 
immigrants  from  northern  and  western '  Europe — the  Dutch,  the 
English,  etc. — this  is  official — was  19,869,  and  the  number  of  de- 
partures of  those  classes  was  3,541.     Now,  the  number  of  new  immi- 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  589 

grants  from  southern  and  eastern  Europe,  Bulgarians,  Greeks,  the 
Hebrew  and  the  ItaUan,  was  34,228,  for  the  same  month,  and  the 
number  of  departures  of  that  class  of  immigrants  was  22,534.  In 
the  case  of  the  Poles,  there  were  more  than  tliree  times  as  many  de- 
partures as  there  were  arrivals. 

I  am  not  going  to  say  that  that  is  conclusive,  but  I  say  that  that  is 
a  factor  which  enters  into  the  menace  or  the  increase  in  our  foreign 
population;  and  it  does  appear  to  me  that  the  number  of  departures 
of  the  new  immigrants  is  very  much  larger  than  that  of  the  old 
immigrants,  leaving  the  old  here;  but  if  you  please,  prepare  what 
Senator  Dillingham  and  all  of  us  have  been  trying  to  get  at  for  some 
time — the  classified  statistics  down  to  the  1st  of  January  from  the 
1st  of  July. 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  As  I  said  awhile  ago,  I  wull  give  it  my 
earnest  attention,  Mr.  Chairman. 

Senator  Sterling.  Have  you  ever  made  any  comparison  of  the 
arrivals  and  departures  prior  to  the  war,  or  during  any  period  prior 
to  the  war,  with  arrivals  and  departures  since  the  war,  so  as  to  show 
the  net  immigration  in  either  case  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  believe  that  in  the  statistical  tables 
for  the  last  two  fiscal  3"ears  and  review  of  world  immigration  con- 
tained in  the  last  two  annual  reports  which  I  am  asking  to  be  made 
part  of  this  statement  at  its  conclusion,  without  reading,  you  will 
find  that  all  those  matters  are  supplied.  I  want  to  say  to  the  com- 
mittee that  if  there  is  any  particular  information  or  any  particular  line 
of  statistics  that  is  desired  by  any  member,  the  bureau  will  be  pleased  to 
undertake  to  furnish  same  and  to  place  at  your  disposal  everything 
that  we  have. 

Senator  Sterling.  Mr.  Caminetti,  can  you  give  a  reason  for  that 
exodus  from  Russia  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  It  is  the  same  reason  that  animated  the 
people  in  certain  sections  of  Russia  anterior  to  1914.  They  have 
been  living  under  one  system  of  government,  subjected  to  the  same 
unfavorable  conditions  for  so  many  ages,  that  they  have  acted  more 
or  less  together,  and  it  appears  from  a  study  of  emigration  conditions 
that  previous  to  the  war  certain  sections  of  old  Russia  furnished  a  very 
large  migration  to  our  country,  and  as  soon  as  transportation  facilities 
permit  and  Russian  territory  is  opened  for  passenger  traffic  it  is  natural 
to  suppose  that  such  activities  will  be  resumed,  particularly  as  latest 
reports  indicate  unfavorable  industrial  conditions  there. 

Senator  Sterling.  What  does  their  uncertainty  as  to  their  future 
and  the  kind  of  government  they  are  to  have  have  to  do  with  it  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Nothing;  the  working  masses  tied  to  the 
soil  will  not  be  afiected  as  much  as  those  without  lands.  There  is  so 
little  authentic  information  concerning  the  attitude  of  the  masses 
there  as  to  any  uncertainty  for  the  future  that  may  exist  or  as  to  what 
form  the  government  may  take,  that  it  is  difficult  to  answer  the 
question. 

Senator  Dillingham.  I  think  it  was  said  by  Miss  Kellor,  when  she 
was  on  the  stand — and  she  has  been  making  rather  careful  investiga- 
tions in  Europe — that  she  thought  Russia  was  going  to  be  a  great 
emigration  field  for  certain  masses  from  Poland  and  other  sections  of 
Europe. 


590  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Conimissionor  Caminetti.  That  is  tho  information  wc  have  from 
thrro.  Movomonts  arc  comino;  out  of  Soviet  Russia  and  the  Httle 
States  carved  out  of  old  Russia,  the  l^krainc  and  other  such  States  ail 
the  way  from  Finhmd  down  the  western  hor(h>r  and  the  southern 
border  goino-  on  unchecked  and  entering-  into  the  various  nations  adja- 
cent, as  1  was  about  to  show. 

Senator  Dillingham.  Her  sup^gestion  was  that  the  immigration 
would  go  to  Russia. 

Commissioner  Caminetti,  To  Kussia? 

Senator  Dillingham.  Yes;  that  Russia  would  be  the  field. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  should  hope  so.  All  indications,  Sen- 
ator, that  I  have  been  able  to  notice,  and  from  discussions  that  have 
taken  place  throughout  the  points  visited,  there  is  nothing  to  bear  out 
the  sugo-estion  that  people  are  migrating  to  Russia,  but  there  is  evi- 
dence that  the  movement  that  is  now  all  over  Europe  is  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  country  that  has  been  the  hope  of  mankind  ever  since 
and  previous  to  our  Revolution. 

The  Chairman.  Is  any  of  that  immigration  drifting  to  South 
America  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Some  of  it;  not  in  great  numbers.  It 
might  be  anticipated  that  with  the  promise  of  land,  and  donation  of 
free  homes  that  a  large  number  would  go  there.  But  I  was  surprised 
at  w^hat  I  learned  from  the  attention  given  that  subject  in  some  of  the 
countries  the  source  of  such  emigration  for  the  last  15  or  20  years. 
There  have  been  so  many  disappointments  of  late  years  that  there 
has  been  a  check  to  the  movement.  That  is  my  information  from 
authoritative  sources. 

The  Chairman.  In  your  commissioner  s  report  you  have  a  very 
valuable  chart,  in  which  you  show  that  the  immigration  to  this 
countr}'  has  always  been  checked  in  time  of  depression  of  business  and 
times  of  unemplo3^ment.  Now,  you  know  the  situation  in  this  coun- 
tr}^  to-day.  Maj^  I  not  ask  you  whether  it  is  your  opinion  or  not  that 
the  business  depression  here  to-day  will  tend  to  bring  into  operation 
the  phenomenon  wdiich  you  illustrate  in  your  map  there,  tliat  always 
automatically  immigration  is  materially  checked  as  soon  as  business 
conditions  in  this  country  are  bad  ?  In  other  words,  it  is  economi- 
cally true  that  when  we  are  prospering  here  immigration  is  high ;  that 
as  soon  as  we  reach  a  period  of  depression,  they  find  out  about  it  and 
immigration  decreases. 

As  bearing  upon  that,  we  have  testimony  here  that  the  vessels  now 
on  their  way  from  Spain  and  one  or  two  other  ports  of  embarkation, 
with  respect  to  steerage  passengers  are  awa}'  below  what  they  had 
been. 

How  far  will  the  operation  of  that  automatic  law,  do  you  think, 
tend  to  check  immigration  during  the  next  six  months  or  a  year  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Mr.  Chairman,  in  normal  times  that 
natural  law  would  operate,  as  the  reports  have  indicated  for  many 
years  past. 

The  Chairman.  ]iut  it  has  operated  in  the  vessels  coming  from 
Spain  to-day. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  That  is  only  an  exception.  It  does  not 
seem  to  operate  with  respect  to  vessels  coming  from  other  ports; 
besides  we  have  the  information  of  new  ports  being  opened  up  and 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION".  591 

of  new  vessels  being  provided  by  the  leading  steamship  companies 
and  added  to  the  service.  For  example,  the  very  boat  on  which  I 
returned  was  to  have  been  laid  up.  Instead  of  that,  in  obedience  to 
the  necossitj^  to  meet  the  demands  of  business,  she  was  brought  into 
action  again.  So  these  evidences  have  multiphed  in  Europe.  Why, 
yes,  that  law  operates  and  will  continue  to  operate,  but  not  to  the 
extent  that  might  be  expected  owing  to  the  unrest  in  Europe  and  the 
conditions  that  exist  there  now.  PJuropean  conditions  to-day  are  so 
much  worse  than  they  are  in  the  United  States  that  the  people  from 
countries  which  have  furnished  us  immigration  in  the  past  would 
rather  come  and  take  their  chance  in  the  United  States,  even  with 
conditions  of  unemployment  as  reported,  than  to  stay  in  Europe;  and 
that  is  the  sentiment,  Mr.  Chairman.  So  that,  as  there  are  excep- 
tions to  all  rijles,  you  will  find,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  when  this  year 
shall  have  rolled  by  that  there  is  an  exception  to  that  particular 
law  as  well. 

The  Chairmax.  Mr.  Caminetti,  let  us  deal  in  facts  and  not  in 
conjectures 

Commissioner  Camixetti  (interposing).  I  am  dealing  with  facts. 

The  Chairman.  Now,  wait  a  minute.  There  arrived  in  November 
103,000  immigrants  and  in  December  92,000.  What  I  mean  to  say 
is  that  that  shows,  as  to  the  number  of  arrivals  in  this  port,  no 
increase. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Mr.  Chairman,  the  arrival  of  103,000 
from  Europe  last  November  supports  the  statement  I  have  made 
that  that  rule  does  not  operate  now. 

The  Chairman.  I  ask  you,  why  do  you  find  in  December  92,000? 
It  is  over  two  years  since  the  armistice.  You  see,  you  are  dealing 
with  apprehensions  and  conjectures.  What  the  committee  wants 
are  facts.  I  am  inviting  your  attention  to  the  natural  economic  law 
that  has  always  worked,  that  when  we  have  a  period  of  unemploy- 
ment here  we  have  a  cessation  of  immigration. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Yes,  sir;  if  you  will  permit  me 

The  Chairman.  When  you  talk  about  war  conditions  in  Europe, 
wars  have  existed  before  and  it  has  had  no  particular  increase  upon 
immigration.  When  you  deal  with  conditions  in  Europe,  you  are 
dealing  with  certain  conditions  which  go  to  favor  immigration,  and 
you  are  dealing  with  other  cross  currents  and  checks  on  immigra- 
tion; and  to  my  mind,  from  all  the  facts  that  I  can  ascertain,  I  have 
grave  doubts  as  to  whether  there  will  be  any  great  increase  in  immi- 
gration during  the  next  six  or  nine  months. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  hope  your  conjectures  will  come  true. 

The  Chairman.  I  see  no  demonstration  of  it  except  conjecture. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  That  is  a  matter  of  opinion,  Mr.  Chair- 
man. When  you  see  the  steamship  companies  enlarging,  not  only 
their  fleets  but  preparing  to  enlarge  their  harbor  accommodations; 
when  you  see  immigrant  hotels  and  barracks  that  previous  to  the 
European  war  were  used  to  accommodate  the  great  immigration 
up  to  1914,  in  use  and  being  placed  in  preparation  for  utilization  to 
meet  the  increase  in  traffic  that  is  expected  to  follow  in  the  spring; 
when  you  see  not  only  that,  but  also  the  addition  of  new  immigrant 
hotels  and  great  establishments  to  accommodate  more,  why,  then, 
a  person  looking  on  can  not  help  but  think  that  something  is  coming. 
An  observer  will  soon  get  out  of  the  domain  of  conjecture  and  come 


592  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

down  to  solid  facts  in  the  consideration  of  the  dangers  that  arc 
imminent  to  this  country  l)y  this  rising  tide  that  is  coming  on. 
The  Chairman.  How  long  were  you  in  Warsaw,  Mr.  Caminetti? 
Commissioner  Caminetti.  Part  of  a  day — I  should  say  three- 
quarters  of  a  day,  owing  to  necessities  of  transportation  and  lack  of 
train  facilities  outward  for  three  days  thereafter.  But  wo  ])ut  in 
our  time  during  that  period  to  the  utmost  extent. 

The  Chairman.  Did  you  form  opinions  of  our  immigration  from 
Poland  from  a  few  hours  in  Warsaw? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  From  the  authorities  that  we  consulted. 
We  consulted  not  only  the  officers  of  our  Government,  the  minister 
and  the  consular  service,  but  also  the  immigration  authorities  of  that 
country,  and  then  visited  agencies  that  existed  there  and  saw 
places 

The  Chairman  (interposing).  How  long  were  you  in  Warsaw? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  We  arrived  there  one  night  and  left  the 
next  afternoon  between  3  and  4  o'clock 

The  Chairman.  You  were  there  one  day? 

Commissioner  Caminetti  (continuing).  Because  of  the  conditions 
of  transportation. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  remember  what  day  of  the  week  that  was  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  could  give  it  to  you,  sir.  As  it  had 
been  planned  to  visit  eight  nations,  I  had  to  move  on  and  do  the  best 
I  could  to  obtain  the  desired  information  from  authoritative  sources, 
and  not  from  outsiders.  I  had  no  time  to  talk  to  other  than  those 
who  knew  this  business  and  who  attended  to  this  kind  of  woi-k  and 
made  it  their  business  officially,  either  for  our  Government  or  for  the 
foreign  Governments;  the  same  as  to  the  activities  of  organizations — 
the  information  that  one  organization  took  care  of  1,200  people  daily 
and  sent  them  forward  out  of  Warsaw  alone  was  secured  in  this  way. 
We  did  not  lose  a  minute  of  the  time  we  were  there. 

The  Chairman.  Let  me  come  to  a  fact.  According  to  your  report, 
in  the  month  of  August  there  were  663  Poles  who  came  here,  and 
there  were  3,282  who  went  home.  How  can  you  understand  that 
this  movement — ^"the  returning  tide" — when  you  say  the  war  con- 
ditions are  such  in  Poland  that  there  is  a  flood  coming  from  there? 
Why  do  they  go  Ijack  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  am  not  telling  you  tliat  there  is  a  flood 
coming  now.  But  what  do  vou  call  an  immigration  at  the  yearly 
rate  of  1,100,000? 

The  Chairman.  Now  here;  I  am  basing  it  on  facts;  what  you  are 
reasoning  from  is  conjecture. 

Conimissioner  Caminetti.  Not  at  all,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  You  state  conditions,  and  then  you  draw  certain 
deductions. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Not  at  all,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  The  trouble  with  a  deduction  in  ariiving  at  a  flood 
of  immigration  is  that  no  man  tnkc^s  in  all  the  facts. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Exactly;  I  realize  that. 

The  Chairman.  And  you  can  not  form  a  proper  deduction  except 
you  have  all  the  facts.  Unrest  ?  Oh,  uir-est  of  2,000,000 ;  what  does 
that  amount  to?  We  want  the  facts  here  to  fo:m  a  sane  measure,  if 
we  can. 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATIOX.  593 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  I  have  endeavored  to  furnish  you  as 
much  as  I  can. 

The  Chairman.  I  know  3'ou  have. 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  I  have  stated  things  from  facts  gathered 
by  people  who  understand  what  they  are  talking  about  and  who  are 
in  contact  with  the  conditions  that  exist  in  Europe. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  ^Miat  explanation  would  you  have  for  the  dif- 
ference between  immigration  of  November  last  being  103,000,  as  I 
understand  from  the  chairman's  statement,  and  92,000  in  December? 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  The  passage  of  the  Johnson -bill  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  had  a  marked  effect  in  Europe  and  caused 
some  hesitation  on  the  part  of  some  desiring  to  come,  until  they 
could  ascertain  what  this  country  intended  doing.  It  was  discussed 
all  over  the  European  countries.  United  States  officials  told  us  that 
it  was  a  source  01  much  worry  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  people  and 
that  they  had  become  imbued  with  a  doubt. 

The  Chairman.  The  passage  of  the  Johnson  bill  do  you  mean  ? 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  Yes. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Would  the  season  of  the  year  have  anything 
to  do  with  it  ? 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  The  season  of  the  year  in  Europe  of 
course  has  had  the  effect  of  checking  emigration  for  the  time;  but 
notwithstanding  that  check  they  are  coming  out  in  great  numbers 
and  suffering  hardships;  and  yet  they  come  notwithstanding  that  it 
takes  from  eight  days  to  two  and  three  weeks  for  them  to  reach  em- 
barkation points  from  the  interior  of  Europe. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Wliat  did  you  observe  before  in  regard  to  that, 
and  what  do  your  tables  and  statistics  show  in  regard  to  immigra- 
tion for  various  months  of  the  year — is  it  a  smaller  immigration  dur- 
ing the  winter  months  than  it  is  during  the  warmer  months  ( 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  The  transportation  facilities  are  all 
below  the  prewar  standards  from  the  interior  points  to  the  seaboard. 
The  through  immigrant  train  service  has  not  been  resumed.  Immi- 
gration is  in  part  checked,  owing  to  the  season  and  traveling  condi- 
tions in  every  nation.  Immigrants  are  delayed  at  every  border,  and 
it  takes,  as  I  was  informed — and  we  were  particular  about  asking 
for  this  information — from  eight  days  to  tv%"0  and  three  weeks  for 
them  to  get  to  the  seaports. 

So  you  can  see  that  people  subjected  to  all  these  unfavorable  con- 
ditions do  move  out  in  large  numbers  and  do  suffer,  as  they  must, 
because  those  who  constituted  the  detail  experienced  some  of  it  and 
witnessed  the  suffering  of  emigrants  upon  the  trains  upon  which  they 
traveled;  it  was  a  surprise  that  so  many  would  undergo  those 
hardships.  The  only  explanation  is  that  the  hope  of  the  world  has 
been  ^Vnierica,  and  that  they  think  any  hardship  at  any  tune  w'j 
compensate  them  in  order  to  reach  oor  coimtrv. 

And  if  they  come  now  with  all  these  hardshhis,  what  will  happen 
in  the  spring;  what  will  happen  as  soon  as  Geimany  and  Austria 
are  opened^  What  will  happen  as  soon  as  soviet  Russia  and  the 
little  border  republics  carved  out  of  old  Russia  are  open  ( 

I  only  wish  that  the  gentlemen  of  this  committee  would  go  over  to 
Europe  and  see  for  themselves.     I  am  satisfied  they  would  come 


5*J4  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

back  having  the  same  opinion  of  the  conditions  that  have  caused  mo 
to  express  myself  as  I  liavc. 

The  CiiAiu.MAN.  Would  you  suspend  immigration  for  live  years  ^ 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  My  statement  in  the  record  of  yesterday 
indicates  my  attitude  concerning  action  on  the  pending  bill,  which  is 
involved  in  your  question.  As  a  subordinate  officer  i  have  not  felt 
at  liberty  to  state  my  views  tliereon,  but  only  to  seek  information 
and  report  it  for  whatever  value  it  may  possess.  But  there  is  no 
question  but  that  something  ought  to  be  done,  in  order  to  protect 
America  until  we  know  what  the  result  of  the  conditions  of  unrest 
in  Europe  will  be,  and  until  we  know  how  many  people  there  are 
there  who  will  want  to  come  and  what  we  can  do  for  them  after  they 
come. 

The  Ciiairmvn.  Can  we  not  protect  the  United  States  largely 
through  the  vises  and  passports  'i 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  had  hoped  that  these  general  discus- 
sions would  come  after  the  completion  of  my  statement. 

The  Chairman.  Take  your  own  method  now. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Of  course,  I  am  pleased  to  answer  ques- 
tions at  any  time  to  the  extent  I  am  able  to  do  so.  I  am  sorry  that 
I  lack  the  ability  to  answer  them  more  satisfactorily.  [Resuming 
statement:] 

The  same  process  with  the  same  probable  results  is  being  followed 
by  people  from  Germany  and  Austria,  and  nearb}^  States  to  the  east 
of  them. 

If  and  when  the  doors  are  opened  to  Germany  and  all  the  territory 
of  old  Austria  the  movement  now  practically  stopped  will  revive 
and  this  with  the  slackening  of  the  bonds  that  now  hold  the 
people  of  old  Russia — though  there  are  many  now  drifting  out, 
as  above  stated — will  constitute  a  movement  the  like  of  which  has 
never  b33n  known  in  the  history  of  immigration. 

Tnere  is  no  evidence  that  any  of  the  nations  of  central  and  western 
Europe  are  permitting  immigrants  coming  from  northern,  central, 
eastern,  or  southern  Europe  to  remain  in  their  respective  territories. 
On  the  contrary  when  there  is  a  tendency  to  lag  on  the  way,  passports 
are  given  them  so  as  to  "pass  them  on"  west  until  they  reach  the 
coast  cities. 

The  issuance  of  passports  contrary  to  the  usual  red-tape  recpiire- 
ments  met  with  in  those  countries  is,  for  some  reason,  not  publicly 
announced,  made  unusually  accommodating,  as  persons  interested  in 
moving  these  peo])le,  in  no  way  connected  with  the  governments  and 
comprising  in  the  main  people  employed  by  committees,  are  per- 
mitted to  })repare  these  documents,  their  issuance  being  then  only 
a  matter  of  signature  by  an  officer,  who  delivers  the  same. 

This  would  appear  an  easy  eiiougli  raetliod  to  o])tain  passports^ 
but  the  limit  has  not  yet  been  reached:  i)assports  are  forged,  often 
with  the  vise  also  of  our  consular  officers. 

As  a  general  proposition,  European  governments  are  particular  in. 
the  issuance  of  jiassports.  Most  of  them  were  before  tne  war,  and 
manv  of  tli  >m  still  are,  very  jealous  of  the  rights  of  their  nationals. 
It  se  Mns  to  be  a  general  re((uirement  of  their  laws  not  to  issue  a  pass- 
port for  the  departure  of  a  national  until  the  passport-issuing  officer 


EMERGEISrCY  IM.AIIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION^.  595 

is  satisfied  that  the  party  requesting  it  or  for  whom  it  is  intended  will 
not  become  a  public  charge  in  the  country  to  wliich  destined. 

A  wholesale  system  has  been  devised  by  interested  and  active 
parties  in  America  to  obtain  a  foundation  upon  which  to  secure  a 
passport,  which  in  turn  is  used  to  secure  a  vise.  The  sliowing  is  made, 
consisting  generally  of  an  affidavit  on  a  blank  form  executed  by  a 

Eerson  in  America  who  desires  to  have  a  relative  or  friend  come  to 
im,  wherein,  among  other  things,  it  is  stated  that  the  signer  obligates 
himself  that  the  party  for  whom  he  seeks  the  privilege  will  not  become 
a  public  charge  should  he  be  admitted  to  the  United  States;  some- 
times the  showing  is  made  by  a  number  of  affidavits  differing  in  some 
respects  from  such  blank  form,  but  to  the  same  effect. 

It  is  stated  that  a  passport  is  seldom  refused  on  this  showing,  as 
it  is  urged  that  this  affidavit  constitutes  evidence  that  the  party  for 
whom  the  passport  is  secured  will  not  become  a  public  charge.  Thus 
the  first  step  is  gained  in  the  movement  to  start  for  the  United  States, 
for  once  a  passport  is  obtained,  unless  there  is  reason  to  believe  that 
the  safety  of  the  United  States  is  involved  through  the  admission  of 
the  applicant,  or  there  appears  good  cause  to  the  contrary,  the  vise 
generally  is  granted. 

Immigration  officers  and  others  having  experience  with  affidavits 
made  to  obtain  permits  or  admission  of  aliens,  know  how  valueless 
and  useless  as  a  means  of  protecting  the  United  States,  or  the  State, 
or  municipality,  are  the  promises  made  in  these  affidavits;  and  yet 
they  have  been  the  foundation  for  the  large  majority  of  passports 
issued  by  nations  in  Europe. 

The  Immigration  Service  at  one  time  permitted  affidavits  for  use 
only  at  the  port  of  arrival  to  be  made  by  citizens  or  residents  who  in- 
tended to  offer  and  give  security  for  aliens  who  might  be  admitted 
on  bond,  but  when  it  was  found  nearly  two  years  ago  that  they  were 
being  utilized  in  Europe  to  secure  passports,  the  bureau  discontinued 
their  use.  These  had  the  Department  of  Labor  and  Bureau  of  Immi- 
gration headlines,  indicating  the  official  character  of  the  document, 
and  readily  passed  in  Europe  and  elsewhere  as  official  documents, 
though  no  legal  obligation  had  been  entered  into  by  which  the  United 
States  was  secured  in  case  the  party  in  whose  behalf  it  was  issued 
became  a  public  charge. 

The  affidavits  now  used  lack,  of  course,  the  reference  to  the  De- 
partment of  Labor  and  Bureau  of  Immigration  in  their  headlines, 
but  they  do  set  forth  generally  therein  reference  to  the  United  States, 
and  the  name  of  the  State  and  county  in  which  the  affiant  resides,  and 
are  signed  by  the  affiant  and  sworn  to  before  a  notary  public  or  other 
officer  authorized  to  administer  oaths,  who  himself  signs  a  certificate 
thereto  and  impresses  his  official  seal  thereon.  All  this  imparts  an 
official  appearance  to  the  document. 

These  affidavits  have  been  issued  and  sent  out  in  large  numbers  for 
over  a  year  past.  * 

Our  Government  can  not  interfere  with  the  individual  action  of  its 
citizens  or  residents  in  making  out  such  affidavits,  but  with  the 
knowledge  that  owing  to  the  appearance  of  the  document  as  above 
stated,  and  that  it  is  used  to  facilitate  the  issuance  of  passports  in 
large  numbers  by  foreign  States  in  the  belief  that  security  is  thereby 
afi'orded  not  only  to  tlie  individual  in  whose  behalf  the  passport  is 
26911— 21— PT  13 2  • 


596  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

requestod,  but  also  to  tho  rospectiv^c  Governments  affected,  our 
Government  would  be  justified  in  advising  other  nations  that  such 
documents  have  no  odicial  authority  in  the  United  States  and  ofl'er 
and  give  no  security  either  to  the  individual  for  whom  made  or  to  the 
respective  Governments  affected.  In  other  words,  they  should  be 
plamly  advised  that  there  is  no  official  sanction  for  such  affidavits  by 
our  (government  nor  by  the  Immigration  Service.  I  am  satisfied 
that  an  explanation  setting  forth  the  facts  will  satisfy  interested 
Governments  that  no  security  is  given  to  them  or  their  nationals  by 
the  present  methods  pursued  in  these  cases.  The  explanation  should 
also  show  that  when  an  alien  is  admitted  on  bond  and  such  is  given, 
there  is  security  afforded  to  such  nationals  and  to  the  respective 
Governments  interested,  but  that  this  can  not  be  done  until  alter  the 
arrival  of  the  party  at  our  port,  and  in  no  other  way  can  an  effective 
instrument  guaranteeing  security  be  made,  and  that  none  can  be 
recognized  unless  so  made. 

There  is  another  phase  of  this  work  that  operates  in  Europe  and 
the  United  States,  and  involves  the  practice  of  "assisting"  aliens  to 
come  to  the  United  States  to  the  extent  that  it  will  encourage,  or 
solicit  immigration  to  this  country  of  aliens  who  otherwise  would  or 
could  not  come  here.  This  practice  is  carried  on  by  individuals  who 
have  offices  in  this  country  to  enroll  those  who  have  relatives  or  friends 
in  foreign  countries  of  whom  they  desire  information  with  correspond- 
ing offices  in  Europe  to  secure  such  information  as  well  as  to  obtain 
the  enrollment,  free  of  charge,  of  people  there  who  desire  information 
of  relatives  or  friends  in  this  country.  A  charge  is  made  for  services 
rendered  only  to  the  applicant  on  this  side.  Some  of  these  offices 
secure  transportation  for  their  clientele.  One  company  states  its 
purpose  is  "guiding  and  assisting"  prospective  immigrants  to  reach 
their  relatives  and  friends  in  the  United  States,'  etc.  Another  com- 
pany has  an  officer  establishing  foreign  branches  in  Europe  and  among 
its  purposes  is  the  efiort  to  aid  its  clients  to  reach  ports  of  embarka- 
tion and  finally  get  them  in  touch  with  their  relatives  here.  Written 
forms  of  contract  are  used  and  advertising  is  employed.  It  is 
stated  that  agents  also  go  back  and  forth  between  Europe  and  this 
country  in  charge  of  aliens. 

The  results  of  the  operations  of  these  firms  and  companies  cer- 
tainly stimulate  immigration. 

It  is  the  opinion  of  the  law  officer  of  the  bureau  that  while,  if  all 
the  facts  were  known,  the  present  law  might  reach  some  of  these 
firms  and  companies,  yet  it  can  not  be  said  that  any  of  them  are 
violating  the  law  in  a  sense  which  would  render  applicable  to  them 
the  penal  or  criminal  clauses  in  force. 

Tne  remedy,  in  case  it  is  thought  that  this  method  of  stimulating 
immigration  should  be  prohibited,  would  appear  to  be  by  new  legis- 
lation providing  a  penalty  as  to  those  engaging  in  the  business  and 
denial  of  admission  to  aliens  who  apply  for  entry  under  the  auspices 
of  or  in  connection  with  such  concerns. 

These  concerns  and  their  activities  may  account  in  part  for  the 
visit  to  Illurope  of  "delegates"  heretofore  mentioned. 

Regulation  by  the  means  suggested  would  considerably  reduce  the 
number  of  newcomers  and  permit  immigration  to  the  United  States 
to  follow  natural  channels  instead  of  being  unduly  and  artificially 
stimulated  for  private  gain  by  the  parties  engaged  in  the  traffic. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  597 

Mr.  Chairman,  if  this  only  affected  immigrants  of  the  character 
who  came  several  decades  ago  there  might  not  be  so  much  harm 
done  by  it,  but  the  moving  mass  that  is  coming  out  of  Europe, 
Russia,  and  the  border  Republics  mentioned,  among  whom  there  are 
dangerous  elements  and  to  whom  these  passports  are  given  on  the 
slightest  pretext,  as  described,  makes  it  necessary  that  attention  be 
given  to  the  matter  for  the  protection  of  this  country  against  the 
effects  of  such  a  procedure  in  the  United  States  and  the  loose  sys- 
tem in  vogue  in  Europe.  If  a  way  can  be  found  to  check  it,  or  by 
which  "we  can  so  legislate  as  to  prevent  the  effects  of  it,  we  will  to  a 
great  extent  reduce  the  number  of  people  coming  to  the  United 
States. 

The  CiLViRMAN.  I  think  that  line  of  information  is  very  important. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  That  is  why  I  present  it  here,  to  call 
your  attention  to  the  proposition. 

The  Chairman.  There  has  been  a  great  abuse  along  that  line. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  In  the  next  branch  of  the  discussion  to 
which  3'our  attention  is  requested,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  have  endeavored 
to  give  consideration  to  the  subject  you  called  to  my  notice  concern- 
ing the  supply  of  labor  from  foreign  countries  to  furnish  needed  labor 
at  the  place  where  it  is  wanted  in  this  country  under  a  contract  system. 

The  experience  of  our  country  as  regards  immigration  is  unique. 
Into  no  other  State,  either  of  the  present  or  of  the  past,  has  there 
been  so  extensive  a  movement  of  alien  people,  nor  one  involving  so 
great  a  number  of  races  and  nationalities.  And  no  other  nation  has 
done  so  much  as  ours  for  the  people  of  other  lands.  For  more  than  a 
century  after  our  independence  was  won  there  were  thrown  open  for 
settlement  vast  areas  of  land  u]>on  no  other  condition  than  settle- 
ment and  citizenship,  and  the  payment  of  an  inconsequential  price 
therefor  if  a  preemption,  or  free  if  a  homestead,  thus  affording  a 
home  and  opportunity  for  all  in  the  country  or  those  who  might  come 
from  across  the  seas;  and  so  long  as  public  lands  were  available  the 
coming  from  abroad  of  those  willing  to  make  homes  for  themselves 
and  their  families  was  of  inestimable  benefit,  as  they  aided  those  who 
had  preceded  them  in  the  settlement  of  the  country  and  the  develop- 
ment of  its  vast  resources. 

As  lands  suitable  for  settlement  have  for  a  long  time  not  been 
available  owing  to  the  immense  demand  which  appropriated  practi- 
cally all  that  were  suitable  for  cultivation,  the  newcomers  to  a  great 
extent  were  from  necessity,  if  not  by  choice,  diverted  to  industrial 
centers  and  cities,  as  were  some  of  our  own  people  for  like  reasons 
when  lacking  the  anchorage  to  the  soil  created  by  the  ownership  of 
a  home  or  a  farm.  Thus  new  ])roblems  arose  and  continue,  which 
require  study  and  the  best  statesmanship  for  their  solution. 

This  tendency  has  continued  until,  as  shown  by  the  census  of  1920, 
a  majority  of  our  population  now  for  the  first  time  in  our  history  is 
founcl  in  such  centers.  This  migration  to  the  cities  in  the  natural 
order  of  things  would  have  been  long  deferred  or  entirely  avoided  if 
our  Government  had  begun  in  1890  to  pursue  a  selfish  policy  as  to 
immigration,  partly  for  the  reason  that  the  large  bulk  ol  our  public 
lands  had  become  converted  to  private  ownership.  ^lore  than 
18,000,000  aliens  were  allowed  to  enter  the  country  since  that  year, 
the  greater  number  of  them  to  settle  at  once  or  ultimately  in  the  cities. 


598  EMERGENCY   IMIMIGRATIOX   T.EGTSLATION. 

Evon  before  the  World  War,  wlien  tho  avoraf^o  ninnber  of  newcom- 
ers entering  the  country  for  more  than  a  decade  previously  exceeded 
a  million  a  year,  tho  need  for  protective  measures  had  become  vital 
for  reasons  aside  from  those  arising  from  urban  congestion.  Wo  woro 
then  fast  entering  into  a  condition  when  it  would  have  been  necessary 
to  take  an  accounting  and  face  tho  situation.  No  doubt  this  would 
have  resulted  in  some  movement  looking  to  a  solution  had  not  the 
European  war  and  our  subsequent  entry  therein  directed  our  attention 
and  energy  toward  the  defeat  of  our  opponents. 

The  report  of  the  Industrial  Commission,  of  which  P>ank  P.  "Walsh 
was  chairman,  iiled  in  1910,  depicted  conditions  in  this  country 
affecting  the  laboring  classes  and  called  attention  to  their  injurious 
effect  upon  our  people.  While  this  study  was  not  directly  one  of 
immigration,  it  indirectly  afl"ected  it,  as  through  immigration  the 
ranks  of  the  laboring  classes  are  constantly  being  augmented,  so  that 
if  conditions  were  as  shown  by  that  report  there  is  no  question  but 
that  some  action  on  the  increasing  immiOTation  shown  by  the  10-year 
period  previous  to  June  30,  1914,  would  have  taken  place  had  normal 
peace  conditions  continued  from  and  after  1914. 

It  is  difficult  from  the  changing  number  coming  in  to  fix  what  is  or 
would  be  normal  immigration. 

With  the  situation  existing  previous  to  June  30,  1914,  and  with  thfr 
then  rising  figures,  certainly  the  application  of  the  word  "normal" 
to  the  immigration  immediately  preceding  the  World  War,  as  a  basis 
for  the  future,  can  not  be  said  to  be  warranted. 

In  fact,  conditions  producing  economic  pressure  in  the  nations  from 
which  most  of  our  immigration  is  supplied,  are  abnormal  in  each 
nation  so  aff'ected,  and  as  such  have  had  the  tendency  to  increase  our 
immigration  and  to  that  extent,  make  it  abnormal  also.  And  so 
long  as  this  pressure  exists  in  the  nations  supplying  immigi'ation  so 
long  will  immigration  to  our  country  be,  at  least  in  part,  abnormal. 

This  pressure  in  Europe  and  elsewhere  has  been  intensified  b}'  th& 
war  and  its  aftermath  and  if  there  were  grounds  to  consider  pro- 
tective measures  had  the  war  not  taken  place,  such  need  has  now 
become  vital. 

We  have  properly  protected  our  commerce  and,  in  fact,  have  passed 
laws  during  the  war  to  prevent  dumping,  as  it  was  termed,  on  our 
country  of  manufactures  from  abroad,  the  inspiring  cause  of  which 
was  not  only  to  protect  labor  but  business  as  well. 

The  same  principle  applies  to  the  protection  of  the  people  now  here, 
whether  of  natiA  e  or  foreign  birth. 

The  statement  from  official  sources  that  there  were  on  January  1 
about  3,447,000  unemployed  in  the  United  States,  and  with  a  con- 
tinuance of  conditions  that  have  since  the  armistice  prevented 
stabilization  in  prices  and  in  industry,  affecting  more  or  less  the 
cost  of  living,  considered  in  connection  with  news  of  contemplated 
reduction  of  working  forces  in  industrial  establishments  and  on 
railroads,  raises  the  question  whether  the  admission  of  more  people 
from  abroad  is  justified,  as  its  continuance  would  undouotedly 
result  in  injury  either  to  those  already  hero  or  to  tho  newcomers. 

Relief  of  some  sort  seems  to  be  a  necessity  of  tho  present  situation, 
both  in  our  own  interest  and  in  that  of  the  masses  who  desire  to 
come;  but  how  it  shall  be  secured,  or  what  measures  are  needed  to 
bring  it  about,  constitutes  a  debatable  proposition. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  599 

Apparently,  laborers  in  many  branches  of  industry  are  now  facing 
what  seems  to  be  a  general  reduction  of  working  force. 

Wliether,  with  this  reduction,  people  in  the  industrial  centers, 
used  to  other  kinds  of  labor,  will  accept  employment  on  the  farm  is 
a  question;  so  far,  information  shows  that  no  backward  movement 
to  the  farm  has  made  itself  apparent. 

The  necessity  to  secure  a  supply  of  labor  of  the  latter  class  from 
some  source  is  undeniable  and  absolute  if  production  in  necessary 
quantities  for  home  consumption  and  for  export  can  be  expected  at 
reasonable  cost.  The  experience  of  the  last  season  has  worried 
many  producers,  and  the  danger  is  imminent  that  unless  farm  labor 
can  be  secured  at  reasonable  compensation  serious  reduction  in  c{uan- 
tity  of  agricultural  products  may  ensue. 

With  this  situation  presented  for  consideration,  it  appears  proper 
to  state  that  should  immigration  be  temporarily  or  otherwise  re- 
stricted, ready  relief  for  the  farmer  might  be  provided — temporarily 
or  otherwise — by  amendments  to  the  Immigration  Act  of  1917  and 
the  regulations  issued  thereunder. 

Our  laws  have  for  a  long  time  made  a  wise  provision  calculated 
to  protect  American  labor  from  destroying  competition  from  abroad 
and  to  foster  it  under  conditions  needed  for  the  development  of  our 
national  life,  under  the  authority  of  the  contract  labor  provisions  of 
said  act,  permitting,  upon  compliance  with  the  law  and  regulations, 
skilled  labor  when  needed  in  industry  wliich  can  not  after  due  dili- 
gence be  secured  in  the  United  States,  to  b^  obtained  in  foreign 
•countries. 

Experience  has  shown  that  this  elastic  plan,  protective  in  the 
highest  degree  and  yet  responsive  in  case  of  industrial  and  com- 
mercial necessity,  can  in  fact  be  administered,  so  as  to  aid  labor 
and  stimulate  industry.  There  is  no  question  of  its  permanent 
place  in  our  immigration  system. 

By  a  simple  amendment  the  rule  that  limits  the  exercise  of  juris- 
diction under  the  contract  labor  laws  to  "skilled  labor"  can  be 
extended  to  all  labor  without  distinction,  whether  so-called  skilled  or 
unskilled.  If  this  change  is  approved,  a  further  amendment  is  sug- 
gested that  as  to  all  such  labor  imported  under  contract  the  persons 
so  allowed  entry  shall  at  the  completion  of  the  contract  depart  from 
the  country.  If  desired,  when  labor  conditions  warrant,  provision 
could  be  made  for  the  permanent  admission  of  those  who  could  meet 
the  tests  of  the  immigration  laws.  A  fair  opportunity  would  thus  be 
presented  to  the  applicant  for  admission  as  well  as  to  the  Govern- 
ment, as  the  record  of  the  conduct  of  the  individual  while  working 
here  under  contract  would  be  before  the  Immigration  Service  to  aid 
it  in  passing  on  his  admissibility,  something  not  possible  at  all  times 
under  the  present  practice. 

The  above  suggestions  would  permit  an  al)undant  supply  of  labor 
for  the  farm,  for,  according  to  the  following  statistics,  farming  occu- 
pations seem  to  have  been  followed  as  in  previous  years  by  a  large 
number  of  the  immigrants  admitted  for  the  period  covered  by  the 
table. 


600  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

(The  table  referred  to  is  here  printed  in  full,  as  follows:) 

Jnivard  and  outicard  moxemmt  of  alien  agriculturists  during  the  years  1913  to  1920,. 

inclusive. 


Inward. 

Outward. 

Year. 

Farm 
labor- 
ers. 

Farm- 
ers. 

Total. 

Farm 
labor- 
ers. 

Farm- 
ers. 

Total. 

Gain. 

1913 

368,718 
314,305 
29, 247 
29, 141 
25,271 
6, 543 
7, 448 
42,686 

18,377 

19,120 
9,215 
9,113 

10, 228 
5,108 
7,088 

17, 770 

387,095 
333, 425 
38, 462 
3S254 
35, 499 
11,651 
14,536 
60,456 

34, 491 
22, 428 
6,389 
3,604 
3,588 
1,464 
1,015 
12, 197 

14,878 
17, 749 
9,094 
7,732 
7,463 
6,836 
6,123 
16,616 

49, 369 
40, 177 
15,483 
11,336 
11,051 
8,300 
7,138 
28,813 

337,726. 

293,248 
22, 979 
■>6  918 

1914 

1915 

1916 

1917 

24,448 
3,351 
7  39& 

1918 

1919 

1920 

3l'643 

Total 

823,359 

96,019 

919,378 
23,375 

85,176 

86,491 

171,667 
13,620 

747,711 
9  755- 

Mexican   agricultural   laborers   admitted 
under  departmental  exceptions  during 
the  fiscal  years  1917,  191S,  and  1919 

Grand  total 

941,753 

178, 772 

762  981 

Senator  Sterling.  What  years  does  that  cover? 

Cornmissioner  Caminetti.  It  covers  the  years  1913  to  1920,  both 
inclusive,  and  had  I  gone  back  8  or  10  yeare  previously  the  net  result 
would  have  been  far  greater.  Of  course  there  was  a  greater  portion 
anterior  to  the  war  than  since. 

If  the  relief  so  proposed  is  to  be  for  the  period  pending  any  neces- 
sity for  farm  labor,  or  any  other  class  of  labor  that  could  properly 
be  included,  then  the  general  provisions  of  said  act  of  1917  could 
remain  intact;  but  if  it  is  deemed  practicable  and  advisable  to  make 
the  change  a  permanent  one,  then  it  is  suggested  that  until  there 
has  been  time  to  give  the  subject  full  study  and  investigation,  and 
until  experience  has  shown  that  the  interests  of  labor  and  of  the 
country  are  fully  protected,  laborers  of  all  kinds  by  change  of  the 
present  law  to  that  effect  be  permitted  to  enter  the  United  States 
only  as  the  result  of  the  system  above  outlined. 

In  this  way,  labor  of  the  class  needed  could  be  brought  into  the 
country  where  required,  and  w^hen  the  limit  of  time  provided  in 
contracts  expired,  or  at  the  end  of  such  extension  thereof  as  might 
be  permitted  on  proper  showing  as  to  merit,  it  would  depart. 

Our  people  flocking  to  the  cities  and  industrial  centers,  augmented 
by  the  addition  of  a  considerable  proportion  of  immigrant  classes  on 
arrival,  or  soon  after  a  limited  stay  in  the  rural  districts,  is  in  the 
main  responsible  for  the  increase  of  population  in  urban  commu- 
nities, and  such  increase  can  by  this  method  in  considerable  part 
be  materially  checked  so  far  as  the  immigrant  class  is  concerned,  as 
in  the  event  the  proposed  plan  is  made  part  of  the  contract  labor 
section  of  the  law,  laborers  of  all  classes,  skilled  or  unskilled,  can 
enter  only,  when  permitted,  to  go  to  such  places  from  which  indi- 
viduals, firms,  or  companies  may  have  applied  for  their  entry  and 
made  sufficient  showing  under  the  law. 

The  proposed  change,  if  made,  will  apply  not  only  to  farming  and 
other  rural  occupations  but  to  all  industries  where  labor  is  a  neces- 
sity, no  matter  where  located. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  601 

In  this  way  distribution  according  to  necessity  for  labor  would  be 
effected  on  the  farm,  in  the  household,  the  store,  the  shop,  the  mine, 
the  factory,  and  for  other  requirements. 

Under  such  a  system  the  sending  of  laborers,  as  at  present,  to 
communities  where  they  are  not  needed,  would  cease. 

Under  it,  if  desirable,  as  admission  is  purely  for  a  limited  period 
pending  contract  after  which  return  is  provided,  the  requirement  of 
literacy  may  be  held  in  abeyance. 

A  complete  record  of  those  entered  should  be  made,  so  as  to  show 
entry,  departure,  or  other  action  that  may  occur.  A  tax  of  SI  to 
cover  cost  of  certificate  provided  might  be  imposed  in  lieu  of  the 
head  tax,  except  where  admission  finally  occurs,  in  which  event  the 
head  tax  would  be  payable  as  usual. 

The  Chairman.  Do  you  mean  the  temporary  admission  of  labor 
for  a  given  time 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Yes,  sir. 

The  Chairman.  Let  me  finish.  I  was  going  to  ask,  Does  not  that 
system  prevail  in  France  to  some  extent? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Yes,  in  France;  and  it  prevails  in 
England,  too,  to  some  extent,  though  not  exactly  as  proposed.  But 
there  it  is  allowed  to  go  on  by  permission  only.  As  far  as  my  infor- 
mation extends  there  is  no  law  on  similar  lines  to  those  above  sug- 
gested.    [Resuming:] 

In  this  manner  the  requirements  of  the  northern  and  southern 
border  States,  Florida,  and  other  sections  of  the  country  may  be 
met,  and  a  branch  of  the  work  that  has  caused  endless  trouble  and 
confusion  in  immigration  administration  be  brought  to  an  end. 

As  a  proper  working  of  this  system  would  be  dependent  upon  the 
necessities  of  the. people  for  labor  they  can  not  procure  in  this  country 
and  as  its  administration  would  be  by  public  hearings  where  all 
interests  affected  could  be  represented  under  proper  regulations, 
providing  necessary  security,  there  would  be  little  danger  of  over- 
supply  in  violation  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  contract- 
labor  system  or  of  undersupply  where  legal  grounds  are  shown  by 
the  parties  interested. 

The  United  States  Employment  Service  could  be  utilized  to  keep 
the  Secretary  of  Labor  advised  of  labor  conditions  throughout  the 
country  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  investigation  of  applications  for 
the  importation  of  labor  from  foreign  countries;  particularly,  the 
allegation  being  an  essential  element  thereof,  that  labor  of  the  class 
called  for  does  not  exist  or  cannot  be  obtained  in  the  United  States. 
Except  as  stated,  no  alien  laborer  should  be  permitted  to  enter  under 
contract  unless  otherwise  admissible  under  the  provisions  of  existing 
law. 

With  all  these  safeguards  it  is  reasonably  certain  that  abuse  of  the 
authority  to  import  labor  would  be  difficult. 

The  establishment  of  this  plan  would  affect  the  present  immigi'ation 
svstem  to  the  extent  of  stopping  immigration  of  the  laboring  classes, 
skilled  and  unskilled,  no  matter  how  they  might  try  to  enter — as  fii'st, 
second,  or  third  class,  or  as  immigrants.  This  would,  no  doubt, 
reduce  the  volume  of  immigration,  while  it  would  also  confine  admis- 
sion of  laborers,  skilled  and  unskilled  to  the  actual  necessities  of  the 
countrv. 


602  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Of  course,  the  physical,  mental,  and  other  protective  tests  of  the 
act  of  1917  would  be  maintained  and  such  other  conditions  pre- 
scribed as  the  new  system  would  call  for  to  meet  its  recjuirements. 
Unless  the  literacy  and  head-tax  requirements  should  be  set  aside, 
these,    too,    woidd   be   included. 

The  selective  system  often  referred  to  in  immigration  discussions 
would  have  an  excellent  opportunity  to  be  put  into  operation,  as 
when  an  employer  of  labor  is  permitted  to  contract  for  labor  abroad 
he  or  his  agent  will  have  a  choice  among  the  large  number  from  which 
to  select.  It  is  certain  that  he  will  take  no  chance  in  selecting  persons 
who  can  not  meet  the  tests  of  our  laws,  as  to  do  so  will  involve  delay 
and  loss  to  him. 

In  this  way  the  Government  would  receive  the  benefit  of  careful 
selection  and  should  enjoy  the  satisfaction  that  only  such  people 
would  leave  their  homes  in  distant  lands  as  are  actuall}'  needed  here. 

In  addition,  there  appeared  to  be  a  growing  interest  among  the 
official  representatives  of  some  of  the  nations  visited  as  to  the  future 
of  their  nationals  intending  to  go  abroad.  Italy,  France,  Belgium, 
and  other  nations,  we  were  informed,  are  making  contracts  for  labor. 
Some  of  these  contracts  are  made  between  governments  and  indi- 
viduals, and  some  between  governments.  These  contracts  cover 
nations  in  Europe  and  South  America.  In  fact  the  intimation  was 
plain  in  some  quarters  that  contracts  to  furnish  any  number  of 
laborers  would  be  gladly  considered. 

Selection  would  be  further  aided  from  the  fact  that  nations  would 
be  reasonably  certain  that  their  nationals  will  not  suffer  for  the 
necessities  of  life  or  become  public  charges,  and  that  their  mterests 
wdll  be  safeguarded.  All  those  visited  indicated  a  desire  to  allow 
only  such  of  their  nationals  to  emigrate  to  America  as  can  comply 
with  the  requirements  of  our  laws,  and  in  this  way,  by  the  joint  efforts 
of  all  interested,  a  proper  selection  of  those  fit  for  the  job  would  result. 

The  adoption  of  this  method  at  this  time,  with  a  period  of  unem- 
ployment and  attending  unfavorable  circumstances  facing  the  coun- 
try, should  not  injure  labor  or  business  interests,  but  would  stop  the 
immigration  of  many  thousands  of  aliens  who,  going  to  places  where 
there  is  a  surplus  of  labor,  might  come  to  want,  or  cause  others  to 
meet  that  fate. 

The  chairman  will  remember  a  hearing  before  the  Department  of 
Labor  upon  this  subject  asking  that  it  allow  the  entry  of  lal)orers 
from  foreign  countries,  and  the  open  hearing  that  was  then  had. 
What  is  contemplated  if  such  a  plan  as  this  could  be  adopted  is  the 
adoption  of  methods  that  Avill  provide  for  an  open  hearing,  so  that 
there  can  be  no  admission  of  laborers  unless  they  are  needed,  followed 
b}^  distribution  to  the  places  where  they  are  needed;  and  as  it  is  pro- 
vided that  as  they  come  in  and  finish  their  work  they  must  go  out 
again,  why,  then,  there  is  no  permanent  addition  to  the  population 
and  no  congestion  in  the  places  to  which  they  may  be  sent.  And, 
of  course,  while  they  are  here  by  their  conduct  their  character  is 
established,  thus  affording  the  Government  an  opportunity  in  case 
any  of  the  number  so  entering  applies  for  admission  to  test  his 
admissibility  upon  what  is  known  of  him  in  this  country. 

By  this  method  also  the  (Government  would  have  an  opportunity 
to  determine  if  they  belong  to  dangerous  elements. 

I  come  now  to  the  vise  system. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  603 

The  time  is  approaching  when  by  operation  of  hiw,  unless  the  same 
is  continued,  the  vise  system  will  be  abolished,  in  which  event  the 
status  quo  in  an  immigration  sense  existing  prior  to  our  entry  into 
the  war  will  be  resumed.  Without  regard  to  what  in  my  judgment 
constitutes  an  absolute  necessity  for  the  continuance  of  the  vise 
regulations,  or  some  equally  effective  method  to  safeguard  the 
interests  of  the  United  States,  in  view  of  the  conditions  of  unrest 
and  other  s}Tnptoms  growing  out  of  communistic  and  other  tendencies 
antagonistic  to  law  and  order  abroad,  it  has  been  my  \'iew  that  there 
is  a  principle  therein  which  it  is  necessary  to  apply  in  completing 
the  immigration  system  of  the  United  States,  which  owing  to  its 
extensive  operation  equals,  possibly,  the  combined  operations  of  the 
immigration  systems  of  all  other  nations,  and,  having  business 
daily  with  most  of  them,  can  not  forego  the  development  of  some 
plan  whereby  it  will  be  in  constant  touch  with  representatives  in 
every  nation  from  which  any  considerable  immigration  comes  to 
the  United  States. 

Immigration  is  not  only  a  national  but  also  a  world  question, 
and  necessarily  what  happens  or  affects  either  immigration  or  emi- 
gration conditions  in  other  nations  has  its  bearing  upon  the  work- 
ings of  the  system  in  the  United  States.  When  it  is  considered  that 
until  the  establislmient  of  the  vise  regulations  by  the  joint  order  of 
the  Departments  of  State  and  Labor  of  July  26,  1917,  followed  by 
the  enactment  of  its  salient  features  into  a  law,  there  was  no  organ- 
ized effort  made  in  foreign  countries  to  guard  the  interests  of  the 
United  States,  so  far  as  the  activities  of  corporations  or  individuals 
•engaged  in  transportation  interests  were  concerned,  or  of  individuals 
disconnected  from  transportation  interests,  but  connected  directly 
or  indirectly  with  smuggling  or  other  operations  intended  to  avoid 
the  provisions  of  our  laws  by  surreptitious  or  illegal  entry  of  aliens 
into  this  countrj^ 

The  Chairmax.  You  are  aware,  Mr.  Caminetti,  that  the  Committee 
■on  Foreign  Affairs  of  the  House  have  reported  favorably  a  bill  ex- 
tending the  vise  system? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  am  glad  of  that;  I  have  not  had  time 
to  follow  that. 

All  inclined  to  engage  in  any  activity  affecting  immigration  mat- 
ters antagonistic  to  the  United  States  then  had  practically  full 
scope.  There  has  been  a  degree  of  protection  in  the  vise  sj^stem, 
which  though  not  established  as  an  immigration  adjunct,  yet  has 
shown  how  beneficial  it  is  as  such  an  agency. 

By  saying  this  much  it  is  not  intended  to  convey  the  idea  that  the 
vise  regulations  as  they  are  at  present  in  force  under  existing  law 
are  favored  as  a  permanent  system,  or  for  a  continuance  of  the  time 
of  their  operation  even.  Amendments  enlarging  the  authority  of  the 
officers  of  the  Consular  Service  are  an  absolute  necessity.  Provision 
should  be  made  authorizing  a  denial  of  the  vise  (or  issuance  of  a 
permit  in  case  passports  are  not  used)  where,  under  the  immigration 
act  of  1917,  it  would  appear  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  consular  officer 
acting  that  the  alien  applying  for  vise  or  permit  would  not,  in  all 
probability,  on  arrival  at  a  United  States  port,  be  admitted. 

It  is  not  meant  by  this  that  the  consul  should  act  in  the  same 
capacity  that  the  Immigration  Service  at  American  ports  does,  nor 
to  the  extent  that  the  latter  exercises  authority,  as  it  is  not  necessary 


604  EMERGENCY  IMMIGEATION  LEGISLATION. 

that  such  power  ho  conferred  or  exercised  in  foreign  territory;  hut 
when  an  inchvichial  who  is  defective  physically  or  mentally,  or  plainly 
shows  hy  evidence  that  is  unmistakable  that  admission  could  not  take 
place,  it  would  be  just  to  the  applicant  as  well  as  our  Government 
that  he  be  so  informed  and  denied  his  request.  For  like  reasons, 
where  everytliing  in  the  appearance  of  an  applicant  would  indicate 
that  he  wouhl  be  likely  to  oecomc  a  public  charge,  and  because  of 
such  indications  he  would  not  in  all  likelihood  be  admitted  into  the 
United  States  at  the  port  of  arrival,  denial  should  follow  as  in  the 
other  illustrations  cited.  There  are  many  other  references  that  might 
be  made,  and  conditions  as  plain  as  these,  which  would  clearl}'"  indi- 
cate to  a  vise  or  permit  officer  that  under  the  law  the  party  would 
not  be  admissible,  in  which  like  action  mi<jht  be  safely  taken  by  such 
officers.  By  so  doing  to  the  extent  to  wliich  it  would  be  advisable 
to  proceed,  would  there  be  an  exercise  of  judgment  in  deciding  at  the 
source  whether  or  not  the  applicant  is  admissible,  and  thus,  regardless 
of  whether  he  appreciates  it  or  not,  aiding  him  in  avoiding  a  long  and 
costly  journey. 

The  Chairman.  Right  on  that  point,  the  House  bill  provides,  and 
it  has  been  unanimously  recommended  by  the  Committee  on  Foreign 
Affairs  that — 

Th3  vise  of  a  px5spirt  of  an  alien  shall.  Tinder  regulations  prescribed  by  the  Sec- 
retary of  Stite,  be  refused  if  tha  applicant  would  be  dangerous  to  the  public  safety 
or  obviously  liable  to  exclusion  if  allowed  to  present  himself  at  a  port  of  the  United 
States  for  admission:  Provided,  That  such  applicant,  if  rejected  by  the  officer  of  the 
United  Stit'is  to  whom  the  application  was  originally  made,  may  appeal  to  the 
Secretaiy  of  State. 

That  is  in  line,  is  it  not  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Yes,  sir.  Of  course,  I  did  not  know 
what  action  has  been  taken.  I  presume,  of  course,  that  the  new 
legislation  will  allocate  to  the  respective  departments — State  and 
Labor — the  w^ork  properly  belonging  to  each. 

In  order  that  any  rights  that  the  applicant  might  possess  if  he 
thought  they  had  been  invaded  would  be  preserved,  the  privilege  to 
appeal  could  be  conferred,  so  that,  as  in  the  case  of  a  denial  at  a  port, 
the  final  decision  could  be  made  by  the  Department  of  Labor,  the 
appeal  to  be  transmitted  through  the  State  Department.  The  joint 
order  above  referred  to,  which,  by  the  way,  is  stdl  in  force  by  the  pro- 
visions of  the  President's  proclamation,  provided  for  an  appeal. 
Adverting  to  the  proposed  new  legislation  upon  the  vise  regulations, 
it  could  with  safety  follow  the  applicable  provisions  of  the  joint  order. 

In  the  existing  method  of  the  administration  of  the  immigration 
law^s,  by  special  agreement  with  Canada,  applications  for  entry  may 
be  made  at  any  of  our  offices  in  that  country,  and  if  denial  takes 
place  appeal  is  in  order,  directly  to  the  Secretary  of  Labor  through 
the  Immigration  Service.  In  this  way  in  Canada  we  do  now  and 
have  for  years  determined  at  the  source  the  admissibility  of 
applicants.  While  this  is  not  a  parallel  system  to  that  contemplated 
by  the  proposed  changes,  it  operates  similarly.  For  the  views  of  the 
Bureau  of  Immigration  on  the  subject  reference  is  made  to  the  dis- 
cussion to  be  found  in  the  annual  reports  thereof  for  the  years, 
respectively,  1919  and  1920,  and  permission  is  requested  to  incorpo- 
rate the  same  in  the  record  at  the  end  of  mv  remarks. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOjST   LEGISLATION.  605 

In  the  event  that  such  legislation  is  enacted  concerning  the  pro- 
posed system,  provision  would  follow  to  carry  out  what  appears  to  be 
the  agreed  sentiment  at  this  time  among  those  interested  and  exercis- 
ing official  authority  in  connection  with  the  subject  of  vise  of  passports 
and  immigration  matters  that  there  be  provided  immigration  experts 
and  medical  advisers  and  examiners  to  aid  in  the  exercise  of  the 
powers  that  may  thus  be  conferred.  I  will  not  go  into  details  at 
this  time,  but  on  the  proper  occasion  further  consideration  will  be 
given  to  the  subject.  1  am  satisfied,  from  a  knowledge  of  the  situa- 
tion existing  prior  to  the  institution  of  the  vise  system  as  well  as 
since  and  from  experience  had  in  both  periods,  that  the  inauguration 
of  a  method  of  the  character  suggested  will  act  both  selectively  and 
restrictively  in  regulating  immigration.  It  will  not  only  prevent  the 
happening  of  what  Secretary  Wilson  has  described  as  tragedies, 
when  individuals  have  been  permitted  to  come,  as  they  have  for 
years,  to  our  ports,  to  be  there  returned  to  the  place  whence  they 
came  because  of  inadmissibility  that  might  have  been  discovered 
before  starting,  but  will  act  as  an  automatic  regulator,  as  it  will  in- 
form all  people  that  whatever  disqualifications  they  ma}^  possess 
will  in  all  probability  be  discovered  at  the  inception  of  the  effort  to 
come  to  the  United  States.  Further,  it  will  provide  the  Immigra- 
tion Service  with  able  and  intelligent  officers  at  every  emigration 
center  of  the  world  to  supply  the  information  which  should  be 
possessed  by  that  service  in  order  to  adequately  and  fully  function 
m  enforcing  the  laws  and  regulations. 

Senator  Harkison.  Mr.  Commissioner,  I  do  not  want  to  divert  you 
from  what  you  are  talking  about,  but  on  the  question  of  contract 
labor,  do  you  want  the  committee  to  infer  from  anj^thing  you  have 
said  that  you  are  advocating  the  admission  of  contract  labor  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  No,  I  do  not,  except  as  provided  b}"  law. 
I  have  explained  how  I  came  to  submit  the  observations  I  have  made, 
and  in  so  doing  I  am  merely  sugj^esting  that  if  conditions  are  such  as 
to  warrant  any  change  in  the  existing  laws,  and  if  it  is  the  desire  to 
consider  the  admission  of  labor  for  particular  industries,  then  by 
amendment  such  might  be  provided;  and  if  it  is  further  desired  to  make 
that  general,  then  instead  of  having  skilled  labor  only  subject  to  the 
provisions  of  the  present  contract  labor  laws,  enlarge  the  power  now 
conferred  so  as  to  cover  unskilled  labor  as  well.  After  all,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  draw  or  define  the  distinction  as  a  man  might  be  doing  the 
plainest  kind  of  labor  and  yet  in  the  performance  of  that  be  skilled. 
For  instance,  a  man  who  prunes  an  orchard  or  vineyard,  to  the  extent 
that  he  knows  how  to  prune  a  tree  or  a  vine,  he  is  skilled  in  that  just 
as  much  as  any  so-called  skilled  laborer  is  skilled  in  the  operation  of 
any  machine  or  the  performance  of  other  work  to  which  he  applies 
himself.  So  that,  after  all,  this  expression  "skilled  labor"  is  a  rela- 
tive term. 

Senator  TiARRisoisr.  You  see  no  reason  for  the  distinction  between 
"skilled"  and  "unskilled"? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  And  it  might  be  advisable  to  increase 
this  authority  under  the  present  system,  provided  it  is  properly 
guardtd  in  the  way  suggested,  or  in  some  better  way,  and  in  addition 
provick^  that  labor  biought  in  by  contract  sliall  not  remain  in  the 
country  at  the  completion  of  the  contract.     Labor  so  admitted  at 


606  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

present  becomes,  at  the  termination  of  the  contract,  an  addition  to 
the  country  whether  the  country  needs  it  or  not  at  such  time. 

wSenator  TLvkrison.  Tlien,  to  that  extent  you  are  in  favor  of  the 
admission  of  them  undor  the  contract  system — that  is,  temporarily? 

Commissioner  (\vminetti.  I  do  not  say  that  I  am  in  favor  of  that, 
because  it  is  only  a  study,  and  it  is  only  a  suggestion  that  if  it  is  de- 
sired and  conditions  warrant,  that  this  new  method  might  be  invoked 
for  the  purpose  of  meeting  any  requirement  of  any  particuhir  industry 
in  any  locality  in  the  United  ^States. 

Senntor  Harrison.  Would  you  applv  that  to  any  beyond  Mexicans, 
and  perhaps  the  Bahama  Islands  and  Canada? 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  The  thought  is  that  if  it  is  done  at  all 
it  ought  to  be  on  broad  lines  and  applied  generally.  I  merely  stated 
in  presenting  the  plan  that  if  this  were  adopted  that  then  it  would 
meet  the  conditions  that  had  taken  place  upon  the  southern  and 
northern  boundaries  and  other  parts  of  the  Republic  during  and 
since  the  w^ar  should  they  again  arise,  thus  avoiding  confusing  admin- 
istration conditions  on  the  Mexican  border. 

Senator  Sterling.  The  Mexicans  w^ere  admitted,  were  they  not? 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  Yes;  in  large  numbers;  and,  unfor- 
tunately, a  very  sad  condition  exists,  for  information  came  to  me 
only  yesterday  that  many  thousands  of  them  are  suffering  in  this 
country  and  are  appealing  now  for  some  action  by  this  Government. 

The  trouble  at  present  is  the  system  does  not  protect  the  Govern- 
ment in  producing  the  return  of  these  people. 

Senator  Sterlixg.  Was  that  importation  made,  Mr.  Caminetti, 
on  the  statement  that  those  laborers  admitted  from  Mexico,  upon 
having  performed  their  work  in  the  cotton  fields  or  in  the  beet  sugar 
industries,  w^ent  back  to  Mexico,  as  a  general  rule  ? 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  Yes,  sir;  that  w^as  the  understanding, 
and  a  great  many  of  the  people  who  made  that  arrangement  with 
the  Government  are  keeping  the  same  in  good  faith,  but  some  of  them 
have  not.  Sometimes  it  is  because  the  Mexicans  so  brought  in  have 
disappeared  from  the  places  to  which  they  have  been  sent,  or  in  which 
they  have  been  laboring,  and  in  that  case  the  parties  responsible  for 
their  coming  can  not  return  them.  Quite  often  when  we  find  some 
of  these  missing  on  first  search  the  importers  come  forward  and 
perform  their  part  of  the  obligation  by  paying  the  expense  incurred 
in  sending  them  back  to  Mexico.  No  doubt  we  may  possibly  return 
more  in  this  way. 

As  to  those  now  reported  in  want  steps  will  have  to  be  taken  to 
ascertain  when  they  came  in,  who  brought  them,  and  the  latter 
notified  of  their  responsibility. 

If  any  new  system  is  to  be  established  at  all  or  present  methods 
continued,  there  should  be  some  way  to  guarantee  the  Government 
that  the  people  brought  in  shall  be  returned  at  the  completion  of  the 
contract  at  the  expense  of  the  contractor. 

Senator  Harrison.  Mr.  Commissioner,  of  course,  you  would  not 
blame  the  Congress  for  that  condition  that  you  have  just  pictured? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  am  not  doing  so. 

Senator  Harrison.  You.  would  if  you  felt  that  way,  but  if  I 
recall,  the  facts  about  that  matter  were  that  a  certain  senator  in- 
troduced a  bill  in  the  Senate,  and  probably  there  was  a  bill  intro- 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  607 

duced  in  the  House  similar  in  its  purpose.  We  had  a  hearing  on  it, 
in  which  you  appeared  before  us.  We  refused  to  pass  that  bill. 
I  think  probably  it  was  reported  out  of  the  committee,  but  was  not 
called  up  on  the  calendar  and  was  never  passed.  But  the  depart- 
ment took  action,  separate  and  distinct,  and  allowed  them  to  come 
in.     So  the  Congress  is  not  to  be  blamed  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  No  one  is  to  be  blamed;  I  hope  nothing 
I  have  said  created  that  impression. 

Senator  Sterling.  The  department  interpreted  the  law? 

The  Chairman.  The  testimony  we  have  in  the  record  from  those 
who  arc  familiar  with  the  subject  of  the  Mexican  immigration  and 
labor  question  was  to  the  effect  that  at  least  95  per  cent  returned  to 
Mexico.  If  you  have  any  data  showing  that  that  is  not  the  fact, 
but  that  they  scattered  to  different  parts  of  this  country  and  do  not 
return  we  should  be  glad  to  have  it.  But  there  was  no  contra- 
dictory testimony,  according  to  my  best  recollection  upon  the  propo- 
sition that  95  per  cent  returned.  If  you  have  some  facts  bearing 
on  that,  will  you  kindly  submit  them  to  the  committee  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  There  has  been  no  intention  on  my 
part  in  referring  to  Mexican  labor  importations  in  any  sense  to  find 
fault.     If  there  is  any  such  impression,  I  want  to  correct  it. 

Senator  Harrison.  You  just  want  to  make  it  general  in  its  terms  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  merely  stated  the  proposition  that 
if,  for  instance,  there  should  be  a  condition,  as  existed  during  last 
spring  and  summer  with  relation  to  the  supply  of  farm  labor,  not 
only  on  the  southern  and  northern  borders,  but  throughout  the 
United  States,  when  there  was  great  difficulty  in  securing  labor  to 
perform  farm  work  everywhere  that  then  the  method  suggested 
might  meet  the  want.  Now,  if  such  a  condition  has  to  be  met,  and 
the  labor  needed  can  not  be  supplied  in  this  country  because  it  is 
engaged  in  occupations  that  pay  more  than  the  farmer  can  afford 
to  expend,  then  possibly  it  might  be  advisable  to  consider  whether 
or  not  a  system  as  such  is  now  discussed  can  not  be  safely  estab- 
lished for  the  purpose  of  furnishing,  for  the  time  required,  the  labor 
that  farmers  may  want  and  then  when  the  necessity  for  it  has 
ceased  to  provide  that  the  labor  so  brought  into  the  country  shall 
depart  unless  in  the  meantime  those  so  entering  have  been  ad- 
mitted into  the  country  under  the  usual  test  of  the  immigration 
laws  ? 

The  Chairman.  Do  I  understand,  Mr.  Caminetti,  that  you  would 
give  the  Secretary  of  Labor  the  power,  in  the  case  of  absolute  neces- 
sity, to  admit  labor  temporarily  into  this  country,  provided  you 
could  secure  their  return  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Of  course,  if  any  plan  is  adopted  with 
that  end  in  view,  conditions  would  be  prescrioed,  just  as  the  present 
law  provides  in  the  case  of  skilled  labor.  The  Secretary  would  exer- 
cise such  power  as  Congress  would  confer. 

Senator  Harrison.  Do  you  advocate  that?  That  was  the  ques- 
tion. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  No;  I  am  not  here  to  commit  myself  to 
that.  If  I  understand  the  situation,  some  suggestion  concerning  a 
contract  plan  has  already  been  presented  to  the  committee. 

Senator  Harrison.  "We  respect  your  opinion  so  highly  that  I  was 
wondering  whether  you  advocated  that. 


608  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Commissioner  Oaminetti.  I  am  only  ofrorino;  su,o:o:estions,  so  that  if 
there  is  a  desire  to  legishite  on  the  subject  a  way  could  be  provided. 

Senator  Harrison.  Do  you  think  that  desire  is  warranted  by  the 
facts? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  think  that  there  are  some  good  fea- 
tures in  a  system  of  that  character.  Of  course  I  would  want  to  give 
it  further  study  and  more  mature  deliberation  than  I  have  been  able 
to  do  since  the  question  has  been  brought  to  my  attention.  But  as 
it  appears  now  the  following  might  be  considered  my  judgment: 
That  there  would  be  no  danger  of  oversupply  nor  undorsupply,  and 
that  the  labor  admitted  would  go  to  the  places  where  it  is  needed, 
and  congestion  would  be  avoided  by  not  sending  same  to  localities 
where  it  is  not  required. 

Senator  Harrison.  All  the  arguments  are  in  favor  of  it,  then,  are 
they  not  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Apparently  so,  and  unless  I  could  be 
satisfied  by  people  who  know  more  about  this  matter  than  I  do  and 
who  might  entertain  decided  views  on  the  other  side,  I  should  feel 
inclined  to  look  upon  a  proposition  of  this  character  as  good — one 
worthy  of  consideration. 

The  Chairman.  Provided  the  necessity  exists  for  Mexican  labor — • 
assume  that  as  a  premise,  the  necessity  exists,  so  far  as  the  planting 
and  harvesting  of  the  crops  on  the  border  and  so  far  as  the  beet-sugar 
crop  is  concerned;  assume,  further,  that  Mexican  labor  had  been 
utilized;  assuming,  further,  that  they  return  to  Mexico  at  the  end  of 
the  season,  can  you  see  any  harm  to  the  United  States  that  is  not 
very  much  overbalanced  by  the  economic  necessity  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  prefer  to  consider  it  without  reference 
to  Mexico. 

The  Chairman.  What  injury  do  they  do  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Considering  the  question  in  the  abstract 
with  reference  to  labor  coming  to  the  country  of  the  admissible  classes 
under  the  conditions  set  forth  in  your  question,  when  labor  can  not 
be  obtained  at  home,  I  believe  the  conclusion  that  the  chairman  has 
arrived  at  is  justified. 

The  conditions  that  have  existed  in  this  country  for  the  last  two  or 
three  years,  and  even  now,  seem  to  await  a  solution  of  the  problem 
of  how  the  farmer  is  to  secure  labor.  I  talked  to  Dr.  Taylor,  of  the 
Agricultural  Department,  on  the  subject  only  yesterday,  and  he  said, 
referring  to  farm  labor,  that  there  was  no  evidence  so  far  shown  of  any 
backward  movement  to  the  farm.  Unless  it  shall  take  place,  then 
the  farming  interests  of  the  United  States  must  necossaril}^  suffer,  and 
when  they  are  injuriously  afi'ected  in  the  work  of  producing  food  for 
the  American  people,  then  the  effect  will  be  general.  If  labor  is 
needed  to  meet  that  necessity,  and  it  can  not  be  secured  in  the 
United  States,  why,  possibly  the  plan  suggested  ofl'ors  a  remedy. 

Senator  Sterling.  I  appreciate  what  you  say,  Mr.  Caminetti, 
along  those  lines,  especially  as  they  apply  to  the  farming  interests  of 
the  VVest  and  the  Northwest. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  have  given  some  study  to  this  subject, 
and  when  the  chairman  asked  me  in  view  of  the  fact  that  some  pro- 
posal had  been  made  here  of  like  nature,  to  look  into  the  matter,  I 
was  glad  to  do  so,  as  a  solution  of  the  problem,  to  meet  the  labor 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  609 

necessities  of  the  farming  elements  of  the  United  States,  is  of  greatest 
importance. 

Senator  Sterling.  And,  appreciating  it  as  I  do,  I  would  hesitate 
long,  both  for  the  suspension  for  any  length  of  time  of  any  immigra- 
tion that  would  aid  us  in  that  regard,  as,  for  example,  the  Scandia- 
vians,  as  you  know,  have  been  almost  the  backbone  of  our  north- 
western country.  If  we  can  get  Scandinavian  farm  labor  we  will  be 
only  too  glad  to  get  it. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  When  they  come,  they  may  be  farmers; 
that  is,  they  have  been  tillers  of  the  soil  in  Elurope,  but  the}'  do  not 
usually  follow  that  occupation  except  to  a  limited  degree  here. 

Senator  Sterling.  A  great  majority  of  that  element,  I  think,  have 
found  the  farm. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  They  did  for  about  30  or  40  years,  when 
they  helped  to  develop  the  great  States  in  the  section  from  which  you 
come. 

The  Chairman.  The  committee  will  now  recess  until  half  past  two 
this  afternoon,  with  the  understanding  that  then  you  will  finish  your 
testimony  to-day. 

(Thereupon,  at  12  o'clock  noon  the  committee  took  a  recess  until 
2.30  o'clock  this  afternoon.) 

after  recess. 

TESTIMONY  OF  HON.  ANTHONY  CAMINETTI— Resumed. 

The  Chairman.  You  may  proceed,  Mr.  Commissioner. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Mr.  Chairman,  I  will  now  take  up  the 
unrest  in  Europe  and  its  dangers. 

An  inspection  of  the  reports  of  the  Consular  Service  to  the  State 
Department,  of  the  press  reports  and  consideration  of  what  is  known 
of  the  existence  of  political  parties  not  only  in  soviet  Russia  l)ut  in 
various  governments  formed  out  of  what  was  "Old  Russia,"  as  well 
as  in  many  of  the  nations  of  Europe,  great  and  small,  which  favor 
revolution  and  advocate  the  destruction  of  all  government,  compels 
belief  in  the  necessity  not  only  to  maintain  the  present  barriers 
against  the  entrj'  of  aliens  who  so  believe,  but  also  to  strengthen  them 
by  every  known  appropriate  device,  as  it  will  need  all  that  can  be 
done  to  succeed  in  preventing  entry  apparently  la^^'ful  but  really 
unlawful,  as  well  as  attempts  to  gain  surreptitious  admission  into 
the  United  States  by  such  aliens. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  go  into  details  to  sustain  this  contention, 
so  far  as  Russia  or  any  of  the  said  governments  mentioned  are  con- 
cerned. As  to  other  nations,  it  is  generally  known  that  in  Germany, 
Austria,  France,  Italy,  Spain,  Sweden,  Norway,  and  in  others,  there 
are  groups  allied  in  political  or  other  organizations  openly  avoAving 
either  their  adhesion  to  the  soviet  idea  of  government  or  the  com- 
munistic system,  all,  excepting  the  moderates,  advocating  revolution 
as  outlined  by  the  latest  manifesto  of  the  third  Internationale. 

In  many  of  these  nations,  action  in  congresses  or  conference  con- 
cerning support  of  the  position  taken  by  the  third  Internationale  has 
shown  growth  of  sentiment  in  that  direction.  Moderates  who  favor 
parliamentary  methods  as  against  resort  to  force  or  revolutionary 
tactics  have  suffered  a  number  of  defeats  in  the  last  60  davs.     In 


610  EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATION   LEGISLATION. 

sucli  congresses  lately  held,  one  in  France  and  another  in  Italy 
bolsh(>vik  adherents  show  evidence  of  much  power  in  opposition  to 
the  moderate  elements. 

If  to  tliese  are  added  the  individual  efforts  of  unorganized  groups 
scattered  tliroughout  Europe,  the  aggregate  influence  of  these  ele- 
ments can  he  readily  realized. 

The  activities  of  these  parties  and  of  such  groups  arc  not  all  known, 
and  to  the  extent  that  they  are  under  cover,  constitute  a  standing 
menace. 

There  is  no  intercourse  between  this  Government  and  soviet 
Russia  nor  with  the  various  governments  it  controls,  nor  with  Ger- 
many and  Austria  in  the  scnsO;  that  intercourse  exists  with  nations 
with  whicli  diplomatic  relations  exist.  In  a  general  sense  it  is  sup- 
posed that  Russia  and  the  governments  under  its  control  are  not  per- 
mitting migration  of  their  people,  hut  it  is  an  open  secret  in  Europe 
that  Russians  in  considerable  numbers  are  coming  out  of  soviet 
Russia  as  well  as  from  the  republics  referred  to,  such  as  the  Ukraine 
and  adjacent  States,  moving  into  various  nations  across  their  re- 
spective borders.  People  from  some  of  these  governments  are  found 
in  all  immigrant  hotels  or  barracks  preparing  to  take  passage  to 
America. 

It  is  also  known  that  llarge  numbers  from  these  territories  swarm 
into  the  adjacent  nations  beyond,  and  after  a  time  obtain  passports 
in  order  to  secure  their  departure. 

The  Paris  Temps,  in  its  new-year  issue,  states  that  the  official 
statistics  show  there  were  in  Paris  alone,  on  December  31  last,  23,466 
such  Russians.  They  are  found  in  many  other  parts  of  Europe, 
though  no  report  of  their  number  is  at  hand. 

The  claim  that  people  coming  out  of  old  Russian  territory  are 
refugees  belonging  to  WrangeFs  army  is  sustained  only  as  to  that  part 
of  Russia  near  the  Crimea  in  which  his  forces  met  defeat,  but  all 
these  have  been  taken  out  long  ago. 

Who  knows  who  and  what  these  people  are  and  what  their  purpose 
is  in  getting  out  ?  Some,  no  doubt,  perhaps  the  largest  numtier.  are 
fleeing  away  from  what  has  been  described  as  intolerable  conditions, 
but  in  view  of  the  purposes  announced  and  the  propaganda  that  is 
going  on,  apparently  with  the  approval,  if  not  under  the  direction  of 
Lenin,  it  is  well  to  continue  on  guard.  It  is  in  just  such  a  mass  of 
people  that  dangerous  emissaries  could  ex])ect  success  in  the  endeavor 
to  reach  localities  they  have  in  mind  for  the  purpose  of  executing 
their  plans.  This  movement  is  not  only  from  old  Russia  but  from 
other  European  nations,  including  States  in  western  Asia. 

The  foregoing  is  confirmatory  of  the  information  that  I  was  able 
to  gather  from  various  sources  on  my  travels. 

The  barriers  our  Government  has  erected  in  Europe  to  detect 
dangerous  aliens  of  the  class  mentioned,  as  well  as  others,  and  stop 
their  coming,  have  been  well  devised  and  those  in  charge  carefully 
execute  their  trusts,  but  while  this  accomplishes  the  work  as  to  those 
known  or  ascertained  from  exaTninations  given  them,  we  are  failing 
to  shut  out  tliose  not  known  and  of  whom  no  trace  can  be  made, 
either  because  they  are  able  through  connivance  of  authorities  or 
through  fraud  to  travel  under  an  assumed  name  or  because  their 
connection  with  bolshevism,  anarchism,  or  communism  is  unknown. 


HMEKGENCY  IMMIGRATIO:Nr  LEGISLATION,  611 

Discovery  is  also  made  difficult  by  the  fact  that  often  in  nations 
outside  of  Russia  it  is  not  possible  to  detect  dangerous  elements  be- 
cause their  standing  in  their  own  communities  is  such  that  connection 
with  the  elements  mentioned  is  not  suspected. 

The  experience  of  consular  ofhcers  with  forged  passports  traced  to 
Essen,  Germany,  and  Warsaw,  Poland,  adds  to  the  many  difficulties 
they  encounter  in  their  endeavor  to  prevent  the  coming  of  dangerous 
elem_ents.  , 

Can  the  present  plans  of  prevention  be  improved  ? 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Caminetti,  do  you  think  that  that  danger  you 
are  speaking  of  now,  of  the  soviet  propaganda,  could  be  checked 
through  vise  regulations  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Yes,  sir;  to  a  certain  extent.  It  has 
been  checked  by  vise  regulations,  but  I  am  explaining  here  that  that 
is  only  where  the  party  is  known  or  where  there  is  reason  to  believe 
from  examination  at  the  time  or  from  information  they  may  have, 
but  even  with  all  that  the  consuls  admit  it  does  not  check  it  all,  and 
that  they  can  not  check  it  all,  and  that  they  need  something  more. 

The  Chairman.  I  understand  the  general  drift  of  your  testimony 
is  to  the  efi'ect  that  regulations  and  tests  that  could  be  applied  at 
the  place  of  origin  of  the  nationals  is  the  solution  in  part  of  the 
danger  that  confronts  the  country;  is  not  that  true? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  That  is  one  of  the  solutions,  and  possibly 
the  main  method  of  reaching  it,  but  with  respect  to  this  particular 
element  possibly  something  more  is  necessary,  if  something  more  can 
be  devised. 

Administratively^^  by  some  additions  to  the  present  service,  new 
methods  might  be  provided  which  would,  in  a  degree,  be  of  further 
aid. 

Unless  effective  safeguards  can  be  devised  we  are  not  certain  that 
the  entrance  into  our  country  of  dangerous  aliens  can  '^?  e.ntirely  or 
even  approximately  prevented. 

As  time  goes  on  and  the  movements  in  and  out  of  Russia  and  in 
and  out  of  said  Republics  continue  across  their  respective  boundaries, 
the  situation  will  become  more  complicated  and  dangerous,  and  this 
will  considerably  increase  when  intercourse  is  opened  between  our 
country  and  Germany  and  Austria  by  a  declaration  of  peace. 

Whether  we  like  it  or  not,  we  can  not  fail  to  note  the  existence  of 
dangerous  aliens  well  organized  in  practically  all  European  nations, 
nor  can  we  fail  to  realize,  due  to  conditions  some  ages  old,  some  the 
results  of  the  war,  and  others  of  its  aftermath,  that  while  a  large 
majority  of  people  in  these  nations  may  not  take  part  in  organized 
movements  many  are  sympathetic  with  one  or  the  other  of  the 
various  revolutionary  elements  to  be  found  throughout  Europe. 
This  is  the  impression  that  one  obtains,  if  common  report  is  to  be 
depended  upon.  Certain  it  is  that  fear  abides  in  a  number  of  these 
nations,  and  there  does  not  appear  to  be  sufficient  initiative  or  power 
or  cohesiveness  in  the  governing  classes  or  in  the  masses  of  a  number 
of  them  to  command  the  situation  on  the  basis  of  the  support  of 
govenmient  based  on  law  and  order. 

Under  these  conditions  such  nations  are  powerless  to  prevent  the 
growth  of  propaganda  and  even  the  movement  of  people  from  sections 
where  revolutionary  elements  are  known  to  exist. 

26911— 21— PT 13 3  • 


612  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

The  movement  is  an  active  force  practically  throughout  Europe, 
working  in  tlie  open  in  party  orojanizations.  What  its  secret  political 
activities  are  is  known  only  to  its  leaders,  and  possibly  in  part  to  the 
police  authorities  of  the  various  nations  in  which  the  activities  pre- 
vail. Propaganda  work  seems  to  be  generally  carried  on.  The  news- 
stands in  tile  various  nations  carry  many  pamphlets  and  publications 
on  Lenin  and  on  various  communistic  and  bolshevistic  theories. 

Lack  of  tune  has  prevented  an  hiquiry  into  the  laws  of  the  conti- 
nental nations  upon  the  subject  of  anarchy  and  communism,  includ- 
ing bolshevism.  Whatever  provisions  may  exist,  there  does  not 
seem  to  be  any  open,  aggressive  movement  against  these  peculiarly 
dangerous  political  manipulators.  The  reason  is  not  far  to  seek  and 
can  be  found  in  the  present  general  unrest  existing  in  many  nations 
on  the  Continent,  if  not,  to  some  extent,  in  all  of  them. 

Bolshevism  and  communism  loom  up  as  the  greatest  menace  of 
Europe.  In  my  judgment  it  is  unsafe  for  the  United  States  to  re- 
main even  as  at  present  situated  concerning  the  safe^ards  now  pro- 
vided agauist  the  entry  of  dangerous  elements  into  the  country. 

What  constitutes  Europe's  menace  is  in  effect,  in  lesser  degree  per- 
haps, ours  also. 

The  fact  that  it  is  lesser  in  degree  and  that  owing  to  the  depend- 
ence we  place  in  our  form  of  government  (strong  yet  giving  full  free- 
dom with  constitutional  and  statutory  limitations,  Federal  and 
State)  we  feel  that  we  enjoy  full  protection,  does  not  alter  the  fact 
that,  according  to  avowals  from  bolshevik  Russia,  our  Government 
constitutes  the  greatest  menace  to  the  development  of  its  political 
plans. 

In  view  of  the  foregoing  and  the  possibilities  of  the  entry  of  danger- 
ous elements  among  the  great  mass  of  people  coming  to  America, 
continuation  of  immigration  from  Europe  and  adjacent  territory  in 
Asia  has  become  fraught  with  dangers  of  a  kind  and  extent  heretofore 
scarcely  imagined. 

The  Chairman.  IVIr.  Caminetti,  did  you  say  that  bolshevism  had 
made  any  particular  progress  in  England,  France,  or  Gemiany? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  The  press  reports  up  to  yesterday  and 
day  before  indicate  that  it  had  made  general  progress  throughout 
Europe. 

The  Chairman.  That  is  a  very  broad  proposition.  We  know  that 
it  has  made  some  progress,  but  the  attempt  in  Hungary  and  in  some 
of  the  Balkan  States  has  failed.  It  seems,  however,  to  be  admitted 
by  most  of  those  who  have  reasoned  upon  the  subject  that  bolshevism 
as  an  economic  proposition  must  perish  from  the  earth. 

I  can  not  see  at  tlie  present  time  any  serious  menace  of  bolshevism 
to  the  German  Empire,  to  France,  to  England,  or  America.  It  has 
made  some  progress  in  Italy,  but  even  there  the  radicals  gained  little 
headway.  But  its  progress  in  America  is  still  further  off.  You  give 
me  business  prosperity  "in  America,  and  there  is  no  danger  of  extreme 
radicalism. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Business  prosperity  was  with  us  two 
years  ago  and  a  year  and  a  half  ago 

The  QiAiRMAN.  What  I  object  to  on  this  cjuestion  of  immigration 
is  that  men  wake  up  at  4  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  they  feel  blue 
and  they  exaggerate  all  these  so-called  world  movements,  both  as 
to  Europe  migrating  to  America  and  to  bolshevism  coming  over  here. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  613 

When  we  have  an  election,  as  we  had  a  few  weeks  a^o — do  not  call  it 
a  part}'^  victory,  call  it  a  victory  of  the  plain  people  of  America — it 
was  a  rebuke  to  radicalism  in  every  form. 

I  met  a  very  prominent  Russian  yesterday,  who  has  just  come  from 
Russia,  and  he  said  the  soviet  government  could  not  possibly  last  a 
year  longer.     Of  course,  that  is  only  the  opinion  of  one  man. 

(bmmissioner  Caminetti.  People  have  been  saying  that  for  three 
years. 

The  Chairman.  It  has 

Commissioner  Caminetti  (interposing).  And  Lenin  to-day  in  Eu- 
rope and  western  Asia  is  stronger  than  he  was  two  years  ago  or  one 
year  ago. 

The  Chairman.  Human  nature  is  human  nature.  These  experi- 
ments in  communism  have  been  tried  many  times  in  the  past.  Dur- 
ing the  French  Revolution  various  experiments  of  this  character 
were  tried,  but  the  fundamentals  of  modern  civilization,  such  as  the 
right  of  property,  can  not  be  overthrown.  These  experiments  only 
lead  to  misery,  because  they  are  economically  false.  I  do  not  thinK 
therefore  that  we  should  suspend  immigration  at  the  present  time 
for  fesr  of  bolshevistic  propaganda. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  only  present  it,  Mr.  Chairman,  not 
as  an  argument  to  the  committee  to  prevent  immigration  of  all  classes, 
but  as  one  of  the  elements  to  be  considered  in  determining  the  new 
safeguards  that  it  may  be  necessary  to  establish  for  the  protection 
of  our  country. 

The  Chairman.  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  that  from  you,  Mr.  Cam- 
inetti. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  trust  that  the  hopes  of  the  chairman 
will  be  realized  at  the  earliest  possible  time,  but  a  study  of  the  situa- 
tion from  the  press  reports  and  from  other  information  of  apparently 
authoritative  character  reaching  this  country  it  will  be  found  that 
this  sentiment  in  Europe — I  do  not  call  it  bolshevism  alone,  I  call 
it  communism — is  growing,  and  that  it  has  in  congress  after  congress 
defeated  the  moderate  elements  of  various  nations.  Even  the  great 
congress  that  took  place  at  Tours,  in  France,  riot  long  ago,  the  moder- 
ates who  favor  parliamentary  action  were  defeated,  and  in  Italy 
great  strength  was  developed  and  a  new  party  organized,  and  so  in 
other  parts  of  Europe — Sweden,  Norway,  Spain,  and  other  nations 
have  shown  the  same  results. 

Some  may  pass  lightly  over  these  things,  but  in  my  judgment  no 
thinking  man  can  consider  the  situation  in  Europe  to-day  without 
coming  to  the  conclusion  that,  though  it  has  been  for  two  or  three 
years  asserted  that  Lenin  and  his  power  would  be  destroyed,  he  is 
to-day  stronger  than  he  was  a  year  ago,  and  to  the  extent  that  he  is 
stronger  he  has  become  more  dangerous,  not  onl}"  to  Europe  but  to 
the  balance  of  the  world. 

Let  us  not  rest  upon  the  assumption  that  we  are  safe.  Let  us 
protect  ourselves  to  the  fullest  extent  and  avoid  the  consequences 
that  maj"  come  from  failure  to  do  so. 

I  am  not  afraid  of  any  power  defeating  us.  But  why  invite  the 
struggle;  why  invite  the  trouble  ?  Why  not  anticipate  it  and  prevent 
it  from  ever  having  a  growth  upon  American  soil  ? 

The  Chairman,  Mr.  Caminetti,  will  we  get  back  to  earth  again? 


614  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Oh,  surely;  I  am  on  the  earth."^  In 
making  these  statements,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  beheve  that  I  was  upon 
the  earth,  because  if  you  do  not  beheve  there  is  any  danger,  you  will 
some  day  wake  up  to  the  fact  that  it  exists  not  only  in  Europe  but 
right  here  in  America  also kS^9M 

The  CiiAiKMAX  (interposing).  I  meant  "come  back  to  earth" — get 
back  to  what  the  committee  are  dealing  with.  The  committee  are 
dealing  with  remedies. 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  Certainly. 

The  Chairman.  We  are  dealing  with  remedies.  Now,  I  will  assume 
that  your  view  upon  this  subject  is  correct.  We  are  trying  to  frame 
legislative  remedies.  May  I  ask  you,  with  your  wide  experience, 
what  practical  remedy  you  have  got  to  suggest  to  the  committee  to 
prevent  the  realization  of  this  so-called  bolshevistic  menace  from 
the  immigration  standpoint  ?  What  shall  we  do  to  legislate  ?  Have 
you  not  any  suggestions  to  make  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  could  make  them  if  the  committee 
wants  me  to  submit  them.  I  have  not  felt  it  my  duty  unasked  to 
go  into  the  form  of  any  proposed  laws  upon  the  subject. 

The  Chairman.  Can  3-ou  not  state,  in  a  word,  what  is  your  remedy  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Well,  the  remed}'  is,  first,  continue  tne 
vise,  materially  strengthen  the  system  so  as  to  give  the  representa- 
tives of  this  country  abroad  the  necessary  power  to  enable  them  to 
keep  out  all  dangerous  classes,  as  well  as  inadmissible  aliens,  as  far 
as  it  is  practicable  to  do  so  at  the  source;  and,  further,  to  consider 
what  new  barriers  and  new^  safeguards  can  be  devised  to  protect  us 
from  the  classes  we  have  just  been  discussing.  In  deciding  the  ques- 
tion of  new  barriers  and  new  safeguards  it  might  be  finally  deter- 
mined that  .even  with  all  that  we  might  devise  we  can  not  feel  certain 
that  we  can  completely  prevent  the  coming  of  such  elements;  in  that 
event  it  might  be  necessary  to  consider  whether  immigration  from 
countries  that  acknowledge  such  doctrines  as  bolshevism  and  com- 
munism shall  not  be  made  inadmissible  into  the  United  States;  also 
whether,  before  a  vise  or  permit  shall  be  granted,  an  applicant  coming 
from  a  country  where  bolshevik  or  communistic  parties  exist  he  shall 
be  required  to  satisfy'  the  consular  authoiities  that  he  is  not  a  member 
of  an  anarchistic,  communistic,  or  bolshcnik  organization. 

Senator  Sterling.  Mr.  Caminetti,  would  you  suspend  immigration 
entirely  for  anj  period  of  time,  or  would  3^ou  adopt  the  restrictive 
and  selective  process  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  As  I  recall,  in  all  the  annual  reports 
submitted  during  the  time  I  have  been  in  ofTice  I  have  maintained 
the   theory   that   selective   and   restrictive  immigration  laws,   with 

K roper  provision  for  their  enforcement,  woidd  be  sulficient.  That 
as  been  my  belief  all  along,  and  I  would  hesitate  to  go  ])eyond  that 
in  any  permanent  system  of  law.  I  might  possibly  now  make  it 
more  restrictive  than  we  have  ever  had  in  our  history. 

I  have  also  said  that  I  did  not  Imow  whether  v\'e  ought  to  depart 
from  the  traditional  policy  of  our  Government  upon  tlie  matter  of 
immigration.  But  the  conditions  that  have  confronted  us  during 
the  last  two  years — during  the  la'^t  year  particularly — and  that 
confront  us  now  in  a  general  way  as  to  immigration  and,  with  par- 
ticular lefcrence  to  the  subject  that  we  were  discussing — com- 
munism—makes it  necessarv  for  us  to  resort  to  everv  means  in  our 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  615 

powei,  and  to  utilize  all  the  efforts  that  our  best  state' manship 
may  propose  in  order  to  devise  an  efheient  system  that  will  entirely 
protect  us,  and  in  order  to  do  so  it  may  be  necessary  to  temporarily 
erect  bariiers  that  we  have  not  hitherto  needed.  For  this  purpose 
under  all  the  circumstances,  it  is  advisable  to  depart  from  the  rule. 

It  is  an  easy  matter,  Mr.  ('hairman — pardon  me  for  saying  this — 
to  ask  a  man  to  prepare  a  system  of  law  or  even  to  suggest  one.  You 
know,  as  a  judge  of  great  experience  and  distinguished  attainments, 
that  the  enactment  of  laws  and  the  formation  of  plans  for  a  system 
of  law  to  meet  this  emergency  present  difficulties  which  require 
deliberation. 

At  this  time  I  am  not  prepared  to  submit  proposed  laws,  but  if 
it  is  desired  that  the  Bureau  of  Immigration  do  so  it  is  placed  at  your 
service. 

vSenator  Sterling.  Mr.  Caminetti,  how  would  this,  in  general, 
suit  as  a  plan:  A  proper  board  or  authority  to  study  the  question  of 
immigration,  to  study  the  peoples  that  emigrate  to  this  country, 
their  tendencies,  the  motives  that  inspire  immigration  here,  etc.; 
and  then  to  determine  what  should  be  admitted  and  what  should  be 
excluded,  or  what  per  cent  of  any  people  should  be  admitted  at  any 
time. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  The  purpose  that  the  Senator  has  in 
view  is  what  is  to-day  hi  the  minds  of  every  one  of  the  ambassadors, 
ministers,  and  consular  representatives  at  the  places  that  the  detail 
sent  by  the  Department  of  Labor  had  the  honor  to  visit  during  the 
last  two  months.  That  is  the  reason  it  has  been  recommended  that 
there  be  representatives  of  the  Immigration  Service,  including  officers 
of  the  Pubhc  Health  Service,  detailed  for  the  purpose  of  making  such 
studies  in  every  nation. 

And,  also,  when  it  was  recommended  that  examiners  be  placed  in 
the  consular  service,  so  that  such  information  as  they  may  desire  to 
obtain  to  enable  them  to  discharge  their  duties,  may  be  at  their  dis- 
position to  prevent  the  coming  of  dangerous  elements  to  our  country, 
as  well  as  to  obtain  the  information  that  will  be  of  benefit 

Senator  Sterling  (interposing).  Would  you  have  tke  authorities 
that  we  may  put  at  our  consular  agencies  abroad  have  the  power  to 
say  whether  they  can  come  or  not,  or  would  you  simply  have  their 
power  made  an  advisory  authority,  so  as  to  give  them  information 
and  advise  them  as  to"  the  prospect  of  their  admission  after  they 
reached  the  port  of  debarkation? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  The  plan  ought  to  be  both  advisor}^  and 
executory.  In  other  words,  as  it  was  set  foi-th  in  the  statement  this 
morning,  where  the  evidence  of  inadmissibility  was  plain  to  the 
consular  officer  acting  after  having  advised  with  the  medical  and 
immigration  representatives,  why,  then,  the  power  to  decide  ought 
to  be  conferred,  subject  to  the  right  of  appeal  as  provided  in  said 
joint  order. 

Senator  Sterling.  What  would  }  ou  think  about  a  plan  of  regis- 
tration for  immigrants  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  am  in  favor  of  the  registration  not 
only  of  cver\-  foreigner  who  comes  into  our  countrs',  but  ever\^  native 
American  citizen  as  well.  In  the  last  two  annual  reports  there  will 
bo  found  not  onK  a  discussion  of  the  subject  but  also  a  proposed  law 
to  provide  for  its  establishment. 


616  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Senator  Sterling.  Of  course,  you  have  heard  the  objection  to  a, 
system  of  registration,  namelr,  that  a  system  of  espionage  goes  along 
with  it  that  is  not  quite  consistent  with  American  ideals  and  mstitu- 
tions. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  We  have  registration  now  in  order  to 
enable  a  man  to  exercise  the  right  of  suffrage  that  does  not  prevent 
the  exercise  of  a  man's  liberties. 

Senator  Sterling.  But  that  does  not  involve  following  a  man  up, 
etc.  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  do  not  believe  in  following  people 
up,  nor  in  peonage,  nor  in  anything  that  would  promote  it,  but  I 
do  not  think  there  is  anything  wrong  to  cause  the  registration  of  a 
person  who  comes  to  the  United  States,  under  any  system  that  may 
be  devised  to  more  fully  enforce  and  administer  the  immigration 
laws  of  the  country.  Such  a  system  might  possibly  be  utilized  to 
aid  in  the  work  of  assimilation. 

Senator  Sterling.  You  spoke  about  the  number  of  unemployed 
in  this  country  at  the  present  time.  As  I  remember  it,  you  said 
there  were  over  3,000,000  unemployed? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  The  statement  released  to-day  by  the 
Employment  Service  of  the  United  States  indicated  3,447,000  unem- 
ployed on  the  1st  of  January. 

Senator  Sterling.  Do  you  know  how  they  get  those  figures  ? 
What  is  the  basis  of  a  statement  that  there  are  3,400,000  not  em- 
ployed in  the  United  States  now  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  happen  to  have  a  copy  of  the  unem- 
ployment survey  here. 

Senator  Sterling.  Suppose  a  particular  industry  dismisses 

Commissioner  Caminetti  (interposing).  The  Immigration  Service 
has  no  part  in  the  work  [handing  paper  to  Senator  Sterling],  but 
that  is  the  result  of  a  survey  the  Employment  Service  has  made. 

Senator  Sterling.  Yes;  but  suppose  a  particular  industry  dis- 
misses 5,000  of  its  employees  to-day.  Is  it  certain  that  they  will  be 
unemployed  to-morrow  or  unemployed  next  week?  May  they  not 
find  employment  elsewhere  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  Ordinarily,  yes.  But  it  happens  that 
the  number  of  unemplo3'ed  has  gone  on  increasing  during  the  last 
60  days,  so  that  would  indicate  there  is  lack  of  employment,  and  that 
lack  of  employment  is  continuous,  I  am  sorry  to  say. 

Senator  Sterling.  It  may  in  the  aggregate  be  indicative,  and  yet 
there  may  not  on  any  one  day  be  3,400,000  not  employed  in  this 
country.  I  suppose  tfiey  make  up  these  figures  from  data  furnished 
by  the  various  industries  showing  how  man}^  they  have  dismissed 
from  their  service  ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  am  afraid  it  is  only  too  true  that  there 
are  that  many,  from  the  indications  existing. 

The  Chairman.  Mr.  Caminetti,  we  are  passing  through  a  period 
of  war  readjustment.  Take,  for  example,  a  great  many  women  who 
were  employed  during  the  war  activities,  who  have  been  dismissed, 
would  this  list  probably  include  that  large  number  among  the  unem- 
ployed ? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  suppose  if  the  list  is  properly  pre- 
pared— and  I  have  to  assume  and  I  do  believe  that  it  is  so  prepared — 
it  would  include  women  who  are  unemployed. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATIOliT   LEGISLATION.  617 

The  Chair.max.  Will  you  file  that  ?  And  in  addition,  Mr.  Caminetti, 
will  you  bear  this  in  mind,  that  Senator  Dillinf^ham  and  the  rest  of 
the  committee  are  very  anxious  to  get  the  details  of  the  immigration 
and  the  emigration  from  the  1st  of  Julv,  1920,  to  the  1st  of  January, 
1921? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  shall  bend  every  energy,  and  I  shall 
make  a  report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  department  of  this  request. 

The  CiLURMAX.  If  you  will  give  us  all  you  can  of  that  data  as 
soon  as  possible,  the  committee  will  appreciate  it. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  will  direct  myself  to  that  end,  Mr. 
Chairman. 

I  haye  with  me  the  report  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Kerr,  who  made  the  in- 
vestigation as  part  of  the  detail,  but  as  I  have  no  copy  to  leave, 
this  being  the  office  copy,  and  as  I  may  not  be  authorized  to  file  it  at 
this  time 

The  Chairman  (interposing).  Mr.  Caminetti,  could  you  make  an 
abstract  of  that  document  and  file  it  with  your  others? 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  think  I  will  write  to  the  doctor  to 
do  so. 

The  Chairman.  Very  well.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  we 
are  closing  this  evidence,  and  we  do  not  want  to  have  it  delayed. 

Commissioner  Caminetti.  I  appreciate  that.  I  want  to  say  to  the 
committee  that  it  is  an  excellent  report.  His  painstaking  investiga- 
tion, deep  study,  able  marshaling  of  the  facts  and  deductions  from 
the  studies  made  by  him,  as  well  as  his  recomm.endations  concerning 
the  medical  problems  connected  wiih  immigration  form  a  valuable 
addition  to  the  notable  work  already  performed  by  him  in  his  long 
official  career.  I  regret  that,  owing  to  the  desire  to  condense  my 
statement  at  this  time,  consideration  of  the  recommendations  made 
can  not  now  be  given  the  attention  they  deserve. 

Mr.  Chairman,  this  morning  I  was  asked  a  question,  and  as  I  was 
thinking  of  the  many  other  things  I  had  before  me  I  omitted  to 
complete  my  answer.  When  the  chairman  asked  me  how  lon^  we 
were  at  Warsaw,  I  told  him  three-quarters  of  a  day.  I  should  have 
gone  into  the  matter  more  fully,  because  the  necessities  of  travel 
either  compelled  us  to  get  out  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  day  we 
attended  to  business  there,  or,  if  we  did  not,  be  compelled  to  stay 
from  Friday  until  the  following  Monday.  Had  we  done  so  we 
probably  could  not  have  gone  to  Jugoslavia.  And  rather  than  take 
chances  upon  that  we  determined  to  do  the  best  we  could,  by  calling 
upon  the  American  minister,  who  secured  an  interview  with  the 
Government  authorities — some  of  the  highest  officials — upon  the 
matters  to  be  discussed,  and  everything  was  done  during  the  morning 
that  could  have  been  done  had  we  remained  there  longer. 

Then,  we  spent  the  balance  of  the  day  with  the  minister,  the 
consul,  and  their  assistants.  Owing  to  the  way  in  which  this  work 
was  prepared  for  us  by  these  officers,  we  were  enabled  to  secure  the 
information  desired. 

In  all  other  places  there  was  devoted  in  some  two  days  and  in 
some  three  or  more  days  to  the  work. 

In  the  subjects  discussed  and  opinions  expressed  in  this  statement 
I  have  given  only  my  sentiments  and  views.  It  has  been  my  inten- 
tion to  present  matters  and  things  affecting  our  immigration  interests 


618  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

as  I  saw  them  in  Europe  and  as  they  affect  those  at  home,  for  such 
consideration  as  in  j^our  jud^jjment  you  may  feel  they  deserve.  The 
subjects  receiving  the  attention  of  the  detail  are  important,  and  their 
ramifications  extend  to  many  channels  and  affect  many  conditions 
which  it  will  be  impossible  to  consider  fully  in  the  time  which  your 
kind  indulgence  has  granted. 

I  want  to  thank  the  committee  for  the  courtesies  extended,  and 
again  I  want  to  place  myself  at  its  service. 

The  Chairman.  Thank  you.  Upon  consultation  with  other  mem- 
bers of  the  committee  I  have  to  announce  that  all  of  the  additional 
data  that  will  be  received  by  the  committee  must  be  filed  this  week. 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  I  have  nothing  to  file  except 

The  CiiAiRMAX  (interposing).  I  am  not  speaking  of  you  only. 
There  are  others;  and  you  will  also  bear  that  in  mind,  Mr.  Caminetti. 

Commissioner  Camixetti.  Certainly. 

The  Chairman.  That  we  w^ant  all  the  data  in  this  week.  And 
after  Saturday  we  will  receive  nothing  more,  unless  the  committee 
calls  for  it. 

[Extract  from  the  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Immigration  for  the  fiscal  j-ear  1919.] 
A  Century  of  Immigration. 

The  two  charts  accompanying  this  report  serve  to  direct  attention  to  the  interesting 
fact  that  our  official  immigration  records  now  cover  a  period  of  100  years.  It  is  known 
that  there  was  considerable  immigration  following  the  Revolution  and  that  it  declined 
during  the  second  war  with  England,  but  prior  to  1819  there  vv'as  no  pro\dsion  for  the 
collection  and  publication  of  statistics  relative  to  the  movement.  After  the  peace  of 
1815  immigration  increased,  and  it  is  recorded  that  as  many  as  20,000  came  in  1817. 
The  demand  for  passage  brought  many  unsuitable  ships  into  the  traffic,  overcrowding 
was  general,  and  there  was  much  suffering  during  the  loag  ocean  voyages. 

An  attempt  to  remedy  these  conditions  was  made  in  the  passenger  act  of  March  2, 
1819,  which  limited  according  to  ships'  tonnage  the  nun  ber  of  passengers  who  could  be 
transported  and  provided  that  certain  supplies  of  food  and  water  must  be  carried. 
The  act  further  directed  that  the  sex,  age,  and  occupation  of  each  passenger  should 
be  reported  to  customs  officials  at  ports  of  arrival,  and  this  pro\  ision  marked  the  be- 
ginning of  official  statistics  of  immigration  to  the  United  States.  Detailed  information 
concerning  our  earlier  immigration  seems  very  meager  compared  with  the  present 
elaborate  records,  but  there  were  no  laws  regulating  imsftigration  in  those  days,  and  the 
simple  statistics  which  resulted  from  the  act  of  1819  presumably  met  the  requirements 
of  the  time.  In  any  event  they  afford  an  interesting  record  of  the  extent  to  which 
various  alien  peoples  contributed  to  a  century  of  population  development. 

Chart  1  presents  a  graphic  picture  of  the  wave  of  immigration  from  all  countries 
during  the  past  100  years.  It  will  be  seen  that  in  the  first  25  years  covered  by  the  rec- 
ord, or  from  1820  to  1845,  the  wave  gradually  increased  but  did  not  fluctuate  greatly. 
From  1845  to  the  present  time,  however,  the  crest  line  shows  remarkable  fluctuations, 
peaks  and  depressions  following  each  other  in  bewildering  fashion,  but  in  every  in- 
stance the  cause  of  the  rise  or  fall  is  easily  traced  to  economic  or  other  conditions  in 
foreign  countries,  which  frequently  forced  masses  of  people  to  leave  their  homelands, 
or  to  conditions  in  the  United  States  which  in  turn  invited  or  discouraged  immi- 
gration. 

The  first  really  notable  influx  was  in  the  decade  from  1845  to  1854,  when  the  tide 
rose  from  al)out  114,000  in  the  former  year  to  nearly  428,000  in  the  latter,  due  largely 
to  famine  in  Ireland  and  revolution  in  Germany.  Then  follows  the  very  pronounced 
depression  covering  the  period  of  the  war  between  the  States.  After  peace  there  was 
a  large  increase,  but  the  movement  declined  during  our  economic  dei)ression  of  the 
Beventies,  and  then  increased  suddenly  from  about  179,000  in  1879  to  nearly  789,090 
in  1882.  Several  causes  contributed  to  this  unprecedented  influx.  Prosperty  was 
returning  in  the  United  States;  Germany  was  undergoing  an  economic  depression  ani 
contributed  more  than  250,000  immigrants  in  the  single  year  1882;  the  movement 
from  the  Scandinavian  countries  reached  its  greates  height,  and  finally  the  subsequent 
great  movement  from  Italy  and  Austria-Hungary  was  already  de^•eloping. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


619 


Then  come?  a  20  years'  period  of  peaks  and  depressions,  due  very  largely  to  varying 
.economic  conditions  in  the  United  States,  including  the  hard  times  of  1893;  but  this 
period  is  particularly  interesting  from  an  immigration  viewpoint  because  it  witnessed 
the  rai)id  shifting  of  the  principal  sources  of  our  immigration  from  northern  and  western 
Europe— which  furnished  71  per  cent  of  the  immigrants  in  1882  and  only  21  per  cent 
in  1902 — to  southern  and  eastern  Europe,  which  furnished  11  per  cent  of  the  total  in 
1882  and  75  per  cent  in  1902.  Following  this,  the  wave  increased  until  it  reached  the 
total  of  1,285,349  immigrants  in  1907;  receded  during  the  disturbed  economic  condi- 
tions of  the  following  years,  and  rose  again  to  1,218,480  in  1914,  the  second  highest 
pinnacle.  Then  came' the  World  War,  which  practically  closed  the  floodgates  in  Eu- 
rope, until  in  1918  immigration  reached  the  lowest  level  since  1862. 

Chart  2  shows  the  trend  of  immigration  from  various  countries  during  the  last  100 
years.  It  will  be  noted  that  in  the  beginning  the  great  bulk  of  our  immigrants  came 
from  the  United  Kingdom.  Germany  sent  less  than  1,000  in  1820,  but  later  the  move- 
ment from  that  country  increased  rapidly,  and  during  the  50  years  following  1840 
there  is  a  somewhat  striking  uniformity  in  the  columns  representing  those  two  sources, 
although  the  tide  from  the  United  Kingdom  actually  reached  its  highest  point  in  1851 
and  that  from  Germany  not  until  1882.  During  the  25  years  before  the  outbreak  of  the 
World  War  German  immigration  was  small  and  practically  uniform,  wiiile  that  from 
the  United  Kingdom  has  varied  considerably  from  year  to  year  and  on  the  whole  has 
been  much  larger  than  that  coming  from  Germany.  Immigration  from  Scandinavia 
was  a  much  slower  development,  but  from  1880  to  1900,  and  even  later,  the  column 
representing  it  is  not  greatly  unlike  those  representing  Germany  and  the  United  King- 
dom, although  the  movement  was  very  much  smaller. 

An  interesting  feature  of  chart  2  is  found  in  the  columns  representing  Italy,  Austria- 
Hungary,  and  Russia.  These  begin  at  about  the  same  period  and  follow  very  similar 
outlines  until  since  about  1900  they  overshadow  all  other  countries.  The  columns 
representing  Greece,  Turkey,  and  Mexico  show  somewhat  similar  outlines  but  on  a 
much  smaller  scale,  and  the  same  is  true  of  British  North  America. 

The  following  figures  will  afford  a  convenient  means  of  comparing  immigration  from 
the  six  principal  sources  represented  on  the  chart  during  the  100-year  period  under 
•discussion: 


Country. 


Total  immi- 
gration. 


United  Kingdom !  8,205,675 

Germany :  5, 494, 539 

Italy I  4, 100, 740 

Austria-Hungary I  4, 068, 448 


Per  cent 
of  total. 


24.7 
10.6 
12.4 
12. 3 


Country. 


Total  iinim-i  Percent 
"ration.     1  of  total. 


Russia 

Scandinavia 

Other  countries 


3,311,400 
2, 134, 414 
5,884,887 


10.0 
0.4 
17.7 


In  this  connection  it  may  be  of  interest  to  review  briefly  Federal  laws  for  the  regu- 
lation of  immigration.  Prior  to  1882,  when  the  Federal  Government  first  assumed 
■definite  control  of  immigration,  the  movement  was  practically  unregulated,  although 
.at  times,  particularly  during  the  great  influx  of  the  forties  and  early  fifties,  there  was 
a  strong  demand  for  legislation,  and  while  Congress  gave  some  consideration  to  the 
.sul)ject  it  took  no  action.  Some  of  the  seaboard  States  repeatedly  attempted  to  assume 
some  degree  of  control  over  the  influx  which  poured  through  their  ports,  but  in  most,  if 
not  all,  of  these  cases  their  laws  were  rendered  of  no  avail  by  adverse  court  decisions, 
and  the  plan  v\-as  finally  nullified  by  a  decision  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court, 
which  declared  in  effect  that  the  States  were  without  power  under  the  Constitution  to 
tax  or  otherwise  to  regulate  the  coming  of  passengers  into  the  country.  In  the  same 
decision  the  court  pointedly  suggested  that  Congress  ought  to  assume  and  exercise  full 
control  over  the  subject.  Previous  to  this,  in  1875,  Congress  had  enacted  a  law  pro- 
hibiting the  immigration  of  prostitutes  and  convicts,  but  this  was  especially  aimed  at 
the  importation  of  Chinese  prostitutes,  and  it  was  not  until  1882  that  the  first  general 
immigration  law  was  enacted. 

The  act  of  1882  imposed  a  head  tax  of  50  cents  on  each  alien,  and  excluded  idiots, 
lunatics,  persons  likely  to  Ijecome  a  public  charge,  and  convicts,  except  those  con- 
victed of  political  offenses.  The  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  was  charged  with  executing 
the  act,  but  immediate  control  was  delegated  to  State  boards.  The  importation  of 
laborers  under  contract  was  forbidden  in  the  law  of  1885.  A  general  immigration  law, 
enacted  in  1891,  added  somewhat  to  the  excluded  classes  and  provided  for  inspection 
and  control  by  ['nited  States  oQicers  rather  than  by  boards  made  up  of  State  oflicials. 
This  law  was  amended  in  some  particulars  in  1893,  and  the  acts  of  190;),  1907,  and  that 
of  1917,  which  is  now  in  force,  were  all  general  revision  which  added  to  the  excluded 


620  EMERGENCY   lAIMIGKATlOX    LEGISLATION. 

classes,  increased  the  head  tax,  extended  control  over  th(i  admission  of  immigrantf 
and  the  deportation  of  undesirable  aliens  after  their  landing  in  the  United  States,  until 
under  the  present  law  the  list  of  those  who  are  inadmissible  includes  about  30  more  or 
less  distinct  classes. 

ltsh)iild  be  pointed  out  that,  fundimentally,  the  United  States  immigration  law 
is  bised  on  the  th^^ory  of  selection  rather  th-^in  restriction.  It  is  true  that  the  new  law 
of  1917  increased  somewhat  the  number  of  excluded  classes  and  took  a  long  step  by 
denying  admission  to  illiterates,  but  it  is  still  selective  in  theory,  and  the  fact  that 
illiterates  may  not  come  will  not  prevent  others  from  taking  their  places. 

The  new  law.  however,  provides  safeguards  of  another  nature  which  it  is  hoped  will 
prove  effective.  For  one  thing,  it  seeks  to  prevent  the  promotion  of  immigration  by 
steamship  compmies.  by  imposing  fines  on  the  guilty  and  even  dt^nying  them  the 
right  to  bring  any  immigrants  to  Unit3d  States  ports.  It  also  aims  to  protect  immi- 
grants by  reqiiiring  carriers  to  return  passage  money  paid  bv  certain  classes  of  inad- 
missible aliens,  not  to  the  immigrant  but  to  United  States  officials  for  the  immigrant. 
These  arc  not  directly  restrictive  proA-isions,  but  they  should  prove  highly  beneficial 
in  helping  to  insm'e  that  immigration  shall  be  normal  and  natural  rather  than  stimu- 
lated, and  also  to  insure  that  at  least  some  immigrants  who  can  not  meet  the  test  of 
our  laws  shall  be  saved  the  disappointment  and  cost  of  a  fruitless  voyage  across  the 
ocean. 

Beginning  with  the  fiscal  year  1899,  arriving  aliens  have  been  classified  by  races 
or  peoples  as  well  as  bv  coimtries  of  origin,  thus  affording  a  valuable  record  of  the 
ethnological  status  of  the  foreign  elements  which  are  added  to  oiu-  population,  and 
since  1908  a  detailed  record  has  been  made  of  all  aliens  leaving  the  country,  so  that 
it  is  now  possible  to  determine  to  what  extent  the  various  races  or  peoples  contribute 
to  the  permanent  population. 

The  policy  of  excluding  Chinese  immigration  was  adopted  in  1882  and  is  still  in  force, 
with  the  residt  that  oiir  population  of  that  race  has  steadily  declined;  and  in  1908  the 
passport  agreement  with  Japan,  the  piu'pose  of  which  was  to  prevent  the  coming  of 
laborers  from  that  country,  was  concluded.  In  enacting  the  law  of  1917  Congress 
extended  the  policy  of  excluding  oriental  labor  by  means  of  a  proAdsion  which  in 
effect  bars  immigration  of  this  nature  from  India  and  other  parts  of  the  Orient  not 
already  covered  by  the  Chinese-exclusion  laws  or  the  agreement  with  Japan.  This 
subject  is  discussed  at  some  length  elsewhere  in  this  report.  * 

Review  or  World  Immigration. 

The  ending  of  armed  hostilities  in  Europe  and  the  promised  return  of  normal  con- 
ditions in  the  world  have  naturally  aroused  much  interest  in  the  question  of  future 
immigration,  and  perhaps  no  one  of  the  many  intern.ational  activities  which  have  been 
affected  by  the  great  struggle  presents  a  more  complicated  or  important  situation. 
The  war  has  created  new  immigration  problems,  as  it  has  also  afforded  an  opportunity 
to  view  old  problems  from  a  new  angle,  and  accordingly  it  is  believed  that  the  present 
is  an  appropriate  time  for  reviewing,  in  the  light  of  the  bureau's  experience,  the  world 
situation,  so  far  as  it  may  concern  immigration  to  the  United  States. 

The  discussion  which  follows  deals  largely  with  the  probabilities  of  futm-e  immigra- 
tion from  Europe,  and  the  possible  influence  the  war  may  have  on  its  extent  and 
character.  The  war  has  had  little  or  no  apparent  effect  on  the  situation  so  far  as 
immigration  from  the  Orient  is  concerned,  but  this  subject  is  nevertheless  a  very 
interesting  one,  and  accordingly  the  development  and  present  status  of  the  movement 
from  China,  Japan,  and  other  parts  of  Asia  are  discussed  at  some  length.  Immigration 
from  Canada.  Mexico,  and  other  countries  also  is  considered. 

THE   EUROPEAN   SITUATION. 

During  the  century  for  which  records  of  our  immigration  are  available  approximately 
89  per  cent  of  the  movement  came  from  Europe;  2.4  per  cent  from  Asia,  and  somewhat 
less  than  9  per  cent  from  other  sources.  The  proportion  of  Europeans  varied  somewhat 
at  different  periods,  l)ut  as  a  rule  it  was  more  than  90  per  cent  of  the  total.  Numeri- 
cally, therefore.  Europe  was.  up  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war.  by  far  the  most  prolific 
source  of  our  immigration,  and  undoubtedly  its  preponderance  in  that  respect  will  be 
resumed  when  normal  conditions  are  again  established.  • 

The  history  of  European  immigration  is  a  familiar  one.  but  as  a  basis  for  what  follows, 
a  brief  review  of  the  extent  and  character  of  that  unprecedented  movement  will  not 
be  out  of  place  here. 

As  already  stated,  nearly  90  per  cent  of  all  our  immigration  has  come  from  Europe, 
which  means  in  round   numbers  approximately  30.000,000  souls  during  the  past 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATION"   LEGISLATION.  621 

rentiiry.  The  Ignited  Kingdom  furniphed  the  largest  niiml-er.  approximately 
8,200,000,  of  whom  nearly  4. 350.000  came  from  Ireland,  (lermany  followed  ^vith 
nearly  5, .^00, 000  immigrants,  and  then  come  Italy,  Austria  Hungary.  Russia,  and 
the  Scandinavian  countries  in  the  order  named.  Prior  to  1870  nearly  ail  our  European 
immigrants  came  from  northern  and  western  nations,  which  is  to  say.  Belgium.  France, 
Germany,  the  Netheilands.  Scandinavia,  Switzerland,  and  the  I'nited  Kingdom. 
Up  to  that  time,  in  fact,  approximately  fi. 648. 000  came  from  such  sources,  compared 
with  less  than  70,000  from  other  European  countries,  comprising  Austria-Hungary, 
Bulgaria.  Serbia.  Montenegro.  Greece.  Italy,  Poland,  Portugal,  Rumania.  Russia, 
Spain,  and  Turkey  in  Europe.  Immigration  from  Asiatic  Turkey  is  also  included 
with  the  latter,  as  the  peoples  coming  from  that  source  are  racially  more  closely 
related  to  some  of  the  southeastern  Europeans  than  they  are  to  other  Asiatic  races 
who  have  come  to  this  country  from  the  Far  East.  In  what  folloM's.  therefore,  immi- 
gration from  Turkey  in  Asia  is  included  in  .southern  and  eastern  European  immigration 
without  so  specifNing  in  each  case. 

In  the  decade  1871-1880,  when  in  round  numbers  2,071,000  immigi-ants  came  from 
northern  and  Avestern  Europe,  the  numl>er  from  southern  and  eastern  countries  had 
increased  to  about  201,000.  In  the  next  decade.  18S1-18W,  the  numbers  admitted 
from  these  sources  were  3.770.000  and  960.000.  respectively.  This  is  the  last  decade 
in  which  immigration  from  the  older  sources  was  in  the  majority,  for  in  the  10  years 
1891-1900,  the  northern  and  western  countries  sent  1,644.000  compared  with  a  southern 
and  eastern  European  contribution  of  1.942.000.  A  much  greater  change,  however, 
is  shown  in  the  records  of  the  next  decade  (■1901-1910)  when  6.300.000  came  from 
the  new  sources  and  only  1,911.000  from  the  old,  and  these  proportions  continued 
up  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war  in  1914. 

It  is  a  commonly  known  fact  that  during  the  years  when  this  change  was  taking 
place  in  the  immigrant  tide  the  industrial  life  of  the  United  States  was  also  revolu- 
tionized, and  that  southern  and  eastern  European  immigrants  played  an  important 
part  in  that  unparalleled  development.  In  fact,  the  new  stream  of  immigration 
from  its  beginning  has  been  essentially  a  more  or  less  temporary  movement  to  indus- 
trial centers  and  the  cities,  and  although  the  immigrants  came  mostly  from  the  farms 
of  Europe,  comparatively  few  of  them  have  shown  an  inclination  to  go  to  the  land 
here,  either  on  arrival  or  afterwards.  On  the  contrary,  the  old  immigration  came 
during  a  period  when  agi'icultural  development  was  in  the  ascendency;  was  dis- 
tributed to  nearly  every  part  of  the  country:  went  into  all  branches  of  industry, 
and  as  a  rule  the  immigrants  became  permanent  home  makers. 

In  another  section  of  this  report  there  is  a  brief  review  of  our  immigration  during 
the  past  100  years,  and  in  that  connection  the  development  of  our  laws  upon  the 
subject  is  explained.  It  is  there  pointed  out  that  about  30  more  or  less  distinct 
classes  of  aliens  are  now  debarred  from  the  country.  This  list  includes  all  classes 
of  physical  and  mental  defectives,  moral  delinquents,  anarchists,  laborers  coming 
under  contract,  and  finally,  under  the  new  act.  illiterates;  but  the  law  does  not 
limit  the  number  who  can  come  provided  they  meet  the  prescribed  tests.  Therefore, 
unless  immigration  is  actually  restricted  by  the  United  States  or  emigration  restricted 
or  forbidden  by  European  countries,  the  extent  of  the  movement  in  the  future,  as 
in  the  past,  will  depend  very  largely  on  whether  the  drawing  power  of  this  country 
continues  to  be  greater  than  the  holding  power  of  Europe. 

How  the  situation  will  be  affected  as  a  result  of  war  is  problematical,  and  the  history 
of  our  past  immigration  affords  no  really  substantial  criterion  as  a  basis  for  speculation. 
We  have  no  statistical  data  prior  to  1820  which  would  make  possible  a  survey  of  the 
effect  the  Napoleonic  wars  and  our  second  war  with  England  may  have  had  on  immi- 
gration, but  it  is  said  that  following  1815  there  was  a  sudden  influx  which  reached 
the  then  unprecedented  total  of  17.000  in  1817,  and  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  most  of 
these  came  from  a  nation  with  which  we  had  ju.st  been  at  war.  On  the  other  hand, 
immigration  decreased  following  the  Crimean  War.  but  this  is  readily  attributable 
to  conditions  in  the  I'nited  States  rather  than  to  any  influence  that  that  far-away 
war  may  have  had  on  the  sources  from  which  we  were  then  drawing  immigrants. 

The  Pru.ssian  and  Austrian  war  against  Denmark  and  the  strife  between  Prussia 
and  Austria  which  followed  were  of  brief  duration,  but  these,  with  the  subsequent 
Franco-Prussian  war.  and  the  final  events  in  Italy's  struggle  for  national  unification 
created  a  disturbed  condition  in  Europe  which  affords  at  least  some  grounds  for 
comparison  with  the  present  situation.  The  events  alluded  to  occiuTed  during  the 
period  1864-1871,  so  that  the  time  cohered  was  somewhat  longer  than  in  the  case  of 
the  present  war.  The  countries  directly  affected  were  Austria,  Germany,  France, 
Italy,  and  Denmark,  and  the  following  compilation  will  show  the  trend  of  immigra- 
tioil  from  such  sources  during  the  disturbed  period  and  following  it: 


622 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 
Immigration  from  countries  named,  by  years. 


Year. 

.Viistria- 
Ilungary. 

Germany. 

France. 

Italy. 

Denmark. 

1866 

87 

392 

553 

1,499 

4,425 

4,887 

4, 410 

7,112 

8,850 

7,658 

6,276 

5, 396 

5,150 

5,963 

17,267 

27,935 

29.150 

27,625 

120,218 

124,076 

122,677 

131 ,  (M2 

118,225 

82, 554 

141,109 

149,671 

87,291 

47, 769 

31,937 

29, 298 

29,313 

34,602 

84, 638 

210, 485 

2.50, 630 

194,786 

5,724 

5,8S6 
5,119 
3,879 
4,007 
3, 137 
9,317 
1 1, 798 
9,  (543 
8,321 
8, 002 

1,318 
1,58,5 
1,519 
1,489 
2, 893 
2,816 
4, 190 
8.757 
7,667 
3,631 
3.017 

1,092 

1867 

2,031 

1868 

1,596 

1869 

3,649 

1870 

4,083 

1871 

2,015 

1872     

3,699 

1873 

4,931 

1874 

3,082 

1875 

2,656 

1876 

1,.547 

1877 

5,  8.56               3. 195 

1,695 

1878 

4, 159 
4,655 
4,313 
5,227 
6,003 
4,821 

4,344 
5,791 
12,354 
1.5,401 
32,160 
31,792 

2,105 

1879   

3,474 

1880 

6,576 

1881 

9,117 

1882 

11,618 

1883 

10,319 

It  must  be  confessed  that  there  is  comparatively  little  in  the  foregoing  figures 
which  can  be  confidently  pointed  to  as  indicating  the  effect  the  wars  of  1864-1871 
may  have  had  on  immigration.  In  the  first  place,  the  period  began  toward  the  close 
of  our  own  war  between  the  States,  which  had  stemmed  the  tide  of  European  immi- 
gration for  several  years,  and  a  subsequent  increase  in  the  influx  from  former  sources 
was  oniy  natural.  It  is  also  true  that  during  the  financial  and  industrial  crisis  of  the 
seventies,  immigration  from  all  of  the  countries,  except  Austria-Hungary,  fell  away, 
and,  except  in  the  case  of  France,  increased  sharply  when  favorable  conditions  pre- 
vailed again  in  the  United  States.  However,  the  figures  reveal  some  interesting  and 
po.ssiblv  significant  facts. 

Immigration  from  Germany,  or  rather  from  the  loosely  confederated  States  then 
called  Germany,  had  assumed  great  proportions  following  the  revolution  of  1848, 
reaching  a  total  of  215,000  in  1854;  but  it  fell  to  72,000  in  the  following  year  and  was 
even  much  smaller  until  the  close  of  our  CiA'il  War.  It  reached  a  total  of  131,000  in 
1869  and  of  118,000  in  1870;  dropped  to  82,500  in  the  war  year  of  1871  but  immsdiately 
I'ose  to  140,000  in  the  following  year  and  to  150,000  in  1873.  Turning  to  France,  it 
will  be  noted  that  from  an  average  of  3,600  immigrants  in  the  three  years  1869-1871  the 
influx  rose  to  an  annual  average  of  11,250  in  the  three  years  following  the  conflict. 
These  figures  suggest  that,  in  this  instance  at  least,  war,  regardless  of  victory  or  defeat, 
may  have  been  an  actual  incentive  to  immigration. 

Previous  to  the  period  under  consideration  the  Italian  States  had  never  sent  us 
more  than  a  handful  of  immigrants  in  any  >ear,  buticma_\  be  noted  that  as  soon 
as  the  unity  of  Italy  was  fully  accomplished  the  flow  from  that  country  began  to 
increase,  and  this  increase  continued,  until  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war  it  was  one  of 
the  chief  sources  of  our  immigration.  Thus,  Italy  affords  another  example  where 
victory  was  followed  by  a  great  exodus  of  the  victors.  But  it  will  also  be  noted  that 
Austria,  which  had  feuffi  red  a  severe  defeat  at  the  hands  of  I'russia  in  1866  and  lost 
Venezia  to  Italy,  as  she  had  lost  other  Provinces  a  few  years  previously,  followed  the 
example  of  victorious  Italy  in  the  matter  of  emigration,  for  the  close  of  the  disturbed 
period  under  consideration  witnessed  the  beginning  of  a  mighty  stream  of  overseas 
emigration  from  the  dual  empire  which  continued  undiminished  up  to  ^he  besinnin? 
of  the  world  conflict. 

The  movement  from  Denmark  increased  during  the  late  sixties  and  early  seventies, 
declined  during  our  period  of  depression,  and  rose  again  in  the  eighties,  but  this  was 
true  of  all  Scandinavian  immigration,  and  presumably  it  was  little  inlluenced  by  the 
war  with  Prussia  and  Austria  in  1864. 

Coming  now  to  the;  present  situation,  it  may  be  stated  that  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
World  War  our  immigration  from  Italy,  Austria-Hungary,  and  Kussia.  not  to  mention 
Greece,  the  Balkans,  and  Asiatic  Turke>-,  had  reached  a  stage  which  closely  corre- 
sponded with  the  influx  from  Germain-  in  1871.  That  is  to  say,  the  movement  from 
those  countries  was  at  flood  tide  and  promised  so  to  continue  for  years  to  come,  t'on- 
sequenth',  if  history  rei)eats  itself,  we  ma>  reasonably  expect  a  repetition  of  the  Ger- 
man experience  unless,  of  course,  artificial  barriers  are  erected  either  by  the  coun- 
tries themsehes  or  by  the  United  States.  There  is,  however,  a  highly  important 
factor  which  ])resiimably  affected  Cierman  immigration  only  to  a  limited  degree,  but 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  623 

which  now  must  be  taken  into  account,  and  that  is  the  political  state  in  which  central 
and  eastern  Europe  find  themselves  as  a  result  of  the  war.  This  factor  may  ha^e  a 
powerful  influence  on  future  immigration  from  such  sources,  including  even  Ger- 
many itself. 

Economic  2)ressure  and  political  unrest  and  oppression  are  all  potent  j^romotors  of 
emigration.  The  first,  of  course,  accounts  for  the  greater  part  of  the  enormous  move- 
ment from  Europe  to  the  New  World,  but  the  effect  of  the  German  revolution  of  1848, 
and  other  political  disturl)ances.  in  this  regard  miist  not  be  overlooked,  nor  can  we 
forget  that  oppression,  as  well  as  economic  causes,  was  behind  the  great  Jewish  influx 
from  Kussia  and  Paimania.  At  the  present  time  disturbed  economic  and  political 
conditions  both  prevail  in  intensified  form  over  a  great  part  of  P^m-ope  instead  of  only 
locally  as  in  the  past. 

The  situation  in  the  various  countries  of  Europe,  as  the  bureau  views  it,  may  be 
briefly  stated. 

As  already  pointed  out,  the  first  extensive  immigration  from  Gennany  was  largely 
due  to  political  causes,  while  the  great  OAerseas  movement  from  that  coimtry  follow- 
ing the  Franco-Prussian  War  was  essentially  economic,  and  practically  ceased  with 
the  stabilization  of  conditions  in  that  respect.  But  the  close  of  the  ^^  ar  finds  the  former 
empire  in  the  midst  of  a  crisis  which  involves  both  of  these  factors,  and  it  is  not  unrea- 
sonable to  supi)ose  that  they  will  operate  to  reestablish  Germany  in  the  category  of 
immigrant  furnishing  nations.  On  the  other  hand,  Germany  lost  upward  of  2,6()0,000 
men  in  the  war.  a  loss  which  has  appreciably  decimated  the  age  and  occupational 
groups  from  which  most  inunigration  springs.  Moreover,  it  is  not  impossible  that  the 
classes  which  are  most  prone  to  emigrate  may  see  hope  for  themselves  and  their  chil- 
dren in  the  changed  political  status  of  the  fatherland  and  willingly  endure  the  inci- 
dental hardships  of  reconstruction  on  that  accoisnt.  But  it  is  just  as  reasonable  to 
suppose  that  there  are  many,  perhaps  a  multitude,  of  another  class  in  Germany, 
including  army  and  navy  ofhcers,  landowners,  small  capitalists,  and  others,  upon 
whom  the  burden  of  changed  conditions  will  fall  so  hea-\  ily  that  they  will  resort  to 
emigration  for  relief,  while  still  others  will  be  similarly  influenced  by  the  new  polit- 
ical status  of  the  country.  The  last  mentioned  classes  may  be  deterred  from  emi- 
gi-ating  by  reason  of  inaliility  to  transfer  material  possessions  from  Germany,  but  on 
the  whole  the  bureau  believes  there  will  be  an  increased,  and  perhaps  a  greatly  in- 
creased, emigration  from  that  source,  and  it  also  believes  that  the  tide  will  largely 
set  toward  the  I  nited  States,  just  as  it  did  in  earlier  days. 

The  situation  in  what  was  once  Austria-Hungary  is  bewilderingly  complicated,  and 
it  is  difficult  to  estimate  what  the  effect  on  immigration  may  be.  In  1914 — and  that 
year  was  fairly  typical  of  immigiation  from  Austria-Hungary  in  previous  years- — as 
many  as  10  races  or  peoples  each  contributed  largely  to  the  244,000  who  came  from 
that  Empire.  These  included,  in  round  numbere,  49.000  Poles,  43,700  Mag^-ars, 
35,000  ("roatians  and  Slovenians,  32,000  Ruthenians,  29,000  Germans,  25,300  Slovaks, 
22,000  Rumanians,  20,400  Hebrews,  and  9,300  Bohemians  and  Moravians.  Now  the 
former  Polish  population,  and  the  Jews  as  well,  are  mostly  in  reconstructed  Poland; 
the  Bohemians,  Moravians,  and  Slovaks  are  in  (V.echo-Slovakia:  the  Croatians  and 
Slovenians  are  largely  transferied  to  other  countries,  and  presumably  most  of  the 
Rumanians  in  Hungary  and  the  Ruthenians  will  also  come  under  changed  sover- 
eignty. Therefore,  the  population  of  the  two  countries  is  largely  reduced  to  Germana 
and  Magyars,  the  latter  being  the  native  race  of  Hungary  proper.  There  are  still  a 
good  many  Jews  in  both  countries,  as  well  as  remnants  of  otlier  peoples,  but  in  Austria 
the  Germans  and  in  Hungary  the  Magyars  are  overwhelmingly  predominant.  There 
is  a  considerable  German  element  in  Hungary's  population,  however,  and  in  fact 
the  Germans  in  our  Austro-Hunuarian  immigration  ha^  e  come  larselv  from  Humrarv 
in  recent  years— 86,000  out  of  a  total  of  122,000  in  the  five  years   1910-1014. 

Although  the  boundaries  of  the  Austria  of  the  future  are  not  definitely  determined 
at  this  writing,  population,  as  already  stated,  will  be  predominantly  German,  and  the 
above  figures  indicate  that  they,  like  the  Ciermans  of  the  Fatherland,  haAe  not 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  large  numbers  in  recent  years.  If  current  reports 
may  be  accepted,  however,  the  war  has  left  Austria  in  a  most  distressing  economic 
condition,  and  a  people  so  placed  almost  invariably  seeks  relief  through  emigration. 
On  the  otlier  hand,  a  large  part  of  the  population  of  Austria  is  now  in  the  single  city 
of  Vienna,  and,  »s  a  rule,  the  dwellers  in  great  cities  have  not  emigrated.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  the  population  of  such  cities  is  made  up  largely  of  people  who  went  there  from 
the  country  or  smaller  towns  in  preference  to  emigrating  to  another  land.  HoM'ever, 
if  Vienna,  inider  the  new  order  of  things,  is  to  be  deprived  of  its  former  commanding 
commercial  position  in  central  and  southeastern  Eiu"ope,  it  may  be  expected  that  its 
population  in  large  numbers  will  seek  refuge  elsewhere,  but  whether  the  drift  will  be 
toward  the  United  States  or  to  other  European  countries  is  uncertain,  although  it 


024  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

seems  reasonable  to  expect  that,  in  common  with  the  rural  peoples,  these  city  d^veller8 
may  turn  to  the  New  World  as  a  refu<,'e.  Political  developments  may  also  have  an 
important  effect  on  emimation  from  Austria,  but  the  present  situation  affords  little 
intlication  of  what  may  be  expected  in  that  reu'ard. 

The  population  of  Ilunt^ary  proper  is  much  more  rural  than  that  of  Austria  and  tliere- 
fore  more  likely  to  emi<rrate,  but  what  happens  will  probably  depend  largely  upon 
developments  foUowins;  peace.  Hungary  is  primarily  a;;ricultural,  and  it  is  not  be- 
lieAed  that  this  industry  was  frreatly  demoralized  duriiifr  the  war  or  by  succeeding 
event*!.  This  beinij  the  case,  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  expect  that  when  something 
like  normal  conditions  are  restored  in  central  and  western  Europe,  Hungarian  agri- 
culture will  find  itself  in  a  highly  favorable  position,  and  this  would  normally  act  as 
a  powerful  restraint  to  emigration. 

Turning  to  Russia,  a  still  more  difficult  situation  is  found.  For  many  years  prior 
to  the  war  Russia  had  been  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  our  immigration,  but  it  is  inter- 
esting to  note  that  until  about  1910  comparatively  few  real  Russians  had  come  to  this 
country.  In  1907,  for  example,  when  the  influx  from  Russia  reached  a  total  of  approxi- 
matelv  259,000,  onlv  16,000  pei"sons  of  tlie  Russian  race  were  among  them,  compared 
with,  "in  round  nunibers,  115,000  Hebrews,  73,000  Poles,  25,000  Lithuanians,  14,300 
Finns,  and  13,500  Germans.  In  other  words,  the  real  Russians  represented  only  about 
6  per  cent  of  the  total.  But  in  succeeding  years  the  number  increased,  until  in  1913 
about  48,500,  or  nearly  17  per  cent  of  the  total,  were  of  that  race,  and  investigations 
made  in  the  peasant  \'illages  of  Russia  that  year  convinced  the  bureau  that  unless 
artificially  checked  the  movement  would  eventually  increase  to  enormous  proportions. 
At  present  Russia  is  in  a  state  of  geographic,  economic,  and  political  chaos,  and  the  final 
outcome  can  not  be  foreseen.  Finland  is  now  recognized  as  a  political  entity,  and 
the  same  is  true  of  Poland,  so  that  the  sources  of  perhaps  a  majority  of  the  immigrants 
in  the  past  are  removed  from  Russian  control.  The  so-called  Baltic  States,  which 
contributed  many  German  and  other  immigrants;  Lithuania,  which  sent  Lithuanians 
and  some  so-called  White  Russians:  the  Caucasus  and  Transcaucasus,  whence  came 
a  considerable  number  of  Armenians;  and  soutliwestern  Russia,  now  familiarly  known 
as  the  Ukraine,  which  was  a  source  of  much  Hebrew  and  some  Little  Russian  immi- 
gration, seem  to  be  involved  in  the  general  political  upheaval.  The  remainder  of 
European  Russia,  which,  roughly  speaking,  is  commonly  known  as  Great  Russia,  is 
at  the  moment  largely  included  in  so-called  soviet  Russia.  The  latter  section  has 
furnished  comparatively  few  immigrants  up  to  date,  but  it  is  there  that  the  new 
Russian  movement  before  alluded  to  was  largely  taking  root,  and  it  seems  likely  that 
the  problem  in  the  future  will  largely  involve  the  people  of  tliis  area.  Therefore,  it 
is  apprehended  that  when  peace  is  restored,  no  matter  what  the  outcome  of  existing 
struggles  for  supremacy  in  the  respective  sections  may  be,  the  prewar  tendencies 
among  the  various  peoples  of  the  Russia  of  the  past  to  seek  new  fields  will  be  revived, 
and  in  that  event  we  may  expect  to  see  a  large  immigration  from  that  quarter. 

Next  to  the  L'nited  Kingdom  and  Germany,  Italy  has  furnished  more  immigrants 
to  the  LTnited  States  than  any  other  country,  and  from  the  beginning  the  movement 
has  been  primarily  due  to  economic  causes.  It  is  one  of  the  most  densely  populated 
countries  in  Europe,  and,  owing  to  the  rapid  gro^^th  of  population,  enormous  numbers 
have  been  forced  to  emigrate.  The  United  States  has  attracted  a  majority  of  the 
transoceanic  emigrants,  but  nearly  as  many  have  gone  to  South  Americ?  and  other 
parts  of  the  New  World,  and  large  numbers,  mainly  north  Italians,  have  left  Italy 
every  year  for  a  more  or  less  permanent  stay  in  France  and  Germany,  and  to  some 
extent  in  other  European  countries.  The  annual  exodus  to  France,  in  fact,  became 
so  important  that  before  the  war  a  labor  treaty  for  its  regulation  had  been  entered 
into  between  the  two  Governments.  Part  of  the  movement  to  the  New  World  was 
also  temporary,  and  returning  immigrants  from  both  North  and  South  America  have 
contributed  considerably  to  the  material  upbuilding  of  their  mother  country.  Italy 
lost  heavily  in  m?n  in  the  war,  and  presumably  the  development  of  newlv  acquired 
territory  will  absorb  some  who  would  otherwise  emigrate,  but  over  population  will 
still  prevail,  and  so  it  is  almost  certain  that  there  will  be  a  considerable  emigration 
from  this  source,  both  overseas  and  into  European  co.untries,  in  the  future.  The 
demands  of  reconstruction  in  France,  however,  may  attract  so  many  that  it  will  per- 
ceptibly influence,  for  a  time  at  least,  the  number  going  to  North  and  South  America. 

immigratior  from  Greece  averaged  about  25,000  annually  prior  to  the  war,  and  an 
average  of  about  -1,000  came  during  the  \ears  1915-1917,  bvit  it  fell  to  1,910  in  the 
following  y  ear  and  to  only  3hiG  in  1919.  The  reasons  thai  have  induced  immigration 
from  Italy  account  for  practically  all  of  that  from  Greece,  but  the  bureau  has  no 
authentic  information  as  to  the  effect  war  may  have  on  the  future  development  of 
that  country.  It  is  presumed  that  it  will  accjuire  more  or  less  additional  territory  in 
the  final  settlement  of  European  affairs,  and  possibly  the  overflow  of  population  in 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGEATION   LEGlSLATIOlSr.  625 

Greece  proper  may,  in  the  immediate  future  at  least,  move  eastward  instead  of  west- 
ward, but  the  bureau  looks  for  a  gradual  resumption  of  the  movement  from  that 
source  when  world  conditions  are  again  normal. 

The  Balkan  States,  that  is  to  sav,  Bulgaria,  Serbia,  Montenegro,  and  Roumania, 
have  never  contributed  a  large  volume  of  immigration,  the  average  for  the  seven 
years  prior  to  the  war  being  about  9.000  annualh ,  and  it  never  exceeded  Ifi.lOO, 
the  number  reached  in  1908.  The  Balkans  have  been  in  the  midst  of  war  for  about 
nine  years,  and  it  would  be  strange  if  resulting  conditions  did  not  impel  emigration 
to  anequal  extent  to  if  not  greater  than  that  occurring  in  normal  times.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  Turkey  in  Europe,  a  territory  which  dwindled  to  small  proportions 
as  a  result  of  the  Balkan  wars  and  may  be  further  diminished  in  the  final  settlement 
of  the  world  conflict. 

Turkey  in  Asia  presents  another  example  of  a  country  which  has  contributed  a 
considerable  stream  of  immigration  that  included  few  persons  of  the  country's  domi- 
nant race,  for  of  the  approximately  109,000  coming  from  that  source  in  the  eight  years 
1907-1914,  only  6,000  were  Turks," the  predominant  peoples  being  Armenians,  Greeks, 
and  Syrians.  It  is  perhaps  commonly  l)elieved  that  much  of  the  imniigration  from 
Turkey  in  the  past  was  due  to  oppression  of  the  subject  races  mentioned,  but  the 
bureau  is  convinced  that  it  was  largely  economic,  and  that  unless  that  situation  im- 
proves even  the  political  emancipation  of  the  Armenians,  Syrians,  and  Greeks  will 
^  not  deter  them  from  emigrating.  The  bureau  hesitates  to  predict  what  the  future 
immigration  of  the  real  Turkish  people  may  be.  The  movement  increased  somewhat 
toward  the  end  of  the  eight-year' period  referred  to,  but  the  increase  was  too  small 
to  indicate  any  pronounced  tendency.  However,  the  bureau  apprehends  that,  having 
already  made  a  beginning,  the  Turks  may  become  a  more  important  facrot  in  our 
immigration  from  the  Near  East 

Turning  to  the  newly  created  countries  of  Poland,  Czechoslovakia,  and  Jugoslavia 
the  bureau  finds  it  exceedingly  difficult  to  estimate  the  part  they  may  play  in  future 
immigration.  The  Polish  people  have  contributed  a  considerable  share  of  the  influx 
from  Europe,  and  from  1899,  when  immigration  was  first  recorded  ])y  race  as  well  as 
country  of  origin,  up  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  1,402.695  Polish  immigrants  came 
to  the  "United "states.  In  fact,  during  that  period,  they  led  all  other  peoples  except 
the  South  Italians  and  Hebrews.  Like  most  immigrants,  the  Poles  came  largely  for 
economic  reasons,  but  undoubtedly  dissatisfaction  with  their  political  surroundings 
was  also  an  incentive  of  more  or  less  importance,  and  it  remains  to  be  seen  whether 
the  realization  of  their  long  dream  of  a  restored  Poland  will  keep  them  at  home  in 
the  future.  The  bureau  is  inclined  to  believe  that  while  political  freedom  will  tend 
to  weld  the  Poles  more  closely  to  the  homeland,  other  courses  may  renew  the  flow  of 
immigration  checked  by  war.  Therefore  it  is  thought  the  future  of  Polish  immigra- 
tion will  depend  very  largely  upon  the  material  progress  of  the  reestablished  nation. 
The  same  argument  is  applicable  to  the  Slovaks,  who,  as  subjects  of  Hungary,  ranked 
sixth  among  immigrants  in  point  of  numbers  furnished,  but  who  are  now  united  with 
their  fellow  Czechs  in  the  war-born  nation  of  Czechoslovakia;  and  it  applies  as  well 
to  the  Bohemians,  Croatians,  Slovenians,  and  Finns,  all  of  them  important  immigrant 
races  who  have  ceased,  or  will  soon  cease  to  be  subject  peoples. 

On  the  other  hand,  re\'ising  the  map  of  Europe  will  admittedly  make  subject  peoples 
of  many,  possibly  several  millions,  who  have  hitherto  belonged  to  dominant  races. 
In  this  way  large  groups  of  Germans  will  be  brought  under  Polish,  French,  and  Czecho- 
slovak rule;  many  Russians  will  become  subjects  of  Poland  and  Finland,  and  Aus- 
trians  subjects  of  Italy,  not  to  mention  similar  changes  which  will  occur  in  Russia, 
the  Balkans,  and  in  fact  tlu'oughout  central  and  eastern  Europe  and  the  Near  East. 
How  this  Avill  affect  the  flow  of  immigration  is,  of  coiu'se,  problematical,  Init  it  is  not 
unreasonable  to  expect  that  forcibly  changed  sovereignty  will  be  distasteful  to  many 
of  these  peoples,  perhaps  more  especially  to  the  Germans  who  have  been  transferred 
to  Poland,  and  that  more  or  less  emigration  to  the  homeland  as  well  as  overseas  will 
result. 

The  bureau  does  not  look  for  any  particular  change  in  the  immigration  movement 
from  l^^ance.  It  has  always  been  small,  the  total  admissions  from  that  country  during 
the  100  years  for  which  statistics  are  available  being  only  523,806.  Italy,  Austria- 
Hungary,  and  Russia  each  contributed  a  greater  number  in  the  two  years  just  pre- 
ceding the  war,  1913  and  1914,  than  France  did  during  the  century.  Prosperity,  and 
freedom  from  population  pressure,  kept  the  P'rench  at  home  while  millions  from  other 
countries  crossed  the  seas,  and  with  a  population  heavily  decimated  by  the  recent 
conflict,  it  is  not  believed  that  France  will  become  a  source  of  much  immigration  in 
the  future. 

Immigration  from  Spain  and  Portugal  and  the  island  possessions  of  the  latter  was 
not  particularly  disturbed  during  the  first  years  of  the  war,  but  after  the  United  States 


02G  EMERCENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION, 

cnlcrcd  llic  conllict  it  was  ronsideraMy  rothircd.  Reference  is  made  elpewlierp  to 
the  inereat-ed  movement  from  Spain  since  Ihe  S]>aniF)i-j\merican  \\'ar.  and  tJiis  readied 
its  hif^hest  point  in  1917,  wlien  10. 282  immifjrants  came  from  tliat  counlrv.  The  num- 
ber, however,  fell  to  4,295  in  1918  and  1,57:5  in  1919.  Portugal,  or  rather  the  Portu- 
guese Islands,  is  a  more  important  source  of  im.miijration,  for  since  1899  it  has  fur- 
nished about  l.'iO.COO  compared  with  ahout  78,0(10  coming  from  Spain.  The  Portu- 
guese movement  fell  from  12.259  in  1916  and  9,975  in  1917  to  2,224  and  1,222,  respec- 
tively, in  1918  and  1919.  This  decline  was  no  doulit  largely  due  to  war  conditions, 
but  in  all  probability  the  application  of  the  illiteiacy  test  of  the  act  of  1917  in  the 
last  two  years  was  in  part  responsible,  for  Portuguese  immigi'ants  in  the  past  have 
showed  a  higher  degree  of  illiteracy  tlian  any  other  race.  In  191G,  the  year  before 
the  new  law  became  effective.  58  per  cent  of  our  Portuguese  immigrants  14  years  of 
age  and  above  could  neither  read  nor  write.  Therefore,  the  illiteracy  test  may  liave 
an  im]wrtant  effect  on  this  immigration  in  the  future,  but  other-wise  the  movement 
from  Portugal,  as  well  as  from  Spain,  may  be  expected  to  continue  much  the  same  as 
before  the  war. 

With  regard  to  the  United  Kingdom  the  bureau  believes  we  may  expect  a  continua- 
tion and  perhaps  an  increase  of  immigration  from  that  source.  England  has  long  been 
an  important  emigrant-furnishing  country,  and  while  her  overseas  dorriinions  have 
attracted  the  majority  of  them  in  "recent  times,  the  United  States  has  always  received 
a  generous  share.  On  the  contrary,  this  country  has  always  been  the  chosen  haven 
ofa  large  majority  of  those  leaving  Ireland,  but  this  movement  is  now  little  more 
than  a  sliadow  of  what  it  was  in  earlier  days.  It  is  expected  that  with  the  return  of 
peace  there  will  l)e  a  considerable  movement  of  deferred  immigi-ation  from  the  United 
Kingdom,  as  well  as  from  otlier  countries,  but  it  is  also  true  that  Great  Britain,  like 
the  rest  of  Europe,  is  struggling  under  heavy  war  burdens  and  that  many  of  the  so- 
called  middle  classes,  as  well  as  laborers,  may  resort  to  emigration  as  a  means  of  es- 
caping them. 

So  far  as  the  neutral  countries  are  concerned,  it  is  expected  that  there  will  be  a  coi  - 
siderable  influx  of  the  so-called  deferred  immigration  mentioned  in  connection  with 
the  situation  in  (:lreat  Britain.  Holland  and  Svdtzerland  have  never  contiibuted 
largely  to  the  innnigTant  tide,  and  the  bureau  does  not  look  for  much,  if  any,  change 
of  a  permanent  nature  in  that  regard.  Neither  does  it  look  for  much  change  in  the 
movement  from  the  Scandinavian  countries,  which  have  been  important  sources  in 
the  past,  although  there  will  doubtless  be  more  or  less  deferred  immigi-ation  following 
the  complete  restoration  of  transportation  facilities. 

From  a  general  survey  of  Europe,  therefore,  the  bureau  finds  factors  growing  out  of 
the  war  which  may  retard  immigration  and  other  factors  which  may  promote  it.  On 
the  one  hand,  it  is  found  that  perhaps  8,000,000  men  of  the  age  groups  from  which  most 
immigrants  come  w  ere  lost  in  the  conflict,  while  millions  more  were  maimed  or  dis- 
eased to  an  extent  vrhich  might  make  their  immigration  impossible  under  our  laws. 
On  the  other  hand,  Europe  is  laboring  under  heavy  burdens  which  may  render  it 
difficult  for  those  who  remain  to  make  aliving.  and  the  promised  reduction  of  standing 
armies  and  armaments  will  add  to  the  difficulty  In-  releasing  millions  for  the  pursuits  of 
peace  who  otherwise  would  follow  the  unproductive  pursuits  of  war.  Thus  it  is- 
believed  that  future  immigi-ation  will  depend  primarih-  on  the  ability  of  European 
countries  to  )3rovide  profitable  employment  for  those  who  have  survi\ed  the  war  and 
those  who  hitherto  have  been  occupied  in  the  pursuit  of  war.  The  biireau  finds, 
further,  that  the  realization  of  long-sought  political  freedom  may  at  least  temporarily 
retard  the  immigration  of  various" important  immigrant  peoples,  such  as  the  Poles, 
Slovaks,  and  others,  liut  on  the  contrary  it  is  felt  that  the  forcible  transfer  of  many 
peoples,  like  the  Germans  and  Russians,  to  the  sovereignty  of  Poland  and  other  coun- 
tries may  stimulate  the  immigration  of  such  classes. 

War  weariness,  among  victors  and  vanf|uished  alike,  is  another  factor  which  the 
bureau  believes  may  be  a  powerful  incentive  to  immigration.  It  realizes  that  the 
people  of  Europe  generally  are  tired  of  war  and  as  a  rule  not  inclined  to  believe  that 
permanent  peace  is  now  assured.  They  know  that  their  fathers  and  grandfathers  have 
been  obliged  to  bear  the  burdens  of  recurring  conflicts;  they  themselves  have  repeated 
the  exnerience,  and  now  they  fear  that  their  children  are  destined  to  a  like  inheritance. 
Therefore  many  look  to  this"  country  as  a  land  of  peace,  where  they  and  their  children 
will  be  free  from  the  constant  menace  of  armed  conilicta. 

Taking  up  the  probable  future  attitude  of  the  j)eople  of  enemy  countries  toward 
coming  to  the  United  States,  the  bin-eau  may  refer  to  the  sudden  influx  which  canrie 
from  the  I'nited  Kingdom  following  our  second  war  with  England  and  the  increase  in 
Spanish  immigration  since  1898  as  an  indication  that  such  differences  are  soon  for- 
gotten by  the  immigrant  classes.  It  may  be  pointed  out  that  during  the  entire  period 
from  1820  to  1898  our  total  immigration"  from  Spain  amounted  to  somewhat  less  than* 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  627 

41,000,  while  more  than  78,000  have  come  from  that  country  in  1899-1 919.  Judging: 
from  this  experience  and  also  from  reports  of  observers  who  have  visited  Germany 
since  the  armistice,  the  bureau  is  convinced  that  such  animosity  as  exists  toward  the 
United  Btates  as  an  enemy  will  not  in  itself  seriously  deter  immigration  from  that 
coantr>%  or  Austria  and  Hungary  as  well,  after  the  friendly  influences  of  commerce  are 
again  in  oj/eration. 

Another  condition  which  may  play  an  important  part  in  our  future  immigration  from 
Europe  is  the  position  in  which  the  Jewish  peoples  in  various  countries  find  them- 
selves as  a  result  of  war-changed  sovereignty.  Russia  has  long  been  the  chief  source 
of  our  Jewish  immigration,  for  out  of  a  total  influx  of  1,480,000  of  this  people  during  the 
16  years  1899-1914,  1,066,000  came  from  that  country.  A  large  part  of  this  immigration 
originated  in  what  is  now  Poland,  and  if  the  conflicting  reports  concerning  recent  anti- 
Semitic  outbreaks  in  that  country  are  even  in  part  true,  it  will  be  perhaps  even  greater 
than  it  was  under  the  fonner  Russian  control.  There  are  conflicting  reports  also  con- 
cerning the  status  of  the  Jews  in  othei«parts  of  Russia.  It  is  knoAvn  that  after  the  revo- 
lution thev  were  given  freedom  to  leave  the  Jewish  pale,  and  even  before  that  many 
had  been  forced  from  their  usual  habitations  into  the  interior  of  Russia.  It  is  also  re- 
ported that  they  share  v.-ith  other  jeopl?s  such  political  liberty  as  the  present  Soviet 
Government  affords.  On  the  other  hand,  a  large  part  of  the  Jews  in  Russia  are  subject 
to  the  shifting  fortunes  of  the  so-called  Government  of  the  Ukraine,  and  reports  of 
anti-Semitic  outbreaks  have  also  come  fi-om  that  section.  If  peace  brings  them  equality 
of  rights,  choice  of  residence,  and  religious  freedom,  it  is  felt  that  the  Jews  may  become 
peniianently  absorbed  into  the  population,  but  unless  these  things  are  realized  tfap 
bureau  looks  for  another  and  even  greater  exodus  than  has  occurred  in  the  past. 

In  the  foregoing  the  bureau  has  considered  the  general  aspect  of  the  emigration 
situation  in  Europe  wdthout  reference  to  the  subject  of  legal  control  on  the  part  of  the 
United  States  or  the  possibility  of  regulation  on  the  part  of  European  countries.  It 
has  been  suggested  that  the  warring  countries  might  forbid  or  restrict  emigration  in 
order  to  prevent  their  people  from  escaping  the  burdens  of  war  and  reconstruction, 
but  heretofore  nations  have  almost  invariably  recognized  the  right  of  emigration. 
Theoretically,  Russia  did  not  recognize  the  right  of  her  people  to  leave  that  country 
and  reside  iii  a  foreign  domain,  but  the  fact  that  for  many  years  it  was  one  of  the 
chief  sources  of  our  immigration  proves  that  the  law  was  essentially  a  dead  letter. 
The  bureau  anticipates  that  restraint  may  be  attempted  in  some  cases,  but  it  does  not 
look  for  an  actual  denial  of  the  right  of  emigration  by  any  nation.  It  expects  and 
hopes,  however,  that  the  nations  generally  will  prevent  the  promotion  of  emigration 
by  transportation  and  other  agencies,  a  practice  which  flourished  in  some  countries 
prior  to  the  war.  Germany  may  be  cited  as  a  country  which  did  not  permit  such 
promotion,  and  it  is  believed  that  the  small  emigration  from  that  countrj-  partially 
resulted  fi-om  such  inhibition. 

Some  concern  has  been  caused  by  the  recent  revival  of  alien  emigration  from  the 
United  States,  quite  forgetful  of  the  fact  that  emigration  is  no  new  thing,  for  between 
1908,  when  official  records  of  outgoing  aliens  begin,  and  the  outbreak  of  the  war, 
36  aliens  left  the  country  for  every  100  admitted,  while  records  of  the  Transatlantic 
Passenger  Association  show  that  during  the  22  years  1899-1910  as  many  as  37  steerage 
passengers  were  carried  from  the  United  States  to  Europe  for  every  100  brought  in 
the  opposite  direction.  During  the  5  years  of  war  530,000  aliens  returned  to  Europe, 
whereas  tlie  normal  movement,  based  on  previous  experience,  would  have  been  in 
the  vicinity  of  1,500,000,  and  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  many  more  whose  home- 
going  has  been  deferred  will  depart  whenever  ocean  passage  is  available.  That 
many  should  desire  to  go  to  their  native  lands  to  visit  relatives,  look  after  property, 
or  to  bring  over  their  families  is  only  natural,  and  following  the  signing  of  the  armistice 
there  was  an  indication  that  an  exodus  of  this  nature  would  occur.  Reports  which 
have  reached  the  bureau,  however,  indicate  that  disturbed  conditions  in  Europe 
have  led  many,  to  postpone  if  not  to  abandon  such  purpose. 

THE    ASIATIC    SITUATION'. 

The  record  shows  that  a  single  immigrant  from  China  arrived  in  1820,  the  first  year 
covered  by  our  immigration  statistics,  and  that  up  to  and  including  the  year  1853 
a  total  of  only  88  came  from  that  countrj-.  But  the  foUoAving  year  witnessed  the  real 
beginning  of  What  was  to  be  the  first  race  problem  in  the  West,  for  in  1854  immigra- 
tion from  China  amounted  to  13,100  souls.  The  discovery  of  gold  in  California, 
which  attracted  people  from  nearly  everj-  country  in  the  world,  brought  the  Chinaman 
also.  The  influx  was  practically  unrestricted  for  30  years,  and  during  that  period 
(1854-1883)  more  than  288,000,  or  an  average  of  9,600  a  year,  arrived.     But  the  im- 

26911— 21— FT  13 4 


628  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

migration  Avas  checked  as  suddenly  as  it  began,  with  the  adoption  of  exclusion,  for 
in  1884  only  279  and  in  1885  only  22  immigrants  from  China  ^vere  admitted.  During 
the  35  years  since  the  first  exclusion  law  became  fully  effective —that  is,  from  1884 
to  1910— the  total  immigration  from  that  country  has  been,  in  round  numbers,  56,500, 
or  an  annual  average  of  about  1,G00,  showang  that  exclusion  measures  have  materially 
reduced  the  number.  As  shown  by  statistics,  during  the  12  years  (1908-1919)  that 
records  of  emigration  as  well  as  immigration  have  been  kept,  the  number  of  aliens 
departing  for  (^hina  has  slightly  exceeded  the  number  admitted  from  that  source. 
It  is  also  interesting  to  note  that,  according  to  census  records,  the  number  of  Chinese 
in  the  United  States  has  decreased  quite  rapidly  in  recent  decades,  as  the  following 
figures  gi^■ing  th.e  number  of  natives  of  China  in  our  population  at  various  census 
periods  will  show: 


1860 35,565 

1870 63,042 

1880 104, 468 


1890 106,  701 

190Q 81,534 

1910 56,756 


It  may  be  expected  that  the  census  of  1920  will  re\'eal  a  further  decrease,  for.  as 
already  stated,  emigration  has  exceeded  immigration,  and,  a  ereat  jiart  of  our  Chinese 
population  being  of  advanced  age,  the  decrease  by  death  has  doubtless  been  com- 
paratively heavy.  This  should  be  the  natural  result,  but  os  failure  to  be  enrolled  has 
not  constituted  an  offense,  or  cause,  in  case  of  aliens,  for  dej'ortation,  there  is  no 
question  that  more  of  this  people,  and  those  hereafter  mentioned  in  this  subdi\asion. 
are  in  the  country  than  were  listed  on  the  respecti^'e  decennial  census  rolls. 

The  story  of  how  Chinese  exclusion  was  brought  aboiit  is  an  interesting  one.  .\s 
earlv  as  1852,  even  before  the  larger  movement  began,  the  go\ernor  of  California 
advised  that  Chinese  coolie  immigration  be  restricted,  and  in  1S55  the  State  legisla- 
ture enacted  a  law  imposing  a  head  tax  of  S55  on  every  immigrant  of  that  race.  This 
was  followed  in  1858  by  a  law  forbidding  Chinese  or  Mongolians  to  enter  the  State, 
and  later  by  other  restrictive  enactments,  but  all  such  legislation  was  declared  uncon- 
stitutional" bv  the  California  Supreme  Court,  and  finally,  in  1S76,  by  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  tTnited  States. 

After  this  decision  the  people  of  the  Pacific  Coast  States  turned  earnestly  to  Congress 
for  relief.  A  congressional  inquiry  took  place  in  1876-77;  the  California  Ledslature 
appealed  to  the  Ts'ational  Government  in  1877  and  1878,  and  Pacific  coast  Members 
made  a  vigorous  effort  for  exclusion  legislation.  In  1879  Congress  passed  a  bill  lim- 
iting the  number  of  Chinese  who  could  come  to  the  United  States  in  any  one  ve?sel 
to  lo,  and  repealing  the  favored-nation  clause  in  the  Burlingame  treaty  of  1868.  which 
pro\'ided  for  free  immigi-ation  and  emigration  between  China  and  the  United  States, 
but  President  Hayes  vetoed  the  measure. 

In  1880  anotlier  treaty  was  concluded  with  Cliina  which  gave  the  United  States  the 
right  to  "regulate,  limit,  or  suspend ''  the  immigration  of  (  liinese  laborers,  but  not  to 
"absolutely  prohibit  it  "'  In  1882  Congress  sought  to  take  advantage  of  the  new 
treaty's  prmisions  and  passed  a  bill  suspending  the  immigration  of  Chinese  laborers 
for  20  years;  this  was  vetoed  by  President  Arthur.  Later  in  the  same  year,  however, 
a  bill  providing  for  a  10  years'  suspension  of  such  immigration,  but  giN-ins:  the  right 
of  reentry  to  Chinese  lawfully  in  the  United  States,  became  a  law,  and  in  1884  another 
law  was  enacted  which  strengthened  the  law  of  1882  in  some  particulars. 

In  1886  China  indicated  a  desire  to  negotiate  a  treaty  to  prohibit  the  emigration  of 
Chinese  laborers  to  the  United  States,  even  including  laborers  who  had  been  in  this 
country  and  returned  to  China.  Such  a  treaty  was  drawn,  and  signed  oii  March  12, 
1888,  its  provisions  being  that  Chinese  laborers" should  l)e  excluded  for  20  years,  and 
that  those  who  returned  to  China  would  not  be  permitted  to  reenter  unless  thev  had 
left  in  the  United  States  a  wife,  child,  parent,  or  property  to  the  value  of  ?1,000. 
An  effort  was  made  to  enact  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  into  law  in  an  act  approved 
September  13,  1888.  but  Cliina's  linal  refusal  to  ratify  the  comjiact  without  amend- 
ments nuUided  its  vital  parts,  and  as  a  result  the  Scott  law  of  October  1,  18S,8,  was 
passed,  which  closed  the  doors  even  against  returning  Uhijiese,  so  that  ]-)ractically 
complete  exclusion  was  then  pro\-ided.  In  1892  the  famous  Geary  Act  was  enacted 
which  extended  the  exclusion  act  of  1882  for  another  10  years,  and  made  various 
amendments  and  Uiaterial  additions,  including  a  J)ro^•ision  requiring  the  registration 
of  all  ('liinese  laborers  within  a  certain  period. 

Following  this  legislation,  China  again  opened  negotiations  for  a  new  compact, 
\\dth  the  result  that  on  December  8,  1891,  a  treaty  was  proclaimed  wliirh  jirovided 
for  the  exclusion  of  all  Chinese  laborers  for  10  years,  except  returning  laborers  having 
a  wife,  child,  parent,  or  proj^erty  worth  $1,000  in  this  country,  thus  iiullif\-ing  the 
drastic  proxisions  of  the  Scott  law  of  1888,  which  refused  departing  Chinese  of  every 
class  the  right  to  return. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  629 

In  1902  a  law  was  enacted  which  extended  all  Chinese-exclusion  laws  then  exist- 
ing, including  the  Geary  Act,  "without  modification,  limitation,  or  condition,"  and 
in  1904  such  laws  were  made  applicable  to  the  insular  possessions,  and  Chinese  immi- 
gration from  such  possessions  to  the  mainland  or  from  one  island  grouji  to  another 
was  jjrohibited. 

The  only  classes  of  Chinese  aliens  now  admissible  to  the  United  States  are  teachers, 
students,  travelers  for  curiosity  or  pleasure,  merchants  and  their  lawful  wives  and 
minor  children,  officials  of  the"  Chinese  Government  and  their  body  and  household 
servants,  persons  holding  return  certificates,  persons  passing  in  transit  to  sorne  foreign 
country,  and  those  whose  physical  condition  necessitates  immediate  hospital  treat- 
ment. During  the  fairly  typical  year  of  1918,  when  1,576  Chinese  immigrants  were 
admitted,  the  principal  occupations  represented  were  as  follows:  Professional  pursuits 
(JO,  laborers  127,  merchants  and  dealers  5t)4,  servants  17,  miscellaneous  477,  and  of 
such  as  gave  no  occupation,  including  women  and  children,  331. 

Chinese  women  have  never  come  to  the  United  States  in  great  numbers  and  in 
1882,  when  the  influx  from  China  reached  its  highest  point  only  116  females  were 
among  the  39,579  immigrants  arriving.  The  proportion  of  women  in  recent  years 
has  been  larger  than  formerly,  but  the  average  annual  admissions  are  now  only  about 
260,  and  according  to  the  census  of  1910  the  population  of  continental  United  States 
included  only  1,788  females  who  were  born  in  China,  and  a  few  of  these  were  not  of 
the  Chinese  race.  Putting  it  in  another  way,  there  were  in  1910,  3,074  males  to  every 
100  females  in  our  Chinese-born  population.  Xo  other  people  showed  such  a  wide 
disparity  in  this  regard,  the  nearest  competitors  being  the  ^Montenegrins  with  1,833, 
and  the  Bulgarians  and  Greeks  with,  respectively,  1,540  and  1,193  males  to  every  100 
females,  while  among  oriental  peoples  other  than  Chinese,  the  Japanese  showed  870, 
and  natives  of  India,  427  males  per  100  females.  This  lack  of  women  is  obviously  an 
important  factor  in  the  situation  because  it  insures  a  slow  increase  in  the  native-born 
Chinese  population. 

Turning  to  the  more  recent  movement  from  Japan,  it  is  interesting  to  note  the 
trend  of  such  immigration  before  and  after  the  adoption  of  the  so-called  passport 
agreement  under  which  the  admission  of  Japanese  to  continental  United  States  has 
been  regulated  during  the  past  11  years. 

Japan  appears  in  our  immigration  statistics  for  the  first  time  in  1861,  when  one 
person  was  admitted  from  that  country,  but  the  movement  did  not  become  important 
until  much  later,  as  the  following  record  of  admissions  by  decades  since  1860  will  show: 

1890-1899 13, 998 

1900-1909 139,  712 

1910-1919 77, 125 


1860-1869 137 

1870-1879 193 

I880-I889 1,583 


The  census  records  mention  Japan  for  the  first  time  in  1870,  and  the  number  of 
natives  of  that  country  in  the  United  States  at  that  and  subsequent  census  periods 
was  as  follows: 

1870 73    I    1900 24,788 

1880 401       1910 67,744 

1890 2,292    I 

The  above  immigration  figures  include  the  movement  to  Hawaii  as  well  as  to  the 
mainland  since  1900,  while  the  census  figures  relate  only  to  continental  United  States. 
The  number  of  native-born  and  foreign-born  persons  of  the  Japanese  race  in  Hawaii 
in  1900  and  1910  follows: 


1900 

1910 

Born  in  Hawaii 

4,  SSI 
56,230 

19,889 

Foreign  born 

59,786 

Total. 


79,675 


The  immigration  statistics  above  presented  include  persons  of  all  races  or  peoples 
coming  from  Japan,  but  practically  all  were  Japanese.  Since  1899,  as  previously 
explained,  all  immigration  has  been  recorded  according  to  ethnological  status,  as  well 
as  by  country  of  origin,  and  what  follows  concerns  persons  of  the  Japanese  race  only. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  passport  agreement,  which  was  made  in  1907,  pro- 
vides, in  effect,  that  Japan  will  not  issue  passports  good  for  continental  United  States 
to  laborers,  unless  such  laborers  are  coming  to  resume  a  formerly  acquired  domicile; 
to  join  a  parent,  husband,  or  children,  or  to  assume  active  control  of  an  already  pes- 


630  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

aessed  interest  in  a  farming  enterprise  in  this  country.  While  tlie  agreement  relates 
only  to  immigration  to  continental  United  States,  Japan  soon  voluntarily  extended 
the  same  provisions  to  the  movement  to  Hawaii,  so  tliat  in  effect  all  immigration  of 
.Japanese  laborers  is  subject  to  its  terms.  Nonlaborers,  of  course,  are  not  affected 
and  are  free  to  come  and  go  under  the  same  conditions  wliich  o})tain  in  tlie  case  of 
aliens  of  other  nationalities. 

During  the  10  years  prior  to  the  agreement,  or  during  1899-1908,  a  total  of  142,r)56 
.Tapane.se  immigrants  were  admitted  to  the  United  States  and  Hawaii,  compared  with 
80, .532  admitted  in  the  11  years  1909-1919,  and  while  there  has  been  a  considerable 
numerical  reduction  in  the  influx  under  the  agreement,  there  is  still  a  considerable 
immigration  from  .Japan.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  only  possible  to  conjecture  what 
the  extent  of  such  immigration  might  have  been  had  it  not  been  for  the  restraining 
effects  of  the  agreement.  .Japanese  immigration  reached  the  high-water  mark  in  1907, 
when  .30,824  of  that  race  were  admitted,  and  it  is  altogether  probal)le  that  in  the  absence 
of  some  restrictive  measure  it  would  have  continued  and  very  likely  increased,  parti- 
cularly during  the  years  when  the  influx  from  Europe  was  so  greatly  reduced  by  the 
war. 

In  1909,  the  first  full  year  under  the  agreement,  only  1,-590  Japanese  were  admitted 
to  continental  United  States,  but  the  num})er  increased  (juite  regularly  year  by  year, 
until  it  reached  7,671  in  1919.  Immigration  to  Hawaii  has  fluctuated  considerably 
during  the  period  since  the  agi'eement,  1,679  being  admitted  in  1909,  4,062  in  1914, 
and  2,385  in  1919.  The  influx  as  a  whole — that  is,  to  Hawaii  and  the  mainland  com- 
bined— increased  from  3,275  in  1909  to  10,056  in  1919,  or  more  than  threefold.  Con- 
sidering the  two  periods  of  time  in  another  manner,  it  is  pointed  out  that  the  annual 
average  Japanese  immigration  to  continental  United  States  during  the  10  years  prior 
to  the  agi-eement  was  7,261,  compared  to  an  annual  average  of  4,(i70  in  the  11  years 
following.  The  average  annual  admissions  to  Hawaii  during  the  same  periods  were 
10,006  and  2,651.  respectively,  and  to  the  United  States  and  Hawaii  together,  17,267 
and  7,321,  respectively. 

The  Pacific  Coast  States  continue  to  'oe  the  destination  of  nearly  all  Japanese  im- 
migiants,  and  82.5  per  cent  of  those  admitted  to  the  mainland  since  1909  expressed 
the  intention  to  reside  there,  compared  with  88.5  during  the  preagreement  period. 
California  is  far  in  the  lead  of  other  States,  as  shown  Ity  the  fact  that  prior  to  the  agree- 
ment 44.9  per  cent  were  destined  to  that  State,  compared  to  62.1  per  cent  during  the 
past  11  vears.  On  the  other  hand,  the  proportion  destined  to  Washington  decreased 
from  37.1  per  cent  of  the  whole  in  1899-1908  to  16.1  per  cent  in  1909-1919. 

The  discussion  up  to  this  point  has  concerned  only  that  class  of  alien  arrivals  known 
as  ■■  immigrant  aliens, ' '  or  aliens  whose  permanent  domicile  has  bepn  in  another  country 
and  who  intend  to  reside  permanently  in  the  United  States,  Ijut  the  number  of  Japanese 
admitted  to  the  mainland  and  Hawaii  during  the  past  11  years  also  includes  36,196 
persons — 31,534  males  and  4.662  females — who  were  classed  as  'nonimmigrant  aliens." 
This  latter  class  is  made  up  of  aliens  making  a  temporary  visit  to  the  t  nited  States 
and  alien  residents  of  the  United  States  returning  from  such  a  visit  abroad,  and  there- 
fore not  classed  as  immigrants.  Aliens  departing  from  the  United  States  arc  likewise 
divided  into  two  classes,  known  as  emiy:rant  aliens  and  nonemigrant  aliens;  the  former 
including  permanent  alien  residents  of  the  I'nited  States  who  intend  to  reside  per- 
manent'y  abroad,  while  the  nonemigrants  include  resident  aliens  making  a  temporary 
trip  abroad  and  aliens  leaving  the  country  after  a  temporary-  visit. 

It  is  a  noticeaJile  fact  that  the  comparatively  large  influx  of  Japanese  since  the 
agreement  is  in  a  great  measiue  due  lo  the  increased  immigration  of  women.  This 
is  clerly  brought  out  by  published  statistics,  which  show  that  122.293  males  were 
admitted  during  the  preagreement  period,  compared  with  oidy  33.510  admitted  under 
the  agreement,  while  the  total  number  of  females  coming  in  these  two  periods  was 
20,:'6.i  in  1899-1908,  and  80,.5:^2  in  1909-1919.  Resorting  again  to  amuial  averages, 
it  is  .slunvn  that  before  the  agreement  tlie  average  number  of  .Japanese  females  entering 
continental  United  States  each  year  was  only  688.  but  the  average  increased  to  2.567 
during  the  agreement.  In  the  case  of  Hawaii  the  average  annual  number  of  females 
admitted  was  1,926  before,  and  1.708  after,  the  agreement,  and  for  the  mainland  and 
Hawaii  ccmbined,  2.614  prior  to  the  agreement  and  4.275  afterwards. 

The  total  number  of  Japanese  aliens,  immigrant  and  noiiimmigrant.  admitted  to 
Hawaii  and  the  mainland  in  1909-1919  was  116.728  and  the  total  number  of  emigrant 
and  nonemigrant  aliens  leaving  was  97,849,  showing  an  excess  of  arrivals  over  ilepar- 
tures  of  18,879.  In  this  connection  it  may  be  noted  that  13.579  more  males  departed 
than  arrived  during  the  period,  while  among  females  the  excess  of  arrivals  over  depar- 
tures was  32.458. 

The  increased  number  of  women  is  not  considered  surprising  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  agreement  lea^  es  Japan  free  to  grant  passports  to  women  coming  to  join  husbands, 


EMERGENCY   IMMKiRATlON   LE(iISLATIOX.  631 

although  audi  women  may  be  of  the  lal)oring  class  and  may  become  laborers  here. 
In  this  connection,  it  may  be  pointed  out  that  by  far  the  largest  number  of  the  women 
thus  admitted  under  the  terms  of  tlie  agreement  are  of  the  class  usually  known  as 
"picture  brides,"  and  are  alleged  to  be  the  wives  of  Japanese  men  already  in  the 
United  States. 

Previous  to  May  5,  1917,  if  such  female  apj)licants  were  otherwise  admissible  under 
the  general  terms  of  the  immigration  law  then  in  force  and  they  presented  passports 
issued  under  the  agreement,  admission  followed  only  after  the  performance  of  a  mar- 
riage ceremony  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  this  country.  This,  in  effect,  allowed 
such  a  bride,  while  in  an  immigration  station  at  a  United  States  port,  to  qualify  as  the 
wife  of  a  resident  of  the  United  States  in  order  to  become  admissible  under  our  immi- 
gration laws — something  not  contemplated  either  by  its  spirit  or  letter.  In  other 
words,  a  woman,  no  matter  whence  she  might  colne,  arriving  at  one  of  our  ports  without 
possessing  the  qualifications  required  by  our  law  for  entry,  might  qualify  by  being 
permitted  to  do  after  arrival  that  which  as  one  of  the  necessary  elements  for  admission 
should  have  been  a  fact  before  arrival.  This  practice  was  not  satisfactory  either  to  the 
department  or  to  the  bureau.  It  became  the  subject  of  continued  study,  and  when 
the  present  immigration  act  containing  the  illiteracy  test  was  passed,  it  became 
imperative  on  or  before  the  taking  effect  thereof  (May  5,  1917) — ^as  a  percentage  of  the 
women  who  applied  for  admission  as  such  wives  had  been  found  to  be  illiterate — 
to  fix  the  legal  status  of  these  so-called  picture  marriages. 

In  the  absence  of  treaty  provisions  the  validity  of  such  a  marriage  is  to  be  determined 
by  the  law  of  the  place  where  it  is  contracted  or  celebrated,  and  if  Aalid  there  it  will, 
generally,  be  regarded  as  Aalid  in  any  State  or  j::ountry  in  which  the  parties  may 
subsequently  reside,  although  invalid  under  the  law  of  the  subsecjuent  domicile  if 
contracted  or  celebrated  there. 

It  therefore  became  necessary  to  ascertain  what  was  the  law  of  Japan  upon  the 
subject,  and  whether  that  nation  provided  for  and  made  legal  a  marriage  contracted 
while  one  party  to  the  marriage  was  living  there  on  the  date  of  the  marriage  and  the 
other  at  the  time  was  actually  in  a  foreign  jurisdiction.  The  department  and  the 
Bureau  of  Immigration  accordingly  made  extensive  investigations,  as  a  result  of  which 
it  was  learned  upon  high  authority  that  the  Japanese  law  proAides  for  the  complete 
legalization  of  the  marriage  ceremony  upon  official  notification  by  the  contracting 
parties  and  their  witnesses  to  the  Government  registrar;  that  this  notification  may  be 
either  oral  or  in  writing,  and  if  the  latter  is  the  case,  it  is  not  necessary  that  the  parties 
appear  personally  before  the  registrar,  but  the  notification  to  him  ma^-  be  made  by  a 
duly  signed  and  sealed  document,  the  place  of  actual  residence  of  the  parties  not  being 
material;  that  under  this  law  it  is  possible  for  a  Japanese  man  residing  in  the  United 
States  to  contract  a  valid  marriage  ■ndth  a  woman  residing  in  Japan  by  giAing  official 
notification  to  the  registrar  in  that  country  in  writing  over  his  personal  signature 
and  seal:  that  the  woman  who  becomes  a  party  to  a  marriage  of  this  kind  is  always 
furnished  with  a  certified  copy  of  the  family  registry,  attesting  the  marriage,  upon 
which  document  the  Japanese  Government  issues  to  her  a  passport  as  the  wife  of  a 
Japanese  resident  of  the  United  States.  Accordingly  the  department  (May  5,  1917), 
adopted  the  follo\\ang  rule  of  administration: 

"That  the  validity  of  these  marriages  be  recognized,  unless  or  until  it  is  definitely 
shown  tha,t  they  are  not  legal  marriages  under  the  laws  of  Japan,  or  until  it  satisfactorily 
appears  that  the  residence  in  the  United  States  of  one  of  the  parties  brings  the  con- 
summation of  the  marriage  ceremony  within  the  jurisdiction  of  our  laws;  that  proof  of 
such  marriages  be  required,  not  only  by  a  certified  record  of  the  registrar  but  also  by 
a  certified  copy  of  the  notification  of  marriage  made  out  by  the  party  to  the  same  li"\dng 
in  the  United  States;  and  that  marriages  at  our  ports  be  prohibited.  " 

In  pursuance  of  this  rule  passports  issued  to  %vives  of  Japanese  as  above  indicated 
are  accepted,  unless  fraud  or  mistake  in  their  issuance  or  presentation  to  immigra- 
tion officers  is  made  to  appear,  and  marriages  at  our  ports  nave  not  since  been  per- 
mitted.' 

It  remains  to  be  said  that  after  11  years  of  experience  the  bureau  is  of  the  opinion 
that,  while  the  operation  of  the  agreement  has  kept  the  immigration  of  laborers  at  a 
much  lower  point  than  otherwise  would  have  been  the  case,  it  has  not  brought  the 
degree  of  restriction  which  might  have  been,  and  probably  was,  anticipated  by  those 
who  took  part  in  its  negotiation.  This  result,  in  the  main,  grows  out  of  the  terms  of 
the  agreement,  rather  than  the  manner  of  its  observance  by  the  governmental  author- 
ities intrusted  Avith  its  administration. 

1  Information  recently  received  by  the  bureau  is  to  the  effect  that  it  is  alleged  Spain  and  Portugal  allow 
the  marriage  of  a  resident  of  one  of  those  countries  with  a  resident  of  a  foreign  country  by  permitting 
representation  of  the  latter  by  an  attorney  in  fact  appointed  by  power  of  attorney. 


632  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

THE    ASIATIC    BARRED    ZONK. 

The  Panifio  Coast  States  were  for  a  time  face  to  face  with  an  influx  of  East  Indian 
laborers  which,  if  it  had  not  been  checked,  wonld  have  created  another  serious  prob- 
lem. Nine  immitrrants  of  this  race  were  admitted  in  the  year  1900,  but  the  number 
increased  until  in  1910  it  had  reached  1,782.  This  was  not  a  larcre  number  as  immi- 
gration goes,  but  the  coast  States  had  seen  other  oriental  immigration  begin  in  a 
small  way  and  develop  to  large  proportions.  Insistent  demands  for  exclusion  were 
made,  and  the  Immigration  Service  utilized  the  then  existing  law  to  the  fullest  ex- 
tent in  an  effort  to  check  the  incipient  movement  until  some  means  of  stopping  it 
altogether  could  be  found.  These  efforts  met  with  some  measure  of  success,  for  the 
number  admitted  in  1911  was  only  517,  compared  with  1,782  in  the  previous  year, 
while  in  the  next  six  years  (1912-1917)  a  total  of  only  750  came.  During  this  period 
Canada  also  restricted  the  immigration  of  East  Indiansto  a  very  small  numl^er  annually, 
and  th?  attitude  of  the  Dominion  helped  materially  to  reduce  the  number  coming 
to  the  United  States,  for  it  undoubtedly  served  to  discourage  the  promoters  of  the 
movement  from  India  to  the  western  world. 

Various  laws  were  proposed  as  a  barrier  against  possible  future  immigration  from 
India  and  this  was  finally  accomplished  through  the  so-called  "barred  zone"  pro- 
vision in  section  3  of  the  immigration  act  of  February  5,  1917.  This  proAasion  ex- 
cludes from  the  United  States  natives  of  the  territory  included  within  such  zone 
not  belonging  to  the  exempted  classes  specified.  The  zone  includes  India,  Siam, 
Indo-China,  parts  of  Siberia,  Afghanistan,  and  Arabia,  the  islands  of  .lava,  Sumatra, 
Ceylon,  Borneo,  New  Guinea,  Celebes,  and  various  lesser  groups,  with  an  estimated 
population  of  500.000,000.  The  exempt  classes  consist  of  governmental  officials, 
travelers  for  curiosity  or  pleasure,  and  persons  of  certain  specified  professional  classes, 
so  that,  in  effect,  laborers  only  are  prohibited.  The  actual  boundaries  of  the  barred 
zone  include  a  portion  of  China,  but  the  act  provides  that  where  immigration,  regula- 
tion, or  rather  exclusion,  is  ' '  provided  for  by  existing  treaties  "  the  geographical  exclu- 
sion is  not  applicable,  hence,  China  is  not  Avithin  its  scope.  The  act,  however, 
contains  the  important  stipulation  that  "no  alien  now  in  any  way  excluded  from, 
or  prevented  from  entering,  the  United  States  shall  be  aditnitted  to  the  United 
States, "  so  that  the  status  quo  of  exclusion  is  assured  even  if  existing  treaties  should 
cease  to  accomplish  that  result. 

The  bureau  respectfully  suggests  consideration  of  the  extension  of  the  barred  zone 
to  such  parts  of  Asia  as  are  not  now  included  therein  nor  affected  by  exclusion  laws  or 
agreements,  and  also  to  Africa  and  adjacent  islands,  so  as  to  exclude  inhabitants  who 
are  of  the  unassimilable  classes  or  whose  admission  in  any  considerable  number  would 
tend  to  produce  an  economic  menace  to  our  population. 

The  promised  extension  of  existing  spheres  of  influence,  and  the  establishment  of 
new  spheres  through  mandatories  or  otherwise  in  various  parts  of  the  Eastern  Hemi- 
sphere, will  without  doubt  open  means  of  communication  which  will  inspire  a  migra- 
tory spirit  among  the  people  of  those  regions.  Past  experience  has  shown  this  to  be 
true.  Already  there  is  considerable  immigration  of  the  classes  indicated  from  the 
continent  of  Asia  proper  not  now  subject  to  exclusion  laws  or  included  in  the  barred 
zone,  and  also  in  a  small  degree  from  some  parts  of  Africa.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that 
as  knowledge  of  the  freedom  enjoyed  and  opportunities  offered  in  our  country  has 
penetrated  remote  corners  of  the  earth,  immigration  therefrom  has  resulted,  and  it  is 
certain  that  the  same  effects  will  follow  with  the  opening  up  of  these  undeveloped 
lands  along  commercial  and  other  progressive  lines. 

In  a  period  of  transition,  and  while  the  spirit  of  emigration  is  still  largely  dormant 
among  these  peoples,  lies  our  opportunity  to  insure  protection  for  the  future.  Like 
the  barred  zone,  these  parts  of  the  world  have  masses  who  can  be  spared  from  their 
home  countries  but  whose  immigration  here  in  large  numbers  would  overwhelm  us. 
Let  us  fully  potect  ourselves  first,  and  consider  afterwards  whether  exemptions  can 
be  made  with  safety  to  our  country. 

OTHER   IMMIGRATION   SOURCES. 

Canada. — The  records  of  earlier  immigration  from  Canada  are  very  incomplete, 
but  our  census  shows  that  as  early  as  1850  there  were  147,711  natives  of  that  country 
in  our  population.  The  number  increased  steadily  at  later  census  periods  and  in 
1910  it  had  reached  1,204,037,  including  385,083  French  and  819,554  of  other  origin. 
Newfoundland  had  contributed  an  additional  5,080,  but  natives  of  Canada  alone 
ranked  fifth  among  our  foreign-born  peoples,  being  exceeded  only  by  natives  of  Ger- 
many, Russia,  Ireland,  and  Italy.  This  record  indicates  Canada's  importance  as  a 
source  of  immigration. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  638 

On  the  other  hand  there  has  been,  particularly  in  recent  veal's,  a  considerable 
amount  of  emigration  from  the  United  States  to  Canada,  including  both  natives  of  this 
country  and  former  immigrants,  and  the  Canadian  census  shows  that  there  were 
303,680  natives  of  the  United  States  in  the  Dominion  in  1911,  compared  vrith  127,899 
in  1901,  and  80,915  in  1891. 

During  the  11  fiscalyears  1909-1919  the  total  immigration  from  Canada  to  the  United 
States,  including  returning  American  citizens,  was  approximately  1,288,000,  compared 
with  an  immigration  into  Canada  from  the  United  States  of  1,072,000,  or  a  balance  of 
about  216,000  in  our  favor.  In  the  movement  of  United  States  citizens  alone  to  and 
from  Canada  the  balance  is  in  favor  of  the  latter,  for  during  the  past  10  years  nearly 
562,000  have  gone  there  and  about  307,000  have  come  to  the  United  States.  It  should 
be  understood  that  these  groups  do  not  include  those  who  cross  the  border  temporarily 
in  either  direction,  but  only  those  who  come  or  go  for  expected  permanent  residence. 

The  movement  of  alien  immigrants  from  Canada  to  the  United  States  is  very  largely 
made  up  of  persons  of  northern  and  western  P^uropean  descent  or  birth,  the  chief 
elements  in  the  order  of  their  importance  being  the  English,  French,  Scotch,  Irish, 
German,  and  Scandiaa\'ian.  Peoples  of  southern  and  eastern  European  stock  form 
relatively  a  small  part  of  the  movement 

Mexico. — Immigration  from  Mexico  is  not  very  large,  but  it  plays  an  important  part 
in  the  labor  supply  of  the  Southwest.  In  fact,  much  of  the  movement  is  made  up  ot 
those  whose  coming  and  going  is  resulated  by  the  demand  for  labor  in  the  border 
States.  The  records  show  that  in  the  past  20  years  about  187,000  immigra;nts  have 
been  admitted  from  Mexico.  The  great  majority  of  these  were  native  Mexicans,  but 
there  is  also  a  small  movement  of  Europeans  and  Asiatics  over  the  border  every  year. 
The  immigration  legislation  of  Mexico  lacks  the  restrictive  features  of  oiu"  system, 
with  the  natural  result  that  some  diseased,  criminal,  or  otherwise  inadmissible  aliens 
from  Europe  and  Asia  seek  illegal  entry  over  the  Mexican  border,  making  that  border 
an  exceedingly  difficult  field  of  work  for  the  bureau. 

West  Indies. — The  West  Indies,  including  Cuba,  Jamaica,  and  other  islands,  have 
become  quite  an  important  source  of  immigration  in  recent  years,  the  total  admis- 
sions during  the  past  20  years  being  approximately  215,500.  The  peoples  chiefly 
represented  in  this  movement  are  African  (black),  who  came  mainly  from  Jamaica 
and  the  Bahamas;  Cuban;  and  Spanish.  As  in  the  case  of  Mexican  immigration,  many 
of  those  coming  from  the  West  Indies  are  seasonal  laborers,  who  find  employment  in 
Florida,  but  the  development  of  steamship  connections  between  the  islands  and  north- 
ern ports  has  resulted  in  a  considerable  movement  of  Negroes  who  stay  more  or  less 
permanently  in  New  York,  Massachusetts,  and  other  eastern  States. 

Central  mid  South  America. — There  is  comparatively  little  immigration  from 
Central  and  South  America,  the  total  number  coming  from  these  two  sources  in  the 
last  20  years  being  20,603  and  52,009,  respectively.  These  are  divided  between  the 
natives  of  the  various  countries,  and  Europeans  who  settle  there  for  a  time  and  then 
move  to  the  United  States.  Although  these  countries  have  not  been  the  soiu"ce  of 
much  immigration  in  the  past  it  is  expected  that  improved  direct  steamship  com- 
munications will  result  in  a  considerable,  perhaps  a  large,  increase  in  the  near  futiu-e. 

.^//■ica.— Immigration  from  Africa  has  been  unimportant,  as  it  has  averaged  only 
about  750  a  year  during  the  past  two  decades.  Most  of  those  coming  have  been  of 
European  stock,  althoush  a  few  natives  have  joined  in  the  movement.  It  is  appre- 
hended, however,  that  improved  transportation  facilities  may  result  in  the  opening 
up  of  Africa  as  a  source  of  immigration,  and,  as  mentioned  elsewhere,  it  is  recom- 
mended that  the  barred  zone  be  extended  to  include  that  continent. 

Australasia. — Australia.  New  Zea'and,  and  TasTiania  combined  have  contributed 
somewhat  less  than  22,000  immigrants  in  20  years,  the  majority  of  these  bein?  of 
British  stock.  There  has  been  no  increase  in  the  movement  in  recent  years  and  there 
is  little  or  no  indication  that  these  far-away  countries  vdW  ever  become  a  source  of 
much  immigration. 

[Extract  from  the  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Immipration  for  the  fiscal  year  1920.] 

Immigration  and  Emigration  in  1920. 

The  statistical  tables  in  Appendix  I,  as  indicated  by  the  complete  table  of  con- 
tents which  precedes  them,  show  in  much  detail  immigration  to  and  emigration  from 
the  United  States  during  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1920,  and  as  they  represent 
the  first  fiscal  year  since  the  beginning  of  the  World  War  in  which  there  has  been  any- 
thing like  a  normal  movement  from  or  to  any  part  of  Europe,  the  figures  afford  not 
only  a  basis  for  interesting  comparisons  with  pre^Tious  years,  but  also  more  or  less  reli- 
able grounds  for  speculation  as  to  what  may  be  expected  in  the  future. 


634 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 


Continuing  a  long-established  practice  of  the  bureau  incoming  and  outgoing  aliens 
are  each  divided  into  two  classes,  namely,  immigrant  and  nonimmigrant  aliens,  and 
emigrant  and  nonemigrant  aliens.  In  the  compilation  of  statistics  under  this  classifica- 
tion the  foUownng  rule  is  observed:  Arriving  aliens  whose  permaneTit  domicile  has 
been  outside  the  United  States  who  intend  to  remain  permanently  in  the  United 
States  are  classed  as  immigrant  aliens;  departing  aliens  whose  permanent  residence 
has  been  in  the  United  States  who  intend  to  reside  permanently  abroad  are  classed 
as  emigrant  aliens;  all  alien  residents  of  the  United  States  making  a  temporary  trip 
abroad  and  all  aliens  residing  abroad  making  a  temporary  trip  to  the  United  States  are 
classed  as  nonemigrant  aliens  on  the  outward  journey  and  nonimmigrant  aliens  on  the 
inward.  An  understanding  of  this  rule  is  necessary  to  a  clear  comprehension  of  the 
statistics. 

In  what  follows  some  of  the  more  important  features  of  immigration  and  emigration 
in  the  fiscal  year  1920  are  shown  in  comparison  with  the  inward  and  outward  move- 
ments during  five  years  preceding  the  beginning  of  the  war,  and  in  some  cases  during 
the  war  period. 

The  first  table  shows  the  total  immigration  and  emigration  in  each  fiscal  year  since 
1910. 

Total  alien  immigration  and  emigration,  fiscal  years  1910  to  1920. 


Year. 


Arrivals. 


Immi- 
grant. 


Nonimmi- 
grant. 


Total. 


Departures. 


Emigrant. 


Nonemi- 
grant. 


I  Excess  of 
I  immigra- 


Total. 


1910 
1911 
1912 
1913 
1914 
191.') 
1916 
1917 
1918 
1919 
1920 


1, 041,  570 
878,  587 
838, 172 
1, 197, 892 
1,218,480 
.326,  700 
208, 826 
295, 403 
110,618 
141, 132 
430, 001 


156, 467 
151,  713 

178,  983 
229,  335 
184, 601 
107,544 
67,  922 
67,  474 
101, 235 
95, 889  I 
191, 575  ! 


1, 198,  037 

1, 030, 300 

1,017,155 

1,  427,  227 

1, 403, 081 

434, 244 

.366,  748 

362,  877 

211,853 

237,  021 

621,  576 


202, 436 
29.5,  666 
333,  262 
308, 190 
303,  338 
204, 074 
129, 765 
66,  277 
94,  585 
123,  522 
288, 315 


177,  982 

222,549 

282,  030 

303,  734 

3.30,  467 

180,100 

111,042 

80,102 

98, 68:5 

92,  709 

139,  747 


380,  418 
518,  215 
615,  292 
611,924 
633, 805 
384, 174 
240,  807 
146, 379 
193,  268 
216,231 
428,062 


817,619 
512, 085 
401, 863 
81.5,  303 
769, 276 
50,  070 
125,  941 
216, 498 
18,585 
20,  790 
193,514 


While  the  foregoing  figures  need  little  comment  it  may  be  pointed  out  that  the  total 
number  admitted  in  1920  was  largely  in  excess  of  the  average  annual  admissions 
during  the  war.  and  more  than  two  and  one-half  times  as  great  as  in  the  fiscal  year 
1919.  During  the  five  years  preceding  the  war  the  annual  admissions  of  both  classes 
averaged  1,155,160,  and  it  is  noteworthy  that  even  with  several  of  the  most  important 
European  sources  of  immigration  still  cut  off  and  ocean  transportation  facilities  still 
far  from  normal  the  inward  movement  should  have  been  more  than  one-half  as  great 
in  1920  as  during  the  high-tide  years  1910-1914. 

It  %vill  be  noted,  however,  that  nonimmigrant  aliens  made  up  30.8  per  cent  of  the 
total  admissions  in  1920,  as  compared  with  only  14.8  per  cent  in  the  five  years  1910- 
1914.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  actual  number  of  arrivals  of  this  class  in  1920  was  greater 
ihan  in  any  one  of  the  five  prewar  years  mentioned  except  1913. 

Considering  immigrant  aliens  alone  it  appears  that  430,001  were  admitted  in  1920, 
compared  \\T.th  141,132  in  1919  and  an  annual  average  of  1,034,940  in  the  five  years 
1910-1914.  The  number  of  this  class  admitted  was,  therefore,  41.5  per  cent  as  great 
as  the  annual  average  during  the  five  preway  years. 

Turning  to  the  statistics  of  emigration,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  outgoing  tide  in  1920 
was  proportionately  much  higher  than  during  the  prewar  period,  this  being  especially 
true  of  the  emigrant  alien  or  permanent  class.  The  total  outward  movement,  428,002, 
was  equal  to  68.9  per  cent  of  the  total  admissions,  while  in  1910-1914  the  total  outward 
movement  was  only  45.4  per  cent  as  great  as  the  incoming.  Among  immigrant  and 
emigrant  aliens  alone  the  latter  in  1920  was  equal  to  67.4  per  cent  of  the  former,  com- 
pared with  27.9  per  cent  in  1910-1914. 

Putting  it  in  another  way,  the  number  departed  per  100  admitted  of  each  class  of 
aliens  and  of  the  total  in  the  two  periods  under  consideration,  was  as  follows: 


' 

1920 

1910-1914 

67 
73 
69 

28 

Number  of  nonemiprant  aliens  departed  for  100  nonimmigrant  aliens  admitted 

68 
46 

EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 


635 


This  shows  clearly  that  while  the  proportion  of  departures  to  admissions  among 
the  more  transient  classes  of  nonimmigrants  and  nonemigrants  did  not  differ  greatly 
in  1920  and  1910-1914,  there  is  a  very  wide  difference  in  this  respect  among  the  more 
permanent  classes  of  immigrants  and  emigrants  in  the  two  periods.  Under  normal 
conditions  this  could  doubtless  be  construed  as  an  indication  that  a  remarkable  and 
highly  significant  change  had  occurred  in  the  alien  movement,  but  in  view  of  existing 
conditions  it  is  quite  certain  that  the  relatively  large  outward  movements  can  be 
explained  by  the  eagerness  of  aliens,  whose  departure  had  been  deferred  by  war 
conditions,  to  return  to  their  former  homes,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  the  facilities 
for  leaving  the  United  States,  including  financial  ability,  were  much  more  conducive 
to  emigration  than  to  immigration. 

The  return  movement  of  aliens  is  no  new  thing,  however,  for  between  1908,  when 
official  records  of  outgoing  aliens  begin,  36  left  the  country  for  every  100  admitted, 
and  records  of  the  Transatlantic  Passenger  Association  show  that  in  the  22  years, 
1899-1910,  as  many  as  37  steerage  passengers  were  carried  to  Europe  for  every  100 
brought  to  the  United  States.  The  increased  relative  importance  of  the  exodus 
may  possibly  continue  for  several  years,  in  which  event  it  may  become  an  important 
factor  in  the  immigration  problem.  In  this  connection  it  will  be  seen  that  while  in 
the  five  years,  1910-1914,  the  indicated  net  increase  of  population  by  arrival  and 
departure  of  aliens  was  equal  to  approximately  55  per  cent  of  the  total  number 
admitted,  in  1920  the  increase  of  193,514  shown  in  the  table  was  only  about  31  per 
cent  of  the  total  admissions. 

PORTS   OF   ARRIVAL. 

The  principal  ports  through  which  arriving  aliens  of  both  the  immigrant  and  non- 
immigrant classes  were  admitted  in  1920  and  1919,  and  in  1914,  the  year  immediately 
preceding  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  were  as  follows; 


Port. 

1920 

1919 

1914 

Port. 

1920 

1919 

1914 

New  York 

330, 549 

17, 007 

4,845 

355 

22,698 

6,550 

61, 757 

668 

402 

285 

18,396 

6,411 

992,573 
80, 450 
59, 529 
40,004 
9,800 
5,373 

Canadian  Atlantic  ports . 
Canadian  border 

8,158 
113,406 
68,  816 
49, 192 

3,110 

72, 074 
44,671 
29,  247 

45,  %5 
95  514 

Boston 

Philadelphia 

15  901 

Baltimore 

57  972 

Total 

Seattle 

621, 576 

237,021 

1,403,081 

Owing  to  the  partial  revival  of  immigration  from  Europe  the  number  of  aliens 
admitted  at  the  port  of  New  York  increased  from  55,254  in  1918  and  61.757  in  1919 
to  330.549,  or  more  than  one-half  of  the  entire  immigration  in  1920;  but  this  number, 
it  will  be  noted,  is  only  about  one-third  as  great  as  the  number  which  passed  through 
that  port  in  1914.  There  was  a  revival  of  immigration  also  through  the  ports  of  Boston 
and  Philadelphia,  and  an  increase  in  the  number  admitted  through  Canadian  Atlantic 
ports,  but  in  every  case  they  were  still  far  below  their  prewar  status.  Baltimore, 
therefore,  is  the  only  important  Atlantic  port  which  did  not  share  in  the  post-war 
increase  of  European  immigration,  and  the  number  admitted  there  in  1920  was  less 
than  1  per  cent  of  the  number  admitted  in  1914.  The  Pacific  and  border  ports,  with 
the  exception  of  Seattle,  show  large  increases  in  1920  over  1919  and  1914,  this  being 
especially  true  of  the  Mexican  border,  where  the  admissions  in  1920  were  more  than 
four  times  as  great  as  in  1914. 

COUNTRIES    OF    ORIGIN    AND    DESTINATION. 

As  already  explained,  immigrant  and  emigrant  aliens  represent  the  permanent  as 
distinguished  from  the  transit  movement  to  and  from  the  United  States  and  are  the 
basis  of  immigration  and  emigration  in  the  common  usage  of  those  terms.  Accord- 
ingly in  what  follows  the  discussion  will  chiefly  relate  to  these  two  classes. 

Europe  has  always  been  the  chief  source  of  immigration  to  the  United  States,  and 
for  nearly  a  century  prior  to  the  beginning  of  the  World  War  approximately  90  per 
cent  of  the  total  came  from  that  source.  During  the  war,  however,  the  percentage 
coming  from  Europe  fell  to  approximately  60  in  1915,  50  in  1916,  45  in  1917,  28  in  1918, 
and  17  in  1919,  but  in  1920  it  had  increased  to  57  per  cent  of  the  total.  But  even 
before  the  revival  of  European  immigration  the  return  movement,  which  also  had 
been  largely  checked  by  the  war,  began  to  increase,  and  in  1919.  when  only  24.674 
immigrant  aliens  came  from  Europe,  84,531  emigrant  aliens  returned  there.  The 
movement  from  and  to  Europe  and  other  parts  of  the  world  in  the  fiscal  year  1920 
are  shown  in  the  following  table; 


636 


EMERGENCY    IMMIOnATlON    I.iailSLATION. 


Countries. 


Europe 

Asia 

British  North  America 

Mexico 

Other 

Total 


Immigrant 

aliens 
admitted. 


246,295 
17,505 
90,025 
52, 361 
23, 815 


430.001 


Emigrant 

aliens 
departed. 


256, 443 
9,441 
7,668 
6,606 
8,167 


Excess  of 

immigrant 

aliens. 


I  10,138 

8,064 

82,357 

45, 755 

15,648 


288,315 


141,686 


1  Decrease. 


It  will  be  seen  that  emigration  again  exceeded  immigration  so  far  as  Europe  is  con- 
cerned, although  not  so  overwhelmingly  as  in  1919. 

The  exce??  of  emigration  in  1920  was  due  to  the  large  return  movement  to  ea.=tem 
Europe,  for  in  the  case  of  every  northwestern  European  country  except  Germany 
immigration  exceeded  emigration,  as  the  following  compilation  shows: 


Countries. 

Immigrant 
aliens,  1920. 

Emigrant 
aliens,  1920. 

Average 
annual  im- 
migration, 
1910-1914. 

6,574 
3,137 
8,945 
1,001 
5,187 
4,445 
5,862 
3,785 
27, 871 
9,591 
9,347 
1,253 

1,846 
1,477 

4,477 
3,069 
1,017 
3,022 
3,109 
1,103 
8,099 
3, 735 
1,488 
141 

5,690 

6,694 

8,601 

32,239 

7,147 

11,416 

17,843 

3,762 

43,753 

27,482 

15,678 

"VVales                                

2,274 

The  above  figures  seem  to  indicate  that  what  might  be  termed  the  sta>ang  qualities 
of  northwestern  European  immigration  have  not  changed  with  the  war.  for  the  exodus 
was  very  small  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  for  the  first  time  in  several  years  there  were 
adequate  facilities  for  such  aliens  to  return  to  their  homelands.  Germany,  of  course, 
affords  an  exemption;  but  technically  at  least,  a  state  of  war  still  exists  between  the 
countries,  and  this  makes  impossible  a  free  movement  of  German  citizens  either  to  or 
from  the  United  States. 

The  last  table  also  affords  an  opportunity  to  compare  immigration  in  1920  from  the 
countries  named,  with  the  average  annual  immigration  in  1910-1914,  and  it  is  interest- 
ing to  note  that  while,  as  a  rule,  the  normal  prewar  movement  had  not  been  resumed, 
it  was  slightly  exceeded  in  the  case  of  Belgium,  France,  and  Switzerland. 

Four  other" European  countries  also  showed  in  1920  an  excess  of  immigration  over 
emigration,  as  follows: 


Coxmtries. 


Immigrant 
aliens,  1920. 


Italy.... 
Portugal. 


95, 145 
15,  472 


Emigrant 
aliens,  1920. 


88,909 
4,728 


Countries. 


Immigrant 
aUens,  1920. 


Spain 

Turkey  in  Europe. 


18,821 
1,933 


Emigrant 
aliens,  1920. 


3,841 
1,812 


With  the  single  exception  of  Turkey,  however,  the  number  of  emigrant  aliens 
going  to  eastern  European  countries  was  in  excels,  and  in  some  instances  greatly  in 
excess,  of  immigration  from  the  same  countries.    This  is  shown  in  the  following  table' 


Countries. 


Austria 

Hungary 

Bulgaria 

Czechoslovakia 

Finland 

Greece 


Immigrant 
aliens, 
1920. 


84 

90 

3,426 

756 

11,981 


Emigrant 
aliens, 
1920. 


2,274 
14, 2;J3 

3,587 
11, 147 

1,473 
20, 314 


Countries. 


Poland 

Rumarua 

Kingdom    of   the    Serbs, 
Croats,  and  Slovenes. . . 

Total 


Immigrant 

aliens, 

1920. 


4,813 
1,S90 

1,888 


Emigrant 
aliens, 
1920. 


18,190 

21,506 

28, 474 


26,191 


123,131 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATIOX.  637 

The  number  of  emigrant  aliens  going  to  tlie  coimtries  named  wa?  96.940  greater 
than  the  number  of  immigrants  alien  received  from  them,  but  in  view  of  existing 
conditions  in  eastern  Europe,  this  record  has  little  or  no  significance,  any  more  than 
has  the  fact  that  approximately  the  same  territory-  now  included  in  the  countries 
named  sent,  in  round  numbers.  583.000  immigrant  aliens  to  the  United  States  in 
1914  compared  with  only  26.191  in  1920. 

NEW    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES. 

The  foregoing  table  also  directs  attention  to  the  fact  that  changed  political  boun- 
daries in  Europe  have  necessitated  a  revision  of  the  list  of  countries  so  long  used  in 
immisrration  statistics.  The  Republics  of  Czechoslovakia.  Finland,  and  Poland  and 
the  Kingdom  of  the  Serbs,  Croats,  and  Slovenes  appear  as  political  entities  for  the 
first  time;  the  "Rus.sian  Empire  and  Finland"  in  pre^'ious  reports  is  now  "Russia." 
and  the  "German  Empire"  is  changed  to  "Germany."  Obviously,  this  disturbs 
the  long  unbroken  continuity  of  our  immigration  records  by  countries  of  origin,  for 
not  only  are  four  new  countries  added  to  the  list,  but  their  advent  as  political  entities 
has  so  "changed  the  boundaries  of  other  countries,  that  comparison  of  their  future 
contributions  to  immigration  with  contributions  of  the  past  will  be  practically 
meaningless. 

Three  of  the  chief  sources  of  immigration  in  the  past  which  are  radically  affected 
in  this  way  are  Austria.  Hungary,  and  Russia.  In  1914  nearly  135.000  immigrant 
aliens  came  from  Austria,  but  these  included,  in  round  numbers  49.000  Poles,  29.000 
Ruthenians.  15.500  Croatians  and  Slovenians.  9.000  Bohemians  and  Moravians,  and 
considerable  nimibers  of  other  peoples  who.  for  the  most  part,  are  no  longer  under 
Austrian  rule.  In  a  lesser  degree  the  same  is  true  of  Hungary,  and  through  the  newly 
achieved  independence  of  Poland  and  Finland.  Russia  has  lost  much  important 
immigrant-furnishing  domain,  while  territorial  changes  in  the  Balkans.  Italy,  and 
elsewhere  will  also  add  to  the  difficulty  of  comparing  past  and  future  immigration 
on  the  basis  of  coimtry  of  origin. 

This  Avould  be  highly  imfortunate  from  the  standpoint  of  immigration  statistics 
were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  since  1899  all  records  have  been  kept  by  races  or  peoples, 
as  well  as  by  countries  of  origin,  and  as  this  method  is  in  nowise  affected  by  changing 
political  boundaries,  an  unbroken  record  in  this  respect  is  assured. 

RACES    OR    PEOPLES. 

It  is  usual  in  a  discussion  of  immigration  statistics  to  make  comparisons  between 
two  principal  groups  of  European  races  or  peoples,  namely,  those  indigenous  to 
northern  and  western  Europe,  including  the  Dutch  and  Flemish,  English,  French, 
German,  Irish.  Scandinavian,  Scotch,  and  Welsh,  and  those  who  come  from  the 
other  or  southern  and  eastern  countries.  For  many  \ears  prior  to  the  outbreak  of 
the  war  the  latter  group  of  peoples  made  up  bv  far  the  greater  part  of  our  European 
immigration,  and,  in  spite  of  the  almost  complete  cessation  of  the  once  great  move- 
ment from  Austria,  Hungary,  Russia,  and  other  eastern  countries,  they  contributed 
184,903  immigrant  aliens  in  1920.  compared  with  165,871  northwestern  European 
peoples.  These  figures,  however,  include  immigrants  coming  from  Canada  and  other 
sources  as  well  as  from  Europe.  Of  the  southern  and  eastern  European  peoples, 
97,800,  or  more  than  one  half  of  the  entire  numljer,  were  Italians,  93,0(59,  of  whom 
came  from  Italy.  Of  the  northern  and  western  group  58,366  were  English,  of  whom 
5,044  came  from  Europe  and  30,398  from  British  North  America.  In  the  case  of 
emigrant  aliens  southern  and  eastern  Europeans  were  much  further  in  the  lead  vriih. 
a  total  of  226,566,  compared  with  only  41.532  among  north  and  west  Europeans. 
In  other  words,  122  emigrant  aliens  departed  for  every  100  immigrant  aliens  admitted 
in  the  first  named  group,  compared  %vith  only  25  departed  per  100  admitted  in  the 
second. 

Other  races  or  peoples  which  contributed  more  than  10,000  each  to  the  year's 
immigration  were  the  following:  Mexican,  51,042;  French,  27,390;  Spanish,  23,594; 
Scotch,  21,180;  Irish,  20,784;  ^ScandinaA-ian,  16,621;  Portuguese,  15,174;  Hebrew, 
14,292;  Greek,  13,998;  and  Dutch  and  flemish,  12,730. 

French  immigrants,  as  in  the  past,  were  largely  of  Canadian  origin,  19,087  haA-ing 
come  from  British  North  America  and  only  6,445  from  Fance.  A  majority  of  the 
Scotch  and  Irish  also  came  from  British  North  America,  11,756  of  the  former  and 
9,614  of  the  latter  being  from  that  source  compared  with  9,094  Scotch,  and  10,963 
Irish  who  came  from  Europe.     The  Hebrews  came  from  widely  scattered  countries, 


638 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


the  principal  ones  being  Poland,  3,793,  British  North  America  3, 32(1,  Rumania- 
1,304,  United  Kingdom'  1,304,  Turkey  in  Asia  829,  TurViey  in  Europe  490,  and 
Russia  4(j0. 

SEX. 

The  proportion  of  females  among  immigrant  aliens  as  a  whole  was  42.4  per  cent 
of  the  total  in  1920,  compared  with  :53.5  per  cent  of  the  total  in  the  years  1910-1914. 
This  increase  is  especially  noted  in  the  case  of  certain  ICuropean  peoples  among 
whom  the  proportion  of  females  was  consistently  low  prior  to  the  World  War,  as  the 
following  compilation,  which  includes  all  races  or  peoples  having  more  than  10,000 
immigrants  in  1920,  will  show: 


Race  or  people. 


Dutch  and  Flemish 

English 

French 

Greek 

Hebrew 

Irish 

Itahan  (north) 


Per  cent  females. 

1920 

1910-1914 

44.6 

35.9 

48.7 

43.  0 

48.0 

4,3.7 

20.2 

9.2 

53.2 

45.  5 

50.8 

48.1 

48.9 

25.  2 

Race  or  people. 


Italian  (south) 

Mexican 

Portuguese 

Scandinavian . 

Scotch 

Spanish 


Per  cent  females. 


1920        1910-1914 


48.0 
33.3 
27.1 
41.1 
47.9 
13.1 


25.1 
36.0 
35.8 
3.5. » 
43.2 
20.  & 


It  will  be  seen  that  except  in  the  cases  of  the  Mexicans,  Portuguese,  and  Spanish 
the  proportion  of  females  was  higher  in  1920  than  in  1910-1914.  But  this  fact  has 
little  or  no  real  significance  under  the  circumstances  unless  possibly  the  very  large 
increases  among  the  Greeks  and  Italians  give  a  hint  that  the  immigration  of  these 
peoples  in  the  future  may  be  somewhat  more  permanent  than  in  the  past.  Experience 
has  shown  that  a  large  proportion  of  women  in  any  immigration  movement  insures 
greater  permanency  of  residence  in  the  United  States,  while  one  largely  made  up  of 
men  invariably  results  in  a  correspondingly  large  emigration  after  a  few  years.  This 
well-recognized  stability  of  female  immigration  is  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  only 
17.9  per  cent  of  the  aliens  who  left  the  country  in  1920  to  take  up  permanent  residence 
elsewhere  were  of  that  sex,  and  that  practically  the  same  proportion,  17.7  per  cent, 
is  found  among  emigrant  aliens  in  the  tive-year  period  1910-1914.  Therefore  it  may 
be  safely  said  "that  Greek  and  Italian  immigration  in  1920  represents  a  far  more  per- 
manent class  than  came  before  the  war,  but  whether  this  is  not  merely  a  temporary 
result  of  post-war  conditions  remains  to  be  determined  by  the  experience  of  the  next 
few  years. 

OCCUPATIONS    OF    IMMIGRANT   ALIENS. 

Tables  in  Appendix  I  show  in  much  detail  the  occupations  which  arriving  immigrant 
aliens  had  followed  in  their  homelands  and  those  which  departing  emigi'ant  aliens 
had  pursued  in  the  United  States.  The  compilations  which  follow  show  the  same 
data  in  condensed  form  for  the  fiscal  year  1920,  and  also  for  the  five  years  1910-1914. 

The  first  table  divides  the  occupations  of  immigrant  aliens  into  a  few  general  classes : 


Occupations  of  immigrant  aliens. 

Occupations. 

Number, 
1920 

Per  cent  of  total. 

1920 

1910-1914 

12,442 
69, 967 
15, 257 
12, 192 
SI,  732 
.37, 197 
28,  OSl 
173, 133 

2.9 
16.3 
3.5 
2.8 
19.0 
8.7 
6.4 
40.3 

1.2 

Skilled.       .                                            

14.5 

24.3 

1.1 

Laborers 

18.4 

11.7 

Other  occupations 

2.7 

No  occupation  (including  women  and  children) 

26.2 

Total 

430,001 

100.0 

100.0 

EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION. 


639 


Comparison  of  the  above  percentages  for  1920  and  1910-1914  shows  two  outstanding 
differences  between  the  occupational  status  of  immigrants  in  the  two  periods,  lirst 
that  whereas  in  1910-1914  24. .S  per  cent,  or  practically  one-fourth,  of  all  arrivals  had 
been  farm  laborers  before  coming  to  the  United  States,  only  3.5  per  cent  were  of  that 
status  in  1920,  and  second,  that  the  proportion  of  immigrants  having  no  occupation 
increased  from  26.2  per  cent  of  the  total  in  the  earlier  period  to  40.3  per  cent  in  1920. 

In  the  first  instance  the  striking  change  is  very  largely  accounted  for  by  the  fact 
that  eastern  European  immigration  which  was  largely  made  iip  of  farm  laborers  was 
practically  shut  off  during  1920,  and  the  increased  proportion  of  those  having  no 
occupation  is  for  the  most  part  due  to  the  larger  proportion  of  females  coming  in  1920, 
as  already  pointed  out. 

The  occupational  status  of  aliens  lea"ving  the  United  States  for  permanent  residence 
abroad  in  1920  and  1910-1914  is  shown  in  the  next  tal)le.  and  it  will  be  observed  that 
the  proportions  in  the  various  occupational  groups  differed  but  little  in  the  two  periods: 


Occupations. 

Occupations  of  emigrant  aliens. 

Number. 
1920. 

Per  cent  of  total. 

1920 

1910-1914 

Professional 

3,379 

20, 782 
2,754 

11,262 

183,826 

.5,802 

12,075 

48,441 

1.2 

7.2 

.9 

3.9 

63.8 
2.0 
4.2 

16.8 

1.0 

Skilled 

10.9 

Farm  laborers 

1.5 

Farmers 

2.5 

Laborers 

58.3 

Servants 

4.5 

Other  occupations 

No  occupation  (including 

women  and  children) 

6.3 
14.9 

Total 

288,315 

100.0 

100.0 

ILLITERACY. 

Of  the  348,111  immigrant  aliens  16  years  of  age  and  over  who  were  admitted  in  the 
fiscal  year  1920,  15,094,  or  4.4  per  cent  of  the  total,  were  not  able  to  read  or  write,  and 
were  admitted  under  various  exceptions  to  the  literacy  test  provision  of  the  immi- 
gration act  of  1917.  There  were  2,190  males  and  12,i)04  females  among  the  illiterates 
admitted,  and  the  exceptions  under  which  they  gained  entrance  were,  to  joinrelaii  v  es, 
14,741;  to  escape  religious  persecution,  9;  physical  defect,  1;  other  causes,  343.  The 
fact  that  the  literacy  test  is  applicable  to  aliens  16  years  of  age  and  OA-er  made  it  neces- 
sary for  the  bureau  to  eliminate  the  formerly  used  group  ''under  14  years"  from  the 
statistical  records  and  substitute  the  group  "under  16  years. ''  For  this  reason  earlier 
records  of  illiteracy  among  immigrants  are  not  quite  comparable  with  those  of  the 
present,  but  it  may  be  noted  in  this  connection  that  in  the  years  1910-1914,  25.3  per 
cent  of  the  immigrant  aliens  14  years  of  age  and  over  were  unable  to  read  or  write . 
These  figures  therefore  a-tord  at  least  an  approximate  indication  of  the  eft'ect  of  the 
literacy  test. 

FINANCIAL   CONDITION   OP   IMMIGRANTS. 

Immigrants  applying  for  admission  to  the  United  States  are  not  required  to  state  how 
much  money  they  bring  with  them  unless  the  amount  is  under  $50,  but  as  a  rule  those 
having  larger  sums  report  the  amounts  they  possess  to  the  examining  officials.  In 
1920,  141,799  immigrant  aliens  out  of  a  total  of  276,0 1'.i  sho\\-ing  money  exhibited  less 
than  $-50  each.  This  was  51.4  per  cent  of  the  total  number  shoAving  money  compared 
with  44.6  per  cent  in  1919  and  82.7  per  cent  in  1910-1914.  'Ihe  average  amount  shown 
-was  $119  in  1920,  compared  with  $112  in  1919  and  $44  in  1910-1914. 


640 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATION  LEGISLATION. 


DESTINATIONS  IN   THE   UNITED   STATES. 


The  principal  destinations  of  immigrant  aliens  in  the  United  vStates  and  the  number 
of  emigrant  aliens  leavinj;  the  same  States  in  11)20  are  shown  in  the  following  table: 


States. 

Immigrant 
aliens. 

Emigrant 
aliens. 

Excess  of 

immigrant 

aliens. 

New  York 

106,030 
41,594 
39,115 
32, 502 
2«, 227 
27,637 
16,964 
16,666 
15,377 
105,289 

88,713 
16,490 
2, 469 
13, 614 
12,931 
44, 156 
17, 951 
14,210 
29, 543 
48, 238 

17,917 

25,104 

Texas 

36, 646 

IS,  888 

15,296 

1)6,519 

1987 

2,456 

Ohio 

1  14,166 

Other  States 

57, 051 

Total 

430,001 

288,315 

141, 686 

I  Decrease. 

In  prewar  years  New  York  invarial)ly  led  all  other  States  as  a  destination  of  immi- 
grants, and  for  many  years  Pennsylvania  held  second  place  and  Illinois  third.  New 
York  maintained  the  lead  in  this  respect  throughout  the  war  years,  and  in  1920  the 
number  destined  to  that  State  was  more  than  two  and  one-half  times  as  great  as  that 
going  to  Massachusetts,  the  nearest  competitor.  Pennsylvania  and  Illinois,  however, 
ranked  sixth  and  seventh,  respectively,  in  1920,  and  the.se  States,  -with  Ohio,  are- 
recorded  as  having  lost  more  aliens  through  emigration  than  they  received,  the  rela- 
tively large  return  movement  to  eastern  Europe,  previously  noted,  accounting  for  this 
loss.  Texas  received  more  immigration  than  ever  before,  and  California  the  greatest 
number  since  1907,  when  35,377  were  destined  to  that  State.  All  but  1,905  of  the- 
39,115  destined  to  Texas  were  Mexicans,  but  several  races  of  peoples  contributed 
largelv  to  California's  share,  including  5,982  English.  5,691  Mexican,  3.939  Italian, 
3,9.33  Japanese,  1.911  Portuguese,  and  1,844  Scotch. 

The  foregoing  discussion  includes  only  the  more  important  facts  relating  to  alien 
arrivals  and  departures  during  this  year,  and  those  who  are  interested  will  find  in 
the  statistical  record  in  Appendix  I  much  additional  data  of  value  concerning  the 
subject  of  immigration  and  emigration. 

Review  of  World  Immigration. 

Although  nearly  20  months  have  passed  since  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  the 
close  of  tire  fiscal  year  1920  finds  the  immigration  lanes  from  a  great  ]»art  of  l^urope 
closed  almost  as  effectively  as  they  were  during  the  war.  It  is  true  that  the  resumption 
of  peace-time  trafTic  on  the  ocean  and  the  return  of  fairh'  normal  conditions  in  (ireat 
Britain,  France,  and  other  western  Euroj^ean  nations  liaA  e  brought  about  a  consider- 
able immigration  and  emigi-ation  movement  between  those  countries  and  the  United 
States.  It  is  true  also  that  the  movement  to  and  from  Italy  and  Greece  has  reached 
considerable  proportion.s.  but  Austria,  Hungary,  Russia,  tlie  Palkans,  Germany,  and 
the  war-born  States  of  Finland,  Czechoslo\akia,  and  Poland — territory  wliieh  sent 
nearly  600,000  immigrants  to  the  United  States  in  1914  alone— sent  less  than  6,300 
in  1920.  Therefore,  what  will  undoubtedly  be  our  greatest  postwar  immigration 
problem  is  still  a  matter  of  the  future,  hut  even  a  casual  observation  of  tlie  trend  of 
events  in  central  and  eastern  Europe  is  enough  to  warrant  the  conviction  tliat  at 
any  time  and  without  warning  this  problem  may  become  an  immediate  and  very 
pressing  one. 

The  central  and  eastern  Europe  situation  and  its  probable  relation  to  future  immi- 
gration was  discussed  at  some  length  in  a  reWew  of  world  immigration  which  appeared 
in  the  bureau's  annual  report  for  1919.  It  was  pointed  out  in  tliis  connection  that 
while  immigration  from  western  Europe  long  ago  passed  the  crest  and  ])robably 
would  never  again  attain  its  old-time  volume,  the  mo\ement  from  the  southern  and 
eastern  countries  was  still  considerably  below  the  antirijiated  flood  stage  when  the 
World  War  began.  The  bureau  at  that  time  ])re'licted  that  immigration  from  western 
Europe  would  soon  resume  its  normal  prewar  status,  and  that  very  probably  there 
would  be  a  somewhat  increased  movement  in  the  case  of  some  countries,  and  the 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION".  641 

experience  in  in-jn  has  only  strengthened  that  belief.  It  predicted,  also,  that  immi- 
gration from  eastern  luiroj/e  would  almost  certainly  resume  prewar  importance  when- 
ever this  became  phvsically  possible.  It  went  further  than  tliis.  and  pointed  out  the 
possibilitv  and  even  the  p"roba])ility  that  when  this  re.gion  finally  emerged  from  the 
maelstrom  into  which  the  World  War  had  plunged  it  the  overseas  exodus  would  not 
only  reach  its  prewar  status  but  would  increase  beyond  anything  that  was  ever  dreamed 
of  in  the  past . 

As  already  suggested,  the  experience  of  the  fiscal  year  just  ended  has  seemingly 
justified  the  bureau's  prophecy  concerning  immigration  from  western  Kurope,  for,  as 
pointed  o\it  in  the  discussion  of  immigi-ation  statistics  elsewhere  in  this  re})ort.  the 
mo\-ements  from  and  to  most  of  the  countries  ha\e  already  resumed  something  like 
their  prewar  pro])ortions.  and  in  the  case  of  some  countries  the  westbound  tide  is  even 
higher  than  in  the  years  immediately  i:)receding  the  war. 

The  vear  brousht  little  change  in  immigration  from  central  and  eastern  Europe, 
however,  and  at  its  close  those  regions  are  still  so  involved  in  the  aftermath  of  the 
World  War  that  immigration  frotn  them  is  negligible.  Developments  of  the  year, 
however,  have  been  such  as  to  strengthen  the  bureau's  belief  that  when  real  jieace 
finally  comes  to  that  part  of  the  world  and  free  communication  with  other  countries 
is  again  resumed,  the  volume  of  immigration  will  be  limited  only  by  the  lack  of  ocean 
transportation  or  the  effectiveness  of  possible  barriers  wluch  the  %arious  countries 
themselves  may  erect  against  the  emigration  of  their  people,  or  which  the  United 
States  and  otheV  nations  may  erect  to  wholly  or  in  part  prevent  their  admission. 

The  situation  in  specific  sections  or  countries  of  Europe,  as  it  appears  to  the  bureau 
at  the  close  of  the  fiscal  year,  may  be  briefly  summarizefl  as  follows: 

From  all  accounts  Great  Britain—  that  is  to  say  England,  Scotland,  and  Wales—  has 
made  rapid  advances  toward  the  restoration  of  normal  conditions  along  all  lines  since 
the  war  ended,  and  this  apparently  is  reflected  in  our  immigration  from  those  sources 
during  the  last  fiscal  year,  when 'it  resumed  practically  its  prewar  status.  This  is 
clearly  shown  by  the'  following  comparisons  between  the  number  admitted  from 
those  coimtries  in  1920  and  191 1 : 


1920 


England i         27,871 

Scotland 9,347 

Wales 1,253 


35,864 
10, 682 
2,18S 


So  far  as  the  statistics  reveal,  the  character  of  this  immigration  wa,s  not  materially 
different  from  that  of  earlier  years,  and  it  is  predicted  that  it  will  so  continue,  except 
that  a  considerable  increase  may  be  expected  provided  stable  economic  conditions 
are  maintained  in  this  country.  However,  the  demands  and  attractions  of  Canada 
and  other  British  overseas  dominions,  which  are  extensively  presented  to  the  people 
of  Great  Britain,  will  undoubtedly  prove  as  effective  as  they  did  in  years  prior  to  the 
war,  thereby  preventing  any  very  large  movement  to  the  United  States,  though  many 
may  leave  the  home  countries. 

Fewer  immigrants  came  to  the  United  States  from  Ireland  in  1920  than  in  any  year 
between  1833  and  1916,  and  it  is  presumed  that  disturbed  political  conditions  in  that 
country  were  in  large  part  responsible.  The  number  admitted  in  1920  was  only 
9,591,  compared  with  an  annual  average  of  32,000  in  the  15  years  1900-1914,  and.  while 
a  substantial  increase  may  be  expected,  it  is  doubtful  whether  Ireland  mil  ever 
regain  its  former  place  as  one  of  the  most  extensive  immigrant-furnishing  countrie.'*. 

Following  the  close  of  the  Franco- Prussian  war  there  was  something  of  an  increase 
in  immigration  from  France  to  the  United  State.-;,  but  there  was  no  suggestion  of  an 
exodus  of  population,  because  at  its  highest  point,  in  1873,  only  14,798  came.  In  the 
five  years  1910-1914  immigration  from  France  averaged  8,601  annually  and  in  1920  it 
was  8,945,  which  probably  indicates  nothing  more  than  a  quick  return  to  a  normal 
status.     This  may  be  expected  to  continue  without  important  fluctuations. 

As  for  other  countries  of  north  .vestern  Europe  the  developments  of  the  year  were 
substantially  the  same  as  in  the  cases  of  Great  Britain  and  France,  for  while  immi- 
gration from  Belgium,  Denmark,  the  Netherlands,  Scandina\-ia,  and  S^^-itzerland  did 
not  reach  prewar  proportions  in  any  case,  except  that  of  SAvitzerland,  nevertheless 
the  trend  was  clearly  in  that  direction,  and  the  bureau  expects  a  fulfillment  of  the 
prediction  made  in  1919,  that  with  the  restoration  of  tra^■eling  and  other  facilities  the 
movement  from  these  sources  will  soon  resume  and  perhaps  for  a  time  somewhat 
exceed  its  average  for  the  years  immediately  preceding  the  war. 


642  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  development  in  the  immisration  record  of  1920  was 
the  largely  increased  number  r-ominp;  from  Spain,  a  country  wliich  until  recent  years 
had  contrilnited  only  a  few  thousands  to  the  many  millions  who  have  come  from 
Europe  during  the  past  century.  From  1820  to  1902  the  average  number  coming 
from  Spain  was  only  about  500  a  year,  and  it  exceeded  1,000  only  six  timers  during 
that  period.  In  1903,  however,  2,080  came,  and  the  average  numl)er  from  that  year 
until  and  including  1919  was  4,480  annually,  the  largest  numl)er,  10,232,  coming  in 
1917.  In  1920  the  number  coming  from  Spain  reached  18,821.  Thus,  although  one 
of  the  westerly  countries  of  Europe,  Spain  was  the  last  to  become  an  important  source 
of  immigration  to  this  countrj^  It  has  a  population  of  above  20,000,000,  and  with  a 
newly  started  and  rapidly  growing  immigration  at  a  time  when  so  many  other  sources 
are  closed,  it  is  reasonable  to  expect  that  within  a  few  years  the  Spanish  people  will 
be  a  very  important  factor  in  the  movement  from  Europe. 

Immigration  from  Portugal,  including  Cape  Verde  and  Azores  Islands,  in  1920  also 
reached  the  highest  point  in  its  history— 15,472,  compared  with  an  annual  average  of 
7,128  in  the  21  years,  1899-1919. 

The  resumption  of  immigration  from  Italy  soon  followed  the  close  of  the  war,  and 
a  total  of  95,145  came  from  that  country  in  1920,  compared  with  an  annual  average 
of  194,500  during  16  years  prior  to  the  beginning  of  the  World  War.  This  may  safely 
be  taken  to  indicate  that  the  prewar  status  will  soon  be  reached,  and  it  would  not  be 
surprising  if  it  siu-passed  for  a  time  at  least  the  average  of  prewar  years,  especially  if 
immigration  from  eastern  Europe  is  not  resumed  in  its  former  proportions. 

What  is  said  of  Italy  can  also  be  said  of  Greece,  for  while  the  11,981  immigrants  who 
came  from  that  country  in  1920  represent  less  than  one-half  of  the  average  number 
coming  during  the  few  years  next  preceding  the  war,  the  quick  resumption  of  immi- 
gration on  such  a  consideral)le  scale  indicates  a  tendency  which  will  very  prol)ably 
result  in  much  larger  numl^ers  coming  when  normal  conditions  of  travel  are  fully 
restored. 

So  far  as  the  remainder  of  Europe  is  concerned^ — which  is  to  say,  Cennany,  Austria, 
Hungary',  Russia,  the  Balkans,  and  the  newly  created  States  of  Czechoslovakia.  Fin- 
land, and  Poland,  which  appear  in  this  report  for  the  f  rst  time  as  separate  political 
entities — there  is  little  that  can  be  said  on  the  basis  of  the  year's  immigration,  for 
the  reason  that  almost  none  was  admitted  from  these  sources.  Of  course,  the  failure 
of  the  United  States  to  ratify  the  treaty  of  Versailles  leaves  this  countiy  in  a  technical 
state  of  war  ^'ith  the  so-called  Central  Powers,  so  that  there  is  little  freedom  of  inter- 
course ^^'ith  them.  Russia  proper  is  still  largely  shut  off  from  other  parts  of  the  ^vorld 
and  communication  ■with  the  Balkans  is  very  much  restricted.  There  has  been  a 
considerable  return  movement  to  some  of  these  countries,  particularl>-  to  HunearA-, 
Rumania,  Czechoslovakia,  and  Poland,  but  all  of  the  central  and  eastern  European 
area  under  consideration  furnished  fewer  than  6.300  immigi-ants  in  1920,  compared 
with  nearly  600,000  in  1914.  But,  as  aheadv  stated,  there  is  even,'  reason  to  believe 
that  when  the  barriers  are  removed  there  will  be  an  outbursting  of  people  from  these 
countries  Avhich  v.ill  produce  an  immigration  limited  only  by  the  facilities  for  ocean 
travel. 

With  the  exception  of  the  so-called  great  Russians,  who  may  be  briefly  described 
as  that  part  of  the  Russian  population  now  included  in  soviet  JPaissia,  all  of  the  prin- 
cipal peophs  of  eastern  Europe  have  furnished  large  contributions  to  our  inimigiation 
and  in  most  cases  the  numbers  coming  were  increasing  Avheu  the  v.ar  began,  vrith  the 
prospect  that  under  ordinary  circumstances  such  increase  would  have  continued  for 
years  to  come. 

Many  of  these  peoples,  as  a  result  of  war,  have  come  under  changed  political  sov- 
ereignty and  as  a  rule  have  ceased  to  be  subiect  peoples.  Natin-aliy  this  would  have 
at  least  a  temporary  effect  of  restraining  emigi-ation,  but  it  can  not  be  supposed  that 
it  will  do  so  permanently,  es])ecially  under  present  economic  conditions,  A\'hich, 
according  to  all  available  estimates,  are  destined  to  be  the  lot  of  practically  the  entire 
region  under  consideration  for  a  long  period,  even  after  f'ghting  ceases  and  stable 
and  permanent  governments  are  established.  This  being  the  case,  it  can  not  but  be 
expected  that  as  in  the  past  the  sur])lus  population  will  seek  relief  in  cmigi-ation. 

An  important  question — perhaps  the  most  important  one  which  arises  out  of  the 
turmoil  of  eastern  Europe — is  to  what  extent  will  the  people  of  gi'eat  Russia  become 
a  part  of  future  immigration.  For  many  years  after  other  peoples  of  what  was  then 
Russia,  notably  the  Poles,  Hebrews,  Lithuanians,  and  Fins,  had  become  large  factors 
in  our  immigration  it  was  commonly  predicted  that  the  Russians  themselves  would 
never  follow  their  example  to  any  great  extent.  The  contrary'  proved  to  be  true, 
however,  for  in  the  few  years  next  preceding  the  beginning  of  the  war  they  began  to 
come  to  the  United  States  in  rapidly  increasing  numbers. 


EAIEEGEXCY   IMMIGEATIOX   LEGISLATION. 


M3 


The  followins:  figures  shov'ins  the  number  of  immi^-antvS  of  each  of  the  peoples 
named  who  came  from  Russia  in  1910-1914  will  illustrate  this  point: 


1910 

1911 

1912 

1913 

1914 

Hebrew 

59,824 
63,635 
21,676 
14,999 
14.76,S 

65,472 
40, 193 
16,210 
8,942 
17,oSl 

58, 3S9 
51, 244 
13, 576 

5,  708 
21, 101 

74, 033 
112  345 

23, 873 
11,156 
48, 472 

102, 638 

Polish 

66, 278 

Lithuanian 

20,  SOS 

10,968 

Russian 

40,241 

With  the  exception  of  the  Russians  the  peoples  enimierated  came  from  western 
and  southwestern  Russia,  the  most  of  wkich  territory  is  either  definitely  separated 
from  the  former  empire,  as  in  the  case  of  Finland  and  Poland,  or  which,  for  the  present 
at  least,  is  oustide  the  jurisdiction  of  the  so-called  soviet  go^^ernment.  Accordingly, 
the  only  immigrants  who  in  the  past  have  come  in  any  numljers  from  what  is  now 
soviet  Russia  are  the  real  Russian  people,  mentioned  in  the  table,  and  some  immi- 
grants of  German  blood  who  came  from  the  old-time  German  settlements  on  the  Volga 
River. 

Leaving  out  of  consideration  the  \arious  peoples  of  Asiatic  origin  who  inhabit  the 
eastern  part  of  the  country,  the  population  of  the  present  soviet  Russia  is  very  largely 
made  up  of  the  real  Russian  people  already  referred  to,  and  the  extent  of  their  future 
immigration  to  the  United  States  can  only  be  conjectured.  But  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
much  will  depend  upon  economic,  and  perhaps  political,  conditions  in  Russia  when 
normal  intercourse  with  other  countries  is  resumed.  The  rapid  increase  which,  as 
the  al)ove  table  shows,  occurred  just  preceding  the  World  War  was  thoughtfully  con- 
sidered by  the  bureau,  and  the  conclusion  was  reached  tliat,  unless  artificially 
restricted,  these  Russians  would  soon  become  one  of  the  largest,  if  not  the  largest, 
racial  groups  among  our  immigrants. 

At  that  time  it  was  believed  that  unfavorable  economic  conditions,  resulting  largely 
from  overpopulation  of  land  available  for  the  peasants  in  large  sections  of  central 
Russia,  were  chiefly  responsible  for  the  beginning  and  raj)id  growth  of  the  movement 
to  this  country.  In  earlier  years  this  populationpressiire  liad  been  somewhat  relieved 
by  an  enormous  immigration  of  peasants  to  Siberia  but  for  various  reasons  this  de- 
creased, and  the  increased  movement  to  the  United  States,  and  also  to  Canada,  almost 
immediately  followed. 

The  World  War.  of  course,  abruptly  stopped  this  movement,  as  it  did  all  immigration 
from  eastern  Europe,  and  the  isolation  of  Rus'-:ia  since  the  war  ended  has  been  e'jually 
effective  in  that  respect.  Whether  the  political  upheaval  in  that  country  will  result 
in  removing  what  seemed  to  be  the  chief  cause  of  peasant  migration  to  Siberia  and 
emigration  overseas  remains  to  be  seen. 

THE    ASIATIC    SITUATION. 

There  was  no  material  change  in  immigration  from  the  Far  East  in  the  fiscal  year 
1920  compared  with  1919,  but  that  coming  from  Asiatic  Turkey  increased  from  only 
19  in  1919  to  5,033  in  1920,  this  being  due  to  the  fact  that  the  SATians  and  Armenians 
are  again  beginning  to  find  their  way  to  the  United  States,  These  and  other  subject 
peoples  of  Turkey  have  come  to  the  United  States  in  considerable  numbers  in  ilxe  j^ast, 
and  wliile  their  emancipation  from  TurVrish  rule  may  have  some  effect  in  checking 
immigration  it  seems  very  likely  that  the  movement  will  continue  much  as  it  was 
before  the  war  with  a  probability  of  considerable  increase. 

China  contributed  2.330  immigrant  aliens  during  the  year  1920  and  3,102  returned 
to  that  country,  wliile  9,432  came  from  Japan  and  4,249  returned  there.  The  annual 
immigration  from  China  has  not  changed  materially  during  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
centruy  and  it  long  ago  responded  to  the  jiolicy  of  exclusion.  The  number  admitted 
from  Japan  was  slightly  less  than  in  1919,  and  also  slightly  under  the  annual  average 
for  the  21  years,  1899-1919,  that  average  being  10,984.  During  tliat  period,  however, 
the  number  varied  greatly,  the  extremes  being  30,226  in  1907  and  2,720  in  1910. 

BRITISH   NORTH   AMERICA. 


With  the  single  excei>tion  of  Italy,  Canada,  or  rather  British  North  America,  as  a 
whole,  led  all  other  countries  as  a  source  of  immigration  in  1920,  the  number  admitted 


•2&M1- 


n— ptK] 5 


644  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

being  the  largest  recorded  immigration  from  tJiat  source  since  1882,  with  the  exception 
of  the  two  years,  191(J  and  1917.  Immigration  from  and  emigration  to  Canada  are 
discussed  at  greater  length  elsewhere  in  this  report.     (See  p.  23.) 


After  Italy  and  Canada,  ^Mexico  furnished  more  immigrants  in  1920  than  any  other 
country,  52,361  having  been  admitted  from  that  source  compared  with  29,818  in  1919, 
and  an  annual  average  of  10,320  in  the  21  years  1899-1919.  The  largo  increase  in  1920 
is  said  to  be  due  to  various  causes,  the  chief  of  which  was  the  demand  for  labor  at  high 
wages  in  the  southwest,  where  these  immigrants  form  a  highly  important  part  of  the 
labor  supply. 

CENTRAL   AND    SOUTH   AMERICA. 

Immigration  conditions  from  the  various  countries  in  this  part  of  the  world  show 
little  change,  but  with  the  development  of  commerce  now  progressing  to  the  mutual 
interests  of  all  nations  contributing  to  the  same,  it  is  expected  tliat  movement  of  peo- 
ple to  and  from  the  Unitfed  States  and  all  countries  to  the  south  will  materially  increase. 

(Extract  from  the  report  of  the  Bureau  of  Imfaiigration  for  the  fiscal  year  1919.1 
The  Passport- Vise  System. 

In  its  last  report  the  bureau  directed  attention  to  the  fact  that  shortly  after  the 
United  States  entered  the  World  War  it  became  evident  that  this  country  must  protect 
itself  against  all  plans  and  schemes  of  the  enemy,  including  those  that  might  involve 
the  sending  to  the  United  States  of  spies,  and  like  actiAities.  On  July  26,  1917, 
the  Secretary  of  State  and  the  Secretary  of  Labor  issued  a  joint  order  requiring  that 
aliens  coming  to  the  United  States  should  present  passports  and  that  in  the  proces  of 
securing  the  approval  by  American  consular  officials  they  should  furnish  quite  detail- 
ed information  concerning  themselves,  and  also  providing  for  the  investigations 
of  these  cases,  to  as  full  an  extent  as  possible,  by  diplomatic  and  consular  officials 
stationed  aliroad.  The  joint  order  of  July  26,  as  well  as  the  regulations  promulgated 
by  the  Department  of  State  in  connection  therewith,  resulted  from  various  conferences 
held  between  the  Bureau  of  Citizenship  and  the  Bureau  of  Immigration,  for  the 
purpose  of  discussing  the  proper  super\ision  of  aliens  coming  to  the  United  States 
during  the  continuance  of  the  war.  While  the  regulations  were  being  enforced  at  the 
seaports  and  on  the  land  boundaries  by  immigration  officers,  and  in  foreign  countries 
by  diplomatic  and  consular  officials,  the  interested  branches  of  the  Departments  of 
State,  Treasury,  War,  Xavy,  Justice,  and  Labor,  exerted  every  possible  effort  to  prepare 
a  la-R  that  would  more  adequately  deal  with  the  subject  which  the  joint  order  and 
accompan>ing  regulations  were  intended  to  cover  as  an  emergency  arrangement. 
These  efforts  resulted  in  the  passage  of  the  act  of  ^lay  22,  1918,  "To  prevent  in  time 
of  war  departure  from  and  entry  into  the  United  States  contrary  to  the  public  safety.  " 
Upon  the  basis  of  this  act,  the  President  issued  a  proclamation  followed  by  an  Execu- 
tive order  establishing  regulations  for  the  complete  control  of  the  travel  of  aliens  to 
and  from  the  United  States.  These  regulations  were  enforced  abroad  by  diplomatic 
and  consular  officers  and  in  the  United  States  by  officers  of  the  Treasury  Department 
(customs  service),  of  the  Department  of  Justice,  and  of  the  Bureau  of  Immigration. 
As  a  part  of  the  regulations,  the  joint  order,  which  had  proved  so  effective  as  an 
emergency  measure,  was  continued  in  force. 

In  the  way  above  described  there  was  established  a  system  for  the  control  of  the 
travel  of  aliens  more  complete  and  more  effective  thai  any  which  had  ever  been 
put  in  operation  by  the  United  States  Government.  It  made  possible  an  at  least 
fairly  complete  incjuir^-  with  regard  to  the  character  and  autecedants  of  every  alien 
who  Was  seeking  to  come  to  this  country,  as  well  as  the  discovery,  usually  in  most 
minute  detail,  of  his  purposes  in  coming.  It  is  not  meant  by  this  that  the  system 
was  perfect;  like  all  human  institutions,  doubtless,  it  failed  in  certain  instances,  or 
perhaps  in  certain  respects,  to  accomplish  the  objects  in  view,  but,  all  of  the  circum- 
stances considered,  it  was  a  most  excellent  arrangement  for  the  purpose  for  which  it 
was  dexdsed. 

Incidentally,  but  nevertheless  in  very  valuable  and  rather  extensive  ways,  this 
vis^-of-passports  system  placed  upon  immigration  to  the  United  States  a  safeguard 
which,  simply  from  the  point  of  ^^ew  of  the  adequate  protection  of  the  country  against 
undesirable  or  undue  immigration  at  a  time  when  economic  and  other  conditions 
were  disturbed,  was  of  most  distinct  ^alue.  Observing  this,  and  having  in  mind 
also  the  experience  of  the  bureau  in  the  enforcement  of  the  Chinese-exclusion  laws, 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATIOX.  645 

in  connection  ^vith  which  officers  specialb.  trained  in  the  enforcement  of  those  laws 
were  a  number  of  years  ago  placed  in  the  principal  consulates  in  the  Orient,  the 
bureau  has  become  satisfied  that  to  a  considerable  extent  the  immigration  laws  would 
be  valuably  supplemented  in  times  of  peace  if  a  svstem  modeled  on  the  one  above 
described,  with  or  without  the  use  of  passports,  could  be  permanently  adopted.  The 
bureau  does  not  mean  by  this  that  the  OLforcement  of  the  immigration  laws  could,  by 
any  means,  be  transferred  from  the  ports  of  this  country  to  the  places  in  foreign 
countries  whence  aliens  come,  or  even  to  the  seaports  of  foreign  countries  at  which 
they  embark  when  emigi-ating  to  the  United  States.  There  are  certain  difficulties, 
which  seem  to  the  bureau  insuperable,  in  the  way  of  so  complete  a  change  of  practice. 
But  if  trained  immigi'ation  officers  were  attached  to  American  consulates,  to  act  as 
ad^^sers  with,  respect  to  questions  raised  by  prospective  immigrants,  and  as  ad^'isers 
to  the  consular  officials  who  vise  passports,  also  to  perform  such  other  functions  as 
may  be  required  in  any  plan  of  immigration  control  that  is  evolved,  it  is  believed 
that  the  results  would  be  most  beneficial.  Aliens  in  every  respect  eligible  and  desir- 
able would  in  tliis  way  be  fully  informed  of  the  laws  and  regulations;  but  those  inad- 
missible for  any  reason  and  even  those  likely  to  be  rejected  on  arrival  at  United 
States  ports  would  either  be  discouraged  from  coming  or  would  at  least  be  put  upon 
notice  and  could  then  have  no  one  to  blame  but  themselves  for  the  hardship  that 
might  result  from  their  being  rejected  on  arrival  at  this  side. 

Of  course,  the  situation  with  respect  to  the  Chinese-exclusion  laws  is  somewhat 
different  from  that  with  regard  to  the  immigrations  laws.  Under  the  former  statutes 
members  of  the  exempt  classes  must  hold  certificates  issued  by  designated  officials  of 
their  own  governments  and  approved  by  American  consular  officers:  and  the  system, 
above  alluded  to,  which  was  put  into  operation  some  time  ago  at  the  more  important 
consulates  in  the  Orient  contemplates  that  the  experts  upon  the  Chinese-exclusion 
laws  shall  make  investigations  and  report  to  the  consulates  ^vith  regard  to  ever>-  appli- 
cant for  vise  of  a  certificate.  As  the  immigration  law  does  not  require  thait  immi- 
grants generally  shall  hold  certificates  of  any  kind,  and  as  the  approval  of  passports  by 
consular  officials  depends  upon  considerations  quite  different  from  those  affecting  the 
approA-al  of  Chinese  certificates,  immigration  officers  attached  to  the  consulates  pro- 
bably could  not  go  nearly  so  far  toward  actually  enforcing  the  law  as  the  officials 
attached  to  the  consulates  in  the  Orient  now  do.  But  they  could  accomplish  a  great 
deal  toward  discouraging  undesirable  immigration  as  well  as  giving  authoritative  in- 
formation to  persons  clearly  and  beyond  a  doubt  of  desirable  type. 

The  matter  of  having  representatives  of  the  Immigration  Service  permanently 
stationed  at  consular  offices  and  elsewhere  in  foreign  countries  has  been  frecjuently 
discussed,  but  not  until  the  excellent  results  of  the  passport-vise  system  appeared, 
were  the  advantages  of  the  proposal  so  clearly  established. 

The  bureau  is  not  advocating  the  permanent  retention  of  the  vise  system  as  main- 
tained during  the  war,  but  does  strongly  favor  the  continuance,  as  au  immigration 
measure,  of  the  principle  involved,  with  or  without  the  use  of  passports.  It  can  be 
used  not  only  as  a  means  to  aid  in  the  regulation  of  immigration,  but  in  gathering  and 
giving  information  which  will  be  beneficial  in  administering  the  immigration  laws. 
Much  of  the  misunderstanding  arising  in  the  enforcement  of  our  laws  results  from 
lack  of  information  of  their  requirements.  The  bureau  is  satisfied  that  there  is  in  the 
system  now  in  operation  the  germ  of  new  extension  of  the  immigration  servise,  whose 
officers,  acting  either  ;inder  the  States  Department's  officials  abroad  or  in  a  se])arate 
capacity  as  representatives  of  this  department,  but  always  cooperating  fully  with  the 
former,  will  furnish  an  element  that  will  help  to  complete  its  machinery  of  adminis- 
tration. 

Immigration  is  a  world  (juestion,  but  for  each  nation  it  has  a  domestic  application. 
In  order  that  such  application  may  be  intelligently  made,  world  wdde  information, 
not  at  intervals  but  constantly,  has  long  been  a  necessity,  and  is  now  more  so  than 
ever  before. 

The  bureau  is  engaged  in  a  study  of  the  question  and  it  hopes  to  submit  to  the  de- 
partment for  its  consideration  a  plan  for  the  operation  of  the  proposed  system. 

CONTINUANCE  IN  FORCE  OF  ACT  OF  MAY  22,  1918. 

In  the  meantime  the  bureau  believes  that  in  view  of  the  present  condition  of  Europe  a 
temporary  continuation  of  the  existing  passport-Ans6  system  is  as  necessary  as  its  institu- 
tion became  during  the  war.  In  war  time  it  was  the  public  enemy  that  was  to  be  kept 
out;  now  it  is  the  undesirable,  the  enemy  of  law  and  order,  the  breeder  of  revolution,  and 
the  advocate  of  anarchy  against  whom  we  should  guard.  As  above  indicated,  it  is 
not  desired  that  war-time  regulations  be  maintained  permanently.  ])ut.  with  modi- 
fications suited  to  changing  conditions,  they  should  be  continued  at  least  for  a  suffi- 


(J4G  KMEllGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

cient  lonfjth  of  limo  mot  less  than  a  year  after  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  of  i)eace  by 
the  Allies)  to  permit  the  resumption  of  peace  throughout  the  war  zone  and  the  various 
districts  -where  civil  war  and  other  disturbances  have  taken  ))lace  since  the  armistice. 
The  Ijureau  is  interested  in  its  continuance  from  an  immigration  standpoint,  and  in 
conference  with  the  representatives  of  the  State  Department  it  has  joined  in  efforts 
approved  by  this  department  to  continue  in  force  the  act  of  Congress  of  May  22,  1918, 
under  which  the  pass])ort-vise  system  was  legalized  and  maintained  in  operaticm. 

[Kxtract  from  the  report  of  the  Bureau  of  Immigration  for  the  fiscal  year  1920. 

The  Passport-Vise  System. 

While  the  1)ureau  took  strong  grounds  last  year  in  favor  of  a  continuance  of  the  sc- 
called  vise  system,  owing  to  the  war  situation  then  pending  in  many  countries  it  wan 
the  assumption  that,  if  continued,  provision  would  be  made  for  the  exercise  of 
authority  to  be  vested  in  the  Department  of  State  and  the  Department  of  Labor, 
so  that  the  enforcement  of  the  immigration  laws  might  be  secured  at  the  source  of 
much  of  the  then  expected  increase  in  immigration,  this  not  only  to  meet  the  necessity 
to  safeguard  our  country  from  the  entrance  of  dangerous  elements,  but  to  save  from 
the  hardships  of  an  ocean  voyage  inadmissible  applicants  who  woTild  find  on  arrival 
at  our  seaports  that  they  must  return  to  their  former  homes.  Instead  of  relievirg  this 
condition,  the  continuance  of  the  vise  system  without  the  insertion  of  the  qualifying 
provisiors  expected  by  the  immigration  service  has  had  in  part,  under  the  amendatory 
laws  on  the  subject,  the  opposite  effect  so  far,  and  bids  fair,  unless  s^me  way  can  be 
found  to  remedy  the  situation,  to  produce  congestion  at  our  immigi'ation  stations, 
and  to  increase  the  difficulties  of  regulating  immigration  under  the  act  of  1917. 

The  bureau  invites  attention  to  that  portion  of  its  annual  report  for  1919  under  the 
caption  ''The  Passport- Vise  System"  to  present  its  attitude  on  the  system,  and  its 
strong  support  of  it,  but  with  qualifications  none  of  which  have  been  enacted  in  the 
amendatory  laws.  It  still  believes,  as  then  stated,  that  "there  is  in  the  system  now 
in  operation  the  germ  of  a  new  extension  of  the  Immigration  Service,  whose  officers, 
acting  either  usder  the  State  Department's  officials  abroad  or  in  a  separate  capacity 
as  representatives  of  this  de])artment,  but  always  cooperating  fully  with  the  former,  will 
furnish  an  element  that  will  help  to  complete  its  machinery  of  administration,"  and 
that  "it  can  be  used  not  only  as  a  means  to  aid  in  the  regulation  of  immigration,  but 
in  gathering  and  giving  information  which  will  be  beneficial  in  administering  the 
immigration  laws,"  jjrovided  such  qualifications  are  included  in  the  law. 

[Extract  from  the  report  of  the  Bureau  of  Immigration  for  the  fiscal  year  1919.] 

Immigration  Bills  Before  Congress. 

Important  changes  in  existing  immigration  law  are  proposed  in  a  bill  (H.  R.  563) 
which  was  introduced  in  the  House  of  Representatives  May  19,  1919,  by  Hon.  Albert 
Johnson,  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Immigration  and  Naturalization.  The  lead- 
ing fciture  of  the  bill  provides  for  a  two  years'  suspension  of  immigration,  with  the 
exception  of  certain  professional  classes;  near  relatives  of  former  immigrants;  aliens 
fleeing  from  religious  persecution;  and  skilled  labor,  provided  labor  of  like  kind 
unemployed  can  not  be  found  in  this  country.  A  similar  bill,  1  tit  providing  for  a 
four  years'  suspension  of  immigration  instead  of  two,  was  favorably  reported  from  the 
House  committee  at  the  last  session,  liut  the  Sixty-fifth  Congress  ended  March  4 
without  taking  further  action.  Other  bills  introduced  at  the  present  session  fix  the 
proposed  suspension  period  at  three  years  and  four  years;  and  one,  a  Senate  bill, 
proposes  to  stop  immigration  from  every  source  for  a  period  of  20  years,  and  from 
Germany,  Austria,  Hungary,  Bulgaria,  and  Turkey  for  a  period  of  50  years. 

Regarding  the  proposed  suspersion  of  immigration  as  pro^•ided  in  these  various  bills, 
the  l)ureau  favors  a  continuation  of  the  present  immigration  law.  This  law  provides 
the  best  selective  system  yet  de^"ised  by  the  (lovernment,  and  it  is  believed  that  its 
far-reaching  defensive  machiney,  aided  by  certain  coiistructi\  e  provisioi's  of  H .  R.  5(i3 
hereinafter  explained,  will  meet  all  re(juirements  of  the  existing  situation  and  fully 
protect  the  people  of  the  T'nited  States.  It  is  a  question  of  serious  importance  whether 
it  is  de3iral)le  to  set  aside  the  traditional  policy  of  the  Ciovernment  concerning  the 
admission  of  peoples  from  foreign  countries  at  a  time  v.-lien  world  conditions  are  'oeing 
reestablished  on  lines  calculated  to  promote  more  friendly  relations,  and  when  the 
Government  is  endeavoring  to  increase  its  merchant  marine  and  extend  its  foreign 
commerce. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION,  647 

The  present  law,  owing  to  war  conditions,  has  not  really  been  put  into  full  operation. 
It  was  conceived  to  meet  the  situation  that  existed  during  the  15  years  prior  to  1914, 
when  nearly  15,000,000  aliens,  or  an  annual  average  of  nearly  1,000,000  were  admitted, 
and  the  necessity  for  the  improved  administrati\-e  and  protective  features  provided 
by  the  new  law  was  accentuated  l)y  the  fact  that  the  influx  had  increased  until  the 
average  annual  admission  during  the  last  five  years  of  that  period  totaled  more  than 
1,200,000.  From  experience  already  had  the  bureau  believes  that  when  it  is  put  to 
the  test  the  law  will  fulfill  the  purpose  of  Congress  when  it  was  enacted. 

It  is  ol)vious  that  the  adoption  of  a  law  suspending  immigration  temporarily  would 
have  the  same  injurious  effect  upon  our  efforts  to  further  American  commerce  and 
enterprise  in  foreign  countries,  as  though  it  provided  for  permanent  prohilntion. 
Moreover,  the  first-named  l)ill  provides  for  a  number  of  exceptions,  so  that  a  certain 
amount  of  immigration  would  be  permitted  in  any  event,  and,  this  being  the  case,  a 
continuation  of  the  present  law  would  be  required  to  deal  with  it.  Thus  the  Immigra- 
tion Service  would  have  to  be  maintained  and,  judging  from  past  experience  with 
exclusion  laws,  it  would  even  be  necessary  to  increase  the  number  of  officials  with 
consequent  increased  cost  of  maintenance.  In  other  words,  the  proposed  law  would 
in  fact  produce  in  the  entire  immigration  system  the  same  conditions  and  difficulties 
that  are  now  encountered  in  the  administration  of  the  Chinese-exclusion  law. 

There  are  several  considerations,  therefore,  that  should  be  borne  in  mind  in  con- 
sidering the  question  of  immigration  suspension,  and,  in  view  of  the  conditions  that 
would  be  produced  by  such  a  change  in  our  policy,  the  bureau  is  convinced  that  exist- 
ing and  anticipated  problems  would  be  better  met  by  a  continuation  of  the  present 
immigration  act,  supplemented  by  certain  constructive  provisions  which  are  proposed 
in  the  Johnson  bill.  Some  of  these  provisions  recommended  by  the  bureau  may  be 
briefly  summari:'.ed  as  follows:' 

1.  Our  present  immigration  policy  is  negative,  in  that  the  law  enumerates  certain 
classes  of  aliens  deemed  to  be  undesirable  and  therefore  inadmissible  to  the  country, 
and  regards  all  others  as  eligible  to  enter.  Decisions  as  to  admissions  and  rejections, 
particularly  the  former,  are  necessarily  made  in  haste  and  usually  only  on  such  evi- 
dence as  can  be  secured  from  the  aliens  themselves.  It  is  true  that  the  law  makes 
possible  the  expulsion  of  aliens  after  entry  under  certain  circumstances,  thus  affording 
a  measure  of  protection  against  mistakes  made  at  the  time  of  admission,  but,  although 
important,  this  has  been  a  rather  minor  incident  in  the  general  plan.  The  proposal 
is  to  remedy  this  situation  by  providing  that  immigrants  who  meet  the  surface  tests 
of  the  law  and  appear  to  be  admissible,  but  whose  real  character  and  purpose  is  un- 
known, may  be  admitted  provisionally  and  required  to  report  at  stated  times  until 
upon  the  showing  made  they  are  finally  admitted  or  debarred. 

2.  None  of  our  immigration  statutes,  except  the  Chinese-exclusion  laws,  has  con- 
tained any  positive  expression  upon  the  subject  of  burden  of  proof  with  respect  to 
the  admissibility  of  aliens.  As  a  result  the  Government  has  been  placed  in  the  dis- 
advantageous position  of  having  to  prove  that  an  alien  is  inadmissilile,  rather  than 
being  able  to  demand  that  the  alien  should  prove  that  he  is  admissible.  A  complete 
reversal  of  this  practice  is  proposed  by  requiring  that  in  examinations  at  ports  of  arrival 
the  burden  of  proving  that  he  is  admissible  under  the  law  shall  1)0  upon  the  alien. 

3.  It  may  be  further  pointed  out  that  we  have  made  no  effort  at  all  to  utilize  the  time 
elapsing  between  the  embarkation  of  immigrant?  at  foreign  ports  and  their  arri\al  at 
our  ports  as  a  period  in  which  observation  and  something  like  scientific  and  thorough 
selection  might  occur.  It  is  suggested  that  advantage  of  thi8  opportunity  be  taken  by 
providing  that  inspectors  and  doctors  shall  be  placed  on  vessels  of  t'nited  States 
registry,  and  others  the  OAvners  of  which  consent,  for  the  purposes  alluded  to. 

4.  The  provision  of  the  bill  making  changes  in  the  present  law  as  regards  seamen 
are  shown  by  the  bureau  s  experience  to  be  necessary  to  perfect  the  excellent  system 
inaugurated  by  the  immigration  act  of  1917  under  which  much  progi'ess  has  already 
been  made. 

5.  The  registration  sections  have  in  view  the  development  of  a  practicable  plan 
for  the  assimilation  as  well  as  the  protection  of  alien  residents.  The  work  of  assimila- 
tion requires  a  knowledge  of  the  environment,  the  occupations,  and  the  conditions, 
economic  and  otherwise,  surrounding  aliens  in  this  country.  In  this  connection  a 
ready  method  of  making  known  frauds  practiced  against  aliens  and  losses  or  injuries 
sustained  by  them  should  be  established.  Provision  should  be  made  for  both  public 
authorities  and  private  organizations  to  take  a  beneficial  interest  in  aliens  and  enable 
them  to  acqxiire  a  fair  knowledge  of  what  our  laws.  Federal,  State,  and  municipal. 


■  .\ppendix  V  of  this  report  presents  a  proposed  new  immigration  law,  with  explanatory  memorandum, 
which  the  bureau  prepared  Feb.  .3,  1919,  and  subsequently  submitted  to  the  House  Committee  on 
Immigration  and  Naturalization,  ilany  cf  its  provisions  apiaear  in  the  bill  (H.  R.  063)  now  before  that 
committee. 


648  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

recjuire  of  them;  parficiilarly  is  this  so  in  respect  to  the  laws  geverninp:  immis-ration, 
naturalization,  labor,  education,  health,  and  kindred  subjects.  Ile.sistration,  as 
contemplated  by  the  proposed  legislation,  will  assist  in  bringing  these  constructive 
measures  to  a  successful  issue,  eventually  placing  those  aliens  so  inclined  on  the  road 
to  intelligent  and  useful  citizenship.  As  a  means  of  protection  to  the  law-abiding 
and  peace-loving  people  of  this  class,  and  as  an  aid  in  the  enforcement  of  the  immisra- 
tion  laws,  it  will  be  invaluable.  The  bureau  of  Information,  as  the  arm  of  the  depart- 
ment dealing  wholly  with  aliens,  and  particularly  new  arriAals.  has  oflicial  connection 
with  them  and  hence  should  have  a  proper  place  in  any  plan  devised  by  the  Govern- 
ment in  the  work  of  their  assimilation  and  Americanization. 

It  is  recommended  that  the  seamen's  sections  of  the  bill  be  segregated  froiji  the 
balance  of  the  measure  and  introduced  spearately,  owing  to  the  necessity  for  immediate 
action  on  the  subjects  affected,  and  to  take  adVantave  of  the  progress  that  has  been 
made  since  the  enactment  of  the  seamen's  pro\dsions  of  the  act  of  February  5,  1917. 
This  recommendation  is  made  in  view  of  the  possibility  that  a  general  im'migration 
law  may  not  be  enacted  at  an  early  date. 

The  House  committee  also  reported  favorably  a  bill  providing  for  the  deportation 
of  interned  alien  enemies  and  aliens  convicted  of  violation  of  various  war-time  laws, 
but  this  failed  to  become  a  law  in  the  Sixty-fifth  ('ongre.ss  and  has  been  reintroduced. 
This  bill  was  recommended  by  the  bureau  "and  had  the  approval  of  the  department. 

A  so-called  per  centum  plan  for  regulating  immigration  has  been  presented  to  the 
House  committee  at  the  present  session  by  an  organization  known  as  the  National 
Committee  for  Constructive  Immigration  Legislation,  but  up  to  the  end  of  the  fiscal 
year  no  bill  in  this  regard  had  been  introduced.  The  plan  referred  to  pro\ddes  that 
the  number  of  aliens  of  any  race  or  so-called  "mother  tongue"  group,  who  may  be 
admitted  in  any  year,  shall  not  exceed  a  given  per  cent  (5  to  15  or  .3  to  10  per  "cent 
suggested)  of  the  naturalized  persons  and  American-born  children  of  such  race  or 
group  in  the  United  States  as  shown  by  the  census  of  1920;  the  exact  per  centum  rate 
to  be  determined  annually  by  an  immigration  commission  composed  of  the  Secretary 
of  Labor,  the  Secretary  of  Commerce,  and  a  third  person  appointed  by  the  President. 
The  plan  further  stipulates  that  the  standards  of  qualification  for  citizen.<^hip  .shall 
be  raised,  and  that  the  privilege  of  naturalization  .shall  be  extended  to  aliens  of  every 
nationality  who  qualify.  Finally,  the  plan  includes  the  repeal  of  all  laws  dealing 
specifically  and  differentially  with  the  Chinese. 

As  to  the  plan  of  the  National  Committee  for  Constructive  Immigration  Legislation, 
the  bureau  does  not  favor  its  policy  or  purpose.  It  does  not  believe  in  changing  the 
present  policy  of  naturalization  except  to  improve  the  same  by  limiting  admissions 
to  citizenship  to  those  now  admissible  who  voluntarily  seek  the  privilege.  It  does 
not  favor  the  percentage  plan  nor  the  repeal  of  existing  execution  laws.  The  plan  is 
experimental  in  many  respects,  is  not  demanded  by  any  considerable  number  of  our 
people,  and  is  aggressively  opposed  by  a  large  part  of  the  population.  We  need  the 
development  of  the  present  immigration  system  on  constructiAe  lines  rather  than  ex- 
periments in  new  departures,  however  inviting  they  may  be  made  to  appear,  or  the 
introduction  of  new  problems  that  may  disturb  economic  and  social  conditions.  The 
policy  of  exclusion  is  an  established  American  policy;  it  has  already  avoided  and 
practically  solved  one  race  problem;  it  will,  if  continued  and  extended,  soh  e  all  that 
may  present  themselves,  and  it  should  be  extended  rather  than  abolished  or  curtailed. 

Other  bills  introduced  in  the  present  Congress  proposed  to  repeal  the  illiteracy  test; 
to  expel  and  exclude  from  the  United  States  aliens  who,  to  escape  military  service, 
have  withdrawn  their  declaration  of  intention  to  become  citizens;  to  prohibit  the 
immigration  of  Asiatic  labor;  w'hile  others  relate  to  the  Americanization  and  educa- 
tion of  admitted  aliens,  but.  as  already  stated,  no  action  had  been  taken  when  the 
fiscal  year  closed. 

[E.xtract  from  the  report  of  the  Bureau  of  Immigration  for  the  fiscal  year  1920.] 
Pending  Immigration  Legislation. 

At  the  time  of  the  submission  of  the  last  annual  report  comment  was  made  witli 
reference  to  certain  bills  and  resolutions  pertaining  to  immigration  matters  which 
were  then  under  consideration  in  the  two  Houses  of  Congress.  Since  that  time  a 
number  of  additional  measures  have  been  introduced,  some  similar  in  effect  to  those 
covered  in  the  measures  preAdously  presented  and  others  along  new  lines  entirely. 
These  measures  have  received  consideration  on  the  part  of  the  respective  Houses  of 
Congress  and  by  the  bureau.  Some  of  them  advocate  a  complete  suspension  of  immi- 
gration for  varying  periods;  others  the  adoption  of  selective  and  restrictive  methods. 

In  its  report  of  last  year  the  bureau  expressed  the  \-iew  that  it  is  a  question  of  serious 
importance  whether  or  not  it  is  desirable  to  set  aside  the  traditional  policy  of  our 


EMEEGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION. 


649 


Oovernment  concerning  the  admission  to  our  country  of  peoples  from  foreign  lands  at 
a  time  when  world  conditions  are  being  reestablished  in  channels  calculated  to  pro- 
mote more  friendly  relations.  That  is  the  thought  it  wishes  to  convey  in  the  present 
report;  but  existing  conditions  in  Europe  and  in  the  United  States,  and  the  vast 
number  of  people  in  the  former  and  in  other  parts  of  the  world  who  contemplate 
coming  here,  have  caused  it  to  give  serious  consideration  to  the  possible  effect  which 
an  influx  of  the  dimensions  promised  ^^^ll  have,  not  only  upon  the  people  of  our 
country,  but  also  upon  the  newcomers  themselves.  This  consideration  of  the  matter 
has  forcibly  suggested  to  it  the  need  for  further  legislation,  both  selective  and  restric- 
tive in  nature,  and  it  is  believed  that  the  early  passage  of  such  legislation  is  ad\dsable. 

The  existence  of  a  large  element  in  some  and  a  considerable  percentage  in  others  of 
the  nations  of  Europe,  as  well  as  in  some  countries  beyond  its  boundaries,  who  do  not 
believe  in  government,  in  the  commonly  accepted  sense,  representatives  of  which 
have  avowed  hostility  to  and  advocated  "the  destruction  of  ours,  presents  a  situation 
that,  though  difficult,  must  be  met  from  the  standpoint  of  complete  safety  to  our 
institutions.  Unless  there  can  be  found  a  way  to  eliminate  the  danger  of  the  entry 
of  this  element,  it  would  appear  that  strong  restrictive  measures  are  necessary  to 
assure  protection  to  our  institutions  and  safeguard  our  people. 

The  stabilization  of  our  business  and  industrial  conditions  anticipated  through  early 
reconstruction  following  the  signing  of  the  armistice  has  not  fully  developed,  and 
until  it  does  it  is  difficult  to  foretell  what  the  immediate  results  to  our  people,  at 
least  for  a  time,  will  be.  Under  these  conditions,  ^vith  multitudes  of  the  earth's 
people  desiring  admission,  many  themselves  needing  help,  it  is  the  part  of  wisdom 
that  unless  their  coming  can  be  regulated  so  that  their  addition  to  om-  population 
may  have  mutually  beneficial  results,  their  interests  and  ours  should  be  subserved 
by  legislation  intended  to  avoid  injurious  consequences  to  both. 

Table  shoicing  incoming  and  outgoing  migrations,  classified  respectively  as  ''  old  immigra- 
tion^ '  and  "neir  immigration,"  for  the  month  of  July,  1920. 


Race  or  people. 


Immigra-  Emigra- 
tion, tion. 


Old  immigration: 

Dutch  and  Flemish 

English , 

Fmnish , 

French 

German 

Irish 

Scandinavian  (Norwegian,  Danes,  and  Swedes) . 

Scotch , 

Welsh 


Total. 


New  immigration: 

Bohemian  and  Moravian  (Czech) 

Bulgarian,  Serbian,  Montenegrin  . . . 

Croatian  and  Slavonian 

Dalmatian,  Bosnian,  Herzegovinian . 
Greek 


Hebrew 

Italian  (north) . . 
Ita^iian  (south) . 

Lithuanian 

Magvar 

Polish 

Portuguese 

Rumanian 

Russian 

Ruthonian 

Slovak 

Spanish 


1,568 
6,000 

215 
2,240 
1,090 
4,031 
2,138 
2,422 

165 


222 
773 

87 
554 
485 
279 
749 
281 

21 


19,869  , 

3,451 

134  ; 

86 

333 

3,158 

218 

493 

36 

176 

1,736 

1,499 

6,033 

51 

2,715 

1,041 

13, 181 

5,848 

41 

310 

128 

2,631 

663 

3,269 

2,964 

310 

193 

1,250 

228  ! 

333 

21 

121 

1,874 

1,481 

3,730 

477 

Total. 


34, 228 


22,534 


The  CiiAiRMAX.  The  hearings  now  are  closed,  and  the  committee 
stands  adjourned  subject  to  call  of  the  chairman. 

(Whereupon,  at  3.35  o'clock  p.  m.,the  committee  adjourned  subject 
to  call  of  the  chairman.) 


X 


APPENDIX 


269U— 21  • 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 


Certain  memoranda,  supplementary  statements,  etc.',  submitted  to 
the  Senate  Immigration  Committee  in  the  course  of  the  hearings  are 
herewith  embodied  in  the  following  appendix: 

CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK. 

A  copy  of  a  report  and  resolutions  on  "Immigration  into  the 
United  States"  adopted  b}^  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  Stnfn 
of  New  York,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows : 

Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  State  op  New  York. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  State  of  New  York,  held 
January  20,  1921,  the  following  report  and  resolutions,  submitted  by  the  executive 
committee,  were  adopted: 

IMMIGRATION    INTO   THE    tNITED    STATES. 

To  the  Chamber  of  Commerce: 

While  the  Ignited  States  is  still  technically  at  war,  the  signature  of  a  treaty  of  peace 
at  Versailles  has  so  modi  tied  international  arrangements  that  agencies  of  transporta- 
tion ha^'e  been  enabled  to  resume  direct  or  indirect  business  activity  in  Central, 
Eastern,  and  Southern  Europe.  The  cA'idence  is  incontestable  that  the  economic 
and  political  chaos  now  extant  over  large  areas  of  Europe  has  set  on  foot  an  emigration 
of  peoples  comparable  in  extent,  if  not  in  form,  to  the  great  race  movements  in  the 
early  days  of  our  historic  epoch. 

The  races  of  people  affected  by  this  tendency  are  manifold;  Germans.  Czechs, 
Slovaks,  Magyars,  Poles,  Croats,  Slovenes,  Russians,  Rumanians,  Dalmatians,  Serbs, 
Gypsies,  etc.;  the  estimates  of  the  Immigration  Committee  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives are  that  from  2,000,000  to  8,000.000  Germans  desire  to  migrate;  agents  of 
17  steamship  companies  recently  told  the  Commissioner  of  Immigration  of  Ellis 
Island  that  if  they  had  the  ships  they  could  bring  10,000,000  immigrants  to  the 
United  States  in  one  year's  time,  ((ifith  Cong.,  3d  sess.,  H.  Rept.  No.  1109.)  It  is 
granted  that  the  mechanics  of  the  problem  constitute  to  some  extent  a  bar  to  an 
influx  of  these  people  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  present  capacity  of  ocean  shipping 
probably  provides  means  for  the  westward  movement  of  no  more  than  from  900.000 
to  l,250,o5o  annually,  although  this  may  be  somewhat  augmented  by  the  refitting 
of  existing  ships.  It  should,  however,  be  noted  that  the  total  of  900,000  has  been 
exceeded  but  six  times  in  the  history  of  our  country. 

Our  Nation  has  two  well-developed  policies  of  immigration;  we  are  proud  of  the 
asylum  we  have  offered  to  the  oppressed  and  we  desire  to  welcome  into  our  n  idst 
people  who  A\ill  become  integral  A\ith  us  in  political  ideals  and  social  aspirations; 
we  have,  on  the  other  hand,  for  many  years  resolutely  excluded  races  of  people  whom 
we  have  determined  as  not  falling  vithin  these  rcduirements.  It  would  certainlv 
not  be  inconsistent  with  our  past  practice  to  class  with  this  latter  type,  for  the  time 
at  least,  immigrants  originating  in  countries  wasted  l)y  v  ar  and  ravaged  l)y  disease, 
bringing  among  them  individuals  unfitted  by  liniitations  of  health,  mental  and 
moral  capacity,  physical  condition,  age  and  sex  from  forming  useful  additions  to 
our  industrial" population,  and  permeated  vvith  the  idea  that  a  universal  revolution 
is  the  panacea  for  all  the  ills  to  which  this  generation  is  heir. 

A  Representative  in  Congress  has  well  said  during  the  debate  on  this  question 
"that  the  first  law  of  nations,  as  of  individuals,  is  the  law  of  self-protection,"  and  the 
executive  committee,  after  mature  deliberation,  is  of  the  opinion  that  during  the 

651 


652  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

period  of  readjustment,  with  unemployment  staring  manv  of  our  people  in  the  face, 
the  introduction  of  large  bodies  of  people  not  itnbued  with  ideas  of  American  democ- 
racy, or  orderly  habits  of  mind,  will  throw  such  a  strain  upon  our  already  overtaxed 
power  of  assimilation  as  to  constitute  a  peril  of  the  first  mat:nitude. 

Congi-ess  now  has  V)efore  it  two  measures  worthy  of  serious  consideration  dealing 
with  this  situation.  First,  is  the  Johnson  bill  (H.  R.  14401),  designed  to  cope  with 
the  present  emergency,  restricting  immigration  for  one  year  as  amended  when  it 
passed  the  House;  the  second  bill,  introduced  l)y  Senator  Sterling,  is  more  com- 
prehensive. It  aims  to  reorganize 'the  immigration  service  on  scientific  lines  and 
permit  immigratioft  subject  to  selection  under  the  direction  of  an  Immigration  Board, 
which  it  creates. 

The  executive  committee,  however,  believes  that  even  supposing  the  Sterling 
bill  be  amended  in  certain  essentials  which  it  regards  as  necessar\-  to  its  successful 
operation,  a  circumstance  hardly  to  be  expected  \nthout  considerable  debate,  its 
inherent  features  preclude  a  possibility  that  it  can  function  efficiently  without  delay 
too  givat  to  be  disregarded.  For  this  reason  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions 
are  siiggosted  to  the  c'hamber  for  its  consideration: 

WTiereas  the  general  economic  disturbances  in  Central,  Eastern,  and  Southern  Europe 
have  initiated  an  influx  of  immigration  to  the  United  States  threatening  to  overtax 
its  power  of  assimilating  foreign  elements  in  the  population ;  and 
Whereas  Congress  has  before  it  various  bills  dealing  \\ath  the  regulation  of  immigra- 
tion: Therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  it  is  the  judgment  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  that  pending  the  preparation  of  perfected  legislation  along  the  general  lines 
laid  down  by  Senator  Sterling  in  Senate  bill  No.  4594,  House  bill  No.  14461,  as 
amended,  should  receive  the  support  of  all  citizens  ha\dng  the  welfare  of  the  country 
at  heart;  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  the  president  of  the  chamber  is  authorized  and  directed  to  appoint 
from  the  chamber  a  special  committee  to  lay  before  the  appropriate  committees  of 
Congress  the  views  hereinbefore  expressed  and  such  other  suggestions  as  may,  in  the 
judgment  of  the  executive  committee,  be  deemed  within  the  scope  of  the  preceding 
report  and  resolution. 
Attest: 

Darwin  P.  Kingsley, 

President. 
Charles   T.    Gwynne, 

Secretary 
New  York,  January  21 ,  1921. 

AMERICAN    DEFENSE    SOCIETY. 

A  telegram  from  the  committee  on  immigration  of  the  American 
Defense  Society,  New  York,  urging  restriction  of  immigration,  is 
herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows : 

New  York,  January  20,  1921. 
Hon.  LeBaron  B.  Colt, 

Chairman  Committee  on  Immigration, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

The  American  Defense  Society  respectfully  represents  to  your  committee  that  the 
time  has  come  to  effect  a  definite  change  in  immigration  policy  from  that  of  sub- 
stantially unrestricted  admission  to  that  of  admission  only  to  such  extent  and  in 
such  manner  as  may  be  compatible  with  the  preservation  and  normal  development 
of  American  institutions.  As  a  means  to  this  end  the  society  belie\es  that  the  only 
practicable  proposal  at  this  time  is  to  adopt  a  temporary  measure  of  stringent  restric- 
tion, with  the  expectation  that  relaxations  of  these  restrictions  will  occur  only  as 
adequate  measures  of  control  are  developed. 

In  this  connection  we  respectfully  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that  America 
can  not  with  safety  continue  to  be  an  asylum  fur  all  the  peoples  of  the  earth.  Each 
European  nation  is  naturally  8tri^ ing  to  retain  its  best  and  is  seeking  to  put  impedi- 
ments in  the  way  of  their  leaving,  while  allow  ing  dependent  and  undesirable  classes 
to  depart.  Those  now  coming  are,  mo^eo^  er,  largely  of  races  who  are  untrained  by 
inhentance  to  appreciate  the  institutions,  laws,  customs,  and  transactions  of  the 
United  States,  and  the  freedom  expressed  in  our  Constitution.     They  multijjly  our 

{)roblems  unduly  even  in  comparison  with  their  numbers.  From  their  ranks  come  a 
arge  proportion  of  the  radicals,  the  terrorists,  and  a  number  of  the  criminal  classes. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.       .  653 

The  labors  of  our  past,  the  hopes  of  our  future,  are  inAolved  in  the  imn)igration  prob- 
lem, and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  hope  of  the  world's  future  depends  largely 
upon  America  standing  fast  before  the  cataclysm  of  world  affairs  which  the  World 
War  has  brought  in  its  train 

We  respectifuUy  request  your  approval  of  the  bill  known  as  the  Johnson  bill,  which 
is  no'.v  before  you,  and  the  creation  under  its  shelter  of  a  system  of  control  of  immi- 
gration which  shall  not  only  saAe  the  land  from  the  real  danger  presented  by  this 
problem  but  shall  uphold  and  strengthen  in  the  future  this  Nation,  which,  erected 
by  wisdom  and  with  foresight,  has  been  guarded  by  patriotic  sacrifice,  and  which 
almost  alone  in  the  history  of  the  nations  has  succeeded  tlirough  the  prudent  care  of 
its  governing  powers  in  maintaining  a  standard  approaching  a  reality  of  freedom 
for  the  individual  combined  with  self-imposed  restraint  and  obedience  to  la'-v.  We 
are  aware  that  your  body  is  well  ^'e^sed  in  the  problems  under  consideration  and  that 
this  ap]>eal  \\ill  be  largely  unnecessar^^  It  is  made  only  that  on  a  question  involv- 
ing vitally  the  defense  of  the  land  this  society  may  not  remain  silent. 

Committee  on  Immigration'  of  the  American'  Deken'se  Society, 

116  East  Twenty-fourth  Street,  New  York  City. 

EVELETH,    MINN.,    ITALIAN    AMERICANIZATION    CLUB. 

A  resolution  embodied  in  a  telegram  from  the  Eveletli,  Minn,, 
Italian  Americanization  Club,  urging  legislation  regulating  immigra- 
tion, etc.,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  togetiier  with  a  letter  from 
Senator  Knute  Nelson  transmitthig  the  same,  as  follows: 

United  States  Senate, 
Committee  on  the  Judiciary. 

December  18.  1920. 
Senator  LeBaron  B.  Colt, 

United  States  Senate. 
My  Dear  Senator:  I  respectfully  beg  leave  to  call  your  attention  to  the  inclosed 
telegram  from  the  Italian  Americanization  Club  of  Eveleth.  Minn.,  in  respect  to  the 
matter  of  restraining  immigration.  Eveleth  is  one  of  the  leading  towns  in  the  great 
iron  mining  field  of  Minnesota,  and  the  Italians  are  numerous  in  that  locality,  are 
very  energetic  and  efficient  miners,  law  abiding  and  good  citizens,  and  not  inclined 
to  socialism.  Many  of  these  Italians  were  among  the  reserAists  of  their  country. 
They  went  from  this  country  back  to  help  Italy  in  the  war.  and  now  they  are  anxious 
to  return  to  the  United  States  to  resume  their  work  in  our  mines.  We  need  just  such 
men  in  this  country,  and  it  would  be  a  pity  to  exclude  them. 

I  trust  you  will  move  along  sane  and  conserA'ative  lines  in  this  matter  of  immigration. 
Yours,  very  truly, 

Knute  Nelson. 


Eveleth,  Minn.,  December  15,  1920. 
Senator  Knute  Nelson, 

Washington,  D.  C: 

The  Italian  Americanization  Club  of  Eveleth,  Minn.,  at  a  meeting  held  December 
11  unanimously  resolved:  That 
Whereas  in  view  of  the  fact  that  a  large  number  of  immigrants  admitted  to  the  United 

States  during  the  last  11  months  were  reservists  formerly  residents  of  this  country 

who  fought  in  the  allied  army  and  are  now  returning  to  their  former  occupations; 

and 
Whereas  immigration  during  the  five  years  of  war  having  been  practically  impossible 

and  very  small  in  1919  on  account  of  unsettled  conditions  and  lack  of  transportation 

facilities;  and 
WTiereas  a  large  number  of  said  immigrants  are  dependents  and  called  to  this  country 

by  natiu'alized  American  citizens  and  by  immigrants  permanently  settled  here;  and 
Whereas  the  necessity  to  add  to  the  phvsical  and  educational  test  also  a  moral  test,  and 

the  same  can  be  olitained  only  by  investigation  in  the  country  of  residence  of  the 

immigrants,  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  limiting  immigration  when  necessary  in 

the  interest  of  the  national;  and 
Whereas  the  stopping  of  immigration  for  any  length  of  time  would  be  contrary  to  the 

spirit  upon  which  American  civilization  is  based:  Beit 

Resolved,  That  the  Italian  Americanization  Club  respectfully  recommends  and 
urges  that  war-time  pas.sport  regulations  be  extended  indefinitely  and  that  immigration 


654  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

be  rei,'ulatod  as  to  number,  desirability,  and  qnalifications  by  (iovernment  commission 
to  be  composed,  respectively,  of  the  Secretaries  of  Departments  of  State,  Commerce, 
and  Labor. 

Italian'  Americanization  Club, 
By  P.  Cesauetti,  President. 

IMMIGRATION    RESTRICTION    LEAGUE  (INC.). 

A  statement  from  the  Immigration  Restriction  I^eague  (Inc.),  of 
New  York,  submitted  by  its  secretary,  IMr.  J.  William  Munson,  is 
herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows: 

Xew  York,  January  24,  1921. 
Senator  Le  Baron  B.  Colt, 

Chairman  Senate  Committee  on  Immufration, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

Sir:  The  above  league  has  been  in  existence  for  a  number  of  years  and  has  an 
extensive  membership  in  this  State  interested  in  immigration  restriction  and  the 
proper  enforcement  of  our  immigration  laws.  Our  object  has  been  to  make  a  study 
of  the  situation,  to  keep  up  with  the  facts  and  the  best  thought  upon  the  subject  of 
immigration,  and  T)articularly  to  try  to  follow  the  legislative  situation  at  Washington 
and  the  a  1  ministration  of  the  law  here  at  Ellis  Island. 

Alien  defectives,  dependents,  and  delinquents  cost  the  taxpayers  of  New  York 
State  an  inmiense  sum  of  money  every  year.  We  have  enoueh  charity  work  to  do 
for  our  own,  without  importing  more.  As  the  Immigration  Commission  said  in  its 
voluminous  report,  ''too  many"  aliens  become  public  charges  and  inmates  of  our 
institutions  soon  after  landing.  In  1920  the  percentage  of  debarred  and  returned 
dropped  one-half  from  the  percentage  of  1919.  Nearly  three  times  as  many  aliens 
came  in  1920  as  in  1919.  The  rush  is  on,  and  it  is  impossible  for  the  authorities,  if 
they  had  the  facilities,  to  do  the  work  efficiently. 

But  it  is  not  all  a  question  of  facilities  and  officials  at  Ellis  Island  and  other  ports 
of  entry.  I  want  to  call  your  attention,  on  behalf  of  the  league  and  its  members, 
to  the  fact,  as  was  pointed  out  on  the  floor  of  the  House  during  the  debate  on  the 
Johnson  bill.  H.  R.  14461,  that  Assistant  Secretary  Fost  has  not  shown  the  regard 
for  America  and  our  immigration  law  (which  he  opposed  at  the  time  of  its  passage, 
and  has,  since  he  took  his  oath  of  office  to  support  and  uphold  the  law,  denounced 
here  in  New  York  City  at  public  meetings,  as  a  "crazy"'  affair  and  the  like)  that  a 
Federal  official  should  show  or  resign. 

Not  only  has  th^  percentage  of  debarred  and  returned  dropped  one-half  since 
1918-19,  but  the  percentage  of  those  debarred  on  appeal  has  also  diminished.  Al- 
though 1.639  illiterate  alien?  were  debaired  and  deported  last  year,  being  brought  here 
contrary  to  law,  fines  were  levied  in  only  264  cases.  Although  the  doctors  at  Ellis 
Island  and  elsewhere,  certified  13.279  as  physically  and  mentally  defective,  11,541, 
or  87.6  per  cent,  were  admitted.  '^^Tien  it  comes  to  our  own  soldiers  returning  from  a 
fore'gn  war,  we  are  much  more  strict  in  admitting  them  than  we  are  aliens,  and  when 
it  comes  to  importing  horses  and  cattle  for  breeding  purposes,  we  are  much  more  par- 
ticular than  we  are  about  the  phys'cal  and  mental  conditions,  apparently,  of  foreigners 
to  whose  ofi'spring  may  be  intrusted  more  or  less  (he  fut(u-e  of  this  country,  which  our 
forefathers  handed  down  to  us  after  such  a  sacrifice  of  blood  and  treasure. 

Last  year  the  number  admitted  on  bond  jumped  from  5.6  per  cent  in  1919  to  18.8 
per  cent;  19.9  per  cent  were  admitted  without  bond  on  appeals  to  the  department. 
Over  on-:>-fifth  of  the  Mexicans  admitted  for  temporary  piuposes  disappeared.  The 
author  of  th"  "bonding"  and  "temporary  purposes"  provisions  in  existing  law,  once 
a  Member  of  the  Ilouse  and  one  of  the  conferees,  boasted  in  a  letter,  of  which  we  have 
a  copy,  to  th?  so-called  National  Liberal  Immigration,  which  was  financed  by  foreign 
steamshij)  companies,  one  of  which  was  his  law  firm's  clients,  that  the  "restrictionists" 
were  "worse  off"  as  a  result  of  the  law,  because  of  the  bonding  loophole,  than  before 
the  passage  of  the  law.  So  it  seems  also  with  reference  to  the  proviso  admitting  aliens 
for  a  temporary  sojourn,  which  he  says  he  wrote. 

If  this  sort  of  th'ng  continues,  there  is  certain  to  be  an  increasing  demand  for  closing 
the  doors  absolutely.  If  immigration-restriction  legi-slation  continues  to  reveal  jokers 
and  much  maladministration,  as  it  seems  to  be  having,  when  a  clearly  debarred 
stowaway,  who  has  come  in  violation  of  our  passport  and  other  laws  is  allowed  to  land 
by  such  a  violent  construction  of  our  law  on  the  part  of  an  official  who  has  tak^n  an 
oath  to  uj)hold  that  law  and  who  will  even  suspend  the  existing  law  "pending  legis- 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  655 

lation"  authorizing  him  to  do  so,  as  he  did  February  12,  1920,  the  demand  for  more 
■drastic  relief  by  total  suspension  is  bound  to  grow. 

My  point  is  simply  that  if  our  ('hinese  exclusion  laws  and  the  methods  we  have  for 
keeping  out  the  Hindus  by  geographical  boundaries  and  the  Japs  by  agreements  are 
to  be  scrapped  by  a  percentage  plan  that  will  let  the  Orientals  in  by  a  small  percentage, 
to  become  progi'essively  great,  and  the  existing  law  is  to  be  "scuttled  "  by  substituting 
a  discretionary  power  "in  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  whose  attitude  is  well  illustrated 
by  the  above  citations,  to  absolutely  substitute  for  law  his  mere  opinion,  there  is  bound 
to  be  a  growing  demand  on  the  part  of  patriotic  people,  who  want  to  see  this  country 
properly  safeguarded  against  a  surplus  of  aliens,  foreign  notions,  and  other  imported 
conditions,  wh'ch  if  they  come  in  too  large  quantities  are  more  certain  to  cause  injury 
than  a  flood  of  foreign-made  goods. 

We  are  opposed  to  the  proposal  to  repeal  the  contract  labor  laws  by  any  such  amend- 
ment as  that  proposed  in  the  interest  of  the  great  big  cotton  plantation  owners  of  the 
Southwest,  the  Tampa  cigar  makers,  or  any  other  interests,  which  are  no  more  entitled 
to  illiterate,  pauper  contract  labor  than  is  the  United  States  Steel  Corporation  or  the 
sweat  shops  of  New  York  City.  Likewise  we  are  opposed  to  letting  in  the  Chinese 
and  Japanese  by  a  percentage  plan  that  proposed  to  cut  down  southeast  European 
immigration. 

I  would  thank  you  if  this  letter  could  be  made  a  part  of  the  hearings  next  Tuesday 
when  the  Commissioner  General  appears. 
Very  respectfully, 

J.  WiLLiAii  MuNSON,  Secretary. 

ORDER  OF  INDEPEXDEXT  AMERICANS. 

An  argument  in  favor  of  the  exclusion  of  immigration  for  two 
years,  submitted  on  behalf  of  the  Order  of  Independent  Americans 
(Inc.),  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  by  State  Council  Secretary  William  A. 
Pike,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows: 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  January  7,  1921. 
To  the  Hon.  Le  Baron  B.  Colt. 

Chairman  Senate  Immigration  Committee,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Dear  Sir:  Representing  (30,000  American  citizens,  members  of  the  Order  of  Inde- 
pendent Americans  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  I  most  respectfully  submit  for  your 
consideration  that  the  best  interests  of  the  L^nited  States  require  that  aliens  be  denied 
admission  to  the  Ignited  States  for  at  least  two  years. 

No  racial  protest  is  made  and  no  specific  class  of  aliens  is  designated.  The  request 
for  exclusion  is  based  upon  what  is  considered  to  be  best  in  the  interest  of  our  people 
and  for  the  good  of  American  patriotic  citizens. 

It  is  admitted  that  15.000.000  of  aliens  are  anxiously  waiting  to  emigrate  and  the 
tide  of  immigration  is  only  limited  by  the  capacity  of  the  steamships  to  transport 
them  to  the  United  States. 

Official  figures  from  Washington,  D.  C,  fix  the  number  of  unemployed  in  the 
United  States  at  2.325,000. 

Add  to  this  those  aliens  who  are  now  streaming  in  and  the  expectant  horde  who  will 
come  if  permitted,  and  we  will  be  facing  the  very  serious  question  of  an  economic 
system  of  soup  houses  rather  than  an  exclusive  immigration  law. 

The  first  (piestion  of  primary  importance  is: 

1.  Are  they  needed? 

The  signs  of  the  times  indicate  that  they  are  not  needed  and  that  we  can  verj' 
readily  do  without  them .   They  only  come  to  better  their  own  condition  and  not  ours. 

2.  Are  they  desirable? 

Their  desirability  is  an  open  question,  and  is  measured  by  their  educational  quali- 
fication and  intelligence  or  by  some  degree  of  merit  which  they  may  possess  and  of 
their  good  to  a  commimity  by  becoming  Americanized  and  making  good,  loyal, 
patriotic  American  citizens. 

The  test  was  applied  during  the  late  World  War  when  to  our  very  great  surprise  we 
experienced  a  very  general  lack  of  American  patriotism  among  our  alien  and  natural- 
ized peoples  and  a  wide  feeling  of  sympathy  and  hope  for  the  success  of  arms  for  the 
country  from  which  they  came.  Let  us  apply  a  strict  American  test  before  admitting 
any  aliens  in  the  future. 

3.  (an  they  be  assimilated? 

All  kno^vn  theories  of  a  means  of  assimilation  have  proven  futile,  negative,  and  un- 
reliable. 


656  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

They  persistently  huddle  and  colonize  in  the  seaboard  and  inland  cities,  where 
they  become  clannish  and  live  in  well-defined  lo'^-alities,  l)elts.  and  spots,  which 
become  known,  as  for  instance,  the  Italian  ({iiarter,  the  Jewish  colony,  the  Polack, 
settlement,  etc. 

They  do  not  eo  to  the  farms  and  farm  lands,  exce])t  in  very  limited  numbers. 

By  these  methods  of  segregation,  they  themselves  keep  up  foreign  caste,  racial 
distinction,  and  create  a  prejudice  to  their  race  or  class. 

It  appears  that  those  who  are  opi)osing  an  exclusion  law  are: 

1.  The  steamship  companies  who  make  large  sums  of  money  transporting  the  aliens 
to  our  shores. 

They  care  nothing  for  the  immigrant  nor  for  the  United  States,  but  are  only  interested 
in  the  dollars  they  make  out  of  it. 

2.  Racial  agitators  and  interracial  societies  who  try  to  make  it  apparent  tliat  some 
particular  race  or  class  of  people  are  being  persecuted. 

3.  To  furnish  corporate  and  other  monej^ed  interests  with  a  cheap  and  low  grade  of 
labor. 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  in  this  connection,  that  there  is  now  a  surplus  of  labor  in  our 
country,  because,  very  recently,  in  Philadelphia,  Kansas  City,  and  other  cities  and 
towns  where  in  answer  to  advertisements  calling  for  employment  of  laborers  there 
has  been  a  great  number  exceeding  the  demand  by  thousands  and  hundreds  who 
have  been  turned  away. 

In  reality,  it  is  not  racial  prejudice  that  calls  for  a  law  of  exclusion  for  a  definite 
period  of  time,  but  that  opportunity  be  given  for  a  thorougli  study  and  investigation 
so  that  a  ])ro])er  law  in  relation  to  the  restriction  of  immigration  may  be  framed  and 
enacted  which  will  be  thoroughly  American  in  spirit  and  be  a  decided  benefit  to 
our  country  and  its  people. 

It  is  therefore  requested  that  you  will  approve  and  report  the  Albert  Johnson 
House  bill  14461,  wMch  has  passed  the  House  of  Representatives,  in  its  original 
form  as  introduced  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  including  the  provision  of  a  two- 
year  exclusion. 

Very  truly,  yours, 

Wm.  a.  Pike, 
State  Council  Secretary. 

INDEPENDENT  ORDER  BRITH  SHOLOM. 

A  brief  in  opposition  to  immigration  bills  Nos.  H.  R.  14461  and 
S.  4627,  in  behalf  of  the  Independent  Order  Brith  Sholom,  of  Balti- 
more, Md.,  submitted  by  Mr.  Maxwell  Suls,  grand  chancellor,  is 
herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows: 

To  the  Senate  Committee  on  Immigration. 

Gentlemen:  The  Independent  Order  Brith  Sholom,  of  Baltimore,  begs  leave  to 
submit  to  your  honorable  committee  the  foUo^ving  memorandum  in  opposition  to  the 
two  measures  now  pending  before  your  committee  and  known  as  the  immigration 
measures,  H.  R.  14461  and  S.  4627. 

reasons  for  opposing  the  bills. 

The  reason  for  opposing  H.  R.  14461  is  that,  while  the  bill  suspends  immigration 
(witli  a  few  exceptions)  for  a  period  of  14  months,  it  is  feared  that  this  bill  may  be  a 
vanguard  for  permanent  legislation  setting  up  insurmountable  bamers,  perpetually 
barring  worthy,  desirable,  and  needed  immigration  and  constitutes  a  radical  change 
in  the  policy  of  the  Nation  which  is  not  justilied  in  principle. 

This  drastic  legislation  must  be  predicated  upon  the  assumption  that  all  of  Europe's 
undesirables  are  clamoring  for  admission  at  our  gates,  and  the  majority  Committee  on 
Immigration  and  Naturalization  of  the  House  of  Representatives  (hereinafter  called 
the  majority  committee)  "ha^?  estimates  ranging  from  2,000,000  to  8,000,000"  of  immi- 
grants seeking  entry.  Even  though  this  estimate  be  accurate,  with  the  present  ship- 
ping, it  would  take  from  two  to  four  years  to  transport  this  number. 

We  must  not  lose  sight  of  tlie  fact  tJiat  from  August,  1914,  up  to  the  present  time, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  months  this  year,  there  has  been  no  immigration,  due  to 
the  war  and  lack  of  shipping  facilities,  and  if  the  present  rush  seems  gi-eater  tlian  the 
usual  flow,  it  is  only  because  immigration  has  been  pent  up  for  the  past  four  and 
one-half  years.  ' 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  657 

Two  out  of  the  four  months  selected  by  the  majority  committee  (September  and 
October,  1920)  as  a  basis  for  their  estimate  of  the  great  influx,  show  a  net  increase 
of  but  83,431,  and  this  would  not  be  regarded  as  an  unusually  gieat  influx  of  immi- 
grants if  one  bears  in  mind  that  in  some  years  prior  to  1914  there  were  as  many  as 
a  million  immigrant  arrivals. 

A  POINTING    OI  T    OF   THE   JEW   AS   THE    ONE   INTENDED   IN   THIS   LEGISLATION". 

A  careful  examination  of  the  majority  committee's  report  discloses  the  numerous 
references  to  the  ••.Tews  of  Poland,"  ••Hebrews."  and  those  of  the  ••Semitic  race." 
seeking  entry  to  the  land  of  the  free  and  home  of  the  brave,  and  reports  that  ••it 
found  by  far  the  largest  percentage  of  immigrants  to  be  peoples  of  Jewish  extrac- 
tion." ••On  the  steamship  Neir  Amsterdam  sailing  from  Rotterdam,  the  committee 
found  that  80  per  cent  of  the  steerage  passengers  were  from  Galioia,  practically  all 
of  Jewish  extraction.  On  the  New  RocheUe,  arri^■ing  from  Tan^ig.  the  committee 
estimated  that  more  than  90  per  cent  were  of  Femitic  race,"  overlooking  the  reasons 
for  this  greater  percentage  in  the  facts  as  stated  by  the  lion.  Isaac  Siegel  and  Adolph 
J.  Sabath.  representing  the  minority  committee's  A-iews  "that  we  are  credibly 
informed  that  this  is  due  to  the  fact  that  these  steamers  sailed  from  ports  which  uere 
accessible  to  the  Jews  coming  from  the  various  parts  of  Poland,  just  as  the  immi- 
grants arriAing  on  steamers  leading  from  Italian  ports  bring  Italians  and  those  from 
ScandinaAian  ports  those  of  Scandina^'ian  descent." 

••Representative  Siegel  had  occasion  to  speak  to  many  of  the  immigi-ants  aiTiA-ing 
on  the  Rotterdam  in  tifie  presence  of  three  other  members  of  the  committee.  He 
found  that  practically  all  of  them  were  women  and  children  coming  to  this  country 
to  rejoift  the  heads  of  their  families  and  other  near  relatives  in  the  United  States. 
The  children  were  especially  intelligent  and  would,  unquestionably,  within  a  very 
brief  period  be  thoroughly  assimilated." 

To  single  out  a  people,  who  out  of  a  population  in  the  United  States  of  about 
3,000.000^  gave  225,000  to  the  United  States  Army  and  XaAT,  "and  that  on  the  basis 
of  population  had  contributed  at  least  33  per  cent  more  than  their  quota."  as  the 
recipient  of  such  hostile  legislation,  is  the  perpetration  of  a  colossal  injustice. 

"If  additional  evidence  be  needed  to  demonstrate  the  liigh  quality  of  Jewish  service 
in  the  recent  war,  it  is  to  be  found  in  the  official  citations  for  gallatry  in  action  issued 
by  the  various  allied  commands.  Of  such  honors  there  are  so  far,  recorded  some 
600  to  the  credit  of  American  Jews."  And  who  will  detract  from  the  valor  and  ever- 
lasting immortality  of  the  '•Lost  Battalion"  composed  chiefiv  of  Jewish  immigrants, 
or  children  of  Jewish  immigrants,  living  on  the  East  Side  of  New  York  City? 

It  is  no  longer  a  question  as  to  whether  this  immigrant  of  the  pointed  out  class  can 
assimilate  and  become  a  true  loyal  American,  and  usefiil  citizen. 

The  crying  need  of  the  day  is  not  for  additional  legislation  on  the  subject  of  immi- 
gration, but  the  enforcement  of  the  existing  law  by  an  adequate  staff,  with  adequate 
facilities,  which  will  insure  the  admission  of  those  immigrants  of  good  moral  cliaracter, 
physically  sound,  and  mentally  fit,  self-supporting  and  opposed  to  A-iolence  and 
revolution. 

GOING    TO   THE   CITIES,   AND   FROSI  THENCE    WHERE    WORK   MAY    BE    HAD. 

The  majority  committee  reports  that  the  new  immigrants  from  Central  Europe  are 
not  agriculturists,  seeking  the  farms,  but  additional  population  for  the  large  cities  and 
congested  industrial  centers,  and  further  stagnating  an  already  dull  labor  market,  and 
accentuating  the  lack  of  housing  facilities. 

It  is  evident  that  buildins:  activities  have  again  resumed  their  former  activity,  and 
the  question  of  inadequate  housing  facilities  will  soon  be  a  thing  of  the  past. 

The  natural  slowing  up  of  industrie.^  for  a  brief  period  is  far  from  a  cry  of  wide- 
spread unemployment,  and  the  two  following  dispatche-;  is  an  illustration  of  the  afore- 
going statement. 

[Baltimore  Evening  Sun,  Jan.  3,  1921.] 

1,000   BACK   IN    N.    Y.    C.    R.    R.    SHOPS. 

Albany.  X.  Y..   January  3. 
Approximately  1,000  employes  of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  shops  at  West 
Albany,  laid  off  December  23  for  an  indelinite  period,  returned  to  work  to-day. 


658  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

20,000  TEXTILE    WORKERS   RETURN. 

^^ANCHESTER,  N.  H.,  January  3. 

Twenty  thousand  textile  workers  returned  to  work  in  the  mills  here  to-day  after  a 
shutdown  of  two  weeks.  They  accepted  the  22^  per  cent  wage  cut  announced  by  the 
companies. 

If  the  newly  arrived  immigrant  does  not  migrate  to  the  farm  his  desirability  is  not 
lessened  one  iota,  for  who  is  it  that  wrests  the  wealth  from  the  very  l)owels  of  the  earth 
if  not  the  immigrant?  It  is  an  impo.ssibility  to  induce  the  average  American  born 
to  do  the  back-breaking  tasks  that  the  immigrant  is  willing  to.  and  does  undertake. 

Dr.  John  McLeish,  in  a  recent  pu])lication  of  the  Immigi'ation  Bulletin,  states  that 
seven-tenths  of  all  the  coal  mined  in  this  country  is  mined  by  the  immigrants.  About 
78  per  cent  of  the  woolens  are  weaved  by  the  immigrant:  nine-tenths  of  the  labor  in 
the  cotton  mills  i-^  of  foreign  birth;  nineteen-twentieths  of  the  clothing  is  manu- 
factiu'ed  bv  the  foreign  born;  he  also  produces  more  than  one-half  of  the  shoes  worn 
in  the  Ignited  States;  and  four-fifths  of  the  furniture  is  made  by  him;  one-half  of  all 
linens  and  glass  u.sed  in  America  foreign-born  labor  produc-es;  and  nineteen-twen- 
tieths of  the  sugar  is  refined  by  him;  he  makes  one-half  of  the  total  output  of  cigars, 
and  makes  90  per  cent  of  our  steel  and  iron;  and  constructs  95  per  cent  of  the  railroad 
mileage. 

"This  is  the  commercial  record  of  the  men  gathered  from  the  proverbial  four  cornera 
of  the  world.  Their  brains  and  brawn  have  entered  into  the  warp  and  woof  of  the 
fabric  of  America's  life.  Their  patriotic  record  is  as  creditable.  By  their  blood 
they  cemented  the  foundations  of  the  future  America." 

We  are  no  longer  an  agricultural  Nation,  and  with  the  advent  of  modern  farming 
im])lements  there  is  no  great  dearth  of  agriculturists  to  properly  care  for  the  farm 
products.  We  are  a  great  commercial  country  distributing  our  manufactured  prod- 
ucts to  the  world,  and  with  ample  means  to  absorb  in  its  great  industries  every  immi- 
grant seeking  an  opportunity. 

If  the  original  destination  of  the  immigrant  is  some  large  industrial  center  it  does 
not  follow  that  he  remains  at  his  original  destination  permanenllv. 

Soon  his  brawn  is  appreciated  in  the  steel  and  rail  mill;  another  seeks  his  oppor- 
tunity in  the  mine,  and  still  another  in  the  factory  end,  etc.,  all  filling  an  essential 
part  in  our  gi'eat  industrial  life. 

"The  immigi-ant  of  to-day  is  not  inferior  to  the  immigrant  of  yesterday.  He  is  just 
as  poor  in  poss'i'ssions  and  just  as  rich  in  promise  as  the  immigrant  of  the  thirties, 
forties,  and  fifties." 

Respectfully  submitted. 

Maxwell  Suls, 
Grand  Counsellor,  Independent  Order  Brith  Shalom  of  Baltimore. 

NATIONAL    LIBERAL   IMMIGRATION    LEAGUE. 

A  statement  in  opposition  to  the  bill  submitted  in  behalf  of  the 
National  Liberal  Immigration  League,  New  York,  by  Mr.  N.  Behar, 
managing  director,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows: 

New  York,  January  2,  19-21. 
Hon.  LeB.  B.  Colt, 

United  States  Senate,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Dear  Sir:  I  beg  to  submit  for  your  consideration  the  following  statement  in  oppo" 
sition  to  the  Johns-on  bill  providing  for  the  stopping  of  immigration  for  one  year: 

We  all  know  that  the  jjresent  cri-is — like  all  our  previous  one- — is  of  a  temporary 
nature,  and  not  due  to  immigration.  Ere  long  peace  shall  have  been  reestablished, 
our  national  life  shall  take  its  normal  vigorous  course,  and  immigration  shall  be  as 
necessary  for  the  maintenance  of  this  national  life  as  is  the  air  to. our  lungs.  Never- 
theless, on  account  of  certain  vexatious  problenxs  at  present  commanding  our  atten- 
tion, together  with  the  unfortunate  world-wide  postwar  tendency  toward  rashness  and 
summariness,  immigration  has  been  made  the  8cai)egoat.  It  is  now  proposed  to  stop 
it  alt'igether  for  a  certain  period.     This  is  cutting  off  one's  nose  to  spite  one's  face 

Here  are  our  four  l)iggest  problems,  and  the  simple  remedies  which  the  National 
Lil)eral  Immigration  League  earnestly  requests  the  Senate  Immigration  Committee  to 
turn  its  attention  to  instead  of  such  a  radical  reversal  of  ancient  American  policies  as 
is  embodied  in  the  Johnson  bill: 


EMEEGEXCY   IMMIGRATIOX   LEGISLATION.  059 

The  problems:  (1)  The  menace  of  Bolshevism;  (2)  the  Japanese  question;  (3)  con- 
gested cities;  (4)  ignorance  of  our  language  liy  too  many  aliens. 

The  remedies:  1.  (Bolshevism.)  All  aliens  should  be  admitted  conditionally  and 
warned  that  until  they  have  proved  worthy  of  receiving  the  privilege  of  American 
citizenship  they  are  lialile  to  deportation  by  order  of  even  the  police  commissioner  of 
every  town  the  moment  they  make  trouble.  (Let  me  remind  you  in  this  conne-^tion 
that  as  far  lia-'k  as  1907  this  league  adopted  as  part  of  its  platform,  at  the  suggestion  of 
Cardinal  Gil)l)ons.  that  aliens  convicted  of  crimes  be  first  jailed,  then  deported.  Had 
the  Federal  Government  adopted  this  policy  when  this  league  first  urged  it,  our  body 
politic  woidd  have  been  purged  of  many  unclean  members.)  As  to  our  own  too- 
numerous  Bolsheviki,  since  we  can  not  deport  them  we  must  direct  our  energies 
resolutely  to  the  task  of  so  strengthening  and  ^dtalizing  our  national  body  that  it  will 
not  only  resist  this  disease  but  get  rid  of  it.  We  all  must  be  so  permeated  with  old- 
fashioned  righteousness  that  jointly  we  shall  be  immune  not  only  to  Bolshevism  but 
to  all  other  social  plagues.  Of  course,  building  a  Chinese  wall  around  America  will 
keep  out  a  few  foreign  Bolsheviki,  but  at  what  a  price. 

2.  (The  Japanese.)  The-e  proud  people,  looking  upon  us  as  upstarts,  ^vill  never  be 
satisfied  until  the  Mikado's  subject-  in  our  midst  are  admitted  to  absolute  equality 
with  native  Americans.  So  long  as  we  can  not  agree  on  this,  we  must  keep  our  powder 
dry — and  deal  with  immigration  and  other  problems  from  the  standpoint  of  our  own 
needs. 

3.  (Congestion.)  It  is  true  that  immigrants  have  contributed  to  the  congestion 
of  our  cities  and  industiial  districts.  It  is  even  admissible  that  native  Americans 
would  refuse  to  live  under  the  conditions  largely  prevailing  there.  Ihit  why  blame 
the  immigrants?  They  are  raw  material  in  whom  we  can  and  must  inculcate  Ameii- 
can  standards  of  living.  They  are  a  stream  which  we  can  and  must  direct  to  our 
advantage,  so  that  it  will  be  an  unmixed  blessing  to  our  Nation.  Congestion  is  the 
result  of  our  negligence.  Your  committee  and  other  congressional  committees  and 
commissions  have  on  file  reports  and  other  commimications  suggesting  methods  of 
distribution,  repeatedly  submitted  by  this  league  since  the  record-breaking  immi- 
gration of  1007,  such  as  free  transportation  away  from  the  ports,  inducements  to  farm 
workers,  spreading  the  knowledge  of  agricultural  opportunities,  etc.  In  xiew  of 
the  present  rate  of  exchange  of  the  cuirency  of  the  countiies  from  which  most  of 
our  immigrants  come,  I  suggest  as  timelv  and  effective  aids  to  distribution  (a)  that 
immigrants  arriving  at  such  ports  as  Galveston,  Savannah,  etc.,  be  exempted  from 
the  $S  head  tax,  which  to  them  is  enormous.  This  would  induce  steamship  com- 
panies to  divert  immigrant  traffic  from  congested  ports.  I  furthermoie  suggest 
(b)  that  prospective  immigrants  applying  to  our  consuls  abroad  to  have  their 
passports  viseed  be  exempted  fjom  the  ?!"  fee  upon  producing  evidence  that  they 
intend  to  settle  in  sparsely  populated  localities  whe  e  they  aie  wanted. 

4.  (Ignorance  of  English.)  Immigrants  do  want  to  lea' n  our  language.  Thousands 
of  them  have  started  to  study  it  in  our  schools,  but  the  g;eat  majoiity  have  not  stayed, 
they  have  been  discouraged,  and  they  ha\e  spread  discouragement.  The  reas(m  is 
that  they  could  not  learn  cm  account  of  being  improperh-  taught.  We  must  adapt 
our  methods  to  the  peculiar  mentality  of  slow-witted  foreign-speaking  adults;  we 
must  have  more  sympathetic,  more  efficient,  more  highly  remunerated  teachers. 
There  is  no  need  to  ex])eriment  as  certxin  c  rporations  have  already  shown  the  way. 
We  can  and  must  have  English  adequately  taught.  Then  immigrants  will  flock  en 
ma.s.se  to  our  night  or  company  time  schools,  and  will  be  readily  Americanized. 

The  National  Liberal  Immigration  League  earnestly  hopes  that  your  committee 
will  make  a  report  to  the  Senate  recommending  against  plunging  into  hasty  action 
which  would  not  only  add  to  the  suffering  of  Euroi)e  but,  by  depriving  us  oi"  willing 
workers  at  a  time  when  increased  production  is  an  imperative  need,  inc.  ease  the 
cost  of  living  in  our  own  country. 
Sincerely,  yours, 

N.  Behar,  Managing  Director. 

NATIONAL   ASSOCIATION    OF    MERCHANT   TAILORS. 

A  brief  setting  forth  the  attitude  of  the  National  Association  of 
Merchant  Tailors,  New  York,  toward  the  pending  bill,  submitted  in 
behalf  of  Mr.  E.  Twj^efford,  chairman  of  the  association's  committee 
on  legislation,  by  Mr.  E.  H.  Snyder,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  is  herewith 


660  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 

printed  in  full,  together  with  the  letter  transmitting  the  same,  and 
a  supplementary  protest  presented  b}^  Mr.  Snyder,  as  follows: 

Washington,  D.  C.  January  6,  1921. 
Senator  LeBaron  B.  Colt. 

Chiinnan  Committee  on  Immigration. 

United  States  Senate.  Wcskington.  D.  ('. 

Dear  Sir:  Here\\Tth  please  find  lirief  which  Mr.  E.  Twvefford.  of  Xew  York  City, 
whose  status  is  "ohiirman  committee  on  leo^slation.  of  the  National  .\ssociation  of 
Merchant  Tailors."  has  requested  me  to  su1)mit  the  document  to  your  committee, 
with  request  that  you  have  same  made  a  part  of  the  official  records  pertaining  to  the 
present  immigration  hill  now  before  the  said  committee  for  consideration. 
Thanking  you  in  advance  for  your  kind  attention  to  this  matter.  I  remain. 
Yours,  verv  trulv, 

E.  H.  Snyder. 
Member  National  Association  Merchant  Tailors. 

BRIEF   IN   BEHALF    OF   THE    X.\TIONAL   ASSOCI.\TION    OF    MEHCHANT   T.MLOK     . 

Kon.  LeB.^ron  B.  Colt, 

Chairman  Committee  on  Imnnf/ration. 

United  States  Senate. 

Dear  Sir:  We  desire  to  protest  against  the  legalizing  of  hysteria  in  re  the  immigra- 
tion situation.  We  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  pre.~ent  lavs  adequately  cover  the 
subject  in  all  its  aspects,  ^^^lat  is  needed  is  the  enforcement  of  the  present  laws. 
Some  will  say  that  new  laws  are  needed  to  protect  citizens  from  unemployment. 
Ask  the  farmer  if  that  is  the  case:  othere  may  say /that  in  every  city  needy  citizens 
are  forming  a  bread  line.  This  is  answered  adequately  by  this  clipping  of  the  New 
York  World  of  December  28: 

■"If  there  are  many  unemployed  in  the  city,  it  was  not  made  manifest  to  the  street 
cleaning  department  yesterday  when  an  appeal  for  workers  to  help  remove  the  snow 
brought  scant  response.  \\Tien  the  snow  had  reached  an  inch  a  call  was  issued  through 
the  police  to  the  regulars  and  also  the  3.500  'extras'  who  had  registered  and  others 
who  had  not. 

'i-ater  an  appeal  was  made  to  the  State  labor  bureau.  In  spite  of  the  offer  of  65 
cents  au  hour,  2.017  men  were  all  Acting  Commissioner  Fschman  was  able  to 
muster  when  he  wanted  8.000.  In  the  section  from  Fomteenth  Street  to  Canal  west 
of  Lafayette,  but  51  men  responded.  In  the  district  from  Twelfth  to  Forty-second 
Street  easts  of  Fifth  Avenue,  but  65  men  showed  up." 

The  high  cost  of  lining  specter  is  still  with  us.  Nothing  but  the  speeding  up  of 
production  in  agi-icultui-e  and  manufacturing  will  cause  this  monster  to  di=appear. 
Are  we  going  to  help  the  present  situation  by  keeping  out  producers?  History  proves 
the  contrary  to  be  true.  Some  people  of  benighted  intelligence  favor  the  building 
of  a  Chinese  wall  around  the  Umted  States.  For  live  years  the  war  kept  our  immigra- 
tion to  a  low  ebb.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  embargo  we  would  have  added  5.000,000 
to  our  population.  Evidently  this  is  no  time  to  put  up  the  bars  on  emigi-ation,  hence 
we  hope  your  committee  will  report  unfavorably  on  the  bill  now  under  consideration. 

Respectfully  submitted. 

F.  TWYEFFORD, 

Chairman  Committee  on  Legislation. 
National  Association  of  Merchant   Tailors. 

Mr.    Snyder's    supplementary    letter  of  protest   against   the  bill 

follows : 

Washington,  D.  C.,  January  6,  1921. 
Senator  LeBaron  B.  Colt, 

Chairman  Committee  on  Immigration, 

United  States  Senate.  Washington,  D.  C. 

Dear  Sir:  We  beg  leave  to  offer  protest  agauist  the  enactment  of  the  proposed 
immigration  bill  pa.ssed  by  the  House  and  now  before  your  committee  for  deliberation. 

We  have  confronting  our  industr/  a  very  acute  situation,  which  will  oecome  more 
accentuated  should  the  proposed  bill  become  a  law.  Ther?  is  an  alarming  dearth  of 
skilled  joumevman  tailors  in  the  United  States.  Because  of  the  a-^en^ion  our  young 
Americans  appear  to  have  for  taking  up  the  tailoring  trade  as  a  vocation,  merchant 
tailors  are  obliged  to  look  to  Europe  for  a  replenishment  of  the  prevailing  and  con- 
tinuous decrea.«e  in  numbers  of  journeymen  tailors.  This  shortage  we  believe  to  be 
ascribable  to  the  re?son  that  there  is  not  sufficient  arti\-ity  in  the  work  to  induce 
young,  vigorous,  and  active  .Americans  to  take  up  the  trade  as  a  vocation.     This 


EMERGE^^CY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  661 

shortage  has  become  more  accentuated  for  the  past  five  years,  due  to  the  embargo 
on  immigration  because  of  \\"ar  conditions. 

Hence,  would  respectfully  appeal   to  your  committee  to  report  unfavoraljly  on 
this  bill. 


Respectfully  submitted. 


E.  H.  Snyder, 
Member  National  Association  of  Merchant  Tailors 


laXGS  COUNTY  GRAND  JURORS    ASSOCIATION. 

A  copy  of  the  action  of  the  Kings  Count}^  Grand  Jurors'  Associ- 
ation, New  York,  urging  immigration  legislation  along  the  lines  of 
"careful  selection,  economic  distribution,  and  prompt  incorporation 
into  the  body  politic,"  together  with  a  letter  transmitting  the  same, 
is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows: 

New  York,  January  19,  1921. 
Mr.  Henry  M.  Barry, 

Secretary  to  Senator  Colt,  Washington,  D.  C. 

My  Dear  Mr.  Barry:  Referring  to  our  talk  last  Thursday,  I  have  the  pleasure  of 
giving  you  below  a  copy  of  the  resolution  passed  at  a  meeting  of  the  Kings  County 
Grand  Jurors'  Association  on  the  evening  of  January  14.  This  meeting  was  attended 
by  about  500  men  and  there  were  only  two  "noes"  on  its  adoption. 

"Resolved,  That  it  is  the  opinion  of  the  members  of  the  Kings  County  Grand  Jurors' 
Association,  in  meeting  assembled,  that  the  immigration  policy  of  the  United  States 
of  America  should  be  framed  neither  upon  highly  restricted  nor  practically  unre- 
stricted lines,  but  solely  upon  the  lines  of  careful  selection  at  the  point  of  origin, 
economic  distribution  at  the  port  of  arrival,  and  prompt  incorporation  into  the  body 
politic." 

Sincerely, 

S.  S.  TUTHILL. 
PENNSYLVANIA    DEPARTMENT    OF   LABOR    AND   INDUSTRY. 

An  argument  in  behalf  of  the  Department  of  Labor  and  Industry 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  against  im.posing  restrictions  upon  the 
entry  of  ''able-bodied,  healthy,  and  literate"  inunigrants,  submitted 
by  Mr.  C.  B.  Connelley,  commissioner,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as 
follows : 

Department  of  Labor  and  Industry, 

Ilarrisburg,  January  6,  1921. 
Senator  Colt, 

Chairman  Committee  on  Immigi-ation, 

United  States  Senate,  Washington,  3.  C. 

My  Dear  Sir:  At  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Robert  J.  Peters,  director  of  the  bureau  of 
employment.  Department  of  Labor  and  Industry,  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania, 
I  am  writing  you  to  urge  that  in  the  pending  legislation  upon  foreign  immigration,  no 
restrictions  or  limitations  be  placed  upon  the  entrance  of  able-bodied,  healthy,  and 
literate  Polish,  Hungarian,  Lithuanian,  North  Italian,  Albaman,  Portuguese,  Spanish, 
Norwegian,  Swedish,  Danish,  and  Dutch  immigrants. 

The  Polish,  Hungarian,  Lithuanian,  North  Italian,  Albanian,  and  Spanish  immi- 
grants are  needed  for  the  industries  and  for  the  large  construction  enterprises  in  the 
Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  immigrants  from  Norway,  Sweden,  Denmark,  Portugal,  and  Holland  are  espe- 
cially needed  for  labor  upon  the  farms  in  Pennsyh-ania.  The  Portuguese  and  Hol- 
landers are  skilled  in  truck  or  gaiden  farming:  the  Danish  and  many  Hollanders  are 
experts  in  dairy  farming:  the  ordinary  or  a\erage  Hollander  is  a  good  general  grain 
farmer,  or  if  inexperienced  is  the  best  semiskilled  farm  labor  who  has  come  into  the 
country  since  1860. 

It  is  therefore  necessary  and  imperative  that  these  several  types  of  valuable  labor 
for  the  industries,  for  construction  work,  and  for  the  farms  be  admitted  into  the 
United  States. 

Thanking  you  for  your  prompt  attention  to  and  cooperation  in  this  matter,  I  am, 
with  much  respect, 

Very  truly,  yours, 

C.  B.  Connelley,  Commissioner. 


662  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

NEW   ORLEANS   ASSOCIATION   OF   COMMERCE. 

A  telegram  and  letter  from  representatives  of  the  New  Orleans 
Association  of  Commerce,  urging  the  admission  of  Armenian  refugee 
agriculturists,  are  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows: 

New  Orleans,  La.,  January  S. 
Hon.  LeBaron  B.  Colt, 

Chairman  Seiiate  Committee  on  Immigration: 
Millions  of  acres  of  vacant  cut-over  pine  lands  not  wanted  by  American  farmers  are 
available  for  .settlement  by  Armenian  refugee  farmers  now  dependent  on  American 
charity  at  Black  Sea  ports,  provided  Government  will  aid  some  of  them  to  reach. 
Southern  State-!.  We  are  assured  ample  charity  funds  for  use  of  a  committee  which 
we  will  form  to  tide  such  homeseekers  over  initial  period  after  arrival.  We  ha^•e  re- 
quested President  Wilson's  cooperation.  Matter  in  State  Department  hands.  Would 
aid  in  solving  Armenian  problem  and  desirable  land  settlement  South  if  your  commit- 
tee would  adopt  amendment  to  Johnson  bill  permitting  some  of  the=e  unfortunate  but 
desirable  people  to  come.  In  our  opinion,  their  training  \vill  ena1)le  them  to  make 
good  use  of  lands  which  American  farmers  will  not  occupy  and  for  which  there  is  now 
no  other  use. 

New  Orleans  Association  of  Commerce, 
Walter  Parker,  General  Manager 

The  letter  referring  to  the  same  subject,  submitted  by  Mr.  William 
Allen,  follows: 

Washington,  D.  C,  January  14,  1921. 
Hon.  LeBaron  B.  Colt, 

Chairman  Committee  on  Ivimigration, 

United  States  Senate,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Dear  Sir:  I  have  been  requested  by  the  New  Orleans  Association,  an  organization 
of  more  than  5,000  members,  to  bring  to  your  attention  the  desirability  of  permitting 
Armenian  farmers  and  agriculturists  now  at  Black  Sea  ports  to  enter  the  United  States, 
and  to  express  the  hope  that  in  such  legislation  as  the  committee  may  approve,  pro^'i- 
sion  may  l)e  made  for  the  entry  into  this  country  of  immigrants  of  this  class. 

These  people,  I  am  informed,  are  political  and  religious  exiles  and  can  not  return 
to  Armenia  and  have  no  opportunity  for  making  a  livin»  where  they  are.  I  am  also 
adA'ised  that  they  are  Christians  and  easily  assimilated  in  this  country.  That  these 
people  may  not  starve,  we  understand  that  food  in  large  quantities  is  being  sent  to 
them  from  this  country,  which  appears  to  be  an  endless  process,  because  they  are  not 
in  a  position  to  provide  for  themselves. 

The  New  Orleans  Association  of  Commerce  has  practical  assiu'ances  that  ample  cut- 
over  pine  lands,  highly  suitable  for  agricultural  purposes,  would  be  furnished  to  such 
homeseekers  without  cost,  or,  at  least,  at  a  very  small  acreage  cost.  They  also  have 
assurances  from  Islr.  Hagop  Bogigian,  an  Armenian  citizen  of  this  country,  resident  of 
Boston,  that  a  committee  which  we  would  form  to  tide  these  people  over  from  the 
period  of  arrival  until  they  are  able  to  make  a  living,  would  be  amply  financed  to  do 
this  thing. 

Tlie  transports  that  carry  food  to  the  Black  Sea  ports  for  the  relief  of  these  people 
could  liring  some  of  them  back  to  the  southern  ports.  Our  investigation  indicates 
that  because  of  intensive  training  and  their  intensive  methods  of  cultivation,  and  also 
because  of  the  fact  that  they  have  no  opportunity  where  they  are.  these  people  would 
develop  the  full  potentiality  of  the  cut-over  lands,  whereas.  American  farmers,  accus- 
tomed to  better  opportunities  and  trained  in  an  entirely  different  school  of  economic 
thought,  will  not  make  use  of  these  lands. 

It  is  the  l)elief  of  the  Association  of  Commerce  of  New  Orleans  that  the  proposal  to 
bring  some  of  these  people  here  has  merit  in  every  direction.  The  association  has 
been  in  communication  with  cut-over  pine  landowners,  who  have  given  practical 
assurances  of  complete  cooperation  with  the  committees  which  would  undertake  the 
placing  of  such  immigrants  where  they  would  be  of  real  economic  value  to  the  country. 

'irusting  the  committee  will  give  this  suggestion  careful  consideration,  I  am, 
Yours,  very  truly, 

William  Allen, 
Special  Representative  of  the  New  Orleans  Association  of  Commerce. 


EMERGE^'CY   IMMIGRATION^   LEGISLATION.  663 

PENNSYLVANIA     STATE     CAMP,     PATRIOTIC    ORDER    SONS    OF    AMERICA, 

A  statement  in  behalf  of  Pennsylvania  State  Camp,  Patriotic 
Order  Sons  of  America,  submitted  by  Mr.  C.  B.  Helms,  State 
secretary,  protesting  against  the  admission  of  illiterate  contract 
labor  from  Mexico,  the  Bahamas,  etc.,  is  herewith  printed  in  full, 
as  follows: 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Januarii  2'i.  1921 . 
Senator  LeBaron  B.  Colt, 

Chairman  Commift.ee  on  Immiipation,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Dear  Senator:  I  note  in  the  printed  hearings  on  emergency  immigration  legisla- 
tion that  certain  communications  from  chambers  of  commerce  and  indi^'idna]s  have 
becit  read  into  the  record  by  the  clerk  of  the  committee,  and  1  am  writing  to  ask 
if  >oi>  will  not  be  good  enough  to  ha\e  this  letter  placed  in  the  jirinted  hearings? 

i  speak  for  132,267  native-born  Americans  who  belong  to  the  order  in  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania.  On  their  behalf  I  wish  to  protest  against  the  proposal  urged  by 
certain  chambers  of  commerce  and  certain  interests  of  the  South  and  Southwest  to 
be  allowed  to  import  illiterate,  pauper,  contract  labor  from  i\Iexico.  Pahama.  and 
other  foreign  territory. 

Senator  and  members  of  the  Senate  Committee  on  Immigration.  I  had  hoped  that 
soutliern  men  and  even  southern  captains  of  industrv  had  seen  the  error  of  import- 
ing illiterate,  ])auper,  slave  labor.  E\ery  dollar  the  slave  trade  brought  to  the 
South  or  tlie  North  was  blood  money,  if  the  handmade  cigar  industry  of  Florida, 
the  beet-sugar  interest  of  Colorado,  ilnd  the  large  ))lantation  interests  of  southern 
Texas  have  to  stand  or  fail  on  liringing  illiterate,  pauper,  alien  labor  into  this  country' 
under  contract  and  conditions  which  amount  to  peonage,  then  these  industries  had 
better  fall.  I  do  not  believe  it.  I  think  inventive  genius  a\t.11  rise  to  the  occasion, 
if  Tiie'e  is  the  necessity  for  the  iu'veution  of  labor-saving  machinery  to  do  such  work. 

Our  membership  is  strong  for  the  public-school  principle.  We  believe  our  immi- 
gration laws  should  require  as  much  of  aliens  coming  here  as  our  compulsory  school 
attendance  laws  require  of  our  own  native  born.  We  believe  an  elementary  education 
makes  a  man  or  woman  a  better  worker  and  a  better  citizen.  We  believe  that  igno- 
rance and  illiteracy  should  be  eradicated  from  this  country,  and  therefore  are  opposed 
to  its  importation.  We  believe  that  the  ignorant  and  illiterate  constitute  a  fertile 
field  for  the  educated  knave  and  educated  violent  radical.  We  can  not  see  any  more 
reason  for  any  such  person  haA-ing  material  supplied  for  his  practices  than  that  an 
industry  should  have  it.  If  the  cigar  manufacturers  of  Tamjia  are  to  have  cheap, 
pauper,  illiterate  alien  labor *ljrought  in  head-tax  free,  why  shoidd  not  the  United 
States  Steel  Corporation  be  allowed  to  import  the  kind  of  pauper,  illiterate  contract 
alien  labor  it  used  to  and  could  use  profitably?  We  are  opposed  to  giving  any  official 
or  group  of  officials  any  such  discretionary  power  as  is  proposed  by  these  interests, 
and  how  any  such  privilege  can  be  given  them  compatible  with  the  spirit  of  our 
institutions  I  can  not  comprehend.  The  Czar  of  all  the  Russias  never  had  more 
autocratic  power  than  that  which  would  be  conveyed  by  an  amendment  to  existing 
law  authorizing  a  man  or  group  of  men  to  decree  by  edict  when  a  law  was  a  law  and  was 
not  a  law. 

1  know  their  argument  that  this  country  grew  great  on  immigration  and  their  indus- 
tries depend  on  it.  I  have  heard  saloon  men  make  the  same  argument  about  America 
having  grown  great  on  the  liquor  traffic.  I  have  seen  hotel  men  l)efore  prohibition 
more  panicky  about  their  business  than  the  business  men  who  have  appeared  before 
vour  committee.  I  no  more  think  that  cheap,  illiterate,  servile,  pauper  alien  labor 
IS  necessary  for  the  profitableness  of  their  business  than  the  saloon  and  liciuor  traffic 
is  for  the  profitableness  of  the  hotel  business.  The  liquor  men  made  the  same  argu- 
ment before  committees  of  Congi'ess  that  the  hand-made  cigar  interests  have  made 
before  your  committee  with  reference  to  the  large  amount  of  internal  revenue  the 
business  paid  the  Government,  which  is  now  raising  se\en  times  as  much  taxes  as  it 
did  in  liquor  days. 

There  is  a  surplus  of  alien  labor  in  this  country,  ^^'ith  a  return  to  'normalcy"  in 
immigration  the  oversupply  reported  by  the  immigration  commission  is  again  upon  us. 
An  oversupply  of  alien  labor,  competing  with  itself,  means  an  oversupply  of  every 
other  alien  factor.  The  order  engages  in  Americanization  work  and  I  know  that 
there  is  more  raw  material  now  than  the  melting  pot  can  hold.  What  we  need  is  not 
more  aliens,  but  more  elbow  room  in  which  to  Americanize.  We  do  not  feel,  as  one 
speaker  connected  with  the  interracial  council  does,  that  more  ought  to  be  imported 


664  K.MKIKiEXCN     I.M.MIGI!AT10>:    l.K(,  iSl  .A  1  luX . 

for  the  sake  of  exercising  our  Americanization  forces.  I  can  not  lielieve  that  one 
who  speaks  that  way  knows  much  &})Out  Americanization.  If  so,  he  must  be  more 
interested  in  some  other  phase  of  the  prol)lem. 

Soup  houses  are  l^eiiiji;  opened  throughout  Pennsylvania.  Men  are  out  of  work 
from  one  end  of  the  State  to  the  other.  Immigration  has  been  increasing  rapidly. 
Oiu"  membership  feels  the  ruinous  effects  of  the  cutthroat  competition.  Our  institu- 
tions are  bound  to  feel  it.  The  process  is  painful.  Congress  should  do  something 
effective  at  once,  in  our  opinion. 
I  thank  you. 

Very  truly,  yours, 
^  C.  B.  Helms,  State  Secretar)/. 

ARIZONA   COTTON    GROWERS'    ASSOCIATION. 

Telegrams  to  and  from  the  Arizona  Cotton  Growers'  Association 
in  relation  to  the  present  status  of  Mexican  laborers  in  this  country 
are  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows: 

Washington,  D.  ('.,  January  25,  1921. 
Arizona  Cotton  Growers'  Association, 

Tempe,  Ariz.: 
State  Department  has  protest  from  Mexican  Embassy  that  Mexican  consul  at 
Nogales  has  reported  by  telegraph  that  15,000  Mexican  laborers  hired  by  your  associa- 
tion are  now  in  desperate  straits,  owing  to  nonfulfillment  of  the  labor  contract  by 
your  association.  It  is  reported  that  your  association  in  numerous  casts  refuses  to 
pay  the  wages  of  the  laborers  in  question.  Caminotti  has  referred  to  this  matter  in 
his  testimony  before  Senate  committee.  Please  wire  status  of  this  matter.  I  have 
promised  State  Department  to  make  immediate  report  by  ^vire.  Congressman  Hayden 
refused  to  give  time  to  see  me.  Please  give  me  immediate  report  by  ^vire  to  submit 
State  Derartment  on  this  matter. 

John  A.  Happer. 


Tempe,  Ariz.,  January  27,  1921. 
John  A.  H.\pper, 

Room  820  Colorado  Building,  Washington,  D .  C: 
Xo  foiuidation  statement  Mexican  consul,  Nogales.  Association  fulfilling  all  legal 
and  moral  obligations  involved  in  this  work.  Slump  ifi  cotton  market  has  paralyzed 
industry  in  this  valley;  many  farmers  bankrupt,  but  with  exception  of  three  outfits 
all  laborers  have  been  paid,  and  all  laborers  returning  to  Mexico  have  received  com- 
pensation in  full.  Those  who  have  not  are  being  held  here,  and  every  effort  made  to 
settle  their  account,  and  in  meantime  are  being  cared  for.  ( )ur  association  has  returned 
total  about  8,000;  large  proportion  of  these  well  supplied  -with  funds  when  leaving 
here.  Large  percentage  of  unemployment  at  Nogales  accounted  for  by  fact  that 
C?narea  (  opper  Co.  has  suspended  operstiors.  Mexican  consul,  Phoenix,  com- 
plaining because  we  are  not  returning  Mexicans  to  border;  Mexican  consul.  Nogales, 
complaining  because  we  are.  Are  working  close  with  State  and  courty  authorities. 
Mexican  cotton  pickers  have  been  paid  nearly  §6,000,000  tliis  fall,  which  is  all  the 
money  received  from  cotton  crop  to  date.     Will  wire  again  from  Nogales  to-morrow. 

W.  H.  Knox. 

John  A.  Happer, 

820  Colorado  Building,  Washington,  D.  C. 
O^ving  to  large  number  aliens  leaving  valley  for  Mexico  in  automobiles  and  teams 
accumulated  while  here,  as  well  as  hundreds  leaving  on  trains  for  border  without 
reporting  to  association,  we  are  unable  to  give  exact  figures  on  returns  to  Mexico 
until  receipt  of  Immigration  Service  report  early  in  February,  and  even  this  report 
will  not  be  complete  because  of  fact  that  many  of  them  will  slip  across  border  without 
our  receiving  credit  for  them  thi'ough  Immigration  Service.  Since  Ajuil  we  have 
imported  14,523  full  fares,  and  2,144  half  fares.  Have  no  figures  on  children  under  5. 
Our  estimate  is  that  between  eight  and  ten  thousand  of  these  aliens  will  return  dur- 
ing January,  many  of  them  at  expense  of  association,  where  necessary,  but  the  largest 
majority  of  them  at  their  own  expense,  the  latter  carr\ing  large  sums  of  money, 
besides  many  known  instances  locally  of  families  buying  from  $500  to  $1,600  express 
money  orders  before  leaving,  though,  of  course,  many  of  the  improvident  ones  spend 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  665 

their  money  fast  as  they  make  it  here.  Absolutely  no  cases  of  want  or  privation 
among  aliens  imported  by  this  association  as  far  as  we  have  been  ad\'ised  that  have 
not  been  taken  care  of  immediately  by  association.  Private  adx-ices  from  El  Paso 
and  other  points  on  border  show  that  same  conditions  exist  at  every  large  port,  though 
no  official  information  to  this  effect. 

W.  H.  Knox. 

A  memorandum  on  the  regulation  of  immigration  into  the  United 
States,  submitted  by  Capt.  John  B.  Trevor,  as  supplementary  to 
his  statement  before  the  committee  on  Tuesday,  January  11,  1921, 
is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows: 

REGULATION    OF   IMMIGRATION. 

A  combination  of  three  circumstances  has  brought  the  question  of  immigration 
among  the  group  of  issues  ranking  first  in  importance  for  attention  by  the  incoming 
administration  and  (kingrese.     The  circumstances  are  these: 

First.  The  evidence  resulting  from  a  state  of  war  that  the  basic  population  had 
failed  to  assimilate  the  recent  influx  of  alien  population  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  hos- 
tilities. That  is  to  say,  what  may  be  christened  hyphenism  represents  a  national 
peril,  not  only  as  an  internal  factor  in  our  political  life,  but  particularly  as  a  cause  of 
ever  varying  fiiction  in  our  international  relations,  being  a  reflex  of  factional  struggles 
in  foreign  countries  whose  cohesion  has  been  shattered  by  war. 

Second.  The  next  circumstance,  also  an  outgrowth  of  the  war,  is  the  menace  of 
bolshevism  through  the  immigration  of  persons  in  whom  the  revolutionary  spirit 
has  become  a  habit  of  mind  ratner  than  principle. 

Third.  Finally,  peculiar  administrative  factors  tending  to  accentuate  the  dangers 
outlined  above  through  the  exercise  of  wide  discretionary  powers  confided  to  a 
limited  number  of  officials  of  apparent  radical  tendencies. 

With  these  cii'cumstances  in  mind  Congress  is  considering  a  measure  to  deal  with 
a  threatened  flood  of  new  immigration  by  the  passage  of  an  emergency  bill  closing 
our  ports  for  a  limited  period  pending  the  preparation  of  a  carefully  studied  law.  It 
is  in  view  of  this  fact  that  the  following  memorandum  has  been  prepared. 

T'le  fundamental  defect  underlying  the  immigration  and  naturalization  bills  before 
Congress  which  are  worthy  of  serious  consideration  is  the  effort  to  accomplish  an 
efficient  administration  of  the  law  without  a  departmental  reorganization  on  a  scale 
sufficiently  comprehensive  to  deal  adequately  ^vith  a  most  complicated  situation 
which  is  the  outgrowth  of  years  of  tinkering  with  a  defective  machine. 

For  example,  a  cursory  examination  of  the  Congressional  Record  of  lfi03  will  indi- 
cate that  the  purpose  of  the  reorganization  of  that  period  leading  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor  was  essentially  the  same  as  that 
which  actuates  us  to-day.  It  was  an  effort  to  eliminate  duplication  and  thereby  secure 
efficiency  and  economy.  The  results,  however,  do  not  appear  to  have  justified  the 
methods  adopted. 

A  curious  practical  development  has  grown  out  of  these  transfers  of  jurisdiction. 
The  Treasury  Department  which  formerly  conducted  the  Immigration  SerNdce  now 
relies  upon  inspectors  of  the  Department  of  Labor  to  develop  possible  \-iolations  of 
the  customs  regulations  as  a  result  of  their  investigation  of  the  immigrant's  fitness 
to  enter  the  United  States  under  the  immigrarion  law.  That  is  to  say,  no  examination 
of  immigrants'  effects  is,  under  present  conditions,  attempted,  so  the  writer  has  been 
informed,  bv  agents  of  the  Treasurv. 

Under  the  act  of  February  5.  1917,  (ch.  29,  sec.  23,  39  Stat.,  892)  the  Secretary^  of  the 
Treasury  is  permitted,  upon  a  request  from  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration 
-approved  by  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  to  detail  officers  of  the  Public  Health  SerN-ice 
for  service  in  foreign  countries  to  perform  duties  in  connection  with  the  enforcement 
of  the  immigration  law,  for  it  must  be  furthermore  bonie  in  mind  that  the  enforce- 
ment of  the  immigration  law  involves  a  stringent  medical  examination  conducted 
in  practice  at  points  of  entry,  for  the  information  of  the  immigration  officers,  by  the 
Public  Health  Service,  this  service,  curiously  enough,  being  subject  to  the  juris- 
diction of  the  Treasurv  Department  under  the  i>rovisions  of  the  act  of  February  3, 
1905  (ch.  297.  sec.  1,  33  Stat.,  G50).  The  immigration  act  of  1917.  section  23,  further 
provides  that  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  may  detail,  with  the  approval 
of  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  immigration  inspectors  for  service  in  foreign  countries. 

Since  the  outbreak  of  the  war.  and  particularly  subsequent  to  the  armistice  and  the 
growth  of  the  bolshe\'ist  movement,  attention  has  been  drawn  to  the  fact  that  while 

26911— 21— PT  14 2 


666  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

section  19  of  the  act  of  February  5,  1917,  privides  tliat  aliens  found  \vithin  the  terri- 
tory of  the  United  States  contrary  to  the  ])rovisions  of  that  act,  or  as  amended  by  the 
act  of  October  Ki,  1918,  shall  ui)on  a  warrant  of  the  Secretary  of  Lal;or  be  taken  into 
custody  and  d(>ported,  the  actual  apprehension  of  these  persons  is  carriefl  out  by  agents 
of  the  Bureau  of  Investijjation  of  the  Department  of  Justice  and  the  cases  prepared 
either  by  United  States  attorneys  or  special  assistants  of  the  Attorney  (i-eneral  of  the 
United  States,  who,  it  should  be  noted — and  this  is  a  vital  point-  have  no  status  except 
by  courtesy  at  hearintrs  held  by  the  Commissioner  of  Immitrration  or  the  Secretary 
of  Labor.  \\'here,  throujrh  friction  between  departmental  chiefs  and  their  assistants, 
this  privilege  is  accorded  grudgingly  and  hedged  with  emy)arrassing  limitations,  the 
interests  of  the  United  States  may  be  gravely  imperiled.  A  flagrant  instance  of 
obstructions  along  these  lines  is  the  case  of  the  notorious  L.  0.  A.  K.  Martens. 

A  number  of  bills  introduced  in  Congress  contain  proAasions  which  in  general 
involve  an  extension  of  the  passport  system  for  a  period  beyond  that  covered  by  the 
passport  act  of  May  22,  1918,  in  force  for  the  period  of  the  war.  Should  peace  be  de- 
clared the  provisions  of  this  act  are  extended  by  a  supplementary  law  until  March 
4,  1921.  Reference  is  made  to  this  phase  of  the  immigration  qu^ftion  because  it  is 
inevitable  that  passports  be  required  under  conditions  as  they  will  ]frobably  continue 
to  exist  in  Europe  for  an  indefinite  period.  The  question  of  passport  control  at  ports 
of  entry  therefore  will  fall  under  the  supervision  of  agents  of  the  Bureau  of  Immi- 
gration— that  is  to  say,  the  Department  of  Labor. 

We  have  seen  in  the  preceding  paragraph  that  in  spite  of  the  reorganization  result- 
ing from  the  transfer  of  the  Bureau  of  Immigration  from  the  Treasury  Department  to 
the  Departments  of  Commerce  and  Labor  that  owing  to  circumsatnces  as  yet  uncor- 
rected there  is  collateral  jurisdiction  by  agents  responsible  to  four  departments  of 
om-  Government.  That  is  to  say,  the  Pul)lic  Health  Service  of  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment, the  Bureau  of  Investigation  of  the  Department  of  Justice,  the  Bureau  of  Immi- 
gration of  the  Department  of  Labor,  and  the  passport  division  of  the  State  Depart- 
ment. In  order  that  the  reader  may  have  in  mind  the  extent  to  which  various 
agencies  of  the  Federal  Government  and,  indeed,  of  the  States  and  municipal  author- 
ities are  by  one  provision  or  another  of  the  United  States  statutes  bearing  on  this 
subject  involved  in  the  immigration  problem,  the  following  table  may  prove  helpful: 
Federal: 

Department  of  Labor:  Bureau  of  Immigration  and  Natui'alization. 

Treasury  Department:  Public  Health  Service. 

Department  of  State:  Diplomatic  Service,  Consular  Service. 

War  Department:  Military  Intelligence. 

XaAV  Department:  Naval  Intelligence. 

United  States  Department  of  Justice:  United  States  attorneys,  Bureau  of  In- 
vestigation . 
State  and  municipal: 

State  authorities,  district  attorneys,  police,  etc. 
Without  furtlier  discussion  it  will  probably  be  admitted  there  is  fruitful  cause  for 
friction,  not  to  say  duplication  of  effort  witla  consequent  inefficiency  and  waste,. in  a 
system  such  as  that  outlined  above.  Therefore  it  will  be  apparent  that  in  order  to 
deal  adequately  with  the  immediate  problem  under  consideration  it  will  be  necessary 
to  have  in  mind  two  fundamental  factors: 

First.  The  creation  of  an  investigation  service  which  will  function  elliciently  for 
all  departments  and  bureaus  of  the  Federal  CTOA'ernment  and  in  liaison  with  the  State 
authorities. 

Second.  The  preparation  of  an  immigration  law  which  will  not  only  protect  our 
Nation  from  an  inundation  of  undesirables  but  also  create  an  agency  which  na-III  de- 
termine efficiently  and  justly  debatable  cases  presented  by  the  Bm-eau  of  Investi- 
gation for  its  consideration. 

Before  proceeding  to  discuss  in  some  detail  the  provisions  to  be  incorporated  in  a 
revision  of  our  immigration  law,  it  is  necessary  to  outline  the  organization  of  an 
investigation  service  which  should  function  for  lihe  se\eral  departments. 

Investigations  for  Go^'ernment  ])iu-poses  may  be  roughly  classified  into  two  groups: 

(1 )  In\  estigations  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  proof  of  the  violation  of  the  criminal 
statutes  or  sanitary  regulations  of  the  United  States. 

(2)  Investigations  for  the  piu'pose  of  placing  in  the  hands  of  Government  officers 
information  as  to  the  basic  principles  and  causes  of  mass  movements  or  indiviilual 
activity  bearing  ujjon  the  jwlicy  of  the  State  in  its  national  and  international  policy. 

Cases  arising  under  class  1  need  little  explanation.  They  relate  to  the  indi\idual 
who  smuggles,  sells  intoxicating  liquor,  counterfeits  currency,  violates  the  postal 
regulations,  evades  the  immigration  act,  or  indeed  commits  or  attempts  to  commit  any 
crime. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  667 

Cases  arising  under  class  2  are  of  infinite  scope,  but  ^\'ith  the  possibility  always  in  the 
back,ii;round  that  the  actions  of  persons  or  groups  under  obser\ation  may  bring  them 
within  the  purview  of  class  1.  Obviously  a  great  ])art  of  the  information  sought 
under  class  2  is  highly  confidential  and  should  only  pass  under  the  observation  of  a 
selected  personnel. 

To  meet  the  situation  outlined  in  the  previous  paragraphs,  it  is  necessary  to  divide 
the  investigation  service  of  our  Government  into  two  di\  isions: 

Division  1 :  Under  the  sui)erAision  of  the  Attorney  General  of  the  United  States. 

Di^ision  2:  Under  the  supervision  of  the  Secretary  of  State. 

Both  divisions  jointly  observed  by  a  board  consisting  of  the  secretaries  of  the  various 
department?',  ex  otticio,  and  of  wJiich  the  Secretary  of  State  shall  be  chairman. 

Taking  up  division  1  for  consideration  it  is  clear  that  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Attorney  General  of  the  United  Stales,  and  actively  directed  by  his  first  a.ssistant,  it 
must  be  subdivided  into  sections  dealing  with  various  classes  of  investigation  and 
crime.  Tliat  is  to  say,  at  headtjuarters  and  at  important  substations  it  would  operate 
by  subdivisions  subject  to  one  director  and  operating  on  one  tile.  This  alone  would 
eliminate  the  chaos  of  disorganization,  duplication  of  effort,  and  jealousy  which  was 
so  much  in  evidence  during  the  war. 

As  an  illustration  of  inefficiency  of  the  system  or  lack  of  it  during  the  emergency 
period  the  writer  recalls  the  chief  of  one  of  the  sul)offices  of  an  allied  service  saWng 
that  frequently  in  the  course  of  one  day  four  or  five  agents  of  rival  United  States 
bureaus  would  be  in  his  othce  in  regard  to  one  and  the  same  case.  Again,  I  believe 
men  at  that  time  in  Federal  bureaus  will  recall  agents  of  one  service  calling  for  infor- 
mation from  another  agency  of  the  Government,  and  finally  turning  in  their  report, 
sometimes  in  paraphrase,  as  an  oiiginal  investigation.  The  net  result  being  that 
the  same  data  would  return  in  possil)ly  two  or  three  weeks  as  apparently  new  material 
through  the  liaison  service  of  the  department  at  headquarters  in  Washington. 

The  second  division,  under  the  supervision  of  the  Secretary  of  State  and  actively 
directed  by  an  Assistant  Secretary,  in  addition  to  a  consolidation  of  ililitary  and 
Naval  Intelligence  with  State  Department  investigations,  also  would  comprehend 
all  researches  desired  by  Government  bureaus  outside  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United 
States.  This  service,  with  its  coordinated  subdivisions,  should  function  on  one  file, 
to  which  one  copy  of  all  reports  of  the  first  division  would  come  automatically  by 
proA'ision  of  law,  but  from  which  no  file  could  issue  without  the  0.  K.  of  the  dii'ector 
under  regulations  not  necessary  now  to  recapitulate  in  detail  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  primary  purpose  of  this  memorandum  is  to  discuss  immigration.  With  the  bare 
outline  of  the  investigating  machinery  in  mind  it  will  now  be  possible  to  under- 
stand what  is  meant  by  the  first  and  second  divisions  of  the  Bureau  of  Investigation. 
It  may  be  added  that  it  would  be  futile  to  elaborate  the  details  of  this  mechanism 
until  the  general  principles  herein  contained  are  deemed  worthy  of  further  study. 

Proceeding  now  to  the  question  of  regulation  of  immigration  in  detail,  it  seems 
most  expedient  to  develop  the  subject  by  a  critical  analysis  of  what  seems  to  the 
writer  the  most  scientifically  conceived  measures  laid  before  Congress. 

Four  bills  stand  out  conspicuouslv  as  worthv  of  consideration:  1.  The  bill  intro- 
duced by  Mr.  .Johnson,  11.  R.  mm.  2.  The  "bill  introduced  by  Mr.  Welty,  H.  R. 
14196.  3.  The  bill  introduced  by  Mr.  Johnson.  H.  R.  14461,  which  recently  passed 
with  slight  amendment.     4.  The  bill  introduced  by  Senator  Sterling,  S.  4594. 

The  Johnson  bill,  13646,  is  essentially  a  naturalization  bill;  the  Welty  and  Sterling 
bills  are  complements  of  each  otlier,  the  latter  apparently  a  development  from  the 
former  and  more  carefully  studied,  while  the  .lolmson  bill.  H.  R.  144(51.  which 
reccTitly  passed  as  amended,  is  an  exclusion  act  pure  and  simple.  It  is  an  emergency 
act  to  cover  the  period  of  preparation  of  a  detailed  measure.  With  tiie  amendment 
cutting  down  the  exclusion  to  14  months,  it  deserves,  in  the  WTiter's  opinion,  sup- 
port with  consideration  of  a  possible  amendment  providing  for  the  organization  of 
a  commission  for  the  study  and  preparation  of  a  comprehensive  immigration  law 
during  the  period  that  the  exclusion  of  immigration  is  enforced. 

The  Sterling  and  Welty  bills  may  in  their  general  features  be  considered  together. 
Both  bills  provide  for  the  establishment  of  an  immigration  board.  The  Welty  l)ill 
provides  the  Secretaries  of  State,  Labor,  Commerce,  Agriculture,  and  Interior, 
acting  ex  officio,  and  a  sixth  member  appointed  liy  the  Prendent.  who  shall  act  as 
chairman,  as  members  of  the  board.  This  suggestion  has  some  merit,  l)ut  is  open 
to  the  grave  objection  that  it  would  throw  undue  detail  upon  tiie  heads  of  the  vavious 
departments  in  addition  to  their  already  gi-eat  responsibilities.  It  would  appear 
that  Senator  Sterling  may  have  had  this  objection  in  mind,  because,  while  accepting 
the  general  provision  and  powers  for  the  Ijoard  as  outlined  by  Mr.  Welty,  he  sug- 
gests a  board  of  five  members  "including  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  who  shall  be  a 
member  ex  officio,  and  four  meml)er3  appointed  by  the  President,  by  and  with  the 


668  EMKKUENC;V    IMMKJKATION    LEGISLATION. 

advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate."     It  Ih  further  provided  that  the  Secretary  of 
Labor  shall  l)e  ex  ofhcio  chairman  of  the  iramiirration  board. 

'^Ihere  are  equally  serioii.s  oliiections  to  Senator  Sterlin<>:'p  pro])08al  which,  in  fact, 
strikes  at  basic  provisions  of  both  bills.  Section  3,  pa£;e  H,  lines  1')  to  22,  of  the  Senate 
bill  provides  for  '"a  thorough  and  coniprehen,si\e  intjuiry  into  the  causes  and  condi- 
tions leading  to  the  immit^ration  of  ])eo])le.s  of  different  nationalities  or  ethnic  groups 
to  the  United  States,  which  inquiry  shall  include  an  investigation  of  the  methods,  if 
any,  employed  by  the  agents  of  foreign  governments  or  of  transportation  cornjianies 
to  ijiduce  or  eJicourage  such  innnigration  or  to  induce,  encourage,  or  assist  the  immigra- 
tion of  ))articnlar  pendens  or  classes  of  persons,  whether  desirable  or  undesirable,  as 
residents  or  citizens  of  the  United  States,"  and  again,  section  ?,,  page  •">.  lines  ]  1  to  20. 
'"The  board  is  hereby  authorized  and  directed  to  at  once  enter  into  negotiations 
througli  the  Department  of  State  with  the  go\crnments  of  foreign  countries  with  a 
view  to  detailing  immigration  in8])ectors  of  the  United  States  for  service  at  the  several 
consular  agencies  and  embarkation  jwints  within  such  co'.uitries,  with  authority  on 
the  part  of  such  inspectors  to  investigate  all  intending  immigration,  to  inquire  into 
and  report  to  the  board  tlie  cause.s  and  motives  inducing  the  immigration  of  particular 
persons  or  i)eoples." 

"U  hJle  it  is  true  that  the  bill  provides,  of  necessity  be  it  said,  for  the  negotaitions  to 
be  carried  on  through  the  liepartment  of  State,  the  ])roposed  m.easure  clearly  con- 
templates that  tlie  investigation  and  emf)loyees  connected  thercA^ith  shall  be  iinder 
the  control  of  the  immigro.tion  board,  which  as  constituted  must  ob\iously  be  a  mere 
appanage  of  the  Department  of  Labor,  as  indeed  it  is  at  preseiit.  J^efore  such  exten- 
sive powers  of  investigation  in  territory  outside  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States 
are  conferred  upon  a  de]iavtment  in  no  way  concerned  with  the  direction  of  our  foreign 
relations  it  is  well  to  consider  verv  serioiisly  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Lansing  before  the 
Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  January  7,  1920,  from 
■which  the  fojlowing  excerpts  are  quoted: 

"Then  there  is  another  (jnestion  of  great  importance  wliich  ought  to  be  considered 
in  this  relation.  The  activities  of  our  Government  in  the  foreign  lield,  altliough 
extensive,  have  been  conducted  by  several  departments  independently  of  each  other, 
following  no  well-def'ned  line  of  coordinated  effort  and  \vithoiit  regard  to  any  well- 
conceived  general  polic-'.     *    *    * 

"  As  an  essential  factor  in  the  furtherance  of  any  specific  or  general  policy,  the  De- 
partment of  State  must  be  relie\'ed  of  all  embarrassments  which  might  arise  through 
the  uncontrolled  acts  of  agents  abroad  who  may  not  themselves  be  impressed  with  the 
bearing  of  their  work  upon  the  relations  and  the  interests  of  the  department  respon- 
sible therefor."     *    *    * 

It  is,  of  course,  impossible  for  the  v.Titer  to  state  the  many  instances  of  embarrass- 
ment caused  by  the  Department  of  State  which  Mr.  Lansing  had  in  mind,  but  it  may 
not  be  amiss  to  indicate  at  this  point  the  fact  that  the  Imperial  German  Government 
objected  to  the  actiAities  of  officers  of  the  LTnited  States  medical  service  who  were 
attempting  to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  immigration  act  of  1893,  and  also  that  the 
Government  of  the  Netherlands  refused  to  permit  medical  inspection  at  Dutch  ports 
under  the  act  of  1903. 

In  making  this  comment  the  reader  must  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  aimed  not  at  the 
principle  of  an  immigration  board  or,  indeed,  at  the  general  tniderl\ing  idea  of  the 
Sterling  bill,  but  rather  at  its  form  and  at  the  powers  delegated  which  are,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  writer,  insutliciently  studied  in  any  measure  as  yet  introdticed  before 
Congress.  It  may  be  remarked  that  in  as  much  as  the  Welly  bill  proxides  that  the 
Secretary  of  State  should  be  ex  oHicio  a  member  of  the  immigration  board,  the  objec- 
tions raised  by  Mr.  Lansing  to  the  independent  operation  of  agents  of  other  depart- 
ments are  in  a  measure  mitigated  and  therefore  his  suggestion  is  jjreferable  to  that 
proposed  by  Senator  Sterling.  While  this  is  in  a  meastu-e  true,  nevertheless  the 
objection  already  raised  to  Mr.  Welty's  plan  is  too  weighty  to  be  disregarded.  It  is 
interesting  to  look  back  in  this  connection  to  the  debate  on  the  transfer  of  the  Bureau 
of  Immigration  from  the  Treasury  Department  to  the  new  Department  of  Commerce 
and  Lal)or  constituted  in  1903,  in  which  it  was  said  that,  '"the  qtiestion  of  immigration 
is  of  particular  imjjortance  to  the  labor  interests  of  the  country.  The  Bureau  of  Immi- 
gration ought  to  be  in  some  department  in  connection  with  the  Commis.-^ioner  of  Labor." 

In  so  far  as  immigration  adds  to  the  i'oating  supply  of  labor  this  statement  is  true. 
Under  the  immigration  laws  as  they  existed  at  th>U  time  it  was.  howeA'er,  a  less  logical 
conclusion  than  wotdd  be  the  case  shoidd  one  or  the  other  of  the  bills  restricting  immi- 
gration be  now  adopted,  because  it  mtist  be  obvious  to  any  student  of  social  and  polit- 
ical conditions  that  the  Department  of  Labor  is  greatly  intUienced,  if  not  actually 
dominated,  by  organized  labor.  To  this  fact  anyone  proposing  to  alter  our  immigration 
laws  must  give  consideration  to  three  other  powerfid  inlhiences  which  must  be  reck- 


EMERGEISrCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  669 

oned  with  in  the  preparation  of  an  immic;ration  law:  First,  the  steamship  companies; 
second,  employers  of  labor;  and,  third,  the  Jewish  element  of  our  population. 

The  interest  of  the  steamship  companies  is  too  obAious  to  need  discussion.  That 
of  employers,  as  such,  is  probably  oppo.sod  to  the  theory  which  impels  organized  labor 
to  demamd  a  restriction  of  immigration,  while  the  \'iew  of  the  Jewish  element  is 
probably  well  expressed  in  the  statement  attributed  to  Mr.  Louis  Marshall,  the  well- 
known  iawver,  commenting  on"  the  alisence  of  Congressman  Siegel  from  a  meeting 
recently  held  in  New  York  (New  York  Times,  Dec.  12,  1920): 

"Mr.  Siegel  was  compelled  to  remain  in  Washington,  and  referred  to  the  valuable 
services  to  his  race  that  had  been  rendered  by  Congressman  Siegel  in  opposing  the 
immigration  restriction  bill." 

While  it  is  obviously  impossible  to  create  a  mechanism  which  can  cope  with  selfish 
aims,  or  a  racial  solidaritv,  superior  to  the  national  interest,  it  is  hardly  probable  that 
Congress  or  the  people  at  large  will  disregard  the  danger  of  concentrating  the  great 
powers  of  a  restriction  act  within  the  control  of  the  Department  of  Labor  merely 
because  of  its  special  affiliations  arising  throirgh  the  performance  of  duties  otherwise 
imposed,  particularly  in  view  of  the  reasons  hereinbefore  and  now  about  to  be  dis- 
cussed indicating  that  the  direction  of  immigration  should  be  placed  elsev  here. 

For  example,  while  it  is  true  that  the  act  of  March  4,  1913  (c.  141,  sec.  3,  37  Stat., 
737) ,  provides  that  tlie  "Bureau  of  Immigration  and  Naturalization  is  hereby  divided 
into  two  bureaus,"  no  argument  can  be  seriously  advanced  justifying  the  determina- 
tion of  fitness  for  citizenship  directly  or  indirectly  by  a  department  organized  for 
the  pin-pose  of  dealing  with  problems  connected  with  a  fragment  of  the  population, 
no  matter  how  great  that  proportionate  numerical  interest  may  be.  The  final  objec- 
tion to  the  administration  of  our  immigration  laws  by  the  Department  of  Labor  is 
to  be  found  in  one  of  the  most  important  functions  imposed  upon  the  Secretary  of 
that  department  by  the  act  of  February  5,  1917,  and  also  by  the  bills  now  particularly 
under  re\"iew  amending  that  tatute;  that  is  to  say,  the  provision  delegating  to 
the  Secretary  of  Labor  the  power  to  exclude  and  deport  aliens  from  the  United  states. 
It  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  subject  more  fraught  with  possibilities  of  foreign  complica- 
tions or  negotiations  and,  therefore,  more  properly  within  the  cognizance  of  the 
Department  of  State  than  this  feature  of  the  immigration  (faesticn.  To  demonstrate 
the  truth  of  this  assertion,  it  is  only  necessary  to  cite  the  Japanese  question,  on  the 
one  hand,  and,  on  the  other,  that  of  the  emissary  of  the  i-oviet  regime  in  Moscow,  the 
notorious  L,  C.  A.  K.  Martens,  whose  activities  ha"\e  recently  been  subject  to  review 
by  the  Secretary  of  Labor.  Could  anything  be  more  grotesque  than  to  hsi\e  the 
Secretary  of  that  department  pass  upon  the  credentials  and  actiA  ities  of  an  indi- 
xidual  claiming  to  be  an  amba?sad'T,  and  e\en  rule  upon  the  character  of  a  regime 
claiming  recognition  as  a  sovereign  State? 

Having  up  to  this  point  discussed  the  problems  of  immigration  and  its  control  in 
general,  the  Mi-iter  will  now  proceed  to  analyze  Senate  bill  4594,  Sixty-sixth  Con- 
gi'ess,  third  session,  with  a  view  to  making  certain  constructive  suggestions  rather 
than  attempting  to  dictate  in  any  way  the  precise  provisions  which  in  his  opinion 
Congi'ess  might  properly  adopt.  In  the  discussion  hereinbefore  giAen  it  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  the  comment  must  be  read  in  connection  with  the  bill  as  drawn  by 
Senator  Sterling. 

Section  1 :  This  section  may  be  accepted  intact. 

Section  2:  It  is  suggested  that  the  provisions  of  this  section  be  amended  to  proA'ide 
for  a  board  constituted  as  follows: 

(a)  Chairman  of  the  board  should  be  Assistant  Secretary  of  State  ex  officio. 

(b)  The  Assistant  Secretary  of  Labor  ex  officio  should  be  a  member  of  the  board. 

(c)  Three  other  members  appointed  should  represent  manufacturing,  commercial, 
and  agricultural  interests  of  the  country. 

(d)  Power  to  nominate  commissioners  at  ports  of  entry  subject  to  the  approval  of 
the  President,  and  delegate  poAver,-;  of  examination  subject  to  appeal  to  the  board. 

(e)  The  board  shall  have  power  to  appoint  a  permanent  secretary,  etc. 

Section  3:  (a)  The  board  shall  call  upon  the  second  division  of  the  Bureau  of 
Investigation  for  all  data  necessary  for  their  study  a.s  outlined  on  page  3.  lines  13  to 
22  of  the  bill. 

(ft)  From  line  23,  page  3,  to  line  10,  page  5,  the  bill  may  be  accepted  as  draAvn. 

(c)  The  board  is  authorized  and  directed  to  call  upon  the  Secretary  of  State  to 
arrange  when  necessary  by  negotiation  for  the  assignment  of  agents  from  the  second 
division  of  the  Bureau  of  Investigation  to  make  researches  and  furnish  data  and 
execute  the  administrative  features  in  the  bill,  page  >,  line  11,  ti  page  (i,  line  7. 

(d)  Page  f),  lines  8  to  15,  may  be  accepted  as  \mtten.  Page  6,  lines  15  to  21,  should 
be  modilied  to  pro »ide  that  the  commissioner  of  immigration  at  any  port  of  entry  or 
debarkation  shall  call  upon  the  director  of  the  l.rst  di  ision  of  the  i.ureau  of  ln\esti- 
gation  to  conduct  examinations  and  investigations  for  the  purpose  of  detecting  a  iola- 


670  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

tions  of  tho  law.  Tho  (Hrertor  nf  in\estij?ations  may  call  upon  the  United  States 
attorney  of  the  district  in  which  the  port  ia  located  for  assistance  in  tl)e  proser  ution 
of  cases  arisiua;  under  the  ])ro\  isions  of  the  law  before  the  commissioner  of  immigration 
of  the  port.     The  balance  of  this  section  is  unobjectionable. 

Section  4:  This  section  deiines  the  line  of  activity  properly  within  the  scope  of  the 
immigration  board. 

Section  5:  Tliis  section  should  he  amended  to  read  somewhat  as  follows: 
(rt)  All  aliens  entering  the  United  States.  e-Kceptiug  accredited  representatives  and 
officials  of  foreign  Cun  ernments,  recognized  as  such  by  the  State  Department  of  the 
United  States,  siiall  i)resent  passports  ^iseed  by  a  consul  or  a  diplomatic  representative 
of  the  United  States  specially  authorized,  in  the  country  from  which  the  holder  starts 
on  his  trip  to  the  United  States,  and  if  such  country  is  not  the  country  to  v>hich  the 
alien  owes  allegiance  the  ])assport  must  also  be  viseed  by  a  diplomatic  or  consular 
officer  of  the  country  to  which  the  holder  owes  allegiance. 

(b)  All  aliens  except  accredited  representatives  and  officials  of  foreign  Governments 
''must  furnish  to  the  diplomatic  or  consular  officer  of  the  United  Stales  who  vises 
the  passport  in  the  foreign  country  from  which  he  starts  on  liis  trip  to  the  United 
States,  and  to  the  authoiities  at  the  ])ort  of  entry  or  elsewhere  in  the  United  States, 
a  written  declaration  setting  forth:  (1  I  The  date  and  place  of  the  bearer's  birth:  (2) 
the  nationality  and  race  of  his  father  and  mother;  (3)  the  pluce  of  the  bearer's  last 
foreign  re.^idence  and  other  places,  if  any,  where  he  has  resided  within  the  past  five 
years;  (4)  if  he  has  ever  been  in  the  United  States,  the  dates  and  objects  of  his  v  isits 
and  the  places  and  addresses  where  he  resided  or  sojourned:  (5)  the  date  set  for  his 
departure  for  the  Uiuted  States,  the  port  of  embarkation,  and  tlie  name  of  the  ship 
on  which  he  is  to  sail,  if  he  goes  by  water:  (6)  not  less  than  three  names  and  addresses 
of  persons  acquainted  with  the  applicant  in  the  country  from  which  he  starts  and,  if 
possible,  three  names  and  addresses  of  persons  in  the  United  States;  (7)  the  expected 
duration  and  object  of  his  proposed  visit  to  this  country,  the  documentary  or  other 
proofs  of  such  objects  submitted,  and  the  place  or  places  in  the  United  States  where 
he  expects  to  sojourn  or  reside:  (8)  that  the  bearer  knows  and  understands  the  pro- 
visions of  the  immigration  laws  excluding  certain  classes  of  aliens  from  the  United 
States  and  is  certain  that  he  does  not  fall  within  any  of  such  classes:  (9)  that  the 
bearer  understands  that  if  on  arrival  at  a  port  of  the  United  States  he  is  found  to  be 
a  member  of  a  class  excluded  by  the  immigration  laws  he  will  be  deported  if  practica- 
ble or,  if  for  any  reason  deportation  should  be  found  to  be  impracticable,  will  be  held 
in  detention  indefinitely  in  an  immigration  station  or  other  place  of  conlinoment,  and 
that  he  is.  with  fidl  understanding  thereof,  assuming  all  lisks  of  deportation  or  con- 
finement in  consequence  of  being  rejected  under  such  law;  (10)  that  the  alien  will 
supply  to  the  United  States  vise  officers  three  photographs  and  permit  the  taking  of 
a  finger-print  record  and  such  other  data  for  purposes  of  identification  as  maj-  be  pro- 
vided for  in  regulations  adopted  by  the  board. 

The  matter  hereinbefore  given  under  this  section  is  taken  from  pages  4  and  5  of 
Senate  bill  4528.  introduced  by  Senator  King,  with  slight  additions  and  amendments 
indicated  by  single  quotes  in  the  text.  The  wording  of  section  5,  page  9,  line  16,  to 
page  10,  line  2.  as  drawn  in  the  Sterling  bill,  which  we  are  discussing,  is  objectionable 
in  the  writer's  opinion,  owing  to  the  fact  that  while  it  aims  to  accomplLsh  precisely 
the  same  result  as  the  matter  suggested  by  way  of  amendment,  it  pro^ides  in  fact 
for  the  form  of  passport  to  be  issued  by  foreign  governments.  A  foreign  government, 
it  should  be  noted,  will  issue  its  passports  at  its  own  discretion,  valid  for  such  time  as 
appears  most  compatible  with  its  interests.  However,  it  is  quite  proper  for  the 
United  States  to  require  such  form  of  vise  as  will  in  the  judgment  of  theGo\'ernment 
protect  the  Nation  from  the  entry  of  undesirable  immigi-ants.  It  is  further  suggested 
that  the  paragraph  commencing  page  10,  line  3,  continuing  to  line  9.  be  for  the  moment 
omitted  and  the  section  continued  to  read  as  drawn  from  page  10,  line  10  to  page  11, 
line  9.  At  this  point  the  paragraph  omitted  should  be  inserted.  This  paragraph, 
however,  should  be  modified  to  comply  with  the  suggestions  pre^■iously  enumerated 
eliminating  the  Secretary  of  Uabor  as  the  officer  by  whom  warrants  for  deportation 
should  be  issued. 

Section  6:  It  would  appear  that  the  provisions  of  section  6,  page  11.  line  10,  to  page 
12,  line  18,  of  the  Sterling  bill  are  drawn  as  a  substitute  for  that  portion  of  section  3 
of  the  act  of  February  5,  1917,  omitted  through  the  amendment  suggested  in  section 
7  of  the  bill  we  are  discussing.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  phraseology  is  a  decided 
improvement  and  less  provocative  of  international  complications,  there  remains  the 
possibility  that  the  enforcement  of  this  provision  by  the  board  may  raise  questions 
by  foreign  States  regarding  our  treaty  obligations.  It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  com- 
ment to  question  the  necessity  of  conferring  some  such  power  upon  the  immigi'ation 
board,  but  rather  to  point  out  this  fact  as  an  additional  reason  which  renders  it  impera- 
tive, in  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  to  place  the  exercise  of  the  discretionary  power 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  671 

imposed  under  the  supervision  of  a  representative  of  the  department  handling  our 
foreign  affairs. 

The  only  further  modification  to  be  suggested  in  connection  with  this  section 
arises  in  the  paragraph  commencing  page  15,  line  16.  On  line  16,  following  the  word 
"age,"  it  is  suggested  that  the  words  ''or  over"  be  inserted.  While  the  provisions  of 
the  rest  of  this  p  iragraph  are  meritorious,  it  is  suggested  that  the  sentence  commencing 
page  15,  line  1!J  to  line  22,  be  drawn  to  read  as  follows:  '"The  registration  shall  be  in 
triplicate — one  for  preservation  in  the  post  ofiice  at  which  the  registry  is  made,  one 
for  the  first  division  of  the  Bureau  of  Investigation  in  Washington,  and  one  for  the 
registrant.  This  alteration  is  de])endent  on  the  reorganization  of  the  in\estigating 
service  sketched  in  an  earlier  part  of  this  memorandum. 

Section  7:  May  be  accepted  as  drawn. 

Section  ^:  May  be  accepted  as  drawn. 

Section  9:  Mav  be  accepted  as  drav.n. 

Section  10:  Mav  be  accepted  as  drawn. 

Sections  11  and  12:  It  is  suggested  that  sections  11  and  12  be  omitted  and  the  ques- 
tion of  naturalization,  to  which  their  provisions  apply,  be  made  the  matter  of  more 
detailed  study. 

Section  13:  This  section  should  be  amended  to  read  somewhat  as  follows:  "That 
all  the  powers  and  duties  conferred  on  the  Secretary  of  Labor  by  the  immigration  act 
of  February  5,  1917,  or  any  other  act  or  part  thereof,  relating  to  the  regulation  of  immi- 
gration now  in  force  are  hereby  conferred  on  the  immigration  boaid  created  by  this 
act,  and  ])rovided  further  that  the  issuance  of  warrants  in  deportation  jjroceedings  be 
made  in  the  name  of  the  board,  by  the  chairman." 

Section  14:  This  .section  may  be  accepted  as  drawn. 

The  writer  believes  that  after  a  careful  consideration  of  the  provisions  of  the  Ster- 
ling bill,  as  revised  along  the  general  lines  hereinbefore  indicated,  there  can  be  ]ilaced 
before  Congress  b\'  one  of  its  ap])ropriate  committees  a  studied  measuie  ujjon  the 
subject  worth>-  of  popular  sup])ort.  To  crystalize  the  thoughts  suggested  b>-  this 
memorandum  the  following  summary  of  essential  features  for  the  adequate  regulation 
of  immigration  is  appended  in  conclusion. 

1.  Recommend  the  support,  of  H.  R.  14461  as  passed  by  the  House  with  slight 
amendment. 

2.  Recommend  the  appointment  of  a  commission  to  study  the  situation  and  prepare 
a  bill  regulating  immigration  for  submission  to  Congress  before  the  exclusion  pro\ision 
of  the  so-called  Johnson  bill,  if  it  becomes  a  law,  shall  lapse.  This  commission  should 
be  vested  with  powers  sufficiently  broad  to  permit  a  re\'iew  of  the  various  investiga- 
tion services  carried  on  regularly  or  irregularly  by  Government  departments. 

3.  Recommend  that  the  Department  of  Labor  be  divested  of  all  powers  and  duties 
conferred  by  immigration  laws  now  in  force  and  the  said  powers  and  duties  be  con- 
ferred henceforth  upon  an  immigration  board  constituted  as  outlined  in  this  memo- 
randum. 

4.  Recommend  the  reorganization  and  consolidation  of  the  investigating  services 
of  the  Government. 

5.  Recommend  that  the  Department  of  Justice  be  represented  as  a  matter  of  law 
and  not  by  courtesy  at  hearings  for  the  exclusion  and  deportation  of  aliens. 

6.  Recommend  that  the  naturalization  law  be  revised  upon  the  completion  of  the 
bill  regulating  immigration.^ 

MR.    JOHN    E.    MILHOLLAND. 

An  article  entitled  ''Immigration  Hysteria  in  Congress,"  lately 
published  in  The  Forum,  and  written  by  Mr.  John  E.  Milholland, 
lormcrly  supervising  inspector  of  immigration  at  New  York,  is  here- 
with printed  in  full,  together  with  a  letter  transmitting  the  same,  as 
follows : 

New  York,  January  12,  1921. 
€hairman  Colt, 

Committee  on  Immigration,  United  States  Senate, 

Wushinciton,  D.  C. 
My  Dear  Sexator:  You  seem  to  be  so  thoroughly  in  earnest  in  trjing  to  solve  this 
immigration  question  that  I  venture  to  send  you  an  article  which  I  Wote  at  the  request 
of  the  editor  of  The  Forum  for  the  ciu-rent  number  of  that  publication. 

1  This  matter  will  be  the  subject  of  a  supplemontarv  memorandum  should  the  general  principles 
herein  contained  be  approved. 


672  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

If  you  or  your  committee  deem  it  worthy,  I  should  be  glad  to  have  it  find  a  place  in 
the  record  for  it  was  written  out  of  my  practical  experience  as  sui)ervi8or  of  immigra- 
tion at  this  port  way  back  in  President  Harrison's  administration,  in  a  study  of  the 
whole  qiiestion  at  home  and  abroad,  where  nearly  17  years  of  my  life  was  spent. 
Sincerely,  yours, 

Jno.  E.  Milholland. 

The  article  by  Mr.  Milholland  referred  to  above  follows: 

IMMIGRATION   HYSTERIA   IN   CONGRESS. 

For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  this  immigrant  Nation,  it  has  been  decided  by 
the  Federal  House  of  Representatives  that,  with  300  years'  wonderfuf  experience 
behind  us,  we  must  go  out  of  the  immigration  business  entirely. 

A  momentous  step  has  been  taken,  and  it  was  taken  in  haste.  Much  in  fact  sug- 
gestive of  a  stampede  marred  the  proceedings.  In  portions  of  the  debate  conditions 
of  mind  boVdering  upon  a  panic  were  reflected,  lo  be  sure,  a  certain  amount  of 
spontaneity  was  evidenced,  but  behind  it  all  the  familiar  work  of  propaganda  and 
prearrangement  was  distinctly  visible,  as  it  has  been  for  years,  ('aim  consideration 
■was  almost  overwhelmed  bj-  vociferous  demand  and  excited  speech  until  methods 
prevailed  that  shocked  the  veteran  members  of  a  Government  that  is  supposed  to 
represent  deliberate  action,  an  appeal  to  reason  and  a  reasoning  from  sufficient  data. 

Pressed  for  the  caiise  of  so  much  precipitancy  on  the  part  of  the  bill 's  proponents,  a 
leading  Member  of  the  House  declared  that  he  ''understood  no  less  than  15,000,000 
immigrants' '  at  European  ports  to  be  preparing  to  overwhelm  us  with  their  numbers. 
No  positive  trustworthy  information  was  furnished  to  iustify  such  an  amazing  declara- 
tion, and  it  was  quickly  demonstrated  that  ■with  the  existing  system  of  ocean  passenger 
transportation,  15,000.000  people  could  not  be  brought  here  in  10  years,  though  every 
ship  were  loaded  to  the  gunwales  and  sailed  at  top  speed. 

It  was  shown,  moreover,  that  according  to  the  actual  report  of  the  Immigration 
Department  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1920,  exactly  one  more  than  430.000  immi- 
grants arrived  and  288,315  went  home,  leaA-ing  an  actual  increase  of  142,686,  or  less 
than  one-tenth  of  1  per  cent  in  our  population.  ^Ihis  included  people  from  all  coun- 
tries and  all  races — African,  Chinese,  Hebrew,  Irish,  Japanese,  Polish,  Russian, 
Scotch,  Slavic,  Spanish,  1  urkish,  and  a  lot  of  I\fexicans. 

Since  the  close  of  the  last  fiscal  year — that  is,  since  June  30, 1920 — there  has  been  this 
increase  in  the  arrivals:  Julv,  83,959:  Aucust,  86,500:  September,  98,400:  October, 
101,000:  No-ember,  102,000:  "or  a  total  of  472,859  for  the  fi-  e  months,  but  over  against 
this  there  were  no  less  than  181,505  in  the  wav  of  returns,  lea-^'ing  a  net  increape  of  our 
population  of  291,354,  or  less  than  three-tenths  cf  1  per  cent;  or  an  indicated  total 
immigraticn  for  the  current  fiscal  year  1920-21  rf  about  700,000,  or  nearly  half  a  million 
under  the  high-water  mark  of  the  years  preceding  the  war:  practically  two-thirds  of 
1  per  cent  of  our  total  population,  and  far,  far  below  the  figures  representing  our 
natural  increase — usually  estimated  at  1,000,000,  at  least,  annually. 

A   TEAPOT   TEMPEST. 

Viewed  in  the  light  of  actual  statistics — and  all  these  figures  are  taken  from  the 
official  reports  of  the  Go^vernment — the  tide  of  immigraticm  is  certainly  running  very 
much  below  that  of  former  prewar  years.  ( 'onsidered  in  the  light  of  what  was  predicted 
M'ould  happen  immediately  after  the  close  of  the  World  War,  they  are  ridiculously 
small.  In  justification  of  such  a  drastic  piece  of  leas'ation  as  proposed  in  tlie  bill 
reported  by  the  majority  House  Immigi-ation  Committee,  after  years  of  agitation  and 
propaganda,  it  is  enough  to  make  the  intelligent  citizen  rub  his  eyes  in  astonishment 
and  wonder  what  all  the  fuss  is  about.  It  is  a  teapot  tempest,  and,  for  the  moment, 
the  splendid  calm  figure  of  Cohmibia  seems  transformed  into  the  traditional  old  lady, 
scrambling  o^\er  chaii-s  and  tables  to  avoid  the  real  or  imaginary  mouse. 

Why  is  it  among  all  the  great  questions  that  press  upon  us  for  solution  that  of  immi- 
gration is  the  one  OAer  which  the  American  people  become  so  easily  excited?  Immi- 
grants ourselves,  Ave  should  understand  it  fully,  or  at  least  consider  it  sympathetically; 
but  we  don't,  and  in  consequence  even  sensible  legis'ators  go  into  hysterics  at  certain 
frequently  recurring  intervals. 

The  solution  of  the  immigration  problem  is  summed  up  in  one  word — distribution. 
Had  we  gi'ven  as  much  time  to  this  simple  solution  as  ve  ha-  e  to  di-scussing  the  evils 
or  dangers  that  are  snpposed  to  lie  in  its  %  -ake,  we  Would  be  free  from  all  apprehension 
on  the  subject.    All  our  ti'oubles  over  the  foreigner  here  are  due  to  the    disregard  of 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  673 

this  experience-born  injunction.  It  accounts  for  all  the  racial  troubles  that  California 
and  tiie  other  Pacific  Coast  States  have  had  over  the  Japanese  and  Chinese.  If  tliat 
contingent  of  Chinese,  mostly  of  the  coolie  type,  that  came  from  Canton,  Peking,  and 
the  other  big  Chinese  cities  about  half  a  century  ago  had  been  judicially  scattered 
throughout  the  country  instead  of  being  permitted  to  settle  down  in  San  P'rancisco, 
they  never  would  have  become  such  a  disturbing  factor  in  the  situation. 

This  is  true  of  the  Hungarians  who  were  brought  to  the  Pennsylvania  coal  fields 
and  allowed  to  build  up  colonies  tliere;  of  the  Italians,  the  Piussians,  the  Galicians, 
and  the  Polish  Jews  who  swarm  the  streets  of  New  York  and  give  it  and  other  cities  of 
our  country  the  appearance  of  foreign  capitals. 

The  organizations  that  haA'e  undertaken  this  work  of  distribution  at  least  are  to  be 
commended,  and,  where  needed,  should  have  Goa  ernment  support  to  do  the  work  in  a 
systematic,  intelligent,  practical  manner.  Herein  is  real  genuine  service  for  Congress 
to  perform,  and  that  immediately. 

Taking  the  worst  xiew  of  it,  there  is  nothing  more  alarming  at  present  than  the  wild 
rumors  voiced  by  Mr.  Campbell  of  Kansas  in  the  course  of  the  debate  of  that  phantom 
army  of  "15,000,000  im^migrants"  that  are  resting  upon  their  arms  somewhere  in 
Europe  to  iuvade  us. 

Supposing  it  to  be  true,  instead  of  being  as  it  is  nonsensical — inspired  by  talk  on 
the  part  of  those  at  home  and  abroad  who  are  trying  to  frighten  the  American  people 
into  cutting  off  one  of  our  greiitest  national  assets — what  is  there  to  be  alarmed  about? 
We  enter  tne  danger  zone,  according  to  Macaulay's  famous  prediction,  only  when 
we  have  a  population  of  20,000  to  the  square  mile.  At  present  we  have  an  average  of 
betv/een  30  to  40  people  living  upon  each  of  the  8,000,000  square  miles  of  North  Amer- 
ica. When  that  playful  prophecy  of  the  brilliant  Englishman  is  fulfilled,  we  shall 
have  160,000,000,000,  or  ten  times  the  population  of  the  whole  world,  and  that  -will 
be  long  centuries  hence,  for  we  grow  in  numbers  more  slowly  than  popular  supposition 
has  it. 

It  has  taken  this  old  gray  earth  2,000  years,  according  to  Mulhall,  to  increase  from 
54,000,000,  in  the  days  of  Julius  Caesar,  to  1,600,000,000,  one  reason  being  that  during 
the  ]\liddle  Ages  the  gain  in  population  was  so  slight  that  there  were  less  than  50,000,000 
in  Europe  as  late  as  the  twelfth  century. 

OUR   VAST  UNOCCUPIED   TERRITORIES. 

But  if  it  be  necessary  to  quiet  still  fm"ther  the  Nation's  nerves  after  this  congres- 
sional outbm-st,  let  us  remind  ourselves  that  we  have  yet  considerable  territory  des- 
perately in  need  of  occupation.  According  to  the  census  returns  New  York  State 
itself  to-day  has  no  less  than  25,000  deserted  farms,  vrith  little  prospect  of  their  being 
taken  up  unless  foreigners  do  it.  The  average  American  boy  does  not  take  to  manual 
labor,  either  in  the  North  or  in  the  East,  W'est,  or  South.  It  is  not  exactly  that  the 
rising  native  generation  has  grown  "soft,"  but  because  they  feel  we  have  reached  the 
point  where  they  can  have  this  service  done  by  others.  In  the  South  there  is  the 
colored  man,  in  the  North  and  West  the  immigrant,  and  if  the  abandoned  farms  of 
the  East,  especially  New  England,  are  being  taken  up  a  little  more  rapidly  than  for- 
merly, or  in  other  States,  it  is  because  of  the  influx  of  sturdy  French  Canadians  who 
have  come  down  over  the  border.     They  work. 

The  United  States  "overwhelmed  by  15,000,000  immigrants"?  What  nonsense; 
consider  a  few  random  facts.  Texas  has  about  the  same  acreage  as  Germany  before  the 
war.  Its  population  to-day  is  less  than  5,000,000,  or  about  one-thirteenth  of  the  old 
Teutonic  Empire's,  but  it  could  take  all  the  people  in  German}'  and  the  forty  millions 
of  France,  and  then  not  be  so  thickly  populated  to  the  square  mile  as  the  Italy  of 
to-day. 

One  hundred  and  thiity  millions  of  immigrants  could  settle  in  the  South  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Mississippi  and  that  whole  southern  section  would  not  be  one-half  so 
thickly  populated  as  Mas.sachusetts  with  less  than  4,000,000  and  with  no  end  of  de- 
serted farm.s — all  well  worth  tilling.  All  the  people  of  Portugal  could  settle  down  in 
Missouri,  and  Missouri  then  would  be  no  more  crowded  than  lortugal  is  at  present. 
The  entire  South  can  take  care  of  more  than  250,000,000  immigrants  without  feeling 
the  strain  of  excessive  population.  At  least  500,000  people  migiit  be  sent  below 
Mason  and  Dixon's  line  every  year  from  Ellis  Island,  and  it  would  take  a  hundred 
years  at  that  rate  to  lill  up  Dixie,  or  crowd  out  the  11,000,000  or  12,000,000  colored 
people,  or  close  up,  for  lack  of  space,  a  single  race-track  or  baseball  held. 

A  few  years  ago  when  one,  William  Hohenzollern,  attempted  to  frighten  us  and  the 
rest  of  the  world  with  his  talk  about  the  "yellow  peril,"  or  the  alleged  certainty  of 
occidental  inundation  by  oriental  populations,  he  harped  on  these  arguments  in 
favor  of  his  imperialistic  notions  and  fool  war  until  a  mathematical  chap  in  Philadel- 


674  EMERGENCY    IMMKJKATION    LKlllSLATIOX. 

phia  sat  down  one  day  and  figured  out,  that  if  India's  entire  300,000,000  people  ("that 
is  the  last  oliicial  Hritish  record)  would  land  some  night  on  the  Pacific  coast  and  start 
for  Chicago  all  of  them  could  be  al)sori)ed  without  a  single  one  going  farther  east  than 
the  Roclcy  Mountains.  Washington,  Oregon,  California,  Idaho,  L'tah,  Montana,  and 
Wyoming  coukl  accommodate  them  all  with  as  much  land  as  they  had  at  liome,  and 
each  State  still  he  in  a  position  to  yell  "  Come  West,  young  man!     Come  West!  " 

We  are  supposed  to  lead  the  American  continent,  if  not  the  whole  world,  in  ability 
to  handle  the  perplexing  problems  of  civilization,  but  Argentina  and  some  of  the  other 
South  American  Republics  are  setting  us  an  example  in  the  way  they  are  handling 
immigration  that  is  worthy  of  our  consideration.  Instead  of  putting  up  the  bars,  they 
greet  the  immigrant  cordially,  attend  to  his  examination  just  as  carefully  and  far 
more  scientifically  than  we  do,  but  once  admitted  they  ne\  or  rest  until  he  is  placed 
where  he  can  be  worked  to  the  best  advantage  for  himself  and  for  the  country,  and  in 
every  way  gi^en  the  best  possible  chance  "to  live  up  to  his  blue  china." 

An  argument  in  favor  of  this  method  of  treatment  of  these  unfortunate  creatures 
against  our  barbarous  ways  was  recently  set  forth  in  very  temperate  language  by  a 
writer  in  The  Forum.  It  is  bound  to  be  in  vogue  within  the  near  future  because  this 
whole  (juestion  is  passing  with  great  rapidity  from  the  realm  of  academic  discussion 
to  the  actual  recpiirements  of  our  country. 

THE  UNCEASING  CRY  FOR  LABOR. 

From  East  to  West,  the  cry  of  every  farmer,  every  contractor  and  employer  is  for 
labor — labor  to  sow  and  to  reap  and  to  gather  into  barns;  labor  for  the  public  works, 
the  shops,  and  for  a  thousand  other  forms  of  our  activity.  This  labor  must  be  found 
somewhere.  The  North  has  had  to  draw  from  the  South.  The  limit  has  been  reached, 
but  while  a  temporary  slowdown  in  manufacture  may  continue,  there  is  no  slowdown 
in  the  retiuirements  of  the  agricultural  regions  of  the  United  States.  Peoi)le  must  be 
fed.  Crops  must  be  raised.  The  land  must  be  tilled.  Consumption  is  o^ertaking 
production  e\  erywhere,  and  unless  this  wholesale  rejection  of  foreigners  be  checked 
a  situation  vcill  confront  us  not  pleasant  to  contemplate.  Andrew  Carnegie  once  said 
that  eAery  immigrant  was  worth  |5,000  to  the  country.  Checking  immigration  is  a 
menace  to  prosperity. 

To  read  the  wild  talk  about  the  effect  of  this  War  upon  immigration  from  the  Old 
World,  one  would  suppose  that  we  had  no  history  of  what  has  followed  preceding  con- 
flicts. The  Napoleonic  wars  of  a  hundred  years  ago  were  just  as  tremendous  at  that 
time  as  the  late  upheaval,  consequent  upon  the  World  War.  Yet  nothing  that  followed 
Waterloo  had  any  impressive  effect  upon  our  immigration,  and  the  subserjuent  abor- 
tive Revolution  of  1848,  which  stirred  Europe  from  one  end  to  another,  was  not  made 
conspicuous  by  the  immensity  but  by  the  high  character  of  the  Old  World  exodus, 
particularly  from  Germany  where  immigration,  stimulated  by  a  desire  to  avoid  en- 
forced military  ser\  ice,  was  led  by  such  men  as  Carl  Schurz,  Gen.  Siegel,  and  that 
wonderful  man,  whom  the  medical  profession  of  America  still  delights  to  honor,  Dr. 
Jacobi. 

Few  came  to  us  from  France  following  the  peace  of  Versailles  that  closed  the  Franco- 
German  War,  because  the  patriotic  French  threw  themselves  into  the  task  of  rehabili- 
tating the  country  just  as  the  Belgians  and  the  Russians  and  others  are  doing  now. 
The  Russian-.Tapanese  War  was  quite  ^^'ithout  effect  as  a  stimulus  to  any  tidal  wave 
of  emigrants  from  either  country. 

A  few  months  ago  there  arrived  in  New  Y'ork  a  vessel  laden  ^^ith  choice  fruits  from 
one  of  the  new  Zionist  colonies  of  Palestine.  From  a  strictly  commercial  point  of 
view,  it  was  a  mere  incident  in  the  foreign  import  trade,  but  to  men  of  vision  it  vras 
endlessly  suggestive ;  suggestive  of  the  day  when  these  historical  regions  of  Asia  shall 
once  more  take  their  place  in  the  world's  commerce  and  the  ancient,  long  forgotten 
vast  tracts — Palestine,  Mesopotamia,  Nine^■eh,  Rabylon — come  again  under  culti- 
vation along  the  lines  of  modern  science  and  with  other  Old  World  peoples  are  finally 
brought  untler  governments  of  rational,  well-ordered  democracy. 

I  said  the  sjlution  of  immigrants  could  be  summed  up  in  one  word — distribution, 
but  it  requires  four  to  state  the  remedy  for  emigration,  good  government  at  home. 
Good  government  at  home  means  practically  the  end  of  that  restless  universal  desire 
to  go  abroad.  We  ha\'e  seen  this  in  the  case  of  England,  Scotland,  Holland,  Belgium, 
France,  and  e\ery  other  country  that  is  governed  ^^ith  even  the  semblance  of  real 
democracy.  And  we  have  seen  how  England's  wretched  misrule  of  Ireland  through 
generations  caused  the  Irish  people  to  emigrate  literally  in  millions. 

"A  drift  of  men 

Gone  over  the  sea, 
A  drift  of  the  dead 

Where  the  men  should  be." 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  675 

But  through  the  great  land  purchase  bill,  the  county  councils,  revived  industry 
•and  self-assertion,  Ireland's  home  affairs  have  of  late  years  improved  to  such  an  extent 
that  emigration  has  dwindled  nearly  in  proportion  to  that  of  the  other  countries 
mentioiKjd. 

So  is  it  true  of  Italv,  vrhich  has  arisen  from  misery  to  become  one  of  the  best  gov- 
erned of  modern  nations.  And,  what  is  the  result?  Italy's  immigration  has  fallen 
oft"  like  that  of  France,  Spain,  or  Switzerland. 

Think  what  it  will  mean  when  the  Balken  States,  Greece,  Russia,  Siberia,  and 
China  have  become  reorganized  and  brought  in  touch  vith  that  modern  developm.ent 
which  makes  democracv  an  absolute  requirement  of  any  advancing  civilization. 
Immigi-ants  will  be  in  demand  in  the  Old  World  as  well  as  in  the  Occident — every- 
where. 

It  is  all  very  well  to  sift  out  the  undesirables  at  Ellis  Island,  Angel  Island",  and 
all  the  other  ports  of  arrival  on  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific,  but  it  should  be  rememV>ered 
that  the  reallv  dangerous  people — those  who  constitute  an  actual  menace  to  the 
Republic — seldom  come  in  the  steerage.  Occasionally  thev  tra\el  second  cabin,  but 
usually  they  are  found  among  the  first-class  passengers.  They  mean  business;  they 
take  no  chances. 

It  is  not  worth  while  to  discuss  in  detail  this  whole  lamentable  piece  of  legislation — 
for  it  is  now  before  that  bulk\rark  of  the  R.epuV)lic.  the  Senate.  The  bill  from  begin- 
ning to  end  is  an  anachronism.  It  is  out  of  place,  out  of  time.  We  need  every  decent 
immigrant  that  may  come  to  us.  We  are  losing  precisely  in  proportion  as  the  other 
new  and  undeveloped  countries  of  the  world  are  being  aroused,  reformed,  and  put  upon 
their  financial  feet.  Within  20  years  v:e  shall  be  advertising  for  foreigners,  just  as 
other  nations  and  even  some  of  our  own  States  and  Territories  have  done  already,  as 
a  matter  of  necessity. 

The  bill  is  bad—inexpressibly  bad.  It  should  never  go  on  the  statute  books.  I 
do  not  believe  the  Senate  \^ill  ever  pass  it.  If  it  does,  Mr.  Wilson,  if  consistent  with 
his  admirable  record  on  this  subject,  v.ill  veto  it.  It  belongs  to  the  congressional  slag 
heap. 

As  a  matter  of  Republican  policv,  it  is  arrant  madness  and  might  be  termed  "A 
measure  to  insure  Republican  defeat  in  1922."  No  wonder  the  solid  Democratic 
South,  to  whom  immigration  means  little,  is  for  it  as  vigorously  and  unitedlv^for  it 
means  less  Republican  Congressmen — as  it  is  against  reducing  the  unconstitutional 
over-Representation  by  which  Woodrow  Wilson  became  President,  de  facto,  in  1916, 
and  still  remains  in  the  AMiite  House  although  every  State  in  the  Union,  according 
to  its  population  and  suffrage  rights  under  the  Constitution,  voted  to  turn  out  his 
administration,  something  unprecedented  in  our  political  history. 

MR.  FRANCIS    H.  KINNICUTT. 

A  brief  entitled  ''The  need  for  immediate  restriction  of  immigra- 
tion," submitted  by  Mr.  Francis  H  Kinnicutt  as  supplementing  his 
statement  before  the  committee  on  Friday,  January  14,  1921,  is  here- 
with printed  in  full,  as  follows: 

NEED   FOR    IMMEDIATE    RESTRICTION    OF   IMMIGRATION. 

Washington,  D.  C,  January  15,  1921. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  up  to  the  present  time  the  Senate  Committee  on 
Immigration  has  l]een  unable  to  obtain  data  vitally  necessary  to  determine  whether 
the  immigration  situation  calls  for  emergency  legislation. 

While  the  figures  for  the  total  immigration  since  June  30,  1920,  the  end  of  the  last 
fiscal  year,  sho\ving  the  total  monthly  inmiigration  have  now  been  obtained,  the 
facts  as  to  the  character  of  the  immigration  by  countries  and  peoples  and  other  par- 
ticulars have  not  been  supplied  except  tor  the  month  of  July.  As  to  the  total  volume 
of  immigration  the  c\-idence  is  somewhat  alarming,  shoM-ing  monthly  totals  during 
the  last  few  months  of  over  100,000,  which  equals  or  exceeds  the  rate  during  the 
largest  inimigi-ation  years  before  the  war. 

It  is  true  that  during  this  same  period  from  June,  1920,  the  emigration  from  the 
United  States  has  also  been  large,  but  it  has  been  pointed  out  that  this  emigration, 
which  already  shows  signs  of  falling  off,  is  jirincipally  the  tail  end  of  the  backward 
movement  to  Europe  on  the  part  of  aliens  who  were  unable  to  return  during  the  war, 
and  is  also  partly  attributable  to  the  desii'e  of  certain  ratial  or  national  groups  to 
return  to  the  political  freedom  which  has  been  won  for  them  in  the  war  in  the  newly 
created  States. 


676  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

Evidence  has  also  been  introduced  at  the  Senate  hearings  to  the  effect  that  many 
of  these  emipi'ants  have  found  upon  arrival  at  their  homes  that  economic  conditions 
were  so  bad  that  they  were  forced  to  return,  even  with  s^eat  loss,  to  the  United  States. 
It  seems  to  be  admitted  that  the  general  economic  situation  in  Europe  to-day  makes 
it  extremely  unlikely  that  this  backward  tide  will  continue  in  any  gi-eat  volume, 
but  makes  it  extremely  probable  that  the  incoming  tide  will  greatly  increase  unless 
checked  by  defensive  legislation. 

So  much  for  the  general  situation  with  respect  to  the  volume  o^net  immigration 
during  the  <>oming  year.  But  how  about  the  kind  of  immigrants  we  are  now  getting? 
With  reference  (l)"to  race  or  nationality;  (2)  physical  qualities,  including  freedom 
from  disease;  (3)  funds  with  which  they  are  provided;  (4)  productive  capacity  and 
nature  of  productive  labor  offered;  and  (5)  fitness  for  assimilation  and  future  citizen- 
ship. 

Although,  owing  to  the  lack  of  official  data,  information  is  meager  on  all  these 
points,  certain  broad  facts  seem  to  be  matters  of  common  knowledge.  First,  as  to 
the  race  or  nationality  of  the  incoming  aliens,  the  largest  group  is  that  from  Italy, 
which  is  said  to  represent  35  per  cent  of  the  total  immigration  during  the  last  six 
months.  While  doubtless  this  Italian  immigration  resembles  in  a  general  way  the 
Italian  immigration  of  the  past,  and  consists  principally  of  unskilled  labor,  it  is  quite 
important  tohave  more  specific  knowledge  about  it,  particularly  with  reference  to 
the  numbers  coming  from  south  Italy,  as  compared  with  those  coming  from  northern 
Italy,  and  as  to  the  proportion  who  come  with  the  general  idea  of  permanent  settle- 
ment in  the  United  States  to  those  who  are  only  coming  to  make  as  much  money  as 
they  can  in  a  short  time  and  return  to  their  native  country.  This  latter  fact,  as  has 
been  pointed  out,  can  be  approximately  ascertained  by  determining  the  proportion 
of  men  who  bring  their  families. 

In  view  of  the  very  large  volume  of  the  pending  Italian  immigi'ation  a  careful 
investigation  of  the  quality  of  this  immigration  should  be  made,  and  also  of  the  labor 
situation  in  this  country,  with  reference  to  the  desirability  of  this  Italian  labor 
before  hundreds  of  thousands  of  these  Italians  have  been  admitted. 

With  reference  to  the  Italian  immigration,  therefore,  the  Johnson  bill  would  afford 
a  valuable  breathing  spell  during  which  this  immigration  would  be  halted  until  it 
could  be  properly  regulated  according  to  the  needs  of  ths  country. 

Looking  now  at  the  remaining  immigration,  it  seems  to  be  conceded  that  the  next 
largest  racial  element  after  the  Italian  is  the  Hebrew  immigration,  although  the  immi- 
gration from  Czeclio-Slovakia  and  Jugo-Slavia  is  a  close  third.  ^\  ith  reference  to  this 
last  mentioned  element,  it  is  presumably  somewhat  similar  to  the  immigi-ation  from 
Hungary  and  ( 'roatia  before  the  war  and  consists  largely  of  peasants  of  the  agiicultural 
class,  who,  however,  have  not  gone  on  the  farms  in  this  country,  to  any  extent,  but 
have  found  their  way  partly  into  the  mining  centers  and  partly  into  colonies  of  their 
respective  races  in  certain  large  cities  such  as  New  York,  t  leveland,  Chicago,  Buiialo, 
etc.  It  is  a  serious  question,  however,  whether  this  imniigi-ation  is  not  inferior  in 
quality  to  that  which  we  had  from  the  same  regions  before  the  war,  owing  to  the  bad 
economic  conditions  and  food  shortage.     This  may  well  be  the  case.  _  _      _  , 

Here,  again,  tlie  Jolmson  bill  would  afford  time  to  make  necessary  investigations  of 
this  class  of  immigration,  particularly  with  reference  to  tlie  demand  in  this  country 
for  the  kind  of  labor  offered  by  it. 

Referring  now  to  the  Hebrew  immigration,  which  is  probably  already  the  second 
in  volume,  there  are  even  more  serious  reasons  for  at  least  temporary  restriction  with 
regard  to  this  class,  of  immigration.  It  is  important  that  tlie  exact  figures  as  to  the 
numbtjrs  of  Hebrew  immigrants  during  the  last  months  should  be  obtained.  Accord- 
ing to  the  present  laws,  it  has  to  be  stated  in  the  ship's  manifest  to  what  race  of  people 
each  immigrant  belongs  and  by  virtue  of  this  rule  Hebrew  immigrants  are  reciuired 
to  be  registered  as  such.  Whether  or  not  this  rule  is  in  force  as  it  should  be,  the  sta- 
tistics, such  as  they  are,  should  be  obtained  on  tliis  point.  An  estimate,  based  on 
personal  observation  of  the  immigrants  landing  at  Ellis  Island  during  recent  months, 
which  estimate  is  believed  to  be  fairly  relia])le,  puts  the  number  of  Hebrew  immi- 
grants at  the  port  of  New  York  at  about  2.000  weekly,  which  would  make  an  aggregate 
of  about  50,000  during  the  last  six  months.  There  is  al)undant  e^  idence,  however, 
from  cabled  reports  to  relialde  newspapers,  such  as  the  New  York  Herald,  showing 
that  there  are  large  numbers  of  these  ile!>rew  immigrants  collected  at  various  points 
in  Poland,  France,  and  Holland,  many  of  whom  have  already  obtained  their  pass- 
ports and  are  only  awaiting  transport  accommodations  to  come  to  the  United  States. 
Whetlier  there  are  enough  ships  to  luring  them  at  the  present  moment  is  a  fact  of  com- 
paratively little  importance.  Most  of  them  are  sure  to  come  sooner  or  later,  especially 
since  it  appears  that  they  are  being  looked  after  in  the  meantime  by  Hebrew  societies 
in  the  United  States  and  in  Europe.     (See  the  dispatch  of  Mr.  Shapiro,  president  of 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  677 

the  Hebrew  Sheltering  and  Immigrant  Aid  Society,  of  France,  appearing  in  the  New 
York  Herald  of  Jan.  3,  1921.)  In  this  Mr.  Shapiro  is  quoted  as  saying  that  the  number 
of  Hebrews  in  France,  on  their  way  to  the  United  States  is  about  3,000  a  week  and  that 
most  of  tliera  arrive  in  Paris  penniless. 

It  is  also  reported  that  a  very  large  number  of  Polish  Jews  are  collected,  awaiting 
transportati)n,  in  Poland  and  Holland.  A  gentleman  arriving  from  Poland  the  other 
day  stated  that  as  many  as  14,000  passports  to  Hebrew  immigrants  had  been  granted  in 
Poland  in  one  month.  In  A'iew  of  these  facts,  which  have  not  been  disputed,  there  is 
every  likelihood  of  a  large  and  increasing  Jewish  immigratii^n  during  the  coming  year. 
In  this  connection  it  may  l^e  p(unted  out  tliat  taking  the  period  of  1899-1920,  inclusive, 
the  Hebrew  immigralion  of  the  United  States  has  been  second  only  in  volume  to  the 
Italian,  and  reached  the  large  total  of  1,505,670,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  during 
the  four  years  1916-]920  it  was  almost  at  a  standstill.  (See  report  of  the  Commissioner 
General  of  Immigration  fi»r  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1920,  pp.  181,  182.) 

Before  the  war  the  largest  Hebrev»'  immigration  in  any  one  year  was  149,182  in  1907 
(which  Would  be  a  weekly  average  of  2,8(54),  although  there  were  several  years  when 
it  exceeded  the  100,000  mark.  If  the  Hebrew  immigration  should  reach  during  the 
coming  year  the  average  rate  of  3,000  per  week — as  it  will  certainly  do  in  the  near 
future  if  the  supply  cf  shipping  accommodations  even  approximates  the  demand — 
we  shall  have  during  the  present  year  a  greater  JJebrew  immigration  than  ever  before 
in  our  hi-^tory.  It  is  conceded  that  the  great  bulk  of  this  immigration  is  coming  from 
Poland,  although  many  of  the  immigrants  are  distributed  in  France  and  Holland, 
apparently  for  the  purpose  of  facilitating  their  sailing. 

The  question  now  to  be  considered  is  whether  this  very  large  immigration  of 
Hebrews  from  Poland  is  desirable  or  other\dse.  The  answer  to  this  question  must  be 
found  by  determining  the  quality  of  these  immigrants  on  the  one  hand  and  the  present 
economic  and  other  conditions  in  this  country  on  the  other  hand.  Examining  the 
matter  first  from  an  economic  point  of  ^1ew  ]t  must  be  said  that  at  the  present  time  this 
immigration  is  not  desirable.  The  great  bulk  of  these  Hebrew  immigrants  have  in  the 
past  accumulated  permanentlv  in  the  largest  cities.  Out  of  the  total  Jewish  popula- 
tion in  the  United  States  in  1!)'20  of  about  3.300,000,  1,500,000  are  to-dav  found  in  ^ew 
York  City  alone,  225.000  in  (  hicago,  200,000  in  Philadelphia,  100,000  in  ( leveland, 
77,500  in  Boston,  and  60,000  in  Baltimore,  St.  I^ouis,  and  Pittsburgh,  respectively. 
These  figures  are  taken  from  the  World  Almanac  for  1920,  page  175  (quoting  from  tlie 
American  Jewish  Year  Book),  in  which  a  Jewish  authority  is  also  quoted  as  saying 
"The  great  majority  of  American  Jews  live  in  cities  or  to^vns,  there  being  only  about 
20,000  Jewish  farmers  and  other  agriculturists  in  the  United  States."  The  same 
writer,  Mr.  S.  D.  Oppenheim,  states  "New  York  City  contains  the  largest  Jevdsh 
community  that  has  ever  existed  within  the  confines  of  a  single  municipality."  In 
1880,  however,  the  Hebrew  population  m  that  city  amounted  to  only  80,000. 

With  reference  to  the  occupation  of  the  Hebrew  population  in  the  cities,  ■while 
many  of  its  members  are  found  in  every  walk  of  life  and  often  achieve  the  highest 
success  therein,  it  may  be  safely  assertecl  that  the  great  mass  of  the  recently  arrived 
immigrants  have  halutually  entered  the  garment  making  trade,  other  leading  occupa- 
tions being  the  retail  pro\Tsioning  trade,  banking,  and  money  exchange. 

Fnmi  the  point  of  view  of  immigration  it  is  the  rank  and  file  rather  than  the  indi- 
vidual which  must  be  considered,  in  determining  the  desirability  of  admitting  any 
class.  From  this  standpoint  it  must  be  said  that  the  present  Hebrew  immigration 
is  undesirable  under  present  economic  cnditims.  Large  unemployment  in  the 
garment-making  trade  has  been  recently  reported  to  exist,  not  only  in  New  Y^)rk 
City,  but  in  Boston  and  other  large  cities,  where  the  great  bulk  of  the  Hebrew  immi- 
gration habitually  goes.  If  it  can  not  find  employment  in  the  customary  channels 
there  is  grave  doubt  whether  there  is  a  sufficient  demand  in  other  lines  of  Work  to 
which  these  people  are  adapted  to  furnish  em]doyment  to  them.  If  this  be  true, 
then  (m  economic  grounds  abme  they  should  be  excluded  for  tiie  present.  It  is  a 
well-known  fact  that  the  average  Jewish  immigrnnt  is  not  physically  adapted  to 
agricultural  labor  or  other  forms  of  hard  physical  labor.  This  fact  is  referred  to  in  a 
well-known  book,  the  Expansim  of  Races,  by  Charles  Edward  Woodruff,  A.  M.,  M.  D., 
member  of  the  American  Sofiety  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  etc.  It  is  there 
stated,  page  381,  "It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  Jew,  as  a  race,  never  took  part  in  the 
basic  industries  of  a  nation,  and  therefore  could  not  become  part  of  it  until  modern 
times.  He  can  not  farm,  as  he  is  pliysically  unfitted  for  it."  Again,  on  page  384, 
"For  the  piesent  the  Jew  is  taking  the  lead  in  many  walks  of  life,  being  our  best 
specialists  therein,  though  he  can  nf)t  yet  indulge  in  outdoor  work,  mechanical  employ- 
ments, or  agriculture."  The  same  author,  writing  as  far  back  as  1909,  points  out  the 
grave  danger  from  Jewish  immigration  congesting  in  large  cities.  He  states  {pp. 
385,  386): 

"We  have  protected  the  Je^vish  commensal  organism  until  it  has  multiplied  to 
an  extent  which  threatens  to  be  harmful. 


678  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

"It  is  to  1)0  noted  that  New  York  City  is  in  the  main  trade  route  from  America  to 
the  rest  of  the  world,  and  that  the  Jews  always  collect  in  such  a  place  because  needed. 
Manhattan  and  its  vicinity  is,  therefore,  another  Poland,  where  the  Jews  are  liable 
to  collect  in  greater  numbers  than  is  good  for  them  or  the  siipporting  population. 
They  originated  in  an  Asiatic  trade  center,  and  have  always  flocked  to  new  ones, 
which  they  will  permanently  remain.  They  have  already  taken  possession  of  much 
of  Baltimore,  New  Orleans,  and  San  Francisco  and  every  railroad  center  in  the 
interior. 

******* 

"  In  the  10  years  ending  in  1906,  there  were  seven  times  as  many  Jewish  immigrants 
as  in  previous  years,  and  the  number  in  the  United  States  increased  from  150,000  in 
1860  to  1,500,000  in  1906,  so  that  we  harbor  twice  as  many  as  (Jermany.  In  New  York 
City  alone  there  are  more  than  800,000,  and  they  constitute  abo\it  one-fourth  of  the 
population  of  Manhattan,  many  living  in  al)ject  poverty,  and  75,000  to  100,000  being 
more  or  less  dependent  upon  alms.  They  have  developed  a  world  of  'vice  and 
crime,'  'irreligiousness,  lack  of  self-restraint,  indifference  to  social  conventions, 
indulgence;  in  the  most  degraded  and  perverted  appetities'  and  'growing  daily  more 
pronounced  and  offensive.'  (Twentv-seventh  Annual  Report  of  the  United  Hebrew 
Charities,  Octolier,  1901.)     Surely  this  is  a  picture  of  parasitism  and  ethnic  diesase." 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  picture,  though  it  is  from  one  of  the  great  Hel^rew  charitable 
organizations  of  New  York,  is  somewhat  overdrawn.  It  is  also  believed  that  in  recent 
years  the  splendid  work  of  these  great  Hebrew  charities  has  had  some  effect  in  remedy- 
ing the  conditions  referred  to.  Unfortunately,  however,  there  is  much  truth  in  the 
passages  quoted,  which  raises  a  second  and  even  more  serious  objection  to  permitting 
large  additions  to  be  made  to  the  Hebrew  colonies  in  New  York  and  other  great  citiee 
of  the  United  States. 

The  objection  goes  much  deeper  than  the  objectitm  arising  out  of  temporary  eco- 
nomic and  industrial  conditions  and  is  primarily  ethnic  and  political.  There  is  a 
dilemma.  If  these  Hebrew  colonies  assimilate  with  the  rest  of  the  population  by 
intermarriage,  the  result  would  probably  be  bad,  owing  not  only  to  the  low  physical 
standard  of  most  of  these  immigrants  but  also  to  the  great  differences  of  an  ethnic 
nature.  If  assimilation  does  not  take  place  in  the  racial  sense  then  the  objection  is 
political;  i.  e.,  we  have  an  alien  element  which  is  singularly  tenacious  of  its  racial 
and  cultural  habits  of  life  and  institutions,  which  in  many  respects  are  contradictory 
and  antipathetical  to  American  life  and  institutions.  European  history  has  proved 
that  the  Hebrew  race  resists  assimilation  to  an  extraordinary  degree  and  rather  prides 
itself  oil  this  fact.  Ghettos  have  existed  wherever  the  Jews  have  gone  and  the  theory 
that  this  is  due  to  persecution  alone  or  even  principally,  in  modern  limes  at  least, 
is  not  tenable.  The  same  objection  that  obtains  to  allowing  the  further  increase  of  the 
already  too  extensive  colonies  of  Jews  in  our  large  American  cities  holds,  although  in 
probably  less  degree  as  to  the  colonies  of  other  alien  races,  such  as  the  Italians,  Slovaks, 
and  Magyars,  and  in  framing  the  restrictive  immigration  legislation  which  is  sure  to 
be  necessary  in  the  near  future,  whether  the  Johnson  bill  is  passed  or  not,  this  aspect 
of  the  problem  is  entitled  to  quite  as  serious  consideration  as  the  purely  economic  one. 
WTiat  can  be  more  important  to  the  future  of  the  United  States  than  "a  good  and  vig- 
orous stock  composed  only  of  those  elements  which  go  to  make  up  the  man, who  is  at 
least  equal  to  the  average  native  American  of  the  last  century? 

Second_  onlv  in  importance  to  the  maintenance  of  this  ethnic  standard  is,  so  far  as 
irnmigration  is  concerned,  the  admission  only  into  the  coujitry  of  such  newcomers  as 
will  readily  assimilate  themselves  to  American  life  and  institutions  and  to  American 
conce])tions  of  Government. 

The  country  is  on  the  threshold  of  a  new  era  so  far  as  immigration  is  concerned. 
As  has  been  pointed  out  by  able  experts  on  the  question,  such  as  Mr.  'William  Williams, 
former  commissioner  of  immigration  at  New  York,  and  the  ])resent  commissioner 
general,  there  was  a  great  change  in  our  immigration  between  the  jn'riod  i)receeding 
1880  and  the  period  between  that  year  and  the  Great  War — a  change  from  the  immi- 
gration from  northern  Europe,  which  was  closely  related  in  blood  to  the  bulk  of  the 
original  settlers,  to  the  subsequent  tide,  principally  from  southeastern  Europe',  which 
was  ethnically  much  less  closely  related.  The  Great  War  caused  political  and  eco- 
nomic changes  in  ICurope  so  vast  in  extent  and  nature  that  the  probabilities  are  we  shall 
see  further  great  changes  in  the  immigration  of  the  future.  These  changes  unciuestion- 
ably  call  for  the  exercise  of  the  highest  wisdom  and  i)atriotism  on  the  part  of  our 
National  Legislature.  The  writer,  for  one,  has  not  the  slightest  doubt  but  that  it  will 
riso  to  the  needs  of  the  country  on  this  occasion  as  in  the  past. 

Respectfully  submitted. 

Fr.wci.s  U.   Kixmcutt. 

The  C0.\IMITTEE  ON  Im.mighatiox, 

United  Stales  Senate. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  679 

DR.    CHARLES    B.    DAVENPORT. 

A  memorandum  from  Dr.  Charles  B.  Davenport,  director  of  the 
eugenics  record  office  of  the  Carnegie  Institution  of  Washington, 
D.  C,  in  re  vise  system,  etc.,  furnished  by  Mr.  Madison  Grant,  of  New 
York,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows: 

Memorandum  to  Mr.  Madison  Grant: 

The  Commissioner  of  Immigration  favors  (Annual  Report,  1919,  pp.  66-67)  the  con- 
tinuance as  an  immi^jration  measure  of  the  principle  involved  in  the  vise  svstem, 
whether  passports  are  used  or  not.  "This  system  has  made  possible  and  at  least  fairly 
comT)lete  inquiry  with  regard  to  the  character  and  antecedents  of  every  alien  ^^ho  was 
seeking  to  come  to  this  country,  as  \\  ell  as  the  discovery,  usually  in  most  minute  detail, 
of  his  purpose  in  com.ing.  Incidentally,  but  nevertheless  in  very  valuable  and  rather 
extensive  ways,  this  vise-of-passports  system  placed  upon  immigration  to  the  United 
States  a  safeguard  uhich,  simply  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  adequate  protection  of 
the  country  against  undesirable" or  undue  immigration  *  *  *  was  of  most  distinct 
value." 

As  an  example  of  the  fatefulness  to  the  population  of  the  immigration  of  even  a  single 
person  whose  germ  plasm  carries  a  severe  inheritable  defect  may  be  mentioned  the 
case  of  Huntington's  Chorea,  reported  in  Bulletin  No.  17  of  the  eugenics  record  office. 
An  investigator  from  that  office  found  a  total  of  962  cases  of  this  truly  terrible  disease, 
which  is  often  accompanied  by  insanity  and  usually  by  loss  of  self-control.  These 
902  cases  were  traced  back  to  four  families,  of  whom  three  were  immigrants  of  the  sarne 
name  who  came  to  this  country  in  the  seventeenth  century.  One  of  these  settled  in 
New  Haven,  another  in  Easthampton,  a  third  in  C4reen'.vich,  and  formed  in  these  towns 
centers  of  this  inheritable  disease  which  are  marked  even  to  the  present  day.  Field 
studies  show  that  recent  immigrants  have  brought  in  cases  of  this  disease,  and  it  is  not 
unlikely  that  one  or  more  of  them  will  each  become  the  progenitor  of  hundreds  of 
affected  descendants.  • 

Another  illustration  is  that  of  the  M family  of  "bleeders,"  the  ancestor  of  the 

line  of  bleeders  apparently  having  come  to  this  country  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  Scores  of  the  descendants  of  one  or  more  of  these  ancestors  have  lacked  the 
ordinary  property  of  coagulation  of  the  blood.  Consequently,  many  of  the  children 
have  died  in  early  infancy,  and  others  have  been  repeatedly  during  life  threatened 
with  death,  which  it  was  possible  to  avoid  only  by  extraordinary  care.  It  is  not 
known  whether  the  family  (or  rather  the  ancestor  who  brought  in  the  bleeding 
tendency)  came  from  Switzerland,  but  it  is  known  that  certain  cantons  of  that  country 
are  characterized  by  a  high  incidence  of  this  trait. 

The  point  is  that  a  proper  immigration  agent  located  in  the  different  countries  of 
Europe,  and  examining  into  the  family  history  of  each  immigrant,  would  have  been 
able  to  have  detected  the  presence  of"  hereditary  chorea  in  the  family  of  the  immi- 
grants referred  to  in  the  second  paragraph  and  to  have  detected  the  presence  of  a 
tendency  toward  hiemophilia  in  the  family  mentioned  in  the  preceding  paragraph. 
These  are  illustrations  only,  and  could  be  multiplied  ten  thousand  times.  Every 
day  there  pass  through  the  portals  of  Ellis  Island  persons  who  pass  the  superficial 
examination  but  who'bear  in  their  germ  plasm  family  defects  winch  will  recur  again 
and  again  in  their  descendants.  The  only  way  to  detect  these  family  defects  is  to 
know  something  about  the  family  from  which  the  immigrant  comes. 

Charles  B.  Davenport. 

MR.  T.   V.   POWDERLY. 

A  copy  of  a  letter  embodving  certain  suggestions  for  regulating 
immigration,  written  to  the  late  President  Roosevelt  by  Mr.  T.  \ . 
Powderly,  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Information,  Bureau  of  Immi- 
gration, Department  of  Labor,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  together 
with  a  communication  transmitting  the  same,  as  follows: 

United  States  Department  of  Labor, 
Bureau  of  Immigration,  Division  of  Information. 

Washington,  January  6,  1921. 
Hon.  UeBaron  B.  Colt, 

Chairman  Immigration  Committee,  United  States  Senate,  Washington.  D.  C. 
Dear  Sir:  Yesterday  afternoon,  at  the  adjournment  of  the  Senate  Committee  on 
Immigration,  you  courteously  suggested  to  those  who  could  not  be  heard  by  the  com- 
mittee that  they  might  present  their  \'iews  in  writing. 


680  EMEIIGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Takinj?  advantage  of  that  offer.  I  am  layins;  before  you  a  copy  of  a  letter  handed 
by  mo  to  President  Roosevelt  in  Deeeml)er.  1906. 

It  embodies  some  suggestions  for  the  betterment  of  our  system  of  regulating  immi- 
gration. Among  these  is  one  dealing  with  inspection  abroad,  a  subject  touched  upon 
by  Commissioner  Wallis  in  giving  his  testimony. 

I  was  present  during  the  time  Mr.  ^^'allis  was  on  the  stand  and  was  much  impressed 
by  the  line  of  questions  put  to  him  as  well  as  his  answers  thereto. 

I  left  a  copy  of  my  letter  to  the  President  with  Senator  Johnson,  to  whom  I  promised 
it  the  day  before. 

In  presuming  to  submit  this  document  let  me  say  that  I  have  had  many  oppor- 
tunities for  studving  immigration,  and  its  effects,  here  and  in  Europe. 

I  was  actively  interested  in  the  passage  of  our  immigration  and  alien  contract  labor 
laws.  I  was  Commissioner-General  of  Immigration  during  the  administration  of 
President  Mc  Kin  ley. 

At  the  request  of  President  RooseA'elt.  I  spent  the  summer  and  fall  of  1906  in 
Eiu'ope  investigating  the  '"caxisesof  emigration  to  the  United  States."  The  memor- 
randum  herewith  resulted  from  that  experience. 

From  a  stiidy  of  emigration  and  immigration,  here  and  in  Europe.  I  am  convinced 
that  the  place  to  take  the  initial  step  in  regulating  immigration  is  where  the  immi- 
grant start.^  from . 

In  addition  to  the  copy  of  my  letter  to  President  RooseA'elt.  I  am  la>dng  before  you 
a  copy  of  my  last  report  as  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Information.  Avith  certain  parts 
marked  for  the  use  of  the  committee  if  they  wish  to  look  them  over.  I  direct  your 
attention  particularly  to  the  memorandum  to  the  Secretaiy.  page  4. 

Expressing  the  hope  that  what  I  lay  before  you  may  be  of  interest  to  the  com- 
mittee. I  am. 

Very  truly,  yours. 

T.  V.  POWDERLY. 


,  COPY    OF   A    LETTER    TO    PRESIDENT    ROOSEVELT. 

Washington,  D.  C,  Decembers,  1906. 

My  Dear  Mr.  President:  As  requested  by  you  at  our  last  interA^ew,  I  am  pre- 
sent! rv  herewith,  in  substance,  the  suggestions  made  l)y  me  dining  our  talk. 

During  the  investigation  of  the  "causes  of  emigration  to  the  United  States"  made 
by  me  under  your  instructions  last  summer,  I  became  couA-inced  that  at  least  three 
things  are  necessary  to  a  proper  regulation  of  immigration: 

First.  Selection  of  intended  emigrants  in  their  own  countries  some  little  time 
before  date  of  departure  for  the  United  States. 

Second.  The  placing  of  representatives  of  the  Immigration  Ser\dce  on  ships  carry- 
ing immigrants  to  tlie  United  States. 

Third.  Proper  distribution  of  immigrants  who  come  to  the  United  States. 

Wliile  no  statute  can  be  framed  to  make  men  better  than  God  intended  them  to  be, 
we  can  go  far  toward  causing  aliens  to  fit  into  our  American  life  with  less  of  disturb- 
ance to  our  economic  conditions  and  more  of  safety  to  our  national  institutions  if  we 
give  heed  to  selection  abroad,  instruction  on  shipboard  and  at  immigrant  stations, 
and  proper  and  l)enef!cial  distribution  throughout  the  United  States. 

As  to  selection  abroad,  in  each  of  the  countries  from  which  emigrants  come  to  us 
there  should  l)e  stationed,  at  suitalile  places,  representatives  of  the  United  States 
Immigration  SerA-ice.  Of  course,  the  consent  of  foreign  Governments  would  have  to 
be  obtained  before  this  could  be  done.  The  duty  of  these  representatives  should 
be  to  pass  upon  the  qualifications  of  those  intending  to  emigrate  to  the  United  States. 
Every  such  person  should  first  apply  either  in  person,  by  proxy,  or  by  mail  to  the 
United  States  Immigration  official  ha\ing  jurisdiction  over  the  territory  the  intending 
emigrant  resides  in. 

The  applic-ation  should  contain  full  information  concerning  the  j^erson  or  persons  it 
relates  to.  I  need  not  enter  into  detail  as  to  what  this  information  should  be.  Suffice 
it  to  say  here  that  every  ascertainable  fact  in  relation  to  the  intending  emigrant  should 
be  fully  .set  forth. 

All  apj)lications  should  be  made  to  the  immigration  o^icial  at  least  six  weeks  before 
the  time  of  departure  from  home  of  the  intending  emiirraiit,  this  in  order  to  afford  time 
for  in  ve litigation  of  the  record,  standing,  healtli.  and  reputation  of  the  applicant.  I 
know  of  two  i)ersons  who  were  admitteil  at  Ellis  Island  while  1  was  commissioner 
general  who  formed  their  resolution  to  come  to  the  United  States  and  actually  started 
from  laome  '"between  two  davs,"  as  we  say.  They  were  criminals  of  the  worst  tvpe 
who.  in  order  to  escape  punishment,  fled  from  home  immediately  after  the  commission 
of  a  crime. 


EMERGEXCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  681 

Proper  information  and  instniotion  should  be  imparted  to  the  intending  emigrants 
before  departure  from  home  so  that  they  would  know  just  what  to  face  on  landing  in 
this  country. 

It  is  positively  cruel  to  tell  a  man  coming  up  from  the  steerage  that  he  must  be 
deported  '"to  the  country  whence  he  came"  after  he  has  severed  home  ties,  parted 
with  all  his  European  holdings,  and  practically  turned  his  back  forever  on  the  land 
of  his  ))irth.  I  ha\e  witnessed  so  many  heart-rending  scenes  at  our  immigrant  sta- 
tions when  poor,  forlorn  creatures  were  told  they  must  go  back  that  1  felt  like  execrat- 
ing the  law  which  occasioned  such  thin<i;s. 

And  I  would  not  intrust  the  duty  of  inspection  abroad,  or  selection,  to  consular 
agents.  These  oflicials  are  selected  for  a  definite  and  far  different  purpose.  They 
deal  with  commercial  matters  in  the  main  and  pass  upon  the  articles  manufactured 
by  human  hands.  They,  in  their  zeal  to  carry  out  instruction-p  from  the  State  Depart- 
ment, might  be  apt  to  class  the  hand  or  machine-made  article  as  of  more  consecriience 
than  the  creation  of  (ioil  .\lmighty.  or  else  slight  it  in  passing.  r>ars  of  pig  iron,  bales 
of  cotton.  l)oUs  of  silk,  or  crates  of  chiuaware  might  receive  first  consideration  from 
them.  No;  leave  the  matter  of  oassing  upon  humanity  itself  to  men  and  women  of 
abilit^',  ex]>erience.  and  good  judgment. 

The  work  of  making  judicious  selection  of  intending  emigrants  should  be  carefully 
done.  It  should  not  he  intrusted  to  politicians,  political  favorites,  creatures  of  cor- 
porate interests,  or  those  who  oppose  or  favor  immigration. 

INSTRUCTIONS. 

On  board  ship  literature  printed  in  foreign  langx:ages  by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment should  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  aliens  destined  to  this  country  by  representa- 
tives of  the  Immigiation  Ser\dce.  These  representatives  should  be  of  both  sexes  and 
should  be  qualified  to  explain  anything  obscure  or  uncertain  on  the  printed  page. 
Above  all  things,  the  difference  between  our  form  of  government  and  that  of  their  o\\ix 
land  should  be  carefully  dealt  vrith.  Our  flag,  our  institutions,  and  what  they  stand 
for  should  be  carefully  explained  and  the  duty  to  uphold  them  should  be  fidly  im- 
pressed on  the  men,  women,  and  the  children  of  the  steerage.  It  should  not  be  left 
to  the  demagogue,  the  self-seeker,  or  exploiter  to  misinform  these  people  after  landing 
when  we  can  accurately  inform  them  before  they  land.  Having  respect  for  govern- 
mental authority,  they  will  pay  heed  to  what  Government  officials  tell  them  and  will 
will  not  be  so  apt  to  fall  a  prev  to  men  and  women  having  designs  upon  them. 

Through  proper  selection  abroad  and  instruction  aboard  ship  the  opportunities  of 
the  seller  of  steamship  tickets  to  stimulate  emigration  from  Europe  and  practically 
sell  poor,  unsophisticated  people  to  employers  in  the  way  I  told  you  about  would  be 
kept  down  to  the  minimum,  and  as  the  new  system  became  known  abroad  abolished 
entirely. 

The  instruction  a1)oard  ship  .*hbuld  be  preliminary  to  that  imparted  at  our  immigrant 
stations  and  should  consist  of  information  concerning  places  the  immigrant  should 
not  go  as  well  as  where  to  go.  To  illustrate:  Gallon,  Ohio,  may  need  workers  of  a  cer- 
tain kind,  (  incinnati  may  have  enough  of  that  kind  of  labor.  Cincinnati  is  on  the 
map  in  Europe,  but  Gallon  is  unknown  there.  This  I  find  to  be  true  of  large  and  small 
to\vns  in  the  United  States.  They  know  about  our  large  cities  but  are  woefully 
Ignorant  about  our  small  towns.  Again  let  me  illustrate:  I'udapest,  Hungary,  is 
about  250  miles  from  Fiume,  the  only  seaport  in  Hungary.  That  is  considered  a  long 
trip  to  take  over  there.  When  considering  traveling  inland  in  America  they  are  apt  to 
look  on  New  York  ("ity  and  St.  Louis,  Chicago,  or  Denver  ps  being  no  farther  apart  than 
Budapest  and  Fiume.  The  minds  of  intending  emierants  can  be  disabused  of  false 
impressions  concerning  distances  and  that  is  only  one  of  many  things  foreign  people 
need  light  on  comi'rning  this  country. 

The  hungry  man  is  apt  to  eat  too  much  and  in  doing  so  makes  a  mistake;  a  man  who 
eats  too  much  is  a  fool,  whether  he  is  hungry  or  not.  As  a  Nation  we  may  make  mis- 
takes and  play  fool  with  immigration.  We  are  apt  to  do  this  to  our  detriment  and  that 
of  the  emigrant  in  allowing  the  stream  of  immigration  to  become  a  flood. 

Through  a  governmental  agency  the  exact  industrial  C(  nditicn  of  every  town  in 
the  United  States  should  be  and  can  be  ascertained  every  week,  or  at  most  every  two 
weeks.  This  will  entail  expense,  of  course,  but  the  "head  tax"  of  the  immigrant 
will  pay  it,  while  our  present  slipshod  way  of  allowing  the  tide  of  inunigration  to  flow 
where  it  lists  is  far  more  expensive,  and  we  pay  the  bill.  In  addition  to  that  it  is 
hurtful  and  in  time  may  become  dangerous.  It  should  be  easy  to  gather  this  infor- 
mation and  impart  it  to  the  newly  landed  immigrants  as  well  as  to  cur  own  jieople. 

26911— 21— IT  14 3 


682  EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

Consider  this:  The  Weather  Bureau  is  prepared  every  morning  to  tell  us  what  the 
weather  is  doing  in  every  part  of  the  United  States;  it  is  doing  more  than  that;  it  is 
prepared  to  tell  how  the  ocean  is  behaving  along  our  seaVjoard.  Ships  are  safely 
directed,  commerce  is  ])rotoeted,  and  crops  safeguarded  Ijy  our  Weather  Bureau. 
^^^ly  not  safeguard  humanity  by  ])romptly,  ])roperly,  and  accurately  informing  it 
where  it  may  go  with  fair  opportunity  to  do  the  best  for  itself  and  our  country?  You 
and  I  have  to  pay  taxes  to  maintain  the  Weather  Bureau;  the  immigrant  would  pay 
for  his  own  protection  and  oiirs  too. 

Phonographs  speaking  all  things  necessary  to  inform  immigrants  in  all  languages, 
lantern-slide  lectures  and  verbal  instructions  on  all  pertinent  subjects  should  greet 
the  immigrant  on  being  admitted  at  an  immigrant  station. 

Of  course  these  things  will  require  time  for  preparation  and  formulation.  I  make 
no  attempt  at  detail,  for  the  cooperation  of  States,  Territories,  and  municipalities  will 
all  be  of  use  in  this  great  and  necessary  work,  and  consultation  with  their  chosen 
representatives  should  precede  action. 

I  am  mindful  of  your  intimation  to  make  this  memorandum  as  long  as  I  please, 
but  notwithstanding  that  and  your  suggestion  that  you  would  "take  a  day  off  to  read 
it,"  I  feel  that  I  have  said  enough  to  give  a  fair  idea  of  what  I  was  aiming  at  during 
our  interview.  As  you  know,  I  shall  be  glad  to  act  on  your  advice  to  discuss  this 
matter  with  the  gentlemen  you  named. 

As  I  told  you,  there  are  those  who  look  wdth  suspicion  on  anything  proposed  by  a 
labor  man,  and  since  I  am  a  labor  man  I  shall  esteem  it  a  favor  if  you  will  adopt  my 
suggestion  as  your  own,  or  else  conceal  the  identity  of  the  author. 

Assuring  you  that  I  fully  appreciate  the  confidence  reposed  in  me  when  you  directed 
that  I  be  assigned  to  duty  in  Europe,  as  well  as  for  calling  me  into  counsel  on  this 
matter,  I  am, 

Very  truly,  yours, 

T.  V.  POWDERLY. 

MR.    W.    A.    RYAN. 

A  brief  setting  forth  a  suggestion  as  to  amending  section  4  of  the 
bill,  submitted  by  Mr.  W.  A.  Ryan,  New  York,  is  herewith  printed 
in  full,  as  follows : 

To  the  honorable  the  Comjiittee  on  Immigration  op  the  United  States  Senate. 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen:  In  support  of  my  request  that  section  4  of  the 
Johnson  bill  be  amended  so  as  to  admit  to  the  United  States  under  certain  conditions 
certain  otherwise  inadmissable  persons,  the  blood  relatives  of  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  I  submit  the  following  statement  of  facts: 

1.  Thirty  years  ago,  at  the  age  of  17,  Mr.  William  S came  to  the  United  States 

from  Bodigheira,  Baden,  Germany.  In  1900  he  became  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States,  being  admitted  in  the  United  States  District  Court  in  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 
He  has  resided  continuously  in  New  York  City  since  coming  to  the  United  States. 

2.  When  he  left  his  home  in  Germany  there  remained  in  his  native  Adllage  with  his 
parents  four  sisters,  one  older  and  three  younger  than  he.  Subsequently  the  parents 
died  and  the  support  of  his  sisters  devolved  upon  him.  One  of  the  sisters  came  to 
this  country  and  became  his  associate  in  business.  Two  of  those  who  remained 
behind  were  inadmissable  to  the  United  States  by  reason  of  slight  mental  defect, 
the  result  of  physical  disability  which  prevented  proper  organic  functioning  and 
arrested  their  mental  development.  They  remained  as  children  and  never  acquired 
the  ability  either  to  read  or  write.  Both  are,  however,  able  to  converse,  and  their 
aberration  is  wholly  harmless.     One  is  now  43  and  the  other  52  years  of  age.     The 

Eersonal  care  of  these  sisters  has  devolved  upon  the  third  sister,  38  years  old.  They 
ave  never  been  under  restraint  and  are  known  to  and  beloved  by  all  in  their  native 
village,  by  whom  their  inlirinities  are  looked  u])on  with  pity,  but  without  rejjugnance. 
The  third  sister,  in  every  way  normal,  has  devoted  her  life  to  their  care.  Once  each 
year  previous  to  August  1,  1914,  the  brother  or  the  sister  (citizens  of  the  United  States) 
returned  to  the  village  to  visit  and  relieve  the  younger  sister  temporarily  of  her  bur- 
den of  the  care  of  them.  But  since  that  date  this  has  been  possible  only  once,  after 
the  armistice.  During  the  interval  the  restraints  and  i)rivat]ons  of  war  told  heavily 
on  the  devoted  sister  and  her  charges. 

3.  It  is  now  the  desire  ot  the  brother  to  bring  the  three  sisters  to  the  United  States, 
where  the  two  requiring  it  may  have  the  benefit  of  the  best  medical  treatment  obtain- 
able and  where  the  personal  care  of  the  two  unfortunate  ones  may  be  shared  by  himself 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  683 

and  his  two  normal  sisters.  He  is  able  financially  not  only  to  provide  for  them  in 
comfort  but  in  luxury  and  is  able  and  \\'illing  to  furnish  a  bond  to  tlie  United  States 
in  sufficient  sum  to  insui-e  against  their  ever  becoming  a  public  charge.  Furthermore, 
as  an  additional  surety,  he  is  willing  to  establish  a  fund  in  trust  for  the  remainder  of 
their  lives,  to  provide  amply  for  their  care,  maintenance,  and  medical  treatment. 
Aside  from  the  minor  mental" affliction,  these  women  are  free  from  disease;  they  have 
no  communicable  contagious,  infectious,  or  loathsome  disease.  There  is  no  pro- 
vision of  present  law  under  which  they  may  be  admitted  except  temporarily  for 
hospital  treatment.  Their  age  and  the  physical  derangement  which  stunted  their 
mental  growth  render  the  contingency  of  motherhood  an  impossibility  and  so  dispose 
of  that  objection.  The  contingency  of  their  ever  becoming  a  charge  upon  the  public 
-will  be  amply  provided  against  l)y  the  trust.  There  remains,  therefore,  no  valid 
reason  why  tliis  brother  should  be  deprived  of  the  joy  of  fulfilling  his  duty  toward  his 
unfortunate  sisters.  Every  humane  consideration,  therefore,  favors  the  admission  of 
these  women. 

4.  He  therefore  respectfully  urges  upon  your  committee  that  some  pro\'ision  of  law 
be  made,  either  in  the  form  of  the  suggested  amendment  or  by  some  similar  provision 
whereby  he  may  fulfill  what  he  conceives  to  be  his  duty. 

Respectfully  submitted. 

W.  A.  Ryan. 

Attached  is  a  copy  of  the  suggested  amendment. 

Amend  section  4  by  adding,  after  line  7,  page  7,  the  following:  "Or  in  like  manner 
may  apply  to  him  for  permission  to  luring  into  the  United  States  any  such  above- 
named  relative,  liable  to  be  excluded  because  of  harmless  mental  defect,  but  free  from 
communicable  disease,  and  such  permission  shall  be  granted  only  if  the  applicant 
shall  furnish  bond  as  required  in  section  21  of  the  immigration  laws  and  shall  further 
provide  by  a  trust  fund  of  such  amount  and  conditions  as  the  Secretary  of  Labor  may 
prescribe  for  the  care,  maintenance,  and  medical  treatment  thereof  during  the  life 
of  such  relative." 

CONGRESSMAN   JOHN    C.  BOX.  "^ 

A  supplementary  statement  by  Hon.  John  C.  Box,  Representative 
second  Texas  district,  and  member  of  the  House  Committee  on 
Immigration  and  NaturaUzation,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  together 
with  a  letter  from  Mr.  Box  transmitting  the  same,  as  follows: 

House  of  Representatives, 
Committee  on  Immigration  and  Naturalization, 

Washington,  D.  C,  January  26,  1921. 
Senator  LeBaron  B.  Colt, 

Chairman  Senate  Committee  on  Immigration, 

Senate  Office  Building,  Washington,  D.  C. 
My  Dear  Mr.  Chairman:  I  appeared  before  the  Senate  Committee  on  Immigration 
some  days  ago  at  the  request  of  the  House  Committee,  and  made  a  statement  in  oppo- 
sition to  any  amendment  to  the  immigration  laws  which  would  suspend  the  literacy 
test,  head  tax,  and  contract  labor  proWsions  thereof,  to  permit  the  admission  of 
illiterate  Mexican  and  other  alien  contract  laborers. 

1  am  informed  that  statements  made  by  me  before  the  Senate  Committee  in  support 
of  my  position  have  been  challenged,  and  on  yesterday  I  filed  with  the  secretary  of 
your  committee  a  supplementary  statement,  amplif^-ing  and  proving  by  eAidence 
from  official  sources  the  statements  which  according  to  my  information  have  been  con- 
troverted since  I  made  them. 

Mr.  Barry,  your  secretary,  said  that  my  supplementary  statement  would  be  inserted 
in  the  record,  and  has  doubtless  called  it  to  your  attention.  I  will  thank  you  to  take 
■whatever  action  will  insure  the  insertion  of  this  matter  in  the  report  of  your  hearings. 
I  am  anxious  to  have  this  done,  because  of  the  information  it  contains  aiad  as  a  matter 
of  truth,  as  well  as  justice  tome. 

Sincerely  and  cordially,  yours, 

John  C.  Box, 

The  supplementary  statement  by  Mr.  Box  follows: 

Recently  I  appeared  before  the  Senate  Committee  on  Immigration  at  the  request  of 
the  House  Committee,  in  oppo.-ition  to  a  proposed  amendment  of  the  Johnson  bill  now 
pending  before  the  Senate,  by  which  amendment  the  provisions  of  the  literacy  test, 


684  KMEllCKNCY    IMMICiRATIOX    LHCISI.ATIOX. 

the  contract  labor  laws,  and  the  head  tax  would  l)e  suspended,  for  the  purpose  of 
admitting  Mexiran  and  other  alien  lahororn  whose  entrance  is  now  forbidden  by  those 
provisions.  In  my  !-tatement  before  the  Senate  (Committee  I  stated  that  Mexicans 
admitted  under  the  suspension  of  the  restrictions  have  been  subjected  to  a  control  or 
custody  which  amounted  to  peonage  or  something  close  akin  to  it,  and  that  a  con- 
tinuance of  this  })olicy  under  suspension  of  these  restrictions,  or  under  a  provision 
similar  to  the  llainey  amendment,  would  involve  a  continuance  of  this  peonage  or 
semipeonage  system. 

I  also  stated  that  many  illiterate  Mexicans  vote  in  some  portions  of  Texa^',  that  they 
often  do  so  illegally,  and  that  alien  Mexicans  do  so  without  even  having  declared 
their  intention  to  become  citizens,  the  effect  being  to  corrupt  elections. 

I  am  informed  that  hoth.  of  these  statements  liave  been  challenged,  and  as  I  did 
not  incorporate  the  official  documents  which  I  mentioned  in  my  statement  to  the 
Senate  Committee,  I  beg  to  submit  this  supplementary  statement,  and  to  include 
in  it  brief  excerpts  from  official  records  which  I  make  for  the  purpose  of  collecting 
and  condensing  the  matter  so  as  to  avoid  burdening  the  hearings  unduly. 

First  I  shall  address  myself  to  the  first  statement, 

IS    THE    ALIEN    LABOR    ADMITTED    UNDER   THIS    SYSTEM    FREE. 

I  quote  from  the  testimony  of  Mr.  W.  H.  Knox,  Avho  appeared  before  the  House 
committee  during  its  hearings  on  the  subject  during  1920.  Jlr.  Knox  appears  to 
be  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  system,  and  favorable  to  it.  These  extracts  from 
his  testimony,  which  will  be  found  in  full  of  pages  182  to  203  on  hearings  before  the 
House  committee,  are  confined  as  nearly  as  possible  to  this  particular  point,  and 
answer  the  question  propounded: 

"Mr.  Knox.  I  represent  the  Arizona  Cotton  Growers'  Association,  which  is  an 
organization  of  some  2,000  farmers.  We  have  members  owning  all  the  way  from 
10  acres  up  to  2,000  or  3,000  acres,  the  bulk  of  the  acreage  running  probably  from 
50  to  100  acres.  We  are  banded  together  for  the  pvupose  of  obtaining  labor  and  to 
look  after  the  general  welfare  of  the  long  staple  cotton  industry.' 

On  page  184  the  following  appears  in  his  testimony: 

"Mr.  Raker.  They  were  apprehended,  then?  I  will  put  it  that  way.  1  want  to 
find  out  if  their  physical  person  was  not  taken  charge  of. 

"Mr.  Knox.  They  were  brought  down  to  the  office,  and  in  accordance  with  our 
agreement  with  the  United  States  Government,  they  were  returned  to  the  place 
from  whence  they  came. 

"Mr.  Raker.  Were  their  physical  persons  taken  charge  of? 

"Mr.  Knox.  To  that  extent.*  They  were  brought  in  the  office,  and  we  said,  'Here, 
now,  your  agi'eement  was  to  work  at  agricultural  work." 

"Mr.  Raker.  Did  an  officer  take  charge  of  them? 

"Mr.  Knox.  No,  sir. 

"Mr.  Raker.  They  just  came  in  voluntarily? 

"Mr.  Knox.  We  went  out  ourselves  and  brought  them  in,  or  else  talked  to  them 
on  the  ranch,  wherever  we  found  them.  That  proposition  was  put  up  to  them, 
'You  can  either  retiu'ii  to  agricultural  labor  on  the  farm,  as  you  agreed  to,  or  under 
our  agreement  with  the  Government  we  will  give  you  your  transportation  and  you 
can  go  back  to  Mexico.' 

"Mr.  Raker.  AVere  there  any  that  did  not  agree  to  return  that  were  a])prehended? 

"Mr.  Knox.  Probably;  yes,  sir.  Up  to  the  present  time  we  have  imported  some- 
thing like  12,000  or  14,000.  There  have  been  perhaps  20  cases  where  they  have 
been  picked  up,  for  instance,  in  Los  Angeles  or  in  San  t>ancisco  by  the  immigra- 
tion oihcers  on  departmental  warrant. 

"Mr.  Raker.  If  a  man  went  to  work  in  Phoenix,  Ariz.,  in  the  cotton  fields  and 
then  clianged  his  mind  and  decided  that  he  wanted  to  go  to  San  Jose  to  work  in  a 
garden,  where  he  could  get  better  wages,  he  would  be  notified  that  he  would  be 
apprehended  and  sent  to  Mexico? 

"Mr.  Knox.  Yes,  sir." 

The  following  appears  on  page  185  of  the  same  testimony: 

■'The  Chairman.  They  did  come,  and  came  to  work  under  contract  in  the  cotton 
fields  in  Arizona  or  Texas.  But  if  a  man  changed  his  mind  and  said,  'I  have  a  little 
ahead  now,  and  1  am  going  into  Phoenix  and  live  there  and  work  my  garden,  or  milk 
some  cows,'  he  would  li)e  violating  that  bond  and  agreement. 

■'Mr.  Knox.  lie  would  be  violating  his  agreement  with  us  and  we  would  be  violating 
our  agreement  with  the  L'nited  States  (iovernment. 

"The  Chairman.  And  he  would  have  to  be  apprehended  and  sent  back  to  Mexico? 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGKATIOX   LEGISLATIOX.  (jb5 

"Mr.  Knox.  He  would  be  told  either  to  return  to  the  farm  and  <jo  back  to  work, 
as  he  had  been  doing,  or,  if  he  did  not  want  to  do  that,  to  return  to  the  country  from 
which  he  came." 

On  pao:e  186  appears  the  following: 

"Mr.  Welty.  In  other  words,  because  of  this  law  of  1917,  you  are  required  to  go 
through  this  process,  and  the  Government,  in  order  to  get  labor  enough  for  you  people, 
had  to  enter  into  a  system  of  peonage.     Is  that  right? 

*'Mr.  Knox.  Not  peonage. 

"Mr.  Box.  Mr.  Knox,  did  voti  have  to  steal  any  shoes  or  trousers  from  these  men 
to  keef>  them  there  at  night,  so  that  they  could  not  get  away? 

"Mr.  Knox.  No,  sir. 

"Mr.  Box.  You  heard  the  gentleman  testify  here  before  this  committee  that  he 
did  that? 

"Mr.  Knox.  Yes,  sir. 

"The  Chaiuman.  llow  far  is  your  district  from  the  district  of  the  gentleman  who 
said  that  he  had  to  put  that  plan  into  effect? 

"ilr.  Knox.  Twelve  or  thirteen  himdred  miles. 

"The  Chairman.  And  in  another  State? 

"Mr.  Knox.  Yes,  sir." 

On  pages  106  and  197  will  be  found  the  following: 

"Mr.  Box.  Now,  with  reference  to  the  taking  of  these  men  into  custody  for  depor- 
tation, which  you  spoke  of  awhile  ago  and  which  I  did  not  hear,  largely  through  my 
own  fault,  I  understood  you  to  explain  to  the  chairman  that  that  was  because  those 
men  made  a  contract  to  go  there  and  do  a  certain  thing  and  they  broke  it? 

"Mr.  Knox.  Yes,  sir. 

"Mr.  Box.  Why  did  vou  not  treat  these  west  Texans  that  wav  when  thev  got 
there? 

"Mr.  Knox.  If  we  could  have  done  that,  we  might  have  gotten  somewhere.  The 
difference  between  the  two  was,  that  in  bringing  in  the  Mexicans  we  were  working 
under  a  special  dispensation  of  the  immigration  act 

"^ir.  Box.  And  you  understood  that  that  gave  you  the  right  to  arrest  a  man  for 
breaking  his  contract? 

"Mr.  Knox.  We  did  not  arrest  him. 

"Mr.  Box.  You  did  not  let  him  go  where  he  pleased.  What  do  you  call  it,  if  you 
take  a  man  into  custody  and  send  him  away? 

"Mr.  Knox.  He  is  not  put  in  jail.  He  is  simply  taken  up  and  given  his  return 
transportation,  at  our  expense,  and  put  back  where  he  came  from. 

"Mr.  Box.  Put  back  on  the  train  to  go  back  where  he  came  from? 

"Mr.  Knox.  No,  sir. 

"Mr.  Box.  Somebody  went  with  him? 

"Mr.  Knox.  Y'es,  sir. 

"Mr.  Box.  Why  did  he  not  stop  off.  at  the  first  station  after  he  passed  there? 

"Mr.  Knox.  Because  the  immigration  officials,  backed  by  the  immigration  laws, 
compelled  us  to  return  that  man  to  the  point  from  which  he  came. 

"Mr.  Box.  They  went  along  to  see  that  he  did  not  get  off  the  train,  any  more  than 
a  convict  would  get  off  the  train  after  he  started  for  the  penitentiary.  That  Avas 
the  purpose,  was  it  not? 

"Mr.  Knox.  The  purpose  was  to  see  that  he  got  off  at  the  point  from  which  we 
shipped  him  into  this  country. 

"Mr.  Box.  And  not  get  off  anywhere  else? 

"Mr.  Knox.  Y^es,  sir. 

"Mr.  Box.  If  you  were  traveling  on  the  train,  and  started  from  one  countr\-  to 
another,  and  every  time  you  tried  to  get  off  at  any  station  they  stopped  you  there 
and  put  you  back  on,  would  you  think  yoii  were  a  free  man? 

"Mr.  Knox.  Possiblv  not. 

"Mr.  Box.  That  is  ail. 

"The  Chairman.  Would  you  have  any  doubts  about  it  at  all? 

"Mr.  Knox.  I  would  not. 

"ilr.  Raker.  Then  your  answer,  in  cold-blooded  language,  means  that  these 
pefjple  were  under  sur\'eillance  and  could  not  get  off  wherever  they  pleased,  because 
they  were  not  free  agents? 

"Mr.  Knox.  They  had  broken  their  contracts,  and  they  were  in  the  same  positif>n 
as  anybody  else  who  has  broken  his  contract. 

"!Mr.  Box.  Do  we  put  other  men  in  jail  or  arrest  them  for  breaking  tlieir  contracts? 

"Mr.  Knox.  They  were  not  put  in  jail.  Their  agreement  contemplated  one  of 
two  things:  They  were  to  go  to  work,  in  agricultural  work,  or  they  were  to  return 
to  Mexico. 

"Mr.  Box.  Yes. 


68  3  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

"'Sir.  Knox.  Our  contract  with  the  United  States  Government  was  to  see  that 
they  were  returned. 

"Mr.  Box.  But  you  had  a  contract  with  these  Texans  that  were  mentioned  a 
while  ago.  I  am  not  going  to  claim  kin  with  them.  They  may  be  some  of  the  so- 
called  'poor  white  trash'  that  we  have  heard  mentioned  during  this  hearing.  I 
am  not  going  to  claim  them.  But  these  Texans  who  had  made  a  contract  with  you 
were  not  guarded.  None  of  them  were  arrested.  Tliey  were  not  guarded  out  of  the 
country,  were  tliey? 

"Mr.  Knox.  No,  sir. 

"Mr.  Box.  That  is  all." 

In  speaking  of  a  system  recognized  by  the  Mexican  Government,  under  which 
this  labor  was  handled,  which  was  different  from  his  method  of  helping  to  smuggle 
this  peon  labor  into  the  country,  ^Ir.  Fred  Roberts  of  Texas  said: 

"]\Ir.  Davis.  Ask  him  about  the  concessionaires  on  the  other  side  and  explain 
the  whole  thing  that  way. 

"Mr.  Roberts.  Mr.  Chairman,  in  Mexico,  like  in  cities  when  they  have  a  picnic, 
they  sell  a  man  a  concession  to  go  and  sell  labor,  we  will  say,  to  deal  in  lal)or.  All 
right.  Pennsylvania  R^ailroad  Co.  or  the  Unifn  Pacific,  for  instance.  I  go  to  thLs 
fellow  that  has  got  this  concession  and  I  give  him  what  he  asks.  With  the  consent 
of  tlie  Mexican  Government,  we  Avill  go  away  down  in  that  country  and  load  up 
enough  of  them.  Supposing  I  get  500  Mexicans  in  the  train  at  one  time  and  ship 
them  up  here. 

"Mr.  Welty.  I  understand  these  concessions  are  granted  by  the  Mexican  Govern- 
ment? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  To  individuals  to  make  money  out  of  the  proposition.  They  are 
his  cattle.  He  does  not  call  them  human  beings.  All  right.  I  go  acn  ss  there  and 
have  a  contract  to  meet  the  Mexicans,  and  he  might  get  the  officials  over  there  at 
his  dictation  to  arrest  me  and  put  me  into  jail,  and  I  can  not  do  that  thing  because 
I  have  not  the  concession  for  it. 

"The  Chairman.  You  are  interfering  with  his  concession? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  Interfering  with  his  business." 

In  telling  how  he  handled  them  (that  is,  those  he  helped  sumggle  in  or  those  he 
bought  from  others  who  had  smuggled  them  in),  Mr.  Roberts  said,  in  part: 

"Mr.  Raker.  Tell  us  how  you  protect  yourself. 

"Mr.  Roberts.  I  will  tell  you  what  I  have  heard  in  the  ancient  days.  I  have 
seen  them  unload  parties  at  the  tents,  and  some  fellows  would  borrow  the  Mexican's 
shoes  and  pants  till  morning.  ^Ir.  Chairman,  it  is  just  a  question  of  self-defense. 
Go  to  the  border  and  bring  50  Mexicans  and  it  will  cost  you  8600.  Ihat  is  not  unusual . 
You  have  S600  invested.  You  have  got  200  bales  of  cotton  worth  S200  a  bale,  and 
you  owe  the  banker.  The  bankers  are  the  only  people  we  can  owe  down  there;  the 
merchants  do  not  do  a  credit  business.  You  owe  the  banker.  You  want  to  buy  a 
good  automobile.  You  need  a  lot  of  things.  That  is  how  it  works.  In  out  countrj' 
cotton  is  made  within  a  period  of  four  or  five  days;  whenever  it  matures,  it  opens  in 
the  same  time.  You  have  got  to  hold  50  or  75  ^fexicans,  costing  you  SfiOO  to  hold 
them  over  from  week  to  week.  WTiat  would  you  do?  Just  eacxtly  what  we  do. 
You  would  have  somebody  there  who  would  not  sleep.  You  would  not  let  the  Mex- 
icans leave."" 

I  refer  to  statement  on  page  401  of  the  report  of  the  Commis.sioner  General  of  Immi- 
gration for  the  year  1919,  showing  that  6,262  of  these  "free"'  men  "deserted,"  and  to 
page  431  of  the  report  of  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  for  the  year  1920, 
showing  that  10,691  had  "deserted"  up  to  that  time.  If  they  were  free,  why  are 
they  officially  reported  as  ha\dng  ' '  deserted, ' "  when  they  leave  the  employ  or  custody 
of  an  employer  or  group  of  employers? 

DO   LARGE   numbers  OF  MEXICANS   VOTE   ILLEGALLY  IN  TEXAS,   AND  DOES  THEIR  VOTE 
TEND   TO    CORRUPT   THE    ELECTORATE? 

I  quote  from  the  Journal  of  the  Senate  of  the  Thirty -sixth  Legislature  of  Texas, 
in  which  is  embodied  the  report  of  a  typical  election  contest  from  a  region  where 
great  numbers  of  these  people  vote.     I  read  from  page  402,  the  testimony  of  a  Mexican: 

"Q.  Are  you  an  American  citizen  by  birth? — A.  No. 

******** 

"Q.  Have  you,  at  anv  time  or  place,  seemed  your  final  papers  as  an  American 
citizen? — A.  No;  my  father  never  took  out  his  papers. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

"Q.  Did  vou  vote  in  the  D(>mocratic  primaries  held  in Countv  on  July  27, 

1918?— A.  Yes. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  687 

"Q.  Have  you  ever  declared  your  intention  of  becoming  an  American  citizen? — 
A.  No." 
That  is  on  page  402.    Another  Mexican,  page  496: 
"Q.  Are  you  an  American  citizen  by  birth? — A.  No. 

*  Mr  *  *  *  *  * 

"Q.  Have  you  ever  declared  vour  intention  of  becoming  an  American  citizen? — 
A.  No. 

******* 

"Q.  Did  you  vote  on  November  5.  1918,  in County? — A.  Yes." 

This  is  another  Mexican,  page  3496: 

"Q.  Are  you  an  American  citizen  by  birth? — A.  No. 

*  "  *  *  *  *  *  * 

"Q.  Have  you  ever  declared  your  intention  of  becoming  an  American  citizen? — 
A.  No. 

*****  *  * 

"Q.  Did  you  vote  on  November  5,  1918,  in County? — A.  No;  I  only  voted 

in  the  primaries." 

Page  497,  another  Mexican: 

"Q.  Are  you  an  American  citizen  by  birth? — A.  No. 

******* 

"Q.  Have  you  ever  declared  voiir  intention  of  becoming  an  American  citizen? — 
A.  No. 

******* 

"Q.  Did  yoii  vote  on  November  5,  1918,  in County? — A.  Yes." 

Another  Mexican,  same  page: 

"Q.  Are  you  an  American  citizen  by  birth? — A.  No. 

******* 

"Q.  Have  you  ever  declared  your  intention  of  becoming  an  American  citizen? — 
A.  Never  have. 

******* 

"Q.  Did  you  vote  on  November  5,  1918,  in County? — A.  Yes." 

******* 

I  omit  the  names  of  persons  and  counties,  to  avoid  reflections  on  indiAdduals  and 
communities. 

Now,  this  is  an  examination  conducted  by  attorneys  in  an  election  contest  in  Texas 
[reading  from  Supplement  of  the  Senate  Journal,  p.  158]: 

"Q.  ^Mio  is  in  control  of  the  politics  of  the  county — of  the  ofiices? — A.  Mr. . 

"  Q.  How  is  he  in  that  control? — A.  By  the  Mexican  vote. 

"Q.  Through  that  Mexican  vote  does  he  control  the  officers  in  the  county? — A. 
Ves,  sir. 

•'Q.  The  county  judge ?^ — A.  Yes,  sir. 

'■Q.  Sheriff? — A.  Yes,  sir. 

"Q.  Commissioners  court? — A.  Yes,  sir. 

"Q.  And  the  other  officers? — A.  Yes,  sir. 

"Q.  And  the  finances  of  the  county? — A.  Yes,  sir. 

"Q.  Well,  how  is  that  Mexican  vote  handled?  Is  it  an  intelligent  Mexican  vote  or 
an  illiterate  Mexican  vote?— A.  Well,  it  is  mixed.  There's  some  very  intelligent 
Mexicans  and  then  there's  lots  of  them  are  illiterate. 

■Q.  Does  Mr.  ■ control  the  ap])ointment  of  the  people  who  hold  the  elections 

in  that  county? — A.  That's  the  way  1  understand  it." 

Pages  760  and  761  show  the  testimony  of  a  member  of  the  Texas  Legislature,  a  man 
who  had  been  for  several  terms,  about  conditions  down  there.  I  believe  I  will  not 
give  his  name: 

"A.  I  was  a  representative;  yes,  sir. 

"Q.  Of  what  counties? — A.  Well,  when  I  came  to  the  legislature  in  1911,  I  was 

elected  in  1910,  came  in  1911,  and  I  represented  - — — .  ■ ,  — ,  and 

Counties,  I  think  was  my  district  at  that  time.     At  a  called  session  of  that  legislature, 
the  legislature  redistricted  the  representative  districts  and  changed  it  until  it  is  now 

—  and  — — —  and  —  Counties. 

******* 

'•Q.  What  legislatures  were  you  a  member  of? — A.  I  was  a  member  of  the  thirty- 
second,  thirty-third,  and  thirty- fourth." 

Now,  1  will  skip  a  number  of  in<|uiries  that  throw  but  little  light  on  this  question. 

"Q.  Was  there  at  that  time  a  discussion  of  the  illiterate  Mexican  vote  along  the 
border,  in  the  legislature? — A.  There  wasnt  as  great  a  discussion  as  there  has  been 


688  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

this  time,  but  almost  as  great.  There  were  charges  and  countercharges  of  men, 
different  sides,  each  side  charging  the  other  %\ith  having  paid  the  poll  taxes  of  the 
Mexicans.     I  don't  know  whether  there  was  anything  going  on  here — ." 

This  testimony  was  liefore  the  Texas  f^enate  committee, 
''but  in  the  house  of  representatives  they  were  in  a  turmoil  about  it.     One  man,  they 
were  asking  lor  a  division  of  counties  down  there,  making  new  counties  and  the 

people  who  wanted  a  new  county,  in County,  alleged  that  one  boss  man  down 

there,  an  anti ■ —  man  who  was  there,  had  paid  enough  poll  taxes  to  control  the 

election  of  the  oflicers.  Now,  we  had  given  thoj-e  peoj)le  a  new  county ;  they  had  come 
to  us  complaining  in  the  thirty-second  legislature  that  they  were  under  Mexican 
rule — that  all  the  oificers  down  there  were  ilexicans.     The  legislature  gave  them  a 

county,  called County,  and  they  were  going  ])ack  there  to  get  together  and 

elect  their  officers  and  all  that  kind  of  doings.  In  the  thirty-third  legislature,  those 
people  come  back  and  asked  for  a  diWsion  of  ■ — —  —  County^ — " 

That  is  the  new  one. 
"on  the  ground  that  the  big  boss  had  gotten  their  poll  taxe.=  and  put  them  in  his  safe 
and  gotten  Mexican  officers  and  controlled  eA'ery thing-  everything  of  that  kind — 
and  in  \-iew  of  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of  discussion  about  the  illiterate  voters." 

I  quote  further  from  the  Texas  Senate  Journal,  page  838.  In  speaking  of  a  contest 
between  men  for  office  before  the  election,  the  State  Democratic  chairman  said: 

'"In  the  face  of  the  evident  frauds  in  the  primary  election  in  your  senatorial  district, 
as  disclosed  before  the  committee  on  credentials  at  Waco,  and  the  action  of  the  State 

Democratic  convention  in  declaring ■ —  to  be  the  rightful  nominee  for  senator, 

you  are  without  doubt  justiiied  in  asking  the  voters  of  that  senatorial  district  to 

scratch  the  name  of and  write  the  name  of on  the  ticket  before  casting 

the  ballot  in  the  XoA^ember  election." 

I  mention  these  things  as  showing  the  character  that  was  given  to  the  political  con- 
test in  certain  localities.  I  do  not  exaggerate,  gentlemen,  when  I  tell  you  this  entire 
large  volume  is  full  of  that  kind  of  stuff,  which  it  took  weeks  to  develop,  and  it  would 
probably  take  weeks  for  you  to  hear  it  all. 

I  read  from  page  62: 

"Q.  Now,  isn't  it  a  fact  that  the  way  you  got  that  ticket  that  the  chairman  of  the 
pi-ecinct,  Mr.  ,  had  a  marked  ticket' and  showed  it  to  you? — A.  ^larked  ticket? 

''Q.  Yes;  and  showed  it  to  you,  and  you  remembered  the  names? — -A.  Well,  he 
told  me  the  way  we  ought  to  vote,  you  know,  but  he  did  not  have  a  marked  ticket. 
******* 

"Q.  WTiat  did  he  say? — A.  WTiy,  he  just  stated  he  wanted  to  vote  for  these  candi- 
dates, and  I  just  said  it  was  my  opinion  to  vote  for  them  too,  myself. 

******* 

"Q.  Did  you  make  out  all  of  the  tickets  that  you  fixed  that  day  the  same  way; 
for  the  same  candidates? — A.  For  the  fellows  who  didn't  know  how  to  make  out 
their  own  tickets;  yes. 

■'Q.  Made  them  all  the  same  way? — A.  Because  I  asked  them  who  they  wanted 
to  vote  for,  and  they  said.   We  will  do  it  the  way  you  are  going  to  vote,  you  know.' 

''Q.  They  said,  'We  Avill  do  it  the  way  you  are  going  to  vote'? — A.  Yes;  and  I 
voted  it  just  the  way  I  did  my  own. 

******* 

"Q.  And  you  made  out  about  half  of  the  tickets  of  that  box? — -A.  About  half. " 

The  following  is  from  page  308  of  the  report  of  the  hearings  before  the  House  com- 
mittee: 

•'Mr.  Raker.  In  other  words,  the  tickets  are  printed,  and  the  man  in  charge  can 
take  the  ticket  and  scratch  it  or  write  any  man's  name  he  desires  and  hand  it  to  the 
judge  of  the  election;  the  voter  can  vote  for  anyone;  is  not  that  the  way? 

"Mr.  Box.  The  names  are  printed  on  the  ticket,  and  you  have  to  scratch  out 
those  for  whom  yoxi  do  not  vote  and  leave  in  those  you  do  vote  for. 

"Mr.  Raker.  And  if  you  want  to  vote  for  somebody  not  on  the  ticket,  then  you 
write  in  the  name? 

'Mr.  Box.  Then  you  write  in  the  name;  yes,  sir. 

"Mr.  Raker.  There  is  no  official  guarding  the  ticket  or  the  ballot? 

"Mr.  Box.  There  should  be.  The  law  provides  one,  but  the  law  is  not  always 
carried  out. 

"Mr.  Kleczka.  The  law  permits  assistance? 

"Mr.  Box.  Yes.  And,  for- instance,  if  you  had  a  box  in  which  there  were  only 
one  or  two  white  men  in'  the  whole  region,  and  every  man  who  held  office  in  the- 
county,  or  every  man  who  participated  in  the  election  was  of  this  same  class  and  had 
these  same  political  ideas,  and  people  who  do  not  know,  who  do  not  even  know  what 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  689 

the  Democratic  Party  is,  do  the  voting — and  it  is,  indeed,  true  they  do  not  know 
what  the  Democratic  Party  is.  They  come  out  to  vote  and  say,  'I  vote  for  Mr. 
Democrata ' — — 

"Mr.  Raker.  This  is  the  same  thing  that  I  have  understood  has  occurred  in  many 
other  districts  where  vvhole  counties  were  disfranchised  by  virtue  of  selling  their 
votes.     It  does  not  applv  to  Texas  alone. 

"Mr.  Box.  This  is  only  a  spot  and  we  do  not  want  this  spot  to  get  any  bigger. 

"Mr.  Vaile.  There  are  several  counties  in  Colorado  where  each  party  has  been 
accused  in  turn  of  voting  the  whole  county,  practically,  and  I  guess  this  accusation 
could  be  sustained  by  a  large  preponderance  of  the  evidence. 

"Mr.  Sabatu.  Why  a  few  years  ago  entire  counties  and  townships  were  indicted 
in  Indiana  and  Iowa  for  selU-ng  their  votes  at  $5  and  .filO  apiece. 

"Mr.  Vaile.  But  these  counties  in  Texas  are  voted  by  the  Mexicans. 

"  The  Chairman.  And  Judge  Sabath  -will  always  agree  Cook  County  is  always  clean? 

"  Mr.  Sabath.  I  do  not  think  it  is  any  cleaner  than  your  section. 

"The  Chairman.  Mine  is  clean. 

"  Mr.  Sab.ath.  Ours  is  as  clean  as  yours.     I  know  on  the  Democratic  side  it  is  clean. 

"Mr.  Box.  There  are  bad  spots  enough  in  all  of  them,  gentlemen;  we  do  not  want 
them,  to  get  anv  lugger,  that  is  all. " 

I  read  again  from  the  Texas  Senate  Journal,  the  record  of  the  same  election  contest, 
page  641: 

"Q.  You  don't  know  who  you  voted  for,  do  you?  Could  you  give  the  name  of 
anybody  you  voted  for  in  the  primary? — A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not.  He  handed  it  to  me 
and  I  put  it  there  in  the  presence  of  the  presiding  judge. 

"  Q.  In  the  November  election,  you  did  the  same  thing,  didn't  you? — A.  Yes,  sir." 

Now,  at  pages  G43  and  644;  this  is  another  Mexican  testifying  at  page  643: 

"Q.  When  you  got  there  in  the  November  election,  it  was  all  ready  for  you  then, 
too,  wasn't  it? — A.  It  was,  certainly. 

*      ,  *  *  *  *  *  * 

"Q.  Do  you  know  who  you  voted  for  in  the  regular  election  for  governor? — A.  I 
do  not,  sir. 

"  Q.  Do  you  know  who  you  voted  for  for  State  senator? — A.  Voted  for  Mr.  Democrata. 

"  Q.  For  Mr.  Democrata? — A.  Yes,  sir. 

"Q.  Who  was  he? — A.  I  don't  know  him,  sir. 

"Q.  Have  you  ever  met  him? — A.  No,  sir. 

"  Q.  Where  does  he  live? — A.  I  do  not  know  where  he  is  now.     That's  all  he  knows 
[this  is  the  interpreter  speaking],  is  Mr.  Democrata.     That's  all  he  knows  about  it. 
******* 

"  Q.  What  was  he  running  for? — A.  I  ignore  everything,  sir;  I  don't  know  anything 
about  it;  they  never  tell  us  anything. 

"Q.  They  never  tell  you  anything? — A.  They  tell  us  to  vote,  that  is  all. 

"  Q.  They  tell  you  to  vote.  And  in  the  November  election  they  had  all  the  tickets 
readv  there  and  you  just  come  in  and  get  a  ticket  and  stick  it  in  the  box? — A.  That 
is  all;  yes,  sir." 

To  avoid  further  burdening  your  record  I  will  not  quote  more,  though  the  amount 
of  such  matter  is  verv  alumdant. 

tt  has  been  stated  l)y  some  Avho  oppose  my  position  that  I  am  or  have  been  an 
employer  of  this  Mexican  peon  la])or.  The  statement  is  wholly  untrue  and  wholly 
Immatr'rial.  I  have  not  had  a  Mexican  in  my  employ  for  10  years,  and  think  I  have 
never  had.  So  far  as  I  know,  no  one  of  my  three  or  four  farm  tenants  employs  them 
nor  has  done  so.     I  exercise  no  control  over  the  employment  of  their  help. 

An  extract  from  a  statement  made  by  Congressman  John  C.  Box, 
of  Texas,  before  the  House  Committee  on  Immigration  and  Natural- 
ization, referred  to  by  Mr.  J.  IT.  Patten  in  liis  testimony,  is  herewith 
printed,  as  follows: 

Mr.  Box.  I  wisli  to  say  before  I  read  from  an  official  document  I  have  here,  that  I 
am  going  to  eliminate  names  of  counties  and  men  and  localities  in  order  to  eliminate 
any  personal  or  offensive  element  from  my  statement,  but  the  document  I  read  from 
is  the  Official  Journal  of  the  Senate  of  Texas,  and  I  will  give  you  the  book  and  page, 
as  I  go  along.  Before  doing  that  I  Avish  to  say  that  the  de]>lorable  conditions  disclosed 
by  this  record  in  some  localities  are  not  to  be  charged  to  the  best  elements  of  men  in 
east  or  Avest  Texas,  or  any  other  section.  There  are  always  enough  men  who  will  do 
wrong  in  politics  to  use  an  ignorant  herd  to  the  hurt  of  the  public.  There  are  good 
and  bad  elements  in  every  portion  of  Texas,  and  good  and  bad  men  in  every  sec- 


690 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 


tion  of  Texas,  and  those  of  us  who  want  the  best  thin<2;s  in  Texas  and  in  American 
life  do  not  want  the  forces  of  e\dl  stren<i:thened  anywhere. 

The  Mexicans  vote  in  Texas  in  great  numbers.  On  page  206  of  the  supplement  to 
the  Senate  Journal  of  Texas  of  the  thirty-sixth  legislature,  1919,  will  be  found  a  poll 
list  of  voters  at  one  box.  I  shall  omit  the  names  of  counties  and  officials  to  avoid  the 
offensive  features  about  the  locality.  I  will  try  to  call  a  few  of  the  names  and  the  list 
can  be  copied: 


Jose  Esparza. 
Francisco  Bueno. 
Tomas  Betts. 
Ramon  Es])arza. 
T.  ]M.  llarven. 
Remejio  Villarial. 
Julian  Sanclies. 
Ysidoro  Perez  Garza. 
Lino  Leal. 
Atanasio  IMartines. 
Hurwano  Cruiros. 
Matias  Torres. 
Antonio  Esparza. 
Pablo  Leal. 
Gregoria  Torres. 
Tomas  Rodriguez. 
Liamon  Guereno. 
Francisco  Esparza. 
Serapio  Pardo. 
Antonio  Rodriguez. 
Tirso  Gomes. 
Vicente  Rodriguez. 
T.  O.  Crockett. 

B.  E.  Crockett. 
John  C.  Frv. 

C.  C.  Wood. 
Cayetano  Garcia. 
A.  T.  Hood. 

V.  L.  ^'andabar. 
Margarito  Guerero. 
L.  E.  Keller. 
Jesus  Tapia. 
Marario  Martines. 
S.  P.  Young. 
Felisiano  Tapia. 
Simon  Garcia. 
Jesse  M.  Buck. 
H.  H.  Buck. 
J.  E.  Keller. 
Antonia  Garcia. 
Carlos  Eisparza. 
Ysidro  Garcia. 
Pedro  Esparza. 


Juadalupe  P>enavides. 
Wenceslao  Guzman. 
Juan  Leal. 
Foribio  Rodriguez. 
F.  Jesus  Cantu. 
Martin  Cavazos. 
Yida  Leslie. 
H.  \y.  Leslie. 
Maximo  Rodriguez. 
Apolinas  Rodriguez, 
Ernesto  Esparza. 
Esequiel  Cavazos. 
Hasedonio  Rodriguez. 
J.  F.  Moody. 
Rosalie  Rodriguez. 
L.  A.  Schiceger. 
Mrs.  L.  A.  Schiceger. 
Edward  Schiceger. 
E.  H.  Agee. 
Aniseto  Rodriguez. 
Elefonso  Gallegos. 
Luis  Aguire. 
Davi  Kellos. 
Desiderio  Yanes. 
Pablo  Silvas. 
Rocindo  Aguire. 
Desiderio  Tribinio. 
R.  G.  Garza. 
Juan  Ramos. 
Rafael  L.  Guerra. 
Evaristo  Canas. 
Yplito  Canales. 
Nestor  Alcala. 
Jose  Yanes. 
Susano  Gonzales. 
Modesto  Gonzales. 
A.  E.  Carmichail. 
Angel  Ramos. 
Cliofas  Gomez. 
Encarnacion  Martinis. 
Antonio  G.  Cavazos. 
(leorge  A.  Fearnow. 
Mrs.  George  A.  Fearnow. 


On  page  273  will  he  found  another  full  list  and  on  pages  274,  275,  448,  58G,  587, 
588,  and  tlie  book,  which  is  a  large  volume,  is  full  of  them. 

Their  influence  on  elections  is  very  bad.  I  am  going  to  show  how  they  vote  and 
their  effect.  I  am  going  to  show  before  I  get  tlu-ough  that  others  who  were  never 
naturalized  and  never  applied  for  naturalization  vote. 

Now,  this  is  an  examination  conducted  l)y  attorneys  in  an  election  contest  in  Texas 
[reading  from  supplement  of  the  Senate  Journal,  p.  158 1: 

'Q.  Who  is  in  control  of  the  politics  of  tlie  county — of  the  offices? — A.  ^Ir. •. 

"Q.  How  is  he  in  that  control? — A.  By  tlie  Mexican  vote. 

'■Q.  Through  that  Mexican  vote  doe.s  he  control  the  officers  in  the  county? — \. 
Yes,  sir. 

"Q.  The  countv  judge? — A.  Yes,  sir. 

"Q.  Sheriff?— A.  Yes,  sir. 

'■Q.  Commissioners  court? — A.  Yes,  sir. 

"Q.  And  the  other  oflicers? — A.  Yes,  sir. 

'■Q.  And  the  finances  of  the  county? — .V.  Yes,  sir. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  691 

"Q.  Does  Mr. control  the  appointment  of  the  people  who  hold  the  elections 

in  that  county? — A.  That's  the  way  I  understand  it." 

Pages  7fiO  and  761  show  the  testimony  of  a  member  of  the  Texas  Legislature,  a  man 
wlio  had  known  for  several  terms  about  conditions  down  there.  I  will  not  give  his 
name: 

'A.'  I  was  a  representativf ;  yes,  sir. 

"Q.  Of  what  counties? — A.  Well,  when  I  came  to  the  legislature,  in  1911,  I  was 

elected  in  1910,  came  in  1911,  and  I  represented ,  ,  ,  and 

Counties,  I  think  was  my  district  at  that  time.  At  a  called  session  of  that  legislature, 
the  legislature  redistricted  the  representative  districts  and  changed  it  until  it  is  now 

and and ■  Counties. 

*  -x-  *  *  *  *  * 

"Q.  Wlmi  legislatures  were  you  a  member  of? — A.  I  was  a  member  of  the  thirty- 
second,  thirty-third,  and  thirty-fourth." 

Now,  I  will  skip  quite  a  number  of  questions  that  throw  no  light  on  this  controversy. 
They  do  throw  a  little,  but  would  take  too  much  space: 

'■Q.  Was  there  at  that  time  a  discussion  of  the  illiterate  Mexican  vote  along  the 
border,  in  the  legislature? — A.  There  wasn't  as  great  a  discussion  as  there  has  Ijeen 
this  time,  but  almost  as  great.  There  were  charges  and  countercharges  of  men, 
different  sides,  each  side  charging  the  other  with  having  paid  the  poll  taxes  of  the 
Mexicans.     I  don't  know  whether  there  was  anything  going  on  here — " 

That  is  the  senate,  you  understand, 
''but  in  the  house  of  representatives  they  were  in  a  tmmoil  about  it.     One  man,  they 
were  asking  for  a  division  of  counties  down  there,  making  new  counties  and  the  people 

who  wanted  a  new  county,  in County,  alleged  that  one  boss  man  down  there, 

an  anti man  who  was  there  had  paid  enough  poll  taxes  to  control  the  election 

of  the  officers.  Now,  we  had  given  those  people  a  new  county;  they  had  come  to  us 
complaining  in  the  thirty-second  legislatiu'e  that  they  were  under  Mexican  rule — 
that  all  the  officers  down  there  were  Mexicans.     The  legislature  gave  them  a  county, 

called County,  and  they  were  going  back  there  to  get  together  and  elect  their 

officers  and  all  that  kind  of  doings.  In  the  thirty-third  legislatiu'e  those  people  come 
back  and  asked  for  a  division  of County — " 

That  is  the  new  one. 
'"on  the  ground  that  the  big  boss  had  gotten  their  poll  taxes  and  put  them  in  his 
safe  and  gotten  Mexican  officers  and  controlled  everything — everything  of  that  kind — - 
and  in  \-iew  of  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of  discussion  about  the  illiterate  voters." 

Mr.  Raker.  Is  it  not  a  crime  to  pay  the  poll  tax  of  a  man  who  must  have  paid  his 
poll  tax  to  secure  the  right  to  vote? 

Mr.  Box.  It  is;  but  all  criminal  law  is  not  enforced,  especially  where  the  local 
sentiment  is  against  it  and  where  there  is  a  big  degraded  element  that  figures  in  it. 
Here  is  a  letter  from  the  State  Democratic  chairman  of  Texas  relative  to  the  situation 
there.  I  will  just  give  the  part  of  it  on  this  situation.  This  is  on  page  838,  in 
speaking  of  a  contest  between  men  for  office  before  the  election,  and  the  State  Demo- 
cratic chairman  said : 

■'In  the  face  of  the  e\-ident  frauds  in  the  primary  election  in  your  senatorial  dis- 
trict, as  disclosed  l)efore  the  committee  on  credentials  at  Waco,  and  the  action  of  the 
State  Democratic  convention  in  declaring  — — ■ —  to  be  the  rightful  nominee  for  sena- 
tor, you  are  without  doubt  justified  in  asking  the  voters  of  that  senatorial  distiict  to 

scratch  the  name  of  • —  and  write  the  name  of  on   the   ticket   before 

casting  the  ballot  in  the  November  election." 

I  mention  these  things  as  showing  the  character  that  was  given  to  the  political 
contest  in  certain  localities.  I  do  not  exaggerate,  gentlemen,  when  I  tell  you  this 
entire  large  volume  is  full  of  that  kind  of  stuff,  which  it  took  weeks  to  develop,  and 
it  would  ])robably  take  weeks  for  you  to  hear  it  all. 

Mr.  Ki,i;czK.\.  When  was  that  contest? 

Mr.  Box.  In  1919. 

The  Ch.mkm.w.  Is  there  any  e^idence  in  there  as  to  how  they  voted  or  may  have 
voted  as  to  their  knowledge  of  the  candidates? 

Mr.  Box.  That  is  my  next  point.  They  are  very  ignorant.  I  read  from  page  62 — 
Oh,  no.  As  I  stated  a  while  ago,  we  have  l)ad  men  enough  and  ignorant  men  enough^ 
too  many  everywhere,  gentlemen.  And — I  do  not  want  to  "be  misunderstood— I 
have  been  all  over  that  coimtry,  and  there  are  as  fine  citizens  down  there  as  any- 
where in  the  world,  and  I  know  what  lots  of  them  think.  This  testimony  disclosed 
it.  You  can  get  half  a  do/.en  men  in  any  county  in  America  to  ask  for  certain  things, 
but  that  does  not  represent  what  the  great  mass"  of  the  men  and  women  of  the  United 
States  think. 


092  EMERGENCY    JMMIGIiATlOX    LEGISLATION. 

The  Chairman.  That  is,  asking  for  special  privileges? 

Mr.  Box.  Yes. 

Mr.  Kleczka.  Can  vou  tell  how  the  Texas  delegation  feels  on  this  subject? 

Mr.  Box.  I  do  not  feel  like  speaking  for  the  Texas  delegation,  but  I  have  •n-ritten 
in  my  statement  here  that  only  a  few  of  the  Texas  delegation  will,  in  my  judgment, 
vote  for  it. 

Mr.  Kleczka.  There  was  no  caucus? 

Mr.  Box.  Xo;  and  there  have  only  been  4  out  of  the  18  Members  to  come  before  us. 
I  read  from  page  62: 

"Q.  Now,  isn't  it  a  fact  that  the  way  you  got  that  ticket  that  the  chairman  of  the 
prec-inct,  Mr. ,  had  a  marked  ticket  and  showed  it  to  >ou? — A.  Marked  ticket? 

"Q.  Yes;  and  showed  it  to  you,  and  you  remembered  the  names? — A.  Well,  he 
told  me  the  way  we  ought  to  vote,  you  know,  but  he  did  not  have  a  marked  ticket. 
******* 

"Q.  What  did  he  say? — A.  Why,  he  just  stated  he  wanted  to  vote  for  these  candi- 
dates, and  I  just  said  it  was  my  opinion  to  vote  for  them  too,  myself. 

******* 

"Q.  Did  you  make  out  all  of  the  tickets  that  you  fixed  that  day  the  same  way, 
for  the  same  candidates? — A.  For  the  fellows  who  didn't  know  how  to  make  out  their 
own  tickets,  yes. 

"Q.  Made  them  all  the  same  way? — A.  Because  I  asked  them  who  they  wanted  ta 
A'ote  for,  and  they  said  'We  will  do  it  the  way  you  are  going  to  vote,  you  know.' 

"Q.  They  said,  'We  will  do  it  the  way  you  are  going  to  vote'? — A.  Yes;  and  I  voted 
it  just  the  way  I  did  my  own. 

******* 

"  0.  And  you  made  out  about  half  of  the  tickets  of  that  box? — A.  About  half." 

Mr.  Raker.  In  other  words,  the  tickets  are  printed,  and  the  man  in  charge  can 
take  the  ticket  and  scratch  it  or  write  any  man's  name  he  de=ii'es  and  hand  it  to  the 
judge  of  the  election;  the  voter  can  vote  for  anyone;  is  not  that  the  wav? 

Mr.  Box.  The  names  are  printed  on  the  ticket,  and  you  have  to  scratch  out  those 
for  whom  you  do  not  vote  and  to  leave  in  those  you  do  vote  for. 

Mr.  Rakek.  And  if  you  want  to  vote  for  somebody  not  on  the  ticket,  then  you 
write  in  the  name? 

Mr.  Box.  Then  you  write  in  the  name;  ye.s,  sir. 

Mr.  Raker.  There  is  no  official  guarding  the  ricket  or  the  ballot? 

Mr.  Box.  There  should  be.  Thelaw  pro^•ide?  one.  but  the  law  is  not  always  car- 
ried out. 

Mr.  Kleczka.  The  law  permits  assistance? 

Mr.  Box.  Yes.  And.  for  instance,  if  you  had  a  box  in  which  there  were  only  one 
or  two  white  men  in  the  whole  region,  and  every  man  who  held  office  in  the  county, 
or  every  man  who  participated  in  the  election  was  of  this  same  class  and  had  these 
same  political  ideas,  and  people  who  do  not  laiow,  who  do  not  know  even  what  the 
Democratic  Party  is,  do  the  voting — and  it  is,  indeed,  true,  they  do  not  know  what 
the  Democratic  Party  is.     They  come  out  to  vote  and  say,  "IvoteforMr.  Democrata." 

On  page  641  I  will  read  one  or  two  questions  and  answers  of  voters  who  testitied : 

"Q.  You  don't  know  who  you  voted  for,  do  you?  Could  you  give  the  name  of 
anybody  j^ou  voted  for  in  the  primary? — A.  No,  sir;  I  did  not." 

Mr.  Vaile.   "I  could  not,"  he  meant? 

Mr.  Box.  That  is  what  he  meant,  but  the  reporter  has  it  ''I  did  not." 

The  Chairman'.  This  is  a  Mexican  who  is  testifying? 

Mr.  Box.  Yes;  and  he  had  to  use  an  interpreter. 

The  Chairman.  He  was  not  a  naturalized  American. 

Mr.  Box.  I  did  not  see  as  to  this  one.  I  am  going  to  give  the  names  ofa  good  many, 
but  I  just  give  these  to  show  the  character  of  the  vote.     [Reading:] 

"He  handed  it  to  me  and  I  put  it  there  in  the  presence  of  the  presiding  judge. 

"Q.  In  the  November  election,  you  did  the  same  thing,  didn't  you? — A.  Yes,  sir." 

Now.  at  pages  643  and  644:  this  is  another  Mexican  testif>-ing.  at  page  643: 

"Q.  When  you  got  there  in  the  November  election,  it  was  all  ready  for  you  then, 
too,  wasn't  it? — A.  It  was,  certainly. 

******* 

"Q.  Do  you  know  who  you  voted  for  in  the  regular  election  for  governor? — A.  I 
do  not.  sir. 

"Q.  Do  you  know  who  you  voted  for  for  State  senator? — A.  Voted  for  Mr.  Demo- 
crata. 

"Q.  For  Mr.  Democrata? — A.  Yes,  sir. 

"Q.  Who  was  he? — A.  I  don't  know  him.  sir. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATIOX   LEGISLATION.  693 

"Q.  Have  you  ever  met  him? — A.  No,  sir." 

f  Laughter.] 

The  Chatrmax.  Mr.  Democrata  is  a  powerful  indi\'idual  in  Texas,  is  he  not? 

Mr.  Box.  Yes;  he  is  a  giant  down  there.  But  he  does  not  have  to  have  all  these 
votes  to  win  and  we  do  not  want  him  to  win  by  that  sort  of  votes.     [Reading:] 

"Q.  Have  you  ever  met  him? — A.  No,  sir. 

"Q.  Where"  does  he  live? — A.  I  do  not  know  where  he  is  now.  That's  all  he 
knows  [this  is  the  interpreter  speaking],  is  Mr.  Democrata.  That's  all  he  knows 
about  it. 

******* 

"Q.  What  was  he  running  for? — A.  I  ignore  everything,  sir;  I  don't  know  any- 
thing about  it;  they  never  tell  us  anything. 

"Q.  They  never'tell  you  anything? — A.  They  tell  us  to  vote^that  is  all. 

"Q.  They  tell  you  to  vote;  and  in  the  November  election  they  had  all  the  tickets 
ready  there,  and  you  just  come  in  and  get  a  ticket  and  stick  it  in  the  box? — A.  That 
is  all;  yes,  sir." 

******* 

The  Chairman.   I  think  vou  could  go  on  with  them  almost  indefinitely. 
Mr.  Box.  I  could  submit  hundn>ds  of  such  cases. 
The  Chairman.  You  have  submitted  enough,  I  think. 

MR.    J.    H.    PATTEN. 

A  brief  in  favor  of  the  numerical  limitation  of  immigration  and 
certain  other  data  supplemental  to  the  statement  made  on  Wednes- 
day, January  19,  1921,  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Patten,  representing  the  Patriotic 
Order  Sons  of  America,  are  herewith  printed  in  full,  as  follows: 

BRIEF   IN    FAVOR    OF   THE    NU.MERICAL   LIMITATION    OF    IMMIGRATION. 

[Section  9  of  H.  R.  12320,  introduced  bv  the  chairman  of  the  House  Committee  on  Immigration  Feb. 

4,  1920.] 

The  percentage,  or  numerical  limitation  proA  isions  of  H.  R.  12320  limits  the  number 
of  aliens  from  any  nation  who  may  come  in,  during  any  year,  to  such  percentage 
bet.xeen  20  and  50  of  the  number  of  males  of  such  nationality  naturalized  in  the 
United  States  at  the  date  of  the  preceding  census,  as  the  Itr'ecretary  of  Labor  may  fix, 
having  regard  to  labor  conditions  here. 

Aliens  returning  from  a  temporary  visit  abroad,  aliens  coming  to  join  certain  rela- 
tives, and  certain  classes  of  professioiial  persons  may  enter  in  addition  to  the  maximum 
fixed  by  the  bill. 

The  bill  does  not  apply  to  nati^  es  of  the  Western  Hemisphere,  and  lea^■es  oriental 
immigration  to  be  regulated  as  at  present. 

A.  Further  restriction  of  immigration  both  as  to  quantity  and  quality  is  essential  to 
the  preservation  of  American  ideals  and  institutions. 

Prior  to  1880  immigration  was  chiefly  from  races  akin  to  the  original  settlers  in 
race,  institutions,  and  historical  background.  Since  1880  the  opposite  is  the  case. 
In  1 880.  65  per  cent  of  the  total  immigration  came  from  northern  and  western  Eiu-ope. 
In  1914,  the  last  year  of  large  immigration  before  the  v.ar,  G8  per  cent  of  the  total 
immigration  was  of  the  Sla\  ic  and  1  Ifcric  races  of  eastern  and  southern  Europe .  ^^^lat- 
ever  the  merits  of  these  latter  races  of  immigrants,  they  are  not  familiar  with  demo- 
cratic institutions,  are  largely  ignorant  of  the  English  language,  and  until  the  act  of 
1917  were  more  than  one-third  illiterate  even  as  to  their  own  language. 

As  Crustav  Le  Ikin  says,  too  large  a  preponderance  of  foreigners  (meaning  those 
foreign  in  ideas  and  customs)  destroys  that  most  ^  ital  possession  of  a  nation — its  own 
soul.  Tlie  downfall  of  nearly  every  great  civilization  has  l)een  due  in  large  part  to 
the  peaceful  invasion  of  large  numbers  of  persons  ha\ing  different  aims  and  customs. 

B.  Further  restriction  of  immigraticm  both  as  to  quantity  and  (juality  is  essential 
to  the  Americanization  of  immigrants  already  here  and  those  to  be  admitted  hereafter. 

To  attempt  to  assimilate  the  enormous  immigrant  population  already  here,  to  teach 
it  our  language  and  something  of  our  history  and  go\ernmeut,  above  all,  to  imbue  it 
with  our  traditions  and  ideals,  in  the  face  of  an  additional  immigration  of  a  million  or 
more  a  year,  is  a  hopeless  task.  It  is  like  trying  to  keep  a  leaking  boat  dry  without 
stoi)ping  the  leak. 

Acleciuate  assimilation  means  not  only  great  labor  and  expense,  but  it  requires  time. 
It  requires  something  more  than  evening  classes  for  adults  and  Hag  exercises  in  the 
schools.     Manv  aliens  are  settled  in  communities  where  thev  hear  only  their  own 


694  EMERGENCY    IMMIGllATION    LEGISLATION. 

lansuago,  and  read,  if  they  are  a])le  to  read,  only  newspapers  in  that  language.  The 
most  potent  aasiniilati%'e  force  is  contact  and  exchange  of  ideas  with  the  nati\e  popu- 
lation. This  requires  time,  even  in  the  case  of  the  children.  Meanwhile  we  neetl 
elbowroom  to  make  adequate  progress  with  those  already  here. 

C.  The  preservation  of  American  institutions  and  the  a.ssimilation  of  immigrants 
demand  that  the  bulk  of  further  immigration  should  be  of  kindred  races._ 

It  is  obviou.s  that  those  whose  home  government,  institutions,  and  habits,  are  more 
akin  to  our  own  will  most  easilv  fit  into  our  life  here  and  be  the  easiest  to  assimilate 
socially,  economically,  and  politically. 

D.  The  jiroposed  bill  operates  along  the  same  lines  as  the  reading  test  in  the  act 
of  1917,  but  is  needed  to  supplement  that  test. 

In  the  opinion  of  Government  officials  and  expert  students  of  the  matter,  the  reading 
test  has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  valuable  features  of  the  law.  In  1917,  the  total 
number  of  illiterates*  over  14  years  of  age  admitted  was  35,510;  in  191S,  the  total 
number  of  illiterates  admitted  over  16  years  of  age,  under  the  exceptions  in  the  law, 
was  3,772;  in  1919,  2,827.  The  reduction  was  effected  chiefly  in  the  aliens  from 
southern  and  eastern  Europe,  where  the  rate  of  illitciracy  is  high.  The  reading  test 
has  also  proved  valuable  in  excluding  feeble-minded  and  other  defective  persons 
who  might  not  have  been  excluded  without  it. 

But  the  effect  of  the  reading  test  will  presently  diminish;  partly  through  the 
natural  spreading  of  education  to  the  countries  backward  in  that  respect,  partly 
because  those  same  countries  will  make  special  efforts  to  promote  elementary  educa- 
tion. This  latter  effect  of  the  law  is  noticeable  in  Italy,  where,  since  the  passage 
of  the  test,  preparations  are  being  made  to  make  reading  available  to  all  intending 
emigrants.  The  increase  in  popular  education  abroad  is  one  of  the  beneficial  results 
of  our  present  immigration  law. 

Therefore  some  measure  operating  along  the  same  lines  is  needed  to  supplement 
the  reading  test  before  the  latter  begins  to  lose  its  effect. 

E.  The  proposed  bill,  while  reducing  the  total  volume  of  immigration,  reduces 
it  chiefly  as  to  those  countries  of  eastern  and  southern  Europe  whose  emigrants  are 
less  easily  assimilated  here. 

As  stated  above  under  A  and  B,  what  is  needed  is  that  aliens  shall  not  be  allowed 
to  come  in  faster  than  they  can  be  assimilated.  This  implies  a  reduction  of_  the 
total  number  from  the  million  a  year  who  came  to  us  before  the  war;  and  especially 
a  reduction  in  such  a  way  that  the  bulk  of  immigration  shall  be  of  the  kindred  races 
of  northern  and  western  Europe. 

The  proposed  limitation,  under  its  maximum  provision  of  50  per  cent,  would  have 
had  the  following  effect  in  a  year  of  normally  large  immigration  like  1914: 

Northern  and  western  Europe,  actually  admitted,  189,177;  admissible  under  bill, 
1,090,500.  Southern  and  eastern  Europe,  actually  admitted,  945,288;  admissible 
under  bill,  279,288. 

In  other  words,  the  total  European  immigration  would  have  been  reduced  to  4S 
per  cent  of  the  actual  volume  by  reducing  the  immigration  from  southern  and  eastern 
Europe  to  29  per  cent  of  its  actual  A'olume. 

The  proposed  limitation,  under  its  minimum  provision  of  20  per  cent,  would  have 
had  the  following  effect  in  1914:  Northern  and  western  Europe,  actually  admitted, 
189,177;  admissible  under  bill,  436,200.  Southern  and  eastern  Europe,  actually 
admitted,  945,288;  admissible  under  bill,  111,715. 

In  other  words,  the  total  European  immigration  would  have  been  reduced  to  26 
per  cent  of  its  actual  volume,  by  reducing  the  immigration  from  southern  and  eastern 
Europe  to  12  per  cent  of  its  actual  volume. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  number,  admissible  under  the  limitation,  from  northern 
and  western  I"]urope,  is  much  larger  than  actually  came  in  1914,  and  than  is  likely  to 
come  in  any  future  year. 

It  is  possible  that  some  increase  of  these  races  might  take  place  when  they  are 
no  longer  so  subject  to  the  overwhelming  competition  of  the  races  from  southern  and 
eastern  Europe.  In  the  past,  such  competition  has  been  a  powerful  factor  in  checking 
immigration  from  northern  and  western  Euro)>e.  But  much  increase  is  not  likely 
and  if  it  took  place,  being  of  kindred  races  it  would  be  more  e.isily  assimilated. 

K.  The  proposed  numerical  limitation  would  discriminate  against  those  less  assimil- 
able. 

Most  of  the  arguments  in  favor  of  the  reading  test  (set  forth  in  publications  Nos. 
56  and  63)  support  this  proposal  also.  The  races  of  eastern  and  southern  Europe  are 
relatively  illiterate;  and  investigation  has  shown  that  illiteracy  gops  hand  in  hand 
with  various  other  undesirable  qualities  which  make  assimilation  difficult. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  695 

The  recent  immigration,  for  example,  does  not  distribute  itself  over  the  country  to 
build  up  new  communities,  as  did  the  earlier;  but  tends  to  congregate  in  certain 
States,  in  the  large  cities  of  those  States,  and  in  the  congested  districts  of  those  cities. 

The  census  of  1910,  Volume  I.  population,  page  814,  showed  that  the  States  of  New 
York,  New  Jersey,  and  Pennsylvania  contained  67.8  per  cent  of  all  the  Rumanians 
in  the  United  States:  64  per  cent  of  all  the  Hungarians:  58.4  per  cent  of  all  the  Ital- 
ians: and  55.7  per  cent  of  all  the  Russians.  This  compares  with  34.8  per  cent  of  the 
English.  3.3.8  per  cent  of  the  French,  30.2  per  cent  of  the  Germans,  and  13.2  per  cent 
of  the  Swedes. 

Volume  I,  page  818,  showed  that  78.6  per  cent  of  those  from  eastern  and  southern 
Europe  live  in  cities  as  compared  with  68.3  per  cent  of  those  from  northern  and  west- 
ern Europe.  Volume  I,  page  1273,  shows  that,  of  those  unable  to  speak  P^nglish, 
69.2  per  cent  live  in  cities. 

In  1900,  Chicago  contained  91  per  cent  of  all  the  Poles  in  Illinois,  and  84  per  cent  of 
all  the  Italians.  New  York  City  contained  47  per  cent  of  all  the  Poles  in  the  State, 
80  per  cent  of  all  the  Italians,  and  94  per  cent  of  all  the  Russian  Jews.  The  Seventh 
Special  Report  of  the  United  States  Commissioner  of  Labor  (1894,  p.  44)  showed  that 
natives  of  Austria-Hungary,  Italy,  Poland,  and  Russia  constituted  six  times  their 
normal  proportion  in  the  slums  of  Baltimore,  seven  times  in  Chicago,  five  times  in 
New  York  and  twenty-six  times  in  Philadelphia. 

This  tendency  to  slum  life  is  largely  due  to  ignorance  of  gainful  trades,  and  in  part 
to  lack  of  savings.  The  report  of  the  Industrial  Commission  showed  that  in  1900, 
while  the  British  and  Germans  brought  mth  them  .$30  to  .$40  per  capita,  the  southern 
Italians,  Poles  and  Hebrews  l)rought  less  than  SIO. 

G.  The  basis  of  the  proposed  numerical  limitation  of  annual  immigration  from  20 
to  50  per  cent  of  the  males  of  any  nationality  naturalized  at  the  date  of  the  last  census, 
is  a  sound  one. 

The  l)est  test  of  assimilation  and  of  the  desire  of  those  of  any  race  to  throw  in  their 
lot  with  us  permanently  is  the  degree  to  which  they  become  naturalized.  Races  who 
do  this  are  in  general  those  most  nearly  kindred  to  us,  as  appears  from  the  following 
table. 

The  Census  of  1910,  Volume  I,  page  1072,  gave  the  proportion  of  foreign-born  males 
of  voting  age  who  were  naturalized,  for  the  nations  specified,  as  follows: 

Northern  and  western  Europe:  I  Eastern  and  southern  Europe: 

Germany 69.  5  Turkey  in  Europe 43.  0 

Wales . .'. 69.  2  i  Rumania 28.  8 

Ireland 67.  8  Russia 26. 1 

Sweden 62.  8  Portugal 24.  9 

Austria 24.  6 

Turkey  in  Asia 21.2 

Italy 17.7 

Spain 16.  4 

Hungary 14.  3 

Greece 6  6 


Switzerland 61 

Denmark 61.  6 

Norwav 57.  1 

Netherlands 56.  8 

France 49.  6 

Belgium 43.  0 


H.  H.  R.  12320  does  not  in  any  way  repeal  or  modify  the  present  laws  excluding 
oriental  immigration.     It  is  entirely  different  from  the  so-called  "Gulick"  bill. 

Whatever  the  merits  of  the  Chinese,  Japanese,  and  Hindus  may  be,  the  public 
opinion  of  this  country  is  entirely  justified  in  demanding  that  they  be  substantially 
excluded,  as  at  present,  and  not  allowed  to  come  into  economic  competition  here 
\vith  our  manual  workers. 

The  Gulick  bill  rejieals  all  specific  oriental  exclusion  aud  retains  as  the  only  barrier 
a  percentage  limitation.  Although  the  Gulick  bill  is  also  a  numerical  limitation 
plan,  its  basis  for  exclusion  is  different  from  that  of  H.  R.  12320:  and,  in  the  opinion 
of  experts,  the  Gulick  plan  might  allow  several  million  orientals  to  be  here  at  the  end 
of  50  years.  We  have  had  a  troublesome  experience  with  the  African  races,  and  we 
ought  not  to  risk  any  repetition  of  this  trouble  with  the  Asiatic  races.  It  may  be  noted 
that  the  exclusion  of  orientals  from  Australia,  New  Zealand,  and  Canada  is  rnuch  more 
rigid  than  from  the  United  States. 

H.  R.  12320  should  not  be  associated  with  the  Gulick  bill.  They  are  entirely 
different  propositions. 

I.  The  time  to  adopt  adequate  measures  of  restriction  is  now. 

The  war  acted  for  several  years  as  the  st  rongest  kind  of  a  check  upon  all  immigration . 
The  best  expert  opinion  is  that  immigration  will  increase  very  rapidly  from  now  on. 
For  some  years  to  come,  work  of  reconstruction  may  tend  to  keep  at  home  the  better 
sorts  of  workingmen  in  northwestern  Europe.     On  the  other  hand,  the  disturbed 


696  emergexc;y  immigration  legislatiox. 

political  conditions  in  eastern  Europe,  and  the  destruction  of  many  homes,  will  tend 
to  uproot  many  families  and  make  them  more  ready  to  try  life  on  another  continent. 
The  steamship  com])anie8,  who  know  that  immigjants  are  the  most  profitable  cargo 
they  can  carry,  will  be  ea>?er  to  turn  this  feelinj,'  of  unsettlement  to  their  profit  by 
inducing  as  many  as  possible  to  come  hither.  Those  having  the  least  stake  in  their 
own  country,  and  those  not  likely  to  have  a  large  interest  in  any  country  are  the  easiest 
to  persuade. 

We  should  therefore  be  prepared  for  a  largely  increased  immigration,  probably  of 
a  lower  grade  than  heretofore. 

Copy  of  order  issued  by  .Secretary  W.  B.  Wilson,  February  12,  1920: 

Department  of  Labor, 

Office  of  Secretary, 
Wa-shhigton,  February  12,  1920. 
To  the  CoMMLssioNER  General  of  Immigration: 

Pending  action  by  Congress  on  proposed  legislation  in  re  admission  of  laborers  for 
agricultural  pursuits  to  meet  conditions  such  as  are  claimed  to  exist  in  States  on  the 
northern  and  southern  borders  and  in  the  State  of  Florida,  you  are  hereby  directed, 
until  further  instructed,  to  put  in  force  in  States  on  said  borders  and  in  the  State  of 
Florida  the  regulations  existing  January  1,  1920,  relating  to  the  admission  of  laborers 
in  States  on  the  southern  border  and  in  Florida. 

W.  B.  Wilson, 

Secretary. 


United  States  Department  of  labor. 

Bureau  of  Immigration, 
Washington,  February  6,  1920. 
Hon.  Albert  Johnson,  M.  C, 

Chairman  Committee  on  Immigration  and  Naturalization, 

House  of  Representatives,  Washington,  D.  C. 
My  Dear  Mr.  Johnson:  Inclosed  please  find  the  form  which  you  have  requested. 
I  believe  that  some  changes  were  made  in  this  form  after  this  was  sent  out;  hence, 
the  statement  in  recent  communications  from  the  department  to  you  that  it  had  wired 
to  El  Paso  for  the  copy  that  has  been  used  lately.  I  do  not  think  that  any  substantial 
changes  were  made  in  this  form.  As  soon  as  I  receive  the  copy  from  El  Paso  1  will 
transmit  that  also. 


\'ery  truly,  yours, 


A.  Caminetti, 
Commissioner  General. 


FORM    OF    CONTRACT. 


This  agreement  or  undertaking  entered  into  by of ^vith  the  United 

States  of  America,  for  the  consideration  hereinafter  expressed,  having  for  its  purpose, 
among  others,  the  importation,  for  employment  in  agricultural  jiursuits  only,  of  alien 
laborers  from  the  Republic  of  Mexico  under  the  terms  of  the  luitcd  States  Depart- 
ment of  Labor  circular  of  April  12,  1918,  and  regulations  thereunder  of  April  12,  1918, 
and  May  10,  1918,  issued  by  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration,  and  such 
regulations  as  may  hereafter  issue,  excepting  from  the  contract  labor,  head  tax,  and 
illiteracy  test  provisions  of  t>he  immigration  act  of  February  5,  J917,  alien  agricultural 
laborers  imported  from  Mexico,  witnesseth* 

1.  (a)  That  — [If  the  signer  of  this  contract  is  a  firm,  aissociation,  or  corporation, 

state  which  and  how  created.]. 

(6)  That [State  location  and  nature  of  business  in  any  event.]. 

(c)  That [State  whether  importer  owns  land  to  be  cultivated,  or  is  a  lessee; 

also  whether  importer  leases  to  tenants  on  any  basis,  and  if  so.  what  basis.]. 

(d)  That [State  whether  aliens  are  to  be  employed  directly  or  indirectly 

by  importer,  and  if  indirectly,  in  what  manner;  also,  character  of  work  imported 
laborers  are  to  perform.]. 

2.  That  the  duration  of  employment  of  said  alien  agricultural  laliorers  shall  be 
for  a  period  of  time  not  to  exceed  six  months,  unless  the  period  lie  extended  l)y  the 
inspector  in  charge  United  States  Immigration  Service  at  the  port  where  said  aliens 
entered;  said  extension  to  be  subject  to  the  apjiroval  in  writing  of  the  appropriate 
United  States  employment  agent  nearest  to  the  site  of  employment. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATIOlSr   LEGISLATION.  697 

Further,  tliat  in  order  to  conform  in  every  respect  to  the  reguhitions  prescribed  by 

the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration,  the  undersigned  obligates as  follows: 

That,  in  consideration  of  the  consent  of  the  United  States  of  America  to  the  importa- 
tion of  such  alien  laborers,  and  their  exception,  as  hereinbefore  referred  to.  from  the 
operation  of  the  contract  labor,  head  tax,  and  illiteracy  provisions  of  the  immigration 

act  of  February  5,   1917,  the  undersigned  [Insert  "jointly  and  severally" 

where  more  than  one  principal  is  signatory  to  the  agreement] undertake • 

and  agree  —  with  the  United  States  of  America,  that  any  alien  laborers  imported  by 
the  undersigned  from  Mexico,  pursuant  to  the  terms  of  this  agreement  will  be  em- 
ployed exclusively  in  agricultural  pursuits;  that  three  unmounted  and  unretouched 
photographs  and  a  like  number  of  an  a])propriate  form  of  identification  card  will  be 
furnisiied  as  to  each  of  such  aliens;  that  at  the  final  termination  of  the  authorized 
stay  in  the  United  States  of  alien  laborers  imported  hereunder,  they  will  be  returned 
by  the  undersigned  without  expense  to  the  United  States,  and  delivered  to  the  im- 
migration officer,  or  officers,  at  the  port  through  which  they  entered;  that  monthly 
reports  will  be  made  on  or  before  the  15th  day  of  each  month  by  the  undersigned 
to  the  officers  of  the  Immigration  Service  at  the  port  where  entry  is  effected,  and  to 
the  appropriate  immigration  officer  at  or  nearest  the  place  of  employment,  showing 
by  identification  card  number,  the  name,  location,  and  character  of  employment  of 
each  such  alien,  and  the  name  of  the  employer  on  the  last  day  of  the  preceding  month; 
that  the  undersigned  will  immediately  report  all  desertions  and  other  failure  of  aliens 
to  comply  with  the  conditions  of  their  admission,  to  the  immigration  officer  in  charge 
at  the  port  of  entry,  and  to  the  immigration  officer  nearest  to  the  point  where  the  said 
aliens  are  located  or  where  desertion  occurs,  including  in  such  reports  all  the  facts  in 
connection  with  said  desertion,  so  far  as  the  same  can  be  gathered,  and  all  the  informa- 
tion which  can  be  obtained  concerning  the  reasons  for  such  desertion,  the  location 
of  the  aliens,  the  nature  of  their  subsequent  employment,  what  steps  were  taken  to 
prevent  their  desertion,  and  what  steps  are  being  taken  to  effect  a  return  of  the  aliens 
to  their  work  or  to  the  port  of  entry;  that  the  undersigned  will  use  every  reasonable 
means  to  prevent  such  desertions  by  insisting  upon  proper  living  conditions,  including 
proper  housing,  proper  feeding,  and  proper  care  for  the  welfare  generally  of  such  aliens; 
that  with  respect  to  housing  and  sanitation  the  laws  and  rules  of  the  States  in  idiieh 
the  laborers  are  employed  will  be  observed  by  the  undersigned,  and  if  the  States  in 
which  such  laborers  are  employed  have  no  laws  mth  respect  to  housing  and  sanitation, 
then  conditions  of  housing  and  sanitation  will  be  maintained  at  all  times  by  the  under- 
signed in  a  manner  satisfactory  to  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  it  being  understood,  however, 
that  such  aliens  may  feed  or  house  themselves  if  they  so  elect;  that  the  undersigned 

will  endeavor  by  every  lawful  means  at command,  and  without  expense  to  the 

United  States,  to  return  to  the  port  of  entry  all  such  aliens  as  persist  in  engaging  in 
pursuits  other  than  agricultural,  and  where  such  removal  to  the  port  of  entry  is  resisted, 
will  present  the  facts  to  the  nearest  immigration  officer  for  appropriate  action;  that 
"where  the  Department  of  Labor  considers  it  necessary  to  deport  any  agricultural 
laborer  imported  under  the  terms  of  this  agreement,  all  expenses  in  connection  M'ith 
the  arrest,  detention,  and  deportation  will  be  borne  by  the  Government,  or  the  im- 
porter, or  the  alien,  in  the  discretion  of  the  Secretary  of  Labor. 

That  the  undersigned  will  see  to  it  that  all  aliens  imported  hereunder  are  paid  the 
current  rate  of  wages  prevailing  for  similar  labor  in  the  community  where  they  are 

employed,  in  no  event,  however,  to  be  less  than  S per  day  per  man  and  ' ' found, ' ' 

or  § per  day  per  man  as  to  those  aliens  who  subsist  themselves.     [Strike  out 

inappropriate  clause.] 

That  no  transfer  of  anj'  such  laborers  from  one  State  to  another  will  he  made  by  the 
undersigned  without  the  prior  written  consent  of  the  appropriate  X'nited  States  em- 
ployment agent  in  the  State  to  which  said  transfer  is  contemplated,  and,  tliatin  the 
event  of  the  transfer  of  any  such  laborers  from  one  State  to  another  or  from  one  point 
to  another  within  a  State,  the  undersigned  will,  before  audi  transfer  is  made  or  imme- 
diately  thereafter,  fully  advise  the  immigi-ation  officers  at  or  nearest  the  place  from 
which  transfer  is  made  or  contemplated  of  the  changes  made  or  contemplated  to  be 
made,  furnishing  such  offi<ials  wiih  a  statement  of  the  names  of  such  laborers,  their 
identification  card  numl>ers,  and  the  name  and  location  of  their  new  employer;  a 
copy  of  such  statement  will  in  every  case  be  likewise  furnished  to  the  inspector  in 
charge  of  the  Immigration  Service  at  the  port  through  which  the  aliens  transferred 
or  to  be  transferred  entered  the  LTnited  States. 

That  all  alien  laborers  imported  hereunder  will  be  brought  tln-ough  a  designated 

immigration  port  of  entry  and  there  presented  by  the  undersigned,  or duly 

authorized  agent  or  agents,  to  the  immigration  officers  for  proper  medical  and  civil 
inspection,  as  well  as  registration. 

26911— 21— PT  14 4 


698  k.mkij(;kxcy  immigration  legislation. 

That  the  undersigned  herel)y  undertakes  in  tlie  hiKhest  good  faith,  and  to  the  ut- 
most of his  ability,  to  conform  to  all  the  conditions  imposed  by  the  United 

States  of  America  in  this  connection:  and  it  is  further  understood  and  agreed  that  in 
view  of  the  mutual  considerations  hereinl)cfore  expressed,  failure  of  the  iindersigned 

to  al)ide  by  or  fulfill  any  one  of  the  conditions  undertaken  by herein  will  be 

Bufhcient  caiise  for  tiie  Secretary  of  Labor,  in  his  discretion,  to  direct  that  any  or  ail 
of  the  aliens  imported  hereunder  l)e  returned  by  the  undersigned  immediately  to  the 
port  or  ports  of  entry,  without  expense  to  the  f  Jovernment,  for  their  return  to  Mexico, 
and  to  deny  to  the  undersigned  the  privilege  of  importing  any  other  laborers  under 

the  Department  of  Labor "s  exceptions  aforesaid:  and  the  undersigned  agree 

that  for  the  consideration  hereinbefore  expressed  will,  in  tlie  event  of  such 

forfeiture,  cause  any  such  alien  or  aliens  as  may  be  designated  by  the  Secretary  of 
Labor  for  that  purpose,  to  be  returned  to  the  port  or  ports  of  entry,  without  expense 
to  the  Government;  and  it  is  further  understood  and  agreed  that  waiver  of  forfeiture 
in  any  specific  instance  will  not  prejudice  the  future  rights  of  the  United  States  of 
America  in  that  respect. 

In  witness  whereof,  the  said execute  these  presents  by  signing  and  sealing 

the  same  at this day  of ,  ]92 — . 


Witnesses  (two  as  to  each  signer): 

— ,  address 

,  address 


Signature [.seal.] 

At , 

— ,  192—. 


The  undersigned  hereby  authorize as agent  to  do  and  perform  all 

manner  of  things  which as  principal  might  properly  do  under  the  terms  of  a 

contract  entered  into  with  the  United  States  of  America  dated  at  — on  the 

day  of  — ; — r- —  192 — ,  having  for  its  purpose  the  importation  from  Mexico  of 

alien  agiicultural  lal)orers. 


IN.STRUCTIONS     TO     COMMI.SSIONERS     OF     IMMICtRATIOX     CONCERNIN'G     .SL'.SPEN.'ION     OF 

certain  provisions. 

Departme.nt  of  Labor, 
Office  of  the  Secretary, 

Washington,  May  2.3,  1917. 
Commissioners  of  immigration,  inspectors  in  charge,  and  others  concerned: 

The  ninth  proviso  to  section  3  of  the  immigration  act  of  February  5,  1917,  reads: 
"Provided  further,  That  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  with  the  approval 
of  the  Secretary  of  Labor  shall  issue  rules  and  prescribe  conditions,  including  exaction 
of  such  bonds  as  may  be  necessary-,  to  control  and  regulate  the  admsision  and  return 
of  otherwise  inadmissible  aliens  applying  for  temporary  admission."  "^Tiile,  obvi- 
ously, this  special  exception  to  general  provisions  of  law  should  be  construed  strictly 
and  should  not  be  resorted  to  except  with  the  object  of  meeting  extraordinary  situ- 
ations or  conditions,  it  can  be  and  should  be  availed  of  whenever  an  emergent  con- 
dition arises.  With  agricultural  pursuits  such  a  condition  now  exists  in  certain 
sections  of  the  country  and  is  likely  to  arise  in  other  sections  during  the  continuance 
of  the  war.  The  department  therefore  issues  the  following  instructions  for  the  infor- 
mation and  guidance  of  all  concerned: 

Not'ttdthstanding  the  provisions  of  section  3  of  the  immigration  act  excluding  aliens 
who,  (a)  being  over  IG  years  of  age  and  physically  capable  of  reading,  "can  not  read 
the  English  language,  or  some  other  language  or  dialect,"  (the  "illiteracy  test"),  or 
(6)  "who  have  been  induced,  assisted,  encouraged,  or  solicited  to  migrate  to  this 
country  by  offers  or  promises  of  employment  *  *  *  or  in  consequence  of  agree- 
ments, oral,  written  or  printed,  express  or  implied,  to  perform  labor  in  this  country 
of  any  kind,  skilled  or  unskilled"  (the  "contract  labor  clause"),  aliens  who  in  all 
other  respects  are  admissible  under  said  law  and  who  are^]lown  to  be  coming  to  the 
United  States  for  the  puri)ose  of  accepting  employment  in  agricultural  pursuits,  shall 
be  admitted  upon  the  conditions  hereinafter  specified. 

The  alien  applying  for  admission  or  someone  in  his  behalf  shall  furnish  two  un- 
mounted photographs  (jf  the  applicant,  and  a  complete  personal  description  of  such 
applicant  shall  be  taken;  these  shall  be  used  in  jireparing,  in  duplicate,  an  identifi. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.     '  699 

calioii  card  corresponding  in  a  general  way  to  the  identification  card  prescribed  by 
8nl)division  9  of  rule  12  of  the  immis-ration  regulations  for  the  use  of  aliens  who  habitu- 
al) \-  cross  and  recross  the  land  boundaries.  The  blank  form  of  card  used  in  connection 
with  said  subdivision  may  be  arlapted  to  this  purpose,  an  ajtpropriate  notation  being 
placed  thereon  to  show  that  the  holder  is  temporarily  admitted  to  the  United  States 
under  the  terms  of  this  circular  to  engage  in  agricultural  labor.  The  original  of  the 
card  shall  be  given  the  admitted  alieri;  the  duplicate  shall  be  properly  filed  and 
indexed. 

Aliens  admitted  under  the  provisions  hereof  are  allowed  to  enter  temporarily  upon 
the  understanding  that  they  will  engage  in  no  other  than  agricultural  labor:  and  any 
who  fail  to  accept  or  after  acceptance  abandon  em.ployment  of  that  kind  and  engage 
in  the  performance  of  labor  in  connection  with  other  industries,  shall  be  promptly 
arrested  and  deported  to  the  country  whence  they  came. 

In  cases  arising  under  this  circular,  the  aliens  involved  shall  be  admitted  without 
the  payment  of  head  tax. 

The  foregoing  shall  apply,  until  further  orders,  only  to  agricultural  laborers  from 
Mexico. 

W.  B.  Wilson,  Secretary. 

Departmental  Order  ok  April  12,  1918,  Concernino  Admission  of  Agricultural 

Laborers. 

United  States  Department  of  Labor. 

Bureau  of  Immigration, 
No.  542(il/202.  Washington,  April, 12,  1918. 

To  commissioners  of  immigration,  inspectors  in  charge,  Immigration  Service,  and  others 
con  rem  ed: 
In  connection  with  circular  letter  of  even  date  herewith,  concerning  the  temporary 
admis.«ion  of  agricultural  laborers  from  Mexico  and  Canada,  the  following  detailed 
instructions  are  promulgated  for  the  guidance  of  all  concerned,  viz: 

1.  The  temporary  admissions  under  the  circular  shall  be  for  periods  not  exceeding 
six  months;  and  if,  in  any  instance,  an  extension  of  time  is  de.sired,  the  necessity 
therefor  must  be  clearly  shown  in  the  application  tiled  by  the  party  desiring  to  con- 
tinue the  services  of  the  laborers  for  a  further  period,  not  exceedingsbcjnonths,  and 
the  application  shall  be  concurred  in  by  the  aliens  involved.  ' 

2.  Emphasis  is  placed  upon  the  fact  that  the  circular  provides  for  the  temporary 
admission,  under  the  circumstances  stated  and  conditions  prescribed,  of  "aliens  who 
in  all  other  respects"  would  be  ''admissible  under  said  law"  if  they  were  entering  for 
permanent  purposes.  The  indidgence  extends  only  to  the  illiteracy  and  contract- 
labor  features  of  the  law,  and  then  only  if  the  other  conditions  are  satisfactorily  estab- 
lished. 

3.  As  admission  imder  the  circular  is  ,to  be  temporary  only,  and  as  the  circular 
prescribes  that  all  aliens  who  violate  the  conditions  exacted  shall  be  immediately 
deported,  of  course  no  alien  should  be  admitted  from  either  Mexico  or  Canada  who 
can  not  be  returned  thither  immediately  that  necessity  arises  or  eventually,  at  any 
rate.  This  indicates  the  necessity  for  caution  in  admitting  alien  residents  of  either 
country  whose  return  may  be  barred  by  the  laws  of  such  country. 

4.  As  to  be  admissible  under  the  circular  the  aliens  must  be  coming  "for  the  pur- 
pose of  accepting  employment  in  agricultural  pursuits"  ''for  which  reason  the  "con- 
tract-labor" as  well  as  the  "illiteracy-test"  provisions  are  mentioned  in  the  circular), 
prearrangement  for  the  employment  of  all  admitted  is  contemplated.  In  other  words, 
those  who  desire  to  avail  themselves  of  this  opportunity,  afforded  to  meet  emergency 
agricultural  conditions,  must  send  for  or  come  to  the  boundaries  to  get  the  aliens,  and 
the  aliens  must  net  be  temporarily  admitted  until  arrangements  for  their  employ- 
ment in  agricultural  work  have  been  perfected. 

5.  Anyone  availing  himself  of  the  opportunity  afforded  by  the  circular  to  obtain 
farm  laborers  shall  be  required,  as  a  condition  precedent  to  the  temporary  admission 
of  the  aliens  to  whom  he  proposes  to  give  emplo>'ment,  to  disclose  to  the  imriiigration 
officer  in  charge  at  the  port  of  entry  his  plans  with  respect  to  the  employmenv  of  such 
aliens  in  their  entirety,  including  the  wages,  housing  conditions,  and  duration  of 
employment,  and  to  give  his  written  promise  and  stipulation  to  the  following  effect, 
viz : 

(«)  That  with  respect  to  housing  and  sanitation  the  laws  and  rules  of  the  States  in 
which  the  laborers  are  employed  shall  be  oliser\ed  and  followed  by  the  employers. 

(b)  That  the  employer  will  keep  the  otlicer  in  charge  at  the  port  of  entry  ad\ised 
promptly  of  any  change  made  in  his  plans  as  originally  disclosed  with  respect  to  the 
place,  duration,  or  character  of  the  employment  of  the  aliens  by  him. 


700  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

(c)  That  tho  cmployor  will  notify  siuh  ofTicor  immediately  upon  learning  that  any 
one  of  the  aliens  admitted  to  him  proposes  to  leave  his  em])loy,  and  furnish  sueh 
information  as  he  can  secure  with  respect  to  the  place  to  which  the  alien  is  going  and 
what  he  expects  to  do  at  such  place. 

(d)  That  the  employer  ^\-ill  promptly  notify  such  office  whenever  any  alien  admitted 
to  him  has  left  his  employ  (without  his  previous  knowledge  of  the  alien's  intent  to 
do  so)  and  will  furnish  all  possiMe  information  to  assist  inimigration  officers  in  ascer- 
taining whether  or  not  the  alien  has  ent-^red  nonagricultural  employment. 

(e)  That  the  employer  ^vill  complv  Avith  the  terms  of  p  iragraph  8  hereof. 

(/)  That  the  employer  will  pay  the  current  rates  of  wages  for  similar  labor  in  the 
community  in  which  the  admittrd  aliens  are  to  1)e  employed. 

T).  The  commissioner  of  immij;,Tation  at  Montreal,  the  commissioner  of  iinmigration 
at  S<  attlo,  and  th(>  supervising  inspector  at  El  Paso  (heing  the  officers  in  charge  of 
border  districts)  shall,  respectivelv,  designate  sueh  officers  as  necessary  at  each  sta- 
tion to  give  attention  to  the  details  of  keeping  in  touch  with  aliens  temporarily  ad- 
mitted under  the  provisions  of  the  circular,  and  it  shall  he  the  especial  duty  of  the 
officers  so  designated  to  see  that  the  temporarily  admitted  aliens  do  not  remain  per- 
manently in  the  United  States  and  do  not,  while  here,  engage  in  other  than  farm  work. 
Officers  will  he  designate  d  to  follow  up  aliens  admitted  hereunder,  and  employers  to 
whom  such  aliens  have  been  admitted  Avill  be  called  upon  to  assist  such  officers  in 
enforcing  these  rules,  including  the  arrest  and  deportation  in  proper  cases. 

7.  Any  doubt  which  mav  arise  as  to  the  abilitx-  of  the  United  States  Employment 
Serxice  to  meet  the  needs  in  a  particular  case  shall  be  taken  as  a  reason  to  ^vithhold 
granting  permission  to  import  agricultural  lal  jorers  until  such  doul  t  can  be  cleared  up. 
_  8.  As  an  additional  means  of  insuring  that  admitted  agricultural  laborers  vdW  con- 
tinue in  such  pursiits  and  eventually  return  in  accordance  with  the  t«rms  governing 
their  admission  for  temporarv  residence,  the  prospective  employer  and  the  alien  him- 
self shall  mutually  agree  to  the  following  conditions,  viz: 

(a)  The  emplover  Avill  withhold  from  the  alien's  wages  20  per  cent  during  the  first 
two  months:  b"i  per  cent  during  the  second  two  months:  and  10  per  cent  during  the 
third  two  months  that  such  alirn  is  ^vithin  the  United  States. 

(h)  Th?  omplover  -will  deposit  the  monev  so  withheld  to  the  credit  of  the  alien,  in 
the  United  States  Postal  Savings  Bank,  with  the  understanding  that  the  sum  will  so 
remain  on  deposit  until  the  alien  is  about  to  leave  the  United  States  and  return  to 
the  country  whence  he  came,  whereupon  the  postal  savings  certificates  shall  be  con- 
verted into  a  postal  money  order  pavable  to  the  alien,  such  money  order  to  be  trans- 
mitted by  mail  to  the  immigration  officer  at  the  port  of  exit,  for  redemption  into  money 
at  the  time  of  the  alien's  departure. 

(c)  If  the  alien  returns  to  the  foreign  country  after  haA'ing  continuously  followed 
agricultural  pursuits  for  six  months,  of  if,  ha^•ing  done  so,  his  cervices  in  the  same  line 
are  required  for  another  like  period  of  time,  the  money  accimaulated  during  the  first 
six-month  period  shall  be  paid  him  by  redemption  of  the  postal  saA-ings  certificates, 
with  accumulated  interest;  the  arrangements  for  withholding  of  percentages  of  his 
wag^s  to  T)e  recommenced  for  the  second  six-month  pericd. 

(d)  During  the  period  of  sa\dngs  accumulation  no  withdrawal  of  postal  sa^•ings  shall 
lie  allowed,  except  at  theport  of  exit  from  the  United  States  in  the  manner  prescribed 
in  paragraph  8  (b),  and  if  permission  to  remain  is  extended  1  eyond  the  initial  six- 
month  period,  the  su.ms  accumulating  shall  not  be  redeemed  to  the  alien  v.-ithout  the 
prior  written  consent  of  a  United  States  imm.igration  officer,  either  at  or  near  the  place 
of  emplovment,  or  at  the  original  port  through  which  the  alien  entered  the  United 
States. 

9.  In  the  event  that  the  employer  is  represented  by  an  agent,  or  l)y  an  association 
through  its  agent,  in  securing  agricultural  laborers,  the  authority  of  the  agent  or 
association  to  act  for  such  employer  should  l)e  fully  established,  and  in  every  such 
instance  the  employer  should  be  required  to  execute  and  forward  as  soon  as  possible 
to  the  officer  in  charge  at  the  port  of  entry  the  agreement  specified  in  paragraph  5  of 
these  instructions. 

10.  Where  the  States  into  which  the  laborers  are  taken  have  no  laws  with  respect 
to  housing  and  .sanitation,  the  conditions  concerning  same  maintained  by  the  employ- 
ers must  be  satisfactory  to  the  Secretary  of  Labor:  otherwise  the  alieu£  will  be  returned 
to  the  country  whence  they  came. 

A.  Caminetti, 
Commhsicncr  General. 
Approved: 

W.  B.  \Vii..so\.  Srcrctar)/. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  701 

Department  of  Labor, 

Office  of  the  Secretary, 

Washington,  April  12,  1918. 
To  the  commissioners  of  immigration,  inspectors  in  charge,  Immigration  Service,  and  others 
concerned: 

The  following  circular  and  instructions  are  promulgated  to  supersede  and  replace 
department  circular  letters  of  May  23  and  26,  1917,  and  detailed  instructions  of  June 
6,  1017,  which  had  reference  to  the  same  subject,  viz: 

The  ninth  proviso  to  section  3  of  the  immigration  act  of  F'ebruary  5,  1917,  reads: 
"Provided  further.  That  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigrati(jn,  with  the  approval 
of  the  Secretary  of  Labor,  shall  issue  rules  amrprescribe  conditions,  including  exaction 
of  such  bonds  as  may  be  necessary,  to  control  and  regulate  the  admission  and  n  turn 
of  otherwise.inadmissible  aliens  appl> ing  for  temporary  admission . "  While  obviously 
this  special  exemption  to  general  provisions  of  law  should  be  construed  strictly  and 
should  not  be  resorted  to  except  with  the  object  of  meeting  extraordinary  situations 
or  conditions,  it  can  be  and  should  be  availed  of  whenever  an  emergent  condition 
arises.  With  agricultural  pursuits  such  a  condition  now  exists  in  certain  sections  of 
the  country,  and  is  likely  to  arise  in  other  sections  during  the  continuance  of  the 
war.  The  department  therefore  issues  the  following  instructions  for  the  information 
and  guidance  of  all  concerned: 

Notwithstanding  the  provisions  of  section  3  of  the  immigration  act  excluding  aliens 
who  (a)  being  over  16  years  of  age  and  jihysically  capable  of  reading  "can  not  read 
the  English  language,  or  some  other  language  or  dialect"  Cthe  "illiteracy  test")  or" 
(b)  "who  have  been  induced,  assisted,  encouraged,  or  solicited  to  migrate  to  this 
country  by  offers  or  promises  of  employment  *  *  *  or  in  consequence  of  agree- 
ments, oral,  written,  or  printed,  express  or  implied,  to  perform  labor  in  this  country 
of  any  kind,  skilled  or  unskilled  "  (the  "contract-labor  clause"),  aliens  who  in  all 
other  respects  are  admis,silile  under  said  law  and  who  are  shown  to  be  coming  to  the 
United  h  tates  for  the  purpose  of  accepting  employ  ment  in  agricultural  pursuits  shall 
be  admitted  upon  the  conditions  hereinafter  specified. 

As  a  condition  precedent  to  entertaining  any  ap])lication  for  permission  to  import 
or  bring  in  agiicultural  laborers  it  shall  be  shown  that  the  prospective  employer  has 
first  applied  to  the  United  Ftates  Employment  Service  at  its  oflice  most  convenient 
to  the  place  of  proposed  employment,  and  written  evidence  must  be  produced  fi-om 
the  appropriate  officer  of  the  United  States  Employment  Service  to  the  effect  that 
the  supply  of  labor,  either  locally  or  at  a  reasonable  distance  from  the  site  of  the  work, 
is  in.sufiicient  to  meet  the  demand;  or,  if  the  local  supply  is  partially  sufficient,  the 
application  for  pernis.don  to  import  or  bring  in  agricultural  laborers  shall  only  be 
acted  upon  to  the  extent  of  meeting  the  deficiency  between  the  demand  and  the  local 
supply. 

The  alien  applying  for  admission,  or  some  one  in  his  behalf,  shall  furnish  two  un- 
mounted photographs  of  the  applicant,  and  a  complete  personal  desciiption  of  such 
applicant  shall  be  taken:  these  shall  b(^  used  in  preparing,  in  duplicate,  an  identifica- 
tion card  corresponding  in  general  to  the  identification  card  prescribed  by  subdivision 
9  of  rule  12  of  the  immigration  regulations  for  the  use  of  aliens  who  habitually  cross 
and  recross  the  land  boundaries.  The  blank  form  of  card  (Foim  687 )  may  be  adapted 
to  this  purpose,  an  appropriate  notation  being  placed  thereon  to  show  that  the  holder 
is  temporarily  admitted  to  the  United  States  under  the  terms  of  this  circular  to  engage 
in  agricultural  labor.  The  original  of  the  card  shall  be  delivered  to  the  admitted 
alien;  the  duplicate  shall  be  properlv  filed  and  indexed. 

Aliens  admitted  under  the  provisions  hereof  are  allowed  to  enter  temporarily  upon 
the  understanding  that  they  will  engage  in  none  other  than  agiicultural  lalwr:  and 
an\'  who  fail  to  acce])t.  or,  after  acceptance,  abandon  employment  of  that  kind  and 
engage  in  the  performance  of  labor  incident  to  other  industiies  shall  be  promptly 
arrested  and  deported  to  the  country  whence  they  came,  under  the  regular  immigra- 
tion warrant  procedure. 

In  cases  aiising  under  this  circular  the  aliens  involved  shall  be  admitted  v\ithout 
the  payment  of  head  tax. 

The  f(jreg(nng  shall,  until  further  orders,  apply  only  to  agricultural  laborers  from 
Mexico  and  Canada. 

In  the  event  of  extension  being  requested  on  behalf  of  aliens  previouslv  admitted 
under  instructions  of  June  6,  1917,  such  extension  shall  nnlv  be  granted  in"  pursuance 
of  and  upon  compliance  with  this  cii-cular  and  the  detailed  instructions  in  and  here- 
under. 

In  executing  the  terms  of  this  circular,  see  detailed  instructions  of  even  date  here- 
with for  the  guidance  of  all  concerned. 

W.  B.  Wilson,  Secretary. 


702  EMEKGENCi'    IMMIGUATION    LE(J1SLAT1()N. 

Circular  of  May  10,  191S,  and  Dkpahtmental  Order  of  June  12,  1918,  Co>f- 
CERNiNO  Amended  and  Revised  Rules  for  the  Admission  of  Agricultural 
AND  Other  Lahouers. 

No.  51261/202.  U.  S.  Department  of  Labor, 

Bureau  of  Immigration, 

Wasliington,  May  10,  1918. 
Tn  commissioner  of  immigration,  inspectors  in  charge.  Immigration  Service,  and  others 
concerned: 

Bureau  circular  of  April  12,  1918,  ])oaring  the  above  number,  i.s  here])y  amended 
to  read  as  follows: 

"In  connection  with  circular  letter  of  even  date  herewith,  concernins;  the  temporary 
admission  oi  agricultural  laliorers  from  Mexico  and  Canada,  the  following  detailed 
instructions  are  promulgated  fur  the  guidance  of  all  concerned,  viz: 

"(1)  The  tem])orary  admissions  under  the  circulars  shall  be  for  periods  not  exceeding 
six  months;  and  if  in  any  instance  an  extension  of  time  is  desired  the  necessity  there- 
for niTist  1)6  clearly  shown  in  the  ap])licati'in  filed  by  the  party  desiring  to  continue 
the  services  of  the  laborers  for  a  further  period,  not  exceeding  six  montlis,  and  the 
application  shall  be  concurred  in  by  the  aliens  involved. 

"(2)  Emphasis  is  placed  upon  the  fact  that  the  circular  proAddes  for  the  temporary 
admission,  under  the  circumstances  stated  and  conditions  presoribed,  of  'aliens  who 
in  all  other  respects'  would  be  'admissible  under  said  law'  if  tliey  were  entering  for 
permanent  puri^oses.  The  indulgence  extends  only  to  the  illiteracy  and  contract- 
labor  features  of  the  law,  and  then  only  if  the  other  conditions  are  satisfactorily  estab- 
lished 

"(3)  As  admission  under  the  circular  is  to  be  temporary  only,  and  as  the  circulars 
prescribe  that  all  aliens  who  violate  the  conditions  exacted  shall  be  immediately 
deported,  of  course  no  alien  should  be  admitted  from  either  Mexico  or  Canada  who 
can  not  be  returned  thitlier  immediately  that  necessity  arises,  or  eventually  at  any 
rate.  This  indicates  the  necessity  for  caution  in  admitting  alien  residents  of  either 
country  whose  return  may  be  barred  by  the  laws  of  such  country. 

"(4)  As  to  be  admissible  under  the  circidar  the  aliens  must  be  coming  'for  the 
purpose  of  accepting  employment  in  agricultural  ])ursuits'  (for  which  reason  the 
'contract-labor'  as  well  as  the  'illiteracy  test'  provisions  are  mentioned  in  the  cir- 
cular), prearrangement  for  the  employment  of  all  admitted  is  contemplated.  In 
other  Words,  those  who  desire  to  avail  themselves  of  this  opportunity,  afforded  to  meet 
emergent  agricultural  conditions,  must  send  for  or  come  to  the  boundaries  to  get  the 
aliens,  and  the  aliens  must  not  be  temporarily  admitted  until  arrangements  for  their 
employment  in  agricultiu-al  work  have  been  perfected. 

"(5)  Anyone  availing  himself  of  the  opportunity  afforded  by  the  circular  to  obtain 
farm  laborers  shall  1)e  required,  as  a  conditit)n  precedent  to  the  temporary  admission 
of  the  aliens  to  whom  he  proposes  to  giye  employment,  to  disclose  to  the  immigration 
officer  in  charge  at  the  port  of  entr>'  his  plans  with  respect  to  the  employment  of  such 
aliens  in  their  entirety,  including  the  wages,  h"ii^ing  conditions,  and  duration  of 
employment,  and  to  give  his  written  promise  and  stipulation  to  the  following  effect, 
viz : 

"(a)  That  with  respect  to  housing  and  sanitation,  the  laws  and  rules  of  the  State 
in  which  the  laborers  are  emploved  shall  be  observed  and  followed  by  the  emplo^-ers. 

''(b)  That  the  emplover  will  keep  the  otiicer  in  charge  at  the  ix^rt  of  entry  advised 
prompt!  v  of  anv  change  made  in  his  ])lans  as  originally  disclosed  with  respect  to  the 
place,  duration,  or  character  of  the  eni])lovment  of  the  aliens  by  him. 

■'((?)  That  the  emplover  will  uotifv  such  ollicer  immediately  ui)on  learning  that  any 
one  of  the  aliens  admitted  to  hiiu  ])ro])oses  to  leave  his  eniplov,  and  furnish  such  in- 
formation as  he  can  secui-e  with  respect  to  the  ])lace  to  which  the  alien  is  going  and 
what  he  ex})ects  to  do  at  such  place. 

"(rf)  That  the  employer  will  prom])tly  notifv  such  oflicer  whenever  any  alien 
admitted  to  him  has  left  his  em])lov  (without  his  previous  knowledge  of  the  alien's 
intent  to  do  so)  and  will  furnish  all  ])o.ssible  infornuition  to  assist  immigration  offi- 
cers in  ascertaining  whether  or  not  the  alien  has  entered  noimgiicultural  employ- 
ment, or  whether  or  not  the  conditions  of  this  circular  and  the  d(']):irt!iient  circular 
of  A])ril  12,  1918,  heroin  mentioned,  are  being  observed  if  the  new  em])loyuienl  is 
agricultural. 
"(f)  That  the  employer  will  comply  with  the  terms  of  paragraph  8  hereof. 

"(/)  That  tho  em])Ioyer  will  pay  the  current  rates  of  wages  for  similar  labor  in  the 
community  in  which  the  admitted  aliens  aie  to  be  employed. 

"(gr)  That  if  it  becomes  necessary  to  deport  any  alien  admitted  in  pursuance  of 
this  circular  and  the  de])artment  circidar  of  April  12  because  of  a  violation  of  or  fail- 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATIOX.  703 

lire  to  observe  the  conditions  specified,  the  expense  of  the  removal  of  the  alien  from 
the  place  apprehended  to  the  boundary  shall  be  borne  by  the  importer. 

"(/«)  That  within  a  reasonable  time  after  each  pay  day  the  employer  shall  notify 
the  immigration  officer  in  charge  at  the  border  port  throvgh  which  the  aliens  in  his 
employ  were  admitted  that  the  money  retained  from  their  wages  under  the  terms 
of  paragraph  (8-a)  hereof  has  Ijeen  deposited,  giving  the  name  of  the  alien  and  the 
number  of  the  postal  savings  bank. 

"(8)  The  commissioner  of  immigration  at  Montreal,  the  commissioner  of  inimigra- 
ti.on  at  Seattle,  and  the  supervising  inspector  at  El  Paso  (being  the  officers  in  charge 
of  border  districts)  shall  respectfully  designate  su.ch  officers  as  necessary  at  each 
station  to  give  attention  to  the  detail  of  keeping  in  touch  with  aliens  temporarily 
admitted  under  the  provisions  of  the  circular,  and  it  shall  be  the  especial  duty  of  the 
officers  so  designated  to  see  that  the  temporarily  admitted  aliens  do  not  remain  per- 
manently in  the  I'nited  .States  and  do  not  while  here  engage  in  other  than  farm  work, 
or  in  farm  work  otherwise  than  in  accordance  with  the  terms  hereof.  Officers  will 
be  designated  to  follow  up  aliens  admitted  hereunder,  and  employers  to  whom  such 
aliens  have  been  admitted  will  be  expected  and  called  uj^on  to  assist  such  officers  in 
enforcing  these  rules,  including  the  arrest  and  deportation  in  proper  cases. 

'  \7)  Anv  doubt  which  may  arise  as  to  the  ability  of  the  United  States  Employ- 
ment Service  to  meet  the  needs  in  a  paiticular  case  shall  be  taken  as  a  reason  to  with- 
hold granting  permission  to  impoit  agiicultural  laborers  until  such  doubt  can  be 
cleared  up. 

"(8)  As  an  additional  means  of  insuiing  that  admitted  agdcultural  laborers  vvill 
continue  in  such  pursuits  and  eventually  return  in  accordance  with  the  terms  gov- 
erning their  admission  for  temporary  residence,  ilie  prospective  employer  and  the 
alien  liimself  shall  mutually  agree  to  the  following  conditions,  viz: 

■'(«)  The  employer  will  withhold  from  the  alien's  wages  twenty-five  (25)  cents 
per  day  duiing  the  period  for  which  the  alien  is  admitted,  and  thereafter  if  the  period 
of  adiuis4on  is  extended,  until  the  money  so  retained  amounts  to  fifty  (50)  dollars, 
whereupon  such  retention  of  wages  shall  cease. 

"{h)  The  employer  v\ill  deposit  the  monev  so  withheld  to  the  credit  of  the  alien 
in  the  I'nited  htites  Postal  Savings  IJank,  with  the  understanding  that  the  sum  will 
so  remain  on  deposit  until  the  alien  is  about  to  leave  the  United  States  and  return 
to  the  country  whence  he  came,  whereupon  the  postal-savings  certificates  and  in- 
terest accumulated  thereon  shall  be  converted  into  a  postal-money  order  payable  to 
the  alien,  such  money  order  to  be  trans^mitted  by  mail  to  the  immigration  officer  at 
the  port  of  exit,  for  redemption  into  money  at  the  time  of  the  alien's  departure. 

■'(o)  If  in  the  case  of  any  such  alien  his  services  in  agricultural  pursuits  are 
required  for  another  six-month  period  of  time  and  an  application  ior  extension  of  time 
is  granted  in  accordance  with  paragraph  (1)  hereof,  the  amount  accumulated  during 
the  first  six-month  period,  or  the  entire  amount  of  fifty  (50)  dollars  if  an  extension 
occurs,  shall  remain  on  deposit  in  the  postal-savings  bank  until  he  leaves  the  United 
States  under  the  extension,  and  shall  then  be  paid  him,  vvith  the  accumulated  in- 
terest in  the  manner  prescibed  in  paragraph  (8b)  hereof. 

'"(d)  During  the  i^eriod  of  savings  accumulation  no  withdrawal  of  po.?tal  savings 
sliall  be  allowed,  except  that  if  the  alien  leaves  the  United  States  at  any  time  such 
sum  as  may  have  accumulated  shall  be  turned  over  to  him  in  the  manner  prescribed 
in  paragra])h  (8b)  hereof. 

"(9)  In  the  event  that  the  employer  is  represented  by  an  agent  or  by  an  associa- 
tion through  its  agent  in  securing  agricultural  laborers,  the  authority  of  the  agent  or 
association  to  act  for  such  employer  should  be  fully  established,  and  in  every  such 
instance  the  employer  should  be  required  to  execute  and  forward  as  soon  as  possible 
to  the  officer  in  charge  at  the  port  of  entry  the  agreement  specified  in  paragraph  (5) 
of  the^e  in-:tructions. 

"(10)  Where  the  States  into  which  the  laborers  are  taken  have  no  laws  with  re- 
spect to  housing  and  sanitation,  the  conditions  concerning  same  maintained  by  the 
employers  must  be  satisfactory  to  the  Secretary  of  Labor;  otherwise  the  aliens  will 
be  returned  to  the  country  whence  they  come.  " 

(Signed)  A.  Caminetti, 

Commissioner  General. 
Approved: 

(Signed)  \V.  B.  Wilson,  Secretary. 


704  EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

No.  54261/202.  June  12,  1918. 

Departmental  Order. 

Whereas  the  ninth  proviso  to  seotion  3  of  the  immigration  aft  of  February  5,  1917, 
provides  "That  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration,  with  the  a{)proval  of  the 
Secretary  of  Labor,  shall  issue  rules  and  prescril)e  conditions,  including  exaction  of 
such  bonds  as  may  be  necessary,  to  control  and  regulate  the  admission  and  return  of 
otherwise  inadmissible  aliens  appljdng  for  temporary  admission;  "'and 

Whereas  in  agricultural  pursuits,  in  the  maintenance  of  way  on  railroads,  and  in 
certain  lignite  coal  mining  enterprises  in  which  Mexican  laborers  have  heretofore 
been  customarily  employed,  an  emergent  condition,  caused  by  the  war,  now  exists 
in  the  United  States,  and,  while  obviously  said  spe'^ial  exceptiim  to  general  pro- 
visions of  law  shoidd  be  construed  strictly  and  should  not  l)e  resorted  to  except  with 
the  ol)ject  of  meeting  extraordinary  situations  or  conditif)ns,  it  can  be  and  should  be 
availed  of  whenever  an  emergent  condition  arises: 

Therefore,  the  following  circular  ])roviding  for  the  temporary  admission  of  cer- 
tain alien  laborers  from  Mexico  is  hereby  promulgated  by  the  department  to  super- 
sede department  circular  of  April  12,  1918,  and  regulations  of  the  Bureau  of  Immi- 
gration issued  thereunder  on  the  same  date,  as  amended  May  10,  1918: 

SECTION  I. 

Notwithstanding  the  pro\T.sions  of  section  3  of  the  immigration  act  excluding  aliens 
who,  being  over  16  years  of  age  and  physically  ca])able  of  reading,  "can  not  read  the 
English  language,  or  some  otlier  language  or  dialect'  (the  "illiteracy  test"'),  or  aliens 
"who  have  been  induced,  assisted,  encouraged,  or  solicited  to  migrate  to  this  coun- 
try by  offers  or  promises  of  employment  *  *  *  or  in  consequence  of  agreements, 
oral,  written,  or  printed,  express  or  implied,  to  perform  la1)or  in  this  country  of  any 
kind,  skilled  or  unskilled"  (the  "contract-labor  clause"),  and  notwithstanding  the 
provisions  of  section  2  of  said  act  assessing  a  head  tax  on  acrount  of  aliens  entering 
permanently,  aliens  residing  in  Mexico  who  in  all  other  than  the  respects  above 
mentioned  are  admissible  under  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and  who  are  shown 
to  be  coming  from  Mexico  to  the  United  States  for  the  purpose  of  accepting  em- 
ployment, may  be  temporarily  admitted  without  exacting  head  tax,  upon  the  con- 
ditions hereinafter  specified,  for  periods  in  no  instance  exceeding  the  duration  of  the 
war. 

SECTION    II. 

(a)  As  to  be  admissible  under  the  terms  of  this  circular  the  alien  must  be  coming 
"for  the  purpose  of  accepting  employment"  (for  which  reason  the  "contract  labor" 
as  well  as  the  "illiteracy  test"  proAdsions  are  mentioned  above),  those  who  desire  to 
avail  themselves  of  this  opportunity,  afforded  to  meet  emergent  conditions  in  the 
United  States,  may  come  to  or  be  represented  at  the  boundary  to  confer  with  any 
alien,  and  such  alien  must  not  be  temporarily  admitted  until  arrangements  for  liis 
employment  have  been  perfected. 

(b)  A  prospective  employer  may  initiate  an  application  for  permission  to  import 
laborers  under  the  provisions  hereof  by  filing  such  application  with  either  a  United 
States  immigration  or  a  Ignited  States  employment  official,  setting  forth  the  number 
of  laborers  desired,  class  of  work,  wages  offered,  and  place  of  fTi'oposed  employment, 
and  stating  that  he  will  comply  with  all  provisions  of  tliis  circvdar  witli  respect  to  any 
alien  admitted  to  him.  Upon  the  approval  in  writing  of  any  such  application  by  a 
United  States  employment  officer  detailed  to  a  IMexican  border  port  in  accordance, 
with  Section  X  hereof  or  by  the  United  States  employment  officer  stationed  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  place  of  proposed  employment,  the  immigration  officer  in  charge  at  such 
port  shall  proceed  to  admit  the  alien  involved  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  hereof. 

SECTION    III. 

Emphasis  is  placed  upon  the  fact  that  tais  circular  pro^^des  for  the  temporary  admis- 
sion, under  the  circumstances  stated  and  conditions  ])rescri])ed.  of  an  alien  who  in  all 
other  respects  would  be  admissil)le  under  the  laws  of  the  United  States  if  he  were 
entering  for  permanent  purposes.  The  indulgence  extends  only  to  the  illiteracy, 
contract-labor,  and  head-tax  features  of  the  immigration  act,  and  then  only  if  the  other 
conditions  are  satisfactorily  established. 

SECTION    IV. 

As  admission  is  to  be  temporary  only  and  as  it  is  provided  that  an  alien  who  \*iolates 
the  conditions  exacted  shall  be  immediately  deported,  of  course  none  should  be 
admitted  who  can  not  l)e  returned  immediately  that  necessity  arises. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATION   LEGISLATION.  705 

SECTION    V. 

(a)  Two  unmounted  photographs  of  each  applicant  for  admission  under  the  provi- 
sions hereof  shall  be  furnished.  A  complete  personal  description  of  such  applicant, 
and  of  accompanying  members  of  his  family  over  16  years  of  age,  if  any,  shall  be  taken. 
These  shall  be  used  in  preparing,  in  duplicate,  an  identification  card  corresponding  in 
general  to  that  prescribed  by  subdivision  9  of  rule  12  of  the  immigration  regulations 
for  the  use  of  an  alien  who  habitually  crosses  and  recrosses  the  land  boundaries. 

(b)  The  blank  form  of  said  card  (Form  687)  may  be  adapted  to  this  purpose  until  a 
more  suitable  card  is  devised  and  printed,  an  appropriate  notation  being  placed 
thereon  to  show  that  the  holder  is  temporaiily  admitted  to  the  United  States  under  the 
terms  of  this  circular,  to  engage  in  labor  of  one  of  the  tliree  kinds  herein  specified. 
The  original  of  the  card  shall  be  delivered  to  the  admitted  alien;  the  duplicate,  on 
which  a  record  will  be  kept  of  changes  of  employment,  of  employers,  or  of  address,  as 
hereinafter  provided,  shall  be  properly  filed  and  indexed.  When  any  alien  admitted 
hereunder  is  deported  or  departs  the  card  shall  be  taken  up. 

(c)  All  mem])ers  of  families  16  years  of  age  and  over  sha.l  be  given  such  cards;  those 
under  16  shall  be  recorded,  giving  name,  age,  and  description. 

(f/)  On  the  departure  or  deportation  of  an  alien  accompanied  by  members  of  his 
family  when  admitted,  such  accompanying  members  must  also  depart  or  be  deported, 
as  the  case  may  be. 

SECTION    VI. 

(a)  An  alien  admitted  under  the  provisions  hereof  is  allowed  to  enter  temporarily 
upon  the  understanding  that  he  lias  secured  employment  in  the  United  States,  and 
that  ho  will  work  only  in  agricultural  pursuits,  maintenance  of  way  on  railroads,  or 
lignite  coal  mining  as  herein  described.  Therefore,  if  alien  fails,  after  admission,  to 
accept  such  agreed  employment,  or,  after  acceptance  and  entry  thereon,  abandons 
same  to  accept  employment  of  any  other  nature,  or  to  accept  any  employment  with  an 
employer  who  has  not  complied  with  the  conditions  of  this  circular,  or  discontinues 
laboring  and  remains  idle  for  as  long  as  two  weeks  unless  by  reason  of  illness  of  him- 
self or  of  a  member  of  his  family  or  other  disability,  such  alien  shall  be  immediately 
arrested  and  deported  under  the  regular  warrant  procedure. 

(6)  An  employer  of  such  an  alien  other  than  the  importing  employer  must  on  hiring 
any  such  alien  comply  with  the  terms  of  this  circular  in  the  same  manner  substantially 
and  with  the  same  effect  as  an  importing  employer.  Not  later  than  10  days  after  the 
date  of  such  employment  he  must  notify  the  inspector  in  charge  of  the  Immigiation 
Service  at  the  place  where  alien  entered  of  the  fact  of  such  employment,  gi^'ing  name, 
place  of  intended  employment,  and  name  and  post-office  address  of  himself  and  of  his 
employee. 

(c)  An  employer  who,  haAing  hired  any  such  alien,  desires  to  relinquish  his  serAdces, 
shall  notify  the  inspector  in  charge  of  the  Immigration  SerA"ice  at  the  place  of  entry  of 
such  intention:  such  notice  shall  specify  the  name  of  the  alien,  probable  date  of  cessa- 
tion of  work,  and  post-office  address  of  employer  and  of  such  alien. 

(d)  Au  alien  admitted  under  the  provisions  of  this  circular,  or  whose  admission 
under  the  circulars  superseded  hereby  is  renewed  under  this  circular,  must  follow  none 
but  laboring  pursuits  of  the  nature  prescribed  herein.  "\Mien  any  such  lien  is  without 
employment,  unless  he  immediately  returns  to  Mexico  through  the  port  of  entry,  he 
shall  apply  to  the  inspector  in  charge  of  the  Immigiation  Ser\'ice  at  the  place  where  he 
was  admitted  or  to  the  nearest  United  States  immigration  or  United  States  employ- 
ment officer,  ad^ising  him  that  he  no  longer  has  work,  and  asking  for  employment  and 
for  the  priAilege  of  remaining  in  the  United  States  for  an  additional  period.  There- 
upon, if  the  application  is  to  the  immigi-ation  officer,  the  said  officer  shall  communicate 
with  the  appropriate  director  of  the  United  States  Employment  Ser^ice,  and  ascertain 
whether  or  not  work  can  be  secured  for  such  alien:  if  to  an  employment  officer,  such 
officer  shall  forward  the  application  to  the  nearest  immigiation  officer  for  decision.  If 
work  is  secured,  in  either  manner  indicated,  an  extension  of  time  may  be  granted  the 
alien  on  condition  that  he  accept  the  reemployment.  If  the  alien  fails  or  refuses  to 
accept  reemployment  under  these  conditions,  deportation  shall  immediately  be 
effected. 

(e)  Failure  on  the  part  of  the  employer  or  alien  to  give  any  notice  required  by  this 
section  shall  subject  such  alien  to  deportation. 

SECTION   VII. 

A  prospective  employer  shall  be  required,  as  a  condition  precedent  to  the  temporary 
admission  hereunder  of  any  alien,  fully  to  disclose  to  the  immigration  officer  in  charge 
at  the  port  of  entry  his  plans  with  respect  to  the  employment  of  such  alien,  including 


70()  EMEllGE2s'CY   IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

the  wa.tjoa,  how  often  paid  ('giving  dates'),  hoiipinp:  conditions,  and  duration  of  employ- 
ment, also  to  pive  his  Avritten  promise  and  stipuhition  to  the  following  effect,  viz: 

(a)  That  the  employer  will  abide  by  and  comply  ^nth  all  the  terms  of  this  circular. 

(b)  That  the  employer  will  ]iay  the  current  rate  of  wages  for  similar  lal)or  in  the 
community  in  which  the  admitted  alien  is  to  he  emi)loyed. 

(r)  That  with  respect  to  housing  and  sanitation  the  laws  and  rules  of  the  !^tate  in 
whicli  the  laborer  is  to  be  employed  will  be  observed  by  the  employer.  If  employed 
in  a  State  that  has  no  law  on  said  subject,  such  conditions  must  be  satisfactory  to  the 
Secretary  of  Labor. 

{(i)  That  the  employer  will  keep  the  ofhcer  in  charge  at  the  port  of  entry  adA-ised 
promptly  of  any  change  made  in  his  plans  as  originally  disclosed  with  respect  to  the 
place,  duration,  or  character  of  the  employment  of  the  alien  by  him,  and  wages  and 
times  of  payment  thereof. 

(f )  That  the  employer  will  notify  such  officer  immediately  upon  learning  tha.t  any 
alien  admitted  to  liini  purposes  to  leave  liis  employ,  and  furnish  such  information  as 
he  can  secure  with  respect  to  the  place  to  which  the  alien  is  going  and  the  name  of  the 
party  for  whom  such  alien  is  to  work. 

(J)  That  the  employer  will  promptly  notify  such  ofBcer  whenever  any  alien  admitted 
to  him  has  loft  his  employ  (without  his  pre^■ious  knowledge  of  the  alien's  intent  to  do 
so),  and  will  furnish  all  possible  information  to  assist  immigration  officers  in  ascer- 
taining whether  or  not  the  alien  has  entered  other  employment,  or  whether  or  not  the 
conditions  of  this  circular  are  being  observed. 

(g)  That  15  days  before  the  expiration  of  the  period  for  which  the  alien  is  admitted 
to  him  the  employer  will  advise  the  inspector  in  charge  at  the  port  of  entrv  whether  or 
not  it  is  his  and  ihc  alien's  desire  that  the  latter  shall  remain  mth  the  former  for  an 
additional  period  of  emplojident. 

(h)  That  if  it  becomes  necessary  to  deport  any  alien  (or  any  alien  family)  admitted 
in  pursuance  of  this  circular  because  of  a  violation  of.  or  failure  to  observe,  the  condi- 
tions specified  herein  the  expenses  of  removal  of  the  alien  from  the  place  where  appre- 
hended to  the  boundary  shall  be  borne  by  the  importer;  provided  that  \yh"n  the  cause 
of  dep3rtation  arises  while  alien  is  employed  by  a  person  other  than  the  importer  vriih- 
out  the  consent  of  the  latter,  then  such"  expense  shall  be  borne  hy  s;ich  subseepient 
employer. 

(i)  that  the  employer  shall  retain  from  the  admitted  alien's  wages  the  sums  named 
in  Section  VIII  hereof  and  transmit  same  for  deposit  in  the  postal  saA'ings  bank  in  the 
manner  therein  specified. 

SECTION    VIII. 

As  additional  means  of  insuring  that  an  alien  admitted  under  the  provisions  of  this 
circular  will  eventually  leave  the  United  States,  the  following  conditions  shall  be 
observed: 

(n)  Each  such  alien  shall  at  the  time  of  admission  (-with  the  assistance  of  United 
States  immigration  or  United  States  employment  oflficers)  apply  for  permission  to  open 
an  account  in  the  postal  sa-dngs  bank  at  the  port  of  entry,  on  which  deposits  to  each 
alien's  credit  will  later  be  made  in  the  manner  hereinafter  proA-ided. 

(h)  The  employer  shall  withhold  from  the  alien's  wages  25  cents  for  each  day's 
service  such  alien  renders  while  he  continues  in  the  employ  of  such  employer,  until 
the  money  so  withheld  aggregates  $100.  If  the  alien  cltanges  employers  in  accordance 
with  the  provisions  of  this  circular  before  the  money  so  ri'tuined  aggregates  >;  100.  those 
employing  him  sul)sequently  to  the  original  importer  shall  continue  withholding  25 
cents  per  day  from  his  wagers  until  the  amount  withhcdd,  added  to  that  withheld  by 
previous  employer  or  employers,  aggregates  §100.  The  same  arrangement  shall  apply 
in  cases  in  which  the  original  admission  was  for  a  period  not  sufficient  to  produce  the 
$100  and  in  which  a  renewal  of  the  period  of  admission  is  granted  by  the  immigration 
officers. 

(c)  On  each  pay  day  the  employer  shall  transmit  to  the  inspector  in  charge  of  the 
Immigration  Service  at  the  place'of  the  alien's  entry  the  money  withheld  from  the 
alien's  wair<s  in  pursuance?  of  the  preceding  paragraph.  Postal  money  orders  payable 
to  such  ofiicer.  purcha.'^'d  at  the  employer'.s  cost,  shall  be  used  in  making  th(>se  remit- 
tances. Said  officer  shall  deposit  the  money  order  in  the  local  ])ostal  savings  bank  to 
the  credit  of  the  alien  from  whose  wages  the  sum  represented  has  been  withheld, 
retaining  in  his  possession  the  receipt  for  such  deposit.  The  funds  so  depositi-d  will 
remain  in  the  postal  sa\ings  bank  until  the  alien  leaves  the  United  States,  where- 
upon said  officer  shall  arrange  for  the  delivery  to  the  alien  of  the  money  so  saved  and 
the  interest,  if  any.  accrued  thereon.  If  the  alien  leaves  the  rnited  States  before  he 
has  worked  a  sufficient  period  for  the  amounts  retained  to  aggregate  $100.  the  total 
amount  so  retained,  with  accrued  interest,  if  any.  shall  be  returned  to  him  in  like 
manner. 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  707 

{(I)  After  the  sums  withheld,  transmitted,  and  deposited  in  accordance  with  the 
preceding  two  paragraphs  have  aggregated  $100,  the  sum  of  $1  per  month  shall  be 
mthheld  from  the  laborer's  wages,  transmitted  to  the  inspector  in  charge  at  the  port  of 
entry,  and  deposited  in  similar  manner;  the  withholding  of  this  amoimt  monthly  to 
contimie  as  long  as  the  alien  remains  in  the  United  States,  and  the  funds  so  accumu- 
lated to  be  withdrawn  from  the  postal  sa^-ings  bank  and  retiirned  to  alien  at  the  time  of 
his  departure,  under  the  supervision  of  the  inspector  in  charge  at  port  of  entry.  This 
pro^dsion  shall  be  applied  to  both  original  and  subsequent  employers. 

(e)  If  the  emergent  conditions  mentioned  herein  still  exist  at  the  end  of  any  period 
of  admission  under  the  terms  of  this  circular,  then,  upon  the  joint  application  of  any 
such  alien  and  his  emplovor  showing  the  necessity  for  alien's  serAice  for  a  further  term , 
the  immigration  office  at  the  port  of  admission  is  authorized  to  extend  the  temporary 
admission  of  such  alien  for  a  period  not  exceeding  the  duration  of  the  war.  If  the 
sums  withheld  have  not  aggregated  §100,  the  withholding  thereof  shall  continue  imtil 
such  amount  has  accumulated  to  alien's  credit.  The  withholding  of  $1  per  month  as 
provided  in  paragraph  (c)  above  will  thereafter  be  commenced  or  continued  as  circum- 
tances  reqiiire. 

(f)  If  such  emergent  conditions  still  exist  at  the  end  of  any  such  period  of  admission 
under  the  circulars  superseded  hereby,  then,  upon  the  joint  aj)]ilication  of  any  such 
alien  and  his  employer  showing  the  necessity  for  alien's  service  for  a  further  term,  the 
immigration  officer  at  the  port  of  admission  is  authorized  to  extend  the  temporary' 
admission  of  such  alien  for  a  ])eriod  not  exceeding  the  duration  of  the  war;  provided 
the  alien  {vAXh  the  assistance  of  his  emplpyer,  or,  if  he  is  simultaneously  changing  his 
place  of  employment,  of  the  nearest  I'jiited  States  immigration  or  I'nited  States  em- 
plov'ment  officer)  shall  apply  to  the  local  postmaster  for  jjermission  to  open  an  account 
in  the  postal  saWngs  bank  at  the  border  port  tJirough  which  he  entered  the  United 
States,  and  both  the  alien  and  liis  employer  shall  agi'ee  to  comply  then  and  thereafter 
with  all  applicable  provisions  of  this  circular,  it  being  intended  that  such  cases  shall,  to 
the  fullest  extent  ])racticable,  be  placed  ui^on  the  same  basis  as  those  arising  under  this 
circular.  Failure  or  refusal  to  observe  this  requirement  will  result  in  alien's  deporta- 
tion. 

('7)  All  information  reaching  the  border  ports  of  entry,  as  the  result  of  the  making  of 
deposits  or  otherwise,  with  respect  to  changes  in  the  location  or  employment  of  any 
laborer  admitted  hereunder  shall  be  noted  on  the  duplicate  of  such  laborer's  identit.- 
cation  card. 

SECTION    IX. 

The  supervising  inspector  at  Kl  Paso  shall  designate  such  officers  as  may  be  necessani^ 
at  each  station  to  give  attention  to  tlie  details  of  kee]nng  in  touch  v^'ith  aliens  teraj:o- 
rarily  admitted  under  the  pro\isions  of  this  circxdar  or  of  those  superseded  hereby:  and 
it  shall  be  the  especial  duty  of  the  ofhcers  so  designated  to  see  that  the  temporarily 
admitted  aliens  do  not  remain  ]iermanently  in  the  Ignited  States  and  do  not  violate  the 
terms  of  this  circular  by  enga,2ring  in  other  than  specified  laboring  jiursuits,  or  other- 
wise. Officers  will  be  designated  to  follow  up  aliens  admitted  hereunder,  and  employ- 
ers to  whom  such  aliens  have  been  admitted  or  for  whom  they  may  be  laborintr,  will 
be  expected  and  called  ujion  to  assist  such  officers  in  enforcing  this  circular,  including 
arrest  and  deportation  of  aliens  in  proper  cases.  Officers  of  the  United  States  Employ- 
ment SerWce  shall  cooperate  with  officers  of  the  Immigration  Service  in  the  enforce- 
ment of  this  section,  also  in  supplying  information  to  the  inspector  in  charge  at  port  of 
entry  regarding  changes  in  location  or  emj^loyment  of  aliens  admitted  hereunder. 

SECTION    X. 

At  each  of  the  ])rincipa^  ^.fexican  border  ports  of  entry  officers  of  the  I'nited  States 
Em})loyment  Service  shall  be  detailed  to  assist  the  immigration  officers  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  this  circular.  In  the  event  that  the  employer  is  represented  by  an  agent, 
or  by  an  association  through  its  agent,  or  by  an  officer  detailed  as  hereinafter  ])rovicled. 
in  secur-ng  laborers,  the  authorit}-  of  the  agent  or  association  to  act  for  such  em])loyer 
'should  be  fully  established  in  writing,  and  in  every  instance  the  employer  shall  be 
required  to  execute  and  forward  as  soon  as  jiossible  to  the  officer  in  charge  at  the  i^ort 
of  entry  the  agreement  s]>ecified  in  Section  VII  of  this  circular.  It  shall  be  competent 
for  the  officers  of  the  Immigration  Service  to  act  with  any  officer  detailed  b>-  the 
National  Council  of  Defense,  the  United  States  Food  Administration,  the  United 
States  Employment  Ser\ice,  or  any  State  organization  of  either,  or  any  other  organi- 
zation, public  or  private,  authoritatively  representing  the  industries  herein  .specifie'l. 


708  EMERGENCY    IMMIGRATION    LEGISLATION. 

SECTIOM    XI. 

The  Coinniissionor  (lo.neral  of  Ininiitjmtion  is  hereby  direeled  to  enforce  and  ad- 
minister the  ])rovisions  of  tliis  circular,  which  shall  become  effective  on  and  after  June 
20,  i;)18. 

W.  B.  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Labor. 

Departmental  Order  of  July  10,  1918,  Further  Amending  Previous  Orders 
Relative  to  Mexican  Farm  and  Other  Laborers. 

Department  of  Labor, 

Office  of  the  Secretary, 

Washington,  July  10,  19 IS. 
No.  54261/202. 

departmental  order. 

The  provisions  of  departmental  order  of  June  12,  1918,  are  hereby  extended  to 
include  (in  addition  to  laborers  coming  from  Mexico  to  perform  work  in  agi'icultural 
pursuits,  in  the  maintenance  of  w^ay  on  railroads,  and  in  certain  lignite  coal  mining 
enterpi'ises)  laborers  coming  from  Mexico  to  engage  in  mining  of  any  and  all  kinds  or 
to  be  employed  in  the  performance  of  common  labor  in  connection  with  construction 
work  being  done  by  or  for  the  Government  iA  the  erection  of  buildings  in  the  State  of 
Texas,  and  also  in  the  jurisdiction  of  Immigration  District  Xo.  23,  adjacent  to  the 
Mexican  border,  within  the  States  of  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  and  California. 

The  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  is  hereby  directed  to  enforce  and  ad- 
minister the  provisions  of  this  circular,  which  shall  become  effective  on  and  after 
July  25,  1918. 

W.  B.  Wilson,  Secretary  of  Labor. 


The  proposed  departmental  order  amending  the  provisions  of  the  departmental 
order  of  June  12,  1918,  is  hereby  approved.  In  addition  we  will  discontinue  the 
practice  of  deducting  a  portion  of  the  wages  of  Mexican  laborers  entering  the  L^nited 
States  under  this  order.     The  rule  will  be  changed  accordingly. 

W.  B.  Wilson,  Secretary  of  Labor. 


Circular  of  October  7,  1918,  Concerning  Mexican  Laborers. 

Department  op  Labor, 

Bureau  of -Immigration, 
Washington,  October  7,  1918. 
Commissioners  of  immigration  and  inspectors  in  charge: 

A  memorandum  recently  submitted  to  the  Secretary  jointly  by  the  Director  General 
of  the  United  States  Employment  Service  and  the  Commissioner  General  of  Immi- 
gration, contemplating  the  issuance  of  instructions  to  the  following  effect,  has  been 
approved  by  the  Secretary,  and  immigration  officials  will  be  guided  accordinglj': 

1.  The  functions,  and  method  of  exercising  same,  of  the  Immigration  Service  and 
the  Employment  Service,  respectively,  in  the  matter  of  enforcing  the  departmental 
orders  regarding  temporary  admission  of  Mexican  laborers  will  be  understood  to  be: 

(a)  Immigration  officers  will  attend  to  the  admission  of  alien  laborers,  the  procure- 
ment and  recording  of  the  necessary  data  regarding  them,  and  eventually  will  see  to 
the  removal  of  the  aliens  from  the  country. 

(6)  Em])loyment  officers  will  attend  to  the  distribution  of  admitted  laborers,  ascer- 
taining first,  of  course,  if  and  where  such  laborers  are  needed,  and  in  every  instance 
■whether  the  laborers  are  of  the  kind  suited  properly  to  I  ill  the  positions  involved  and 
that  the  wages  offered  are  those  prevailing  in  the  vicinity;  will  see  that  laborers  prop- 
erly qualified  are  sent  where  a  sufficient  supply  is  not  available  and  that  none  are 
sent  to  places  w'here  there  is  already  a  sufficiency  of  similar  labor  unemployed;  will 
assist,  in  order  to  expedite  the  handling  of  business,  in  the  procurement  from  pros- 
pective employers  of  the  agreements  required  under  departmental  orders;  and  will 
cooperate  with  immigration  officials  in  keeping  track  of  laborers  after  they  are  ad- 
mitted and  in  establishing  and  enforcing  a  follow-up  system,  to  insure,  as  far  as 
possible,  the  eventual  return  to  Mexico  of  those  admitted. 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGEATIOIT   LEGISLATIOX.  709 

2.  Mexican  laborers  entering  the  United  States  in  pursuance  of  the  departmental 
orders  will  be  regarded  as  falling  into  two  classes,  to  wit: 

(a)  Those  destined  to  an  employer  who  is  responsible  for  their  importation  and 
entitled  under  the  departmental  orders  to  import  and  receive  them:  and 

(b)  Those  who  arrive  at  the  ports  and  apply  for  admission  without  having  the  em- 
plovment  actually  arranged  or  in  sight. 

3".  Class  (a)  mentioned  in  the  preceding  paragraph  will  be  admitted  im.mediately 
after  passing  inspection  under  the  g^eral  provisions  of  the  law,  and  allowed  to  pro- 
ceed to  their  employers,  the  Empio\-ment  Service  obtaining  and  keeping  a  proper 
record  with  regard  to  their  names,  etc.,  and  the  Immigration  Service  issuing  cards  of 
identitv  to  them  and  retaining  duplicates  thereof  as  the  immigration  record  in  the 
premises. 

4.  Class  (b)  mentioned  in  paragraph  2  hereof,  immediately  upon  being  admitted, 
recorded,  and  furnished  with  identity  cards,  will  be  turned  over  to  the  officers  of  the 
Employment  Service  so  that  they  can  be  placed  in  appropriate  emplojTnent  to  the 
best  ad>antage  possible. 

5.  With  respect  to  both  classes  (a)  and  (b),  the  aliens  will  be  regarded,  after  passing 
through  the  immigration  stations,  as  within  the  control  and  direction  of  the  Employ- 
ment Service,  which  will  furnish  the  Immi.gration  Service  with  a  report  showing 
where  the  alien  laborers  are  placed,  and  will  thereafter  furnish  similar  reports  on 
every  occasion  when  any  of  the  laborers  are  moved  from  one  locality  to  another.  To 
aid  in  doing  this,  the  laborers  will,  so  far  as  practicable,  be  placed  and  ke])t  in  groups. 

6.  Officers  and  employees  of  the  Employment  Ser^-ice  will,  upon  every  occasion 
when  they  find  a  Mexican  laborer  admitted  in  pursuance  of  the  departmental  orders 
who  refuses  to  engage  regularly  and  continuously  in  one  of  the  orcupations  permitted 
by  the  said  orders,  report  the  case  to  the  nearest  immigi'ation  officer  so  that  deporta- 
tion proceedings  may  be  instituted.  However,  deportation  will  not  be  effected  in 
such  cases,  or  in  any  cases  of  Mexican  laborers  in  wlrch  the  aliens  are  not,  tlu-ough 
criminality,  mentalor  physical  disability,  or  otherwise,  seriously  objectionable  from 
an  immigi-ation  point  of  vieAV,  if  the  immigi-ation  officers  learning  of  such  cases  can, 
through  the  nearest  Employment  Service  officials,  have  the  liiborers  placed  in  suit- 
able emplo\Tnent  in  consonance  with  the  spirit  and  intent  of  the  department  orders. 

7.  The  privilege  of  importing  Mexican  laborers  under  the  departmental  orders  will 
not  be  extended  to  agents  or  agencies  that  operate  on  a  fee  basis,  nor  to  employers 
who  make  use  of  the  services  of  agents  or  agencies  operating  on  such  a  basis;  and  the 
immigi-ation  and  employment  officials  will  cooperate  to  prevent  this. 

A.  Camin'Etti,  Comnmsioner  General. 


Departmental  Order  of  Jaxuary  2,  1919,  Concerning  Laborers  from  Mexico 
FOR  Sugar-Beet  Production. 

In  the  matter  of  modification  of  the  oi^er  of  this  department  made  on  December 
15,  1918,  vacating  departmental  orders  of  June  12  and  July  10,  1918,  relating  to  the 
admission  of  laborers  from  Mexico  and  elsewhere,  Senators  Phelan,  Smoot,  Shafroth, 
Kendrick,  King,  and  Borah,  and  Congi-essmen  Raker,  Kalin,  Hayes,  and  Curry  have 
requested  consideration  of  sue  h  a  modification  in  behalf  of  the  sugar-beet  growers, 
and  Senator  Johnson  has  referred  to  the  department  telegiams  from  other  parties 
interested  in  the,  subject.  Communications  and  telegrams  from  other  sources  have 
also  been  filed,  as  shown  by  the  record;  the  United  States  Sugar  Manufacturers' 
Association,  through  Truman  G.  Palmer,  executive  secretary,  and  Henry  T.  Oxnard, 
member  committee  on  national  affairs,  has  also  filed^an  appeal  bearing  on  the  subject. 

In  view  of  the  representations  made  in  behalf  of  the  sugar-beet  gi-owers,  as  above 
stated,  that  the  enforcement  of  said  order  of  December  15,  1918,  would  seriously  im- 
pair the  supply  of  sugar  depended  upon  for  the  coming  season,  and.  moreover,  in 
view  of  the  statement  of  Senator. Phelan,  con-oborated  by  the  appeal  of  the  Sugar 
Manufacturers'  Association,  that  extensive  additions  in  acreage  have  been  made  for 
the  coming  crop,  at  the  urgent  request  of  the  Food  Administration,  the  benefit  of 
which  increased  production  would  be  lost,  as  well  as  considerable  individual  losses 
to  the  gi'owers  entailed,  it  is  ordered  that  the  instruction  of  Deceml^er  15  last,  va- 
cating departmental  orders  of  June  12  and  July  10,  1918,  be,  and  it  is  hereby  modified 
so  as  to  permit  laborers  from  Mexico  to  be  admitted  .solely  for  the  purpose  of  working 
in  sugar-beet  production,  under  the  same  terms  and  conditions  pro^dded  in  the  last 
named  orders,  imtil  and  including  the  30th  day  of  June,  1919. 

The  Commissioner  General  of  Immigration  will  take  necessary  steps  to  give  effect 
to  this  modifying  order. 

"W.  B.  Wilson,  Secretary. 


710 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION. 


Note. — The  ahovt-  orck'i-  was,  on  January  215,  li)19,  extcudcd  l)y  virtue  of  telegraphic 
iustrurtions  to  the  sui)erviKinj^  inspeetor  iaeharfj;e  of  the  Imniijiration  Service  on  the 
Mexican  border,  ''to  include  laborers  for  farm  work  in  Rio  (irande  \'alley,  Texas, 
effective  until  June  'M),  19!!)";  and  under  dat(^  of  July  9,  J!)li»,  by  teletcraphic  instruc- 
tions to  the  same  oflicial,  the  orders  so  continued  in  force  were  further  modified  as 
follows; 

'•The  special  arrangement  with  regard  to  admission  of  Mexican  laborers  shall  con- 
tinue in  forc;e  until  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  of  peace,  but  not  later  than  January 
1,  l!t20,  and  Mexit.-an  laborers  will  be  admitted  for  the  performance  of  all  kinds  of 
agricultural  work,  including  stock  raising;  the  territory  affected  being  cot  ton -growing 
sections  on  1\-." 


United  States  Department  of  Labor, 

Bureau  ok  Immigration, 
Washimjton,  February  9,  1920. 
Hon.  Albert  Johnson, 

Chairman  House  Committee  on  Immigration  and  Naturalization, 

House  oj  Representatives,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Dear  Mr.  Johnson:  Agreeable  to  your  request  of  this  morning,  I  send  you  the 
figures  (immigrant  and  emigrant)  for  the  first  six  months  of  the  present  fiscal  year. 
Very  sincerely,  yours, 

A.  Caminetti, 
Commissioner  General. 

Immigrant  alieas  admitted  to  and  emigrant  aliens  departed  from  the  United  States  since 

July  1,  1919,  by  months. 


Month. 


Immi- 
grant. 


July 18, 152 

August 20, 597 

September 26, 584 

October 32, 418 


Emi- 
grant. 


25, 757 
28, 934 
27, 770 
25, 447 


Month. 


Immi- 
grant. 


November  ' 27, 219 

December  i j      24, 438 


Total 149,^ 


Emi- 
grant. 


26,977 
26,977 


161,862 


'  Number  of  immigrants  for  December  and  emigrants  for  both  November  and  December  are  not  yet 
comi)Iete.  Thefigmes  above  given  for  these  two  months  are  estimated  as  the  average  of  the  first  four 
months. 

Excerpts  from  a  statement  made  before  the  House  Committee 
on  Immigration  and  Naturalization  by  Mr.  Fred  Roberts,  of  Corpus 
Christi,  Tex.,  referred  to  bj^  Mr.  Patten  in  his  testimony,  are  here- 
with printed  as  follows: 

"I  am  going  to  give  you  just  what  happens  when  the  cotton  gets  up  about  that 
high  [indicating].  Then  we  have  to  get  the  cotton  chopped.  If  that  bill  stands 
as  it  is,  there  is  just  one  of  two  things  that  is  going  to  happen.  We  will  either  swim 
the  river  and  ^•iolate  the  law  and  bring  in  this  Mexican  labor  "wet-backs"  as  we 
call  them  or  else  we  are  not  going  to  get  our  cotton  chopped    *    *    *. 

"The  Chairman.  You  say  you  go  down  to  get  these  Mexicans? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  Yes,  sir;  and  I  get  them. 

"The  Chairman.  Do  you  pay  their  expenses  to  your  place? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  Yes,  sir.     And  it  costs  us  an  average  of  about  $15  i>er  Mexican. 

"The  Chairman.  When  you  say  Mexican,  you  mean  men  with  families? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  Anyone  who  can  pick  cotton.     , 

"The  Chaih.man.  ?i5  per  person? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  It  will  run  that.  Sometimes  we  can  get  them  cheaper.  Last 
year  I  made  an  arrangement  with  a  man  that  he  would  get  them  for  $3.  He  made 
that  proposition  and  that  he  would  take  them,  haul  them  uj)  the  railroad  to  a  station 
18  miles  away  for  *!,  making  it  cost  me  $4.  When  we  get  them  there,  then  we  have 
to  get  them  on^the  railroad. 

"The  Chair.mak.  Eighteen.miles  which  way? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  They  cross  at  night  and  bring  them  up  to  the  next  station.  We 
do  not  care  how  they  get  them  there,  as  long  as  they  get  them  there.  He  put  57 
there  at  $4  a  head.     Then  he  was  paid.     I  paid  the  Texas-Mexiam  Railroail  2  cents 


EMERGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION.  711 

a  mile  each,  $2.55,  to  haul  the  Mexicans.  When  we  got  the  Mexicans  to  the  farm 
the  first  thing  I  had  to  do  was  to  go  to  the  commissary — thkt  is  on  my  farm,  but  it  is 
operated  for  my  convenience.  We  had  to  let  these  Mexicans  have  from  $2  to  $3.50 
per  head  worth  of  goods  out  of  the  commissary — provisions,  beans,  bacon,  pots  and 
pans,  and  things  that  were  necessary  for  them  to  go  to  the  camp.  These  are  houses — 
shacks. 

"The  Chairman.  That  is  your  camp? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  My  shacks;  yes,  sir. 

"By  the  time  we  get  them  to  work,  the  average  Mexican,  from  17  years  old  up,  has 
cost  anywhere  from  .?  10  to  $15  per  head,  which  we  have  put  up  in  advance.  We 
intend  to  get  that  back.  Now,  unless  you  wateh  them  very  close,  80  per  cent  of  those 
Mexicans  that  you  brought  across  will  be  gone  next  morning.     *    *    * 

"Mr.  Wilson.  One  statement  you  made  a  while  ago  was  very  interesting  on  account 
of  certain  information  I  had  about  the  Mexican  labor.  I  have  been  told  if  you  get 
Mexican  labor,  contract  to  bring  to  your  plantation  a  hundred  Mexicans  to  work  and 
you  paid  their  expenses  over,  Avhen  they  got  there  they  were  very  scrupulous  about 
leaving  under  their  contract  but  stay  there  and  discharge  the  obligation. 

"Mr.  Roberts.  That  does  not  apply  in  our  own  country. 

"Mr.  Wilson.  I  note  you  state  if  they  had  opportunity  to  go  that  over  80  per  cent 
of  them  would  be  gone  next  morning. 

"Mr.  Roberts.  I  have  seen  100  per  cent  of  them  gone  the  next  morning. 

"Mr.  Wilson.  How  do  you  protect  vourself  against  that? 

"ilr.  Roberts.  I  am  not  under  oath. 

"The  Chairman.  No;  but  you  are  doing  well  for  a  man  not  under  oath. 

"Mr.  Wilson.  But  when  vou  do  that,  whenever  you  bring  them  over  and  pay  them, 
you  do  take  big  chances  of  losing  them? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  Of  course,  we  take  a  chance.     I  protect  myself  the  best  I  can. 

"Mr.  Raker.  Tell  us  how  you  protect  yourself. 

"Mr.  Roberts.  I  will  tell  what  I  have  heard  in  the  ancient  days.  I  have  seen 
them  unload  parties  at  the  tents,  and  some  fellows  would  borrow  the  Mexican's  shoes 
and  pants  until  morning.  Mr.  Chairman,  it  is  just  a  question  of  self-defense.  Go  to 
the  border  and  bring  50  Mexicans,  and  it  %vill  cost  you  $600.  That  is  not  unusual. 
You  have  $600  invested.  You  have  got  200  bales  of  cotton  worth  $200  a  bale,  and  you 
owe  the  banker.  The  bankers  are  the  only  people  we  can  owe  down  there;  the  mer- 
chants do  not  do  a  credit  business.  You  owe  the  banker.  You  want  to  buy  a  good 
automobile.  You  need  a  lot  of  things.  That  is  how  it  works.  In  our  country  cotton 
is  made  A\dthin  a  period  of  four  or  five  days;  whenever  it  matures,  it  opens  in  the  same 
time.  You  have  got  to  hold  50  or  75  Mexicans,  costing  you  $600,  to  hold  them 
over  from  week  to  week.  What  would  you  do?  Just  exactly  what  we  do.  You 
would  have  somebody  there  who  v/ould  not  sleep.  You  vrould  not  let  the  Mexicans 
leave.     *    *    * 

"The  Chairman.  Does  that  indicate  that  the  Mexican  Government  is  opposing  this 
temporary  transfer  of  Mexicans  into  the  United  States? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  No,  sir. 

"  The  Chairman.  It  is  a  local  proposition? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  It  is  just  a  graft. 

"Mr.  Davis.  Ask  him  about  the  concessionaires  on  the  other  side  and  explain 
the  whole  thing  that  •waA'. 

"Mr.  Roberts.  ]Mr.  (  hairman,  in  Mexico,  like  in  cities  when  they  have  a  picnic, 
they  sell  a  man  a  concession  to  go  and  sell  labor,  we  ^^'ill  say,  to  deal  in  labor.  All 
right.  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Co.  or  the  Union  Pacific,  for  instance.  I  go  to  this 
fellow  that  has  got  this  concession  and  I  give  him  what  he  asks.  With  the  consent  of 
the  Mexican  (jovernment,  we  \^dl\  go  away  down  in  that  country  and  load  up  enough 
of  them.    Suppo.'^ing  I  get  500  Mexicans  in  the  train  at  one  time  and  ship  them  up  here 

"Mr.  Welty.  I  understand  these  concessions  are  granted  by  the  Mexican 
Government? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  To  individuals  to  make  money  out  of  the  proposition.  They  are 
his  cattle.  He  does  not  call  them  human  beings.  All  right.  I  go  across  there  and 
have  a  contract  to  meet  the  Mexicans,  and  he  might  get  the  officials  over  there  at  his 
dictation  to  arrest  me  and  put  me  into  jail,  and  I  can  not  do  that  thing  because  I  have 
not  the  concession  for  it. 

"  The  Chairman.  You  are  interfering  with  his  concession? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  Interfering  %vith  his  business. 

"The  Chairman.  Now,  as  to  the  proposed  legislation.  If  something  like  the  sub- 
stitute is  considered  you  are  open  for  that  very  thing? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  Yes,  sir. 


712  KMErvGENCY   IMMIGRATION   LEGISLATION. 

•'Tho  riiAiRMAN.  Thoy  want  railrna'l  laliorers  in  Oklahoma,  Kansas,  and  Missouri, 
and  that  will  incioase  th?>  l)nn,ii;in<^  of  those  ocross  thp  lino. 

•'Mr.  RoBKRTs.  There  are  plenty  of  lal)orers  there  for  all  of  us;  they  are  not  letting 
them  come  across. 

•'The  Chaiumax.  You  think  they  should  come  freely? 

"Mr.  Roberts.  Yes,  sir;  I  do. 

"The  Chairman.  What  is  your  information  generally  in  regard  to  immigration? 

"Mr.  RoRERTS.  I  would  admit  Mexicans  and  Canadians,  excluding  the  others,  if 
I  were  making  the  law."        ' 

FRED  ff.   LYSONS. 

A  statement  by  Fred  H.  Lysons,  Esq.,  an  attorney  of  Seattle, 
Wash.,  setting  forth  views  as  to  the  effect  of  the  Johnson  bill  upon 
trade  with  China,  is  herewith  printed  in  full,  together  with  a  letter 
from  Senator  Wesley  L.  Jones,  of  Washington,  transmitting  the  same: 

United  States  Senate, 

CoMMI'lTEE   ON   COMMERCE, 

December  24,  1920. 
Hon.  L.  B.  Colt, 

United  States  Senate. 
My  Dear  Senator:  I  inclose  you  copy  of  a  letter  which  I  have  just  received  from 
a  gentleman  in  Seattle  with  reference  to  the  Johnson  inimigration  \,\\\.  and  especially 
as  it  affects  Chinese.  It  strikes  me  tliere  is  a  great  deal  of  force  in  the  position  he 
takes  and  much  merit  in  the  suggestion  he  makes.  I  have  kn(<wn  Mr.  lASons  for  a 
good  many  }ears.  He  is  a  A-ery  able  and  reliable  man  and  his  judgment  is  entitled 
to  much  consideration. 

Very  respectfully,  yours. 


Mr.  Lysons's  letter  follows: 


^'  .  T.    .Ionep 
Seattle,  Wash.,  December  IS,  1920. 


Hon.  Wesley  L.  Jones, 

United  States  Senate,  Washington,  D.  C. 

My  Dear  Senator:  I  desire  to  apprise  you,  as  chairman  of  the  Committee  on 
Commerce,  of  the  danger  v.-hich  is  threatening  our  trade  with  (  hina  bv  the  Johnson 
immigration  bill. 

Without  raising  any  question  on  the  principle  of  the  Inll  and  assuming  that  its 
purpose  in  barring  all  immigration  as  the  only  immediate  means  of  keeping  out 
undesirables  is  commendable,  it  is  unnecessary  to  apply  it  to  the  Chinese  for  the 
reasons : 

(1)  The  annual  net  admission  of  Chinese  aliens  is  less  than  3,000. 

(2)  We  get  no  radicals  or  undesirables  from  China. 

Therefore,  neither  in  numbers  nor  in  character  are  the  Ciiinese  aliens  in  the  least 
objectionable. 

On  the  other  hand,  and  speaking  aflffirmativelv,  there  are  many  reasons  •why  the 
Chinese  should  be  exempted  from  the  operation  of  thi.^  act,  among  these  reasons  being: 

(1)  We  now  have  an  effective  exclusion  law  agaim^t  the  Chinese  under  which  the 
few  Chiucee  who  are  admitted  are  of  the  dcsiral^le  classes. 

(2)  The  fact  that  during  the  past  40  years  we  have  singled  out  the  Chinese  alone 
for  exclusion  has  been  a  matter  of  serious  irritation  Anth  them,  and  it  is  only  recently 
that  they  have  become  reconciled  to  it  and  are  now  preparing  in  spite  of  it  to  give 
us  the  bulk  of  their  foreign  trade. 

(:3)  The  additional  restrictions  imposed  by  the  Johnson  bill  Anil  aggravate  them 
into  a  reconsideration  of  their  trade  prospects  Anth  us. 

(4)  If  we  by  this  bill  put  the  (  hinese  on  an  equality  with  all  other  peoples,  they 
will  expei  t  to  be  continued  on  this  equality  when  the  terms  of  this  bill  expire,  thus 
confronting  us  with  embarrassment  in  rearranging  our  immigration  relations  •with 
them. 

(5)  The  Chinese  exclusion  law  is  now  a  law  of  settled  construction  and  interpreta- 
tion both  by  the  department  and  by  the  courts.  It  has  taken  many  years  to  accom- 
plish this  and  this  new  law  would  have  to  go  through  the  same  settling  process. 

Fur  the  reasf)ns  set  forth  in  the  last  paragraph  (5),  1  have  been  of  the  oi)inion,  and 
am  still,  that  if  it  is  desirable  to  suspend  immigration  for  a  tem])orary  period  tlie  most 
effective  way  to  do  it  would  be  by  enactment  applying  the  Chinese  exclusion  law  to 
the  rest  of  the  world.     This  law  is  no  longer  open  to  contradictory  constructicn  A\hich 


EMERGENCY  IMMIGRATION  LEGISLATION.  713 

the  Johnson  bill,  or  any  new  piece  of  legislation  would  be.  For  instance,  1  do  not 
suppose  it  was  the  purpose  in  framing  the  Johnson  bill  to  permanently  amend  the 
immigration  law,  and  yet,  in  my  opinion,  the  courts  would  hold  the  language  of 
section  14  of  the  bill,  referring  to  the  general  immigration  bill,  as  an  amendment  to 
that  bill  permanently  and  not  limited  to  the  period  of  the  operation  of  thie  Johnson 
bill.  In  fact,  it  is  altogether  probable  that  the  time  of  operation  of  this  bill  will  have 
expired  before  its  more  important  provisions  have  received  definite  court  construction . 

I  have  taken  up  this  subject  with  councilman  Eobt.  Hesketh  and  other  labor 
leaders  of  this  city  and  they  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  Chinese  exclusion  law  has 
worked  so  satisfactorily  and  so  effectively  that  we  ought  not  to  incur  the  risk  of  having 
the  immigration  question  reopened  with  that  country  at  the  expiration  of  the  Johnson 
bill,  and  that,  therefore,  our  present  immigration  relations  with  China  should  be 
continued  without  any  change  or  modification  whatever. 

I  speak  on  the  subject  from  knowledge  gained  through  business  association  with 
the  Chinese,  both  here  and  in  China,  covering  a  period  of  more  than  20  years  past, 
and  I  know  from  my  contact  with  them  that  now  that  they  have  become  reconciled 
to  the  present  exclusion  laws,  we  may  expect  the  immediate  dcA'clopment  of  trade 
of  almost  incalculable  magnitude  with  them  unless  we  further  offend  their  sensibili- 
ties in  our  exclusion  laws. 

It  is  true  this  Johnson  bill  simply  puts  them  on  an  equality  with  the  rest  of  the 
world,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  we  have  kept  them  from  that  equality  for 
the  past  40  years. 

China  is  undoubtedly  the  biggest  commercial  asset  offered  to  our  future,  but  the 
development  of  it  and  its  realization  will,  in  my  judgment,  be  postponed  for  many 
years  and  possibly  be  lost  to  us  altogether  through  the  efforts  of  competing  countries 
if  the  Chinese  are  included  within  the  provisions  of  this  Johnson  bill.  With  best 
regards,  I  am, 


Very  truly,  yours. 


Fred  H.  Lysons. 
MR.  K.  I.  m'kAY. 


A  telegram  from  Mr.  K.  I.  McKay,  of  Tampa,  Fla.,  to  Senator 
Fletcher,  referring  to  certain  testimony  before  the  committee,  is 
herewith  printed,  at  Senator  Fletcher's  request,  as  follows: 

Tampa,  Fla.,  January  17. 
Senator  D.  U.  Fletcher, 

Washington,  D.  C: 
Statement  of  Perkins  filed  by  Morrison  before  Senate  Immigiation  Committee  is  full 
of  inaccuracies  and  gross  misquotaticns  and  exageraticns.  Written  brief  filed  by  me 
with  committee  states  facts  correctly  and  does  not  justify  Perkins  or  Morrison.  The 
only  feature  of  Perkins's  statement  not  covered  by  my  brief  is  with  reference  to  wages. 
I  stated  orally  that  in  some  exceptional  cases  cigarmakers  had  earned  from  one  hun- 
dred to  one  hundred  twenty-five  dollars  per  week,  but  that  they  were  averaging,  be- 
fore the  strike,  forty  to  fifty  dollars.  This  statement  can  be  verified  by  records  of  local 
manufacturers. 

K.  I.  McKay. 
26911— 21— PT 14 6 


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